Shooting handgun one handed critique

[Mark75H]

I have both the Mantis X and the iTarget

The Mantis X only tells you which direction and how much the gun was moving as you pulled the trigger. The iTarget shows whether you actually had the barrel lined up with the target when the firing pin hit the laser bullet, but not whether you were still or sweeping thru the hit area. Its possible to be dead on with one and wildly miss with the other. If you can bring them both together on center, you are doing very well. The $5,000+ target practice devices that the Olympic trainers use do both. If I recall, the Russian device sometimes sells for around $3,000 used.

When shooting one handed, the only important thing to do with your other hand is - the same thing every time. Many competitive shooters hook a thumb or finger on a belt loop, pocket, button or something to give them consistency. Find what works best for you and do the same thing EVERY TIME.

Tilting your head slightly down is OK, but side to side level across the ears is extremely important. Your brain understands the target presentation much better when level across the ears. If you look at pics of shooters that made their Olympic Teams (rifle and pistol), you will see this consistently - because it is what works.

 

[Minuteman]

are all laser trainers the same or is there a brand you prefer?

Of the ones I own and have tried, I still like this one the best:

http://www.laserlyte.com/products/trainer-lt-cartridge

It's not perfect, but works with any rig/holster; and at about $100 it pays for itself the first 1000 times you shoot it. Forces you to shoot with both eyes open, because you can't see the laser spot hit if you close one eye.

 

[F2S]

Overall, looks good.

You should do more dryfire practice at home to minimize your flenchig; most obvious when you tried to fire at slide lock.

When you train one handed, squeeze off two or three, then bring the gun back to your chest, practice pressing it out, getting sight alignment, and squeeze again. Alternate hands.

This is mostly for marksmanship, but also do some faster point shooting on occasion.

I find a laser trainer very helpful to learn shooting one handed (with both hands), and with both eyes open.

Try to avoid moving any other part of your body that isn't necessary; just lift the gun up to your line of sight and pull the trigger, don't duck your head, or squat down during your aiming.

Where is your non-shooting hand? Generally make a fist and keep it high on your chest, imagine you are holding a small shield.

Also, generally wear a brimmed hat while shooting, and often train with gloves. Be comfortable shooting with and without gloves.

This is great advice. The dry fire can help a lot with your trigger pull and not anticipating the shot. Try using some snap caps while dry firing. Make sure your elbow is locked out. I recently was given some advice to keep my left foot forward and knee bent slightly and right foot back a little, shoulders square. The stance seemed awkward at first but did help me


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[Minuteman]

This is great advice. The dry fire can help a lot with your trigger pull and not anticipating the shot. Try using some snap caps while dry firing. Make sure your elbow is locked out. I recently was given some advice to keep my left foot forward and knee bent slightly and right foot back a little, shoulders square. The stance seemed awkward at first but did help me


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+1 snapcaps. A good drill for flenching is to only load on round, fire it. Then immediately fire again, with a snap cap or even empty cylinder.

I agree 'locking' your arm out is best for marksmanship, but not best for self defense (recoil, etc), so I recommend a slight bend in elbow, even on 'full extension'.

For action shooting, body position matters very little, lots of other things to be thinking about. You described a good 'ideal' option.

 

[J.T]

Maybe get some of these?

 

[photoracer]

All the others have given good advice dry fire practice and slow is smooth smooth is fast, the only other thing I would suggest is straighten the pistol and place your right cheek on or close to your right bicep it will put your left eye inline with your sights so you don't need to cant the weapon.

Sorry canting the weapon slightly is how the pros shoot action events weak or strong hand because it places your hand in its natural position. It greatly improves your shot to shot transitions. If I was shooting slow I would not do it most likely but after a draw or after a draw and switching hands it improves both your times and accuracy because your hand is recoiling back into its natural position. Different types of shooting often require different types of adjustments to shoot at a higher level. This is just one of them. You should be canting the weapon slightly regardless of which hand is shooting or which eye is dominant. Obviously if using both hands you don't do it.

 

[J.T]

Maybe get some of these?

This was obviously a joke. I cant slightly also and found it does help me

 

[ascorb]

Maybe get some of these?

LOL, I tried shooting homeboy style its harder than I thought the recoil goes all over the place

 

[ascorb]

Sorry canting the weapon slightly is how the pros shoot action events weak or strong hand because it places your hand in its natural position. It greatly improves your shot to shot transitions. If I was shooting slow I would not do it most likely but after a draw or after a draw and switching hands it improves both your times and accuracy because your hand is recoiling back into its natural position. Different types of shooting often require different types of adjustments to shoot at a higher level. This is just one of them. You should be canting the weapon slightly regardless of which hand is shooting or which eye is dominant. Obviously if using both hands you don't do it.

Okay, I will cant it with both hands now just to see what it does lol

 

[travistheone]

Okay, I will cant it with both hands now just to see what it does lol

The cant is to direct the recoil in the natural hinging direction of your arm while keeping the sights near target.

If you have two hands on the gun you can negate the effect of recoil much more effectively and not require a cant. Not to mention that your arms (and consequently your elbows) are rotated in a different direction when you shoot 1 handed vs. 2.

 

[Blaster229]

For the most part, shooting 1 handed means your other hand/arm/shoulder, etc... is injured/out of commission. You're in a fight. Worry about landing center mass shots. There's zero trigger discipline in this emergency. Front sight on center and pull/slap the trigger and get rounds on the threat. Center mass IS the group. The cant is natural and normal, no need to fight it. Chances are you won't be making 15+ yard accurate injury shots. Threat is closing in and the target gets bigger.

Mentioned earlier, get that support arm/fist covering most of YOUR center mass (sternum). Not for anything, your injured mitt/forearm might help to negate some shots you may be taking. And while shooting slow, accurate fire, this helps to stabilize your body.
It's tough to leave a one handed press out on target for 5,10,15 rounds. What happens is you get tired, you start shooting faster and your shots get worse and you start getting frustrated.
I would recommend pressing out for each shot, simply point shooting. Land shots, get confident and feel better about your shooting.

Good luck.

 

[md_06unltd]

I'll be taking my Md Wear and Carry class in just a couple weeks.

It requires 15 rounds of one handed (10 strong, 5 weak) but its only at 3 yrds.

Thanks for all the great advice to the original OP. I'll be practicing with all the suggestions at the range.

But is there any reason I can't just stand sideways and point straight off the shoulder?

 

[Minuteman]

For the most part, shooting 1 handed means your other hand/arm/shoulder, etc... is injured/out of commission. You're in a fight. Worry about landing center mass shots. There's zero trigger discipline in this emergency. Front sight on center and pull/slap the trigger and get rounds on the threat. Center mass IS the group. The cant is natural and normal, no need to fight it. Chances are you won't be making 15+ yard accurate injury shots. Threat is closing in and the target gets bigger.

Mentioned earlier, get that support arm/fist covering most of YOUR center mass (sternum). Not for anything, your injured mitt/forearm might help to negate some shots you may be taking. And while shooting slow, accurate fire, this helps to stabilize your body.
It's tough to leave a one handed press out on target for 5,10,15 rounds. What happens is you get tired, you start shooting faster and your shots get worse and you start getting frustrated.
I would recommend pressing out for each shot, simply point shooting. Land shots, get confident and feel better about your shooting.

Good luck.

This is the best advice you can get.

Good luck to the OP and everyone else qualifying or training for an event we all pray never happens.

 

[gorgeman]

cant upper body to the left a little, head up to help with trigger buy or make some dummy rounds mix in the mag you will be surprised when you hit an inert round good luck

 

[md_06unltd]

So I spent some time at Heritage practicing "left handed" shooting. I met a really nice instructor on the range, Marcus. Anyway, he gave me two great tips. 1. Don't call it "weak hand", its a psychological thing. The second tip he gave me was invaluable. Don't use your thumb to hold on to the weapon, let it hang loose. Gripping with the thumb tends to pull the weapon when fired. I was hitting down and to the left when shooting. Once I loosened my thumb off the grip I began hitting dead center.

Hope this helps others out.

Edit to correct instructors name...gotta give credit where its due.

 

[bobbo]

Are u grouping if you are just roll with it . Or what my police instructor said bring the pistol to you head not your head to the pistol.