[sirgunsalot]

First a little background info.: I grew up shooting shotguns and rifles during the hunting seasons. About seven years ago I started buying a few pistols to have around. About five years ago I started working part time for an armored car service hauling money around. To qualify to carry a pistol was to say the least difficult for me. I failed the shooting test the first time and had to take it a second time. Most of the time when I worked I was the guy with the shotgun. To qualify for the permit I had to shoot right handed and left handed. This was in case one hand was disabled from a gunshot I suppose. The left hand part is what failed me the first time and almost the second. My question is how many pistol shooters practice shooting with their weak hand? Just a thought.

 

[ssnell]

I'm wrong handed to begin with, but I do practice with both hands, because I shoot a little IDPA competition, and they usally have one set you have to shoot with your off hand.
Scott

 

[got2bqik]

I just recently started shooting pistol. Shot shotguns most of my life and shoot them left handed , eye dominance thing, learned from the begining left handed and it stuck, but now with the pistol, I shoot it better holding it in my right hand. Although this past sunday 450 rounds got my nub hurting. My right index finger is missing the last knuckle due to a lost battle with a table saw 22 years ago. Am still trying to find the right hold and trigger finger. I like the nub as trigger finger because it's real sensitive and I can feel the action really well. IMO it's all about what is comfortable to you.
Tim

 

[Maser]

im pretty ambidextrous and also can shoot with either right or left handed cuz some of my friends n familys bolt action rifles r left handed or right handed only so i was forced to learn both but anyways my dominate hand is right

 

[Fuelburns2]

I am fairly new to pistol shooting but I definately shoot better with my right hand. I typically use my left to steady the gun but when I only use one hand my right is probably 70% better. I intend to use my left more often just for fun but my primary concern is becoming proficient with what is most comfortable first. Then I'll mix it up a little more.

 

[txvashooter]

I shoot left handed. I should try off hand and see how I do. Sounds like a good reason to go to the range this weekend.

 

[semiauto]

I shoot right handed but occasionally I like to switch to try and get a different feel and to watch myself get worse

 

[Paul F.]

If you intend a pistl for defense, you MUST practice off-handed shooting. The corners of a house or wall aren't always favorable to your strong side. :wink:

I spend 50% of my ammo shooting off side.

 

[Fuelburns2]

I have never shot off handed (left). Never even thought about it before now. I will definately add left handed shooting to my range time.

 

[huntswithdogs]

Guys,
If you're gonna be shooting a handgun, be sure to at least practice occassionally off-handed. Ya just never know.
My sister shoots both hands pretty well,but I tell her that she's cheating. She'll hold the gun in her left hand and tilt her head til she's using her right eye on the sights. I've been shooting off handed for quite a while (naturally left handed). I use a 22 for most of my practice.

HWD

 

[TMats]

If you intend a pistl for defense, you MUST practice off-handed shooting. The corners of a house or wall aren't always favorable to your strong side.

I spend 50% of my ammo shooting off side.

I probably don't practice enough with my weak hand. Hell, I probably don't practice enough, period. But half your shooting practice weak hand because of the corners in a house?

I suggest that you look into the concept of "slicing the pie" with respect to clearing a room (or any blind corner). It goes without saying, of course, that if your family is safely together with you; the smartest thing to do is to maintain a defensive posture and let the police clear the house for you.

 

[Paul F.]

TMats, corners and walls are just an example. There are a great many scenarios where off hand might be the only hand. At any rate... it's the way I was taught and, hopefully, will be worth the aggravation if the time ever comes. By the way... 50% only applies when I'm practicing defense on an appropriate range. Round bulls or shooting indoors are always strong side and that's the majority of my shooting. :wink:

 

[TMats]

OK Paul, yo entiendo. Belated Happy New Year to you.

 

[Paul F.]

And to you! I'm hoping we see the best one, yet!

So... what new toys do you plan on and what did you get? :wink:

 

[TMats]

Well, I have a pretty modest wish for a new toy (as a matter of fact), I'd like a .22 cal. conversion kit for my Kimber. I wasn't kidding when I said I probably do not practice enough--it's expensive to shoot .45 auto.

I got the Benchmade 940 that I've been craving since I saw one in Guns magazine a couple years ago.

You?

 

[Paul F.]

Ordered a new holster for my favorite .45 - it's an exact copy of the WWII vintage, duty belt, flap holster, magazine pouch and USMC buckle! I'll be styling, now!!!

Hey... what's the price on the conversion. Based on what I've seen... it seems to me you could get a whole new .22 for the price of a kit +/-.

Hope you have good luck... I spend altogether too much on ammo and may end up getting a .22/.22WMR Ruger. Yep... a revolver!

 

[TMats]

Kimber's conversion kit runs about $300, I can get a Ciener through Brownells for a bit under $250 with my discount. I'd prefer the Kimber.

Yeah, there's quite a few .22s I could buy for that kind of money, but the idea is to practice with the same pistol I use for IDPA. I do think it's true that there are probably a number of .22 autos with very similar grip angles to the 1911, but my gut feeling is that you would get better practice with the 1911--I don't know. Besides, I've got other .22s (albeit revolvers).

The belt and holster sounds great. I noticed that Dillon Mfg. also carries a retro 1911 holster and belt--a tanker model I believe. Yours with the eagle-globe-and anchor buckle ought to be tuff to beat though.

 

[Paul F.]

Oh... I agree. Go with a conversion. I did not catch that you were sparking rounds to practice for competition.

 

[p85]

I practice about 20 percent of the time with my left hand. I found that I can shoot almost as well with my left as I can right handed. And not poorly, I might add. :lol: I bought a ruger Mark III today to practice at the range with. I like to go often and yes, it is expensive buying 9mm and .45 cal ammo to practice with. :wink: .22 ammo still fairly cheap and you can put a lot of range time to good use with it.

 

[Lastmohecken]

I shoot left handed, but I can also shoot right handed and like others have said, in IDPA and IPSC you have to shoot with your off hand sometimes.

One tip, I might share with you, because it has happened to me, is you will sometimes wonder if it is your grip that is throwing the shoots off or to a different point of impact when shooting one handed or with your off hand. And I was fighting that problem a little off and on, and back then I shot IDPA in the same club that Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat was shooting in, So I stated to him that I suspected I was gripping the gun different, and that was causing the problem. He told me that it wasn't the grip difference, it was my trigger control, and he was right. I practiced a little bit with special attention to trigger control, and his advice proved to be 100% correct. This I had to relearn after many years of shooting, many times it is just the basics, with trigger control, being just about the most important thing on a pistol, many times more then grip, sight alignment or anything else.