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How often do you shoot weakside and how much does it effect your accuracy?
- Thread starter ISC
- Start date
TacticalDefense1911
New member
I try to shoot weakside every time I go out shooting. It affects my accuracy in a negative way but not by much; definitely accurate enough for a tactical situation. I find the recoil much harder to manage which really slows down consecutive shots (my primary carry gun is a 5" Kimber Custom II).
Deaf Smith
New member
My weak side is better than alot of peoples strong side. But then I have several hoslters for my left as well as right and I use'em.
Staying in the fight in case of a strong side injury is important, but I think the bigger factor for being proficient at shooting weak side is because if you are engaging a target from behind cover you may need to shoot on the left or right side of it. If you are right handed and shoot on the left side of a wall then more of your body is exposed to fire than if you shot from your weak side.
That 6 inches or so of exposure is about 1/2 of your total exposed profile, making you 1/2 as likely to be hit.
That 6 inches or so of exposure is about 1/2 of your total exposed profile, making you 1/2 as likely to be hit.
It's hard to over-emphasize the need to practice weak-handed (or one-handed) shooting. Don't forget tactics to reload, clear jams, and unholster one-handed. During my various simunition training sessions, it was reinforced quite well that, if you are hit during a gunfight, you will often take hits in the hands and forearms.
I guess I am one of the lucky few who can shoot equally as well with both hands. Sure, it takes some practice for me to stay as sharp with my off hand as I am with my strong hand, but I spend a full 1/2 of each session shooting lefty to make sure there are no issues.
As a lad I was truly ambidextrous but went through a plate glass window and sliced through all the tendons on the inside of my left wrist. Took months of exercises and therapy before my left hand was really working well again, and I haven't been able to write or do really fine motor skills as well with that hand since. These days I write right handed, am left eye dominant and can kick as well with either foot.
As a lad I was truly ambidextrous but went through a plate glass window and sliced through all the tendons on the inside of my left wrist. Took months of exercises and therapy before my left hand was really working well again, and I haven't been able to write or do really fine motor skills as well with that hand since. These days I write right handed, am left eye dominant and can kick as well with either foot.
A couple years ago, one friend of mine had surgery on her wrist and another friend was in a rollover ATV accident and shattered his wrist. Both of these folks carry regularly.
The ATV guy had practiced regularly with one handed shooting. He also regularly practiced "as if" he was a lefty, using two hands. So once the initial fog from the injury and drugs cleared up, we went up to the range. He quickly ran through the basic manipulations, smiled, and was good to go on carrying as always.
The wrist surgery gal wasn't prepared. She'd never done one-handed manipulations before, although she had at least shot one-handed a few times. She'd also never practiced "as if" she was a lefty. She spent several very long and tiring sessions on the range trying to get up to speed with one-handed work. It was frustrating and very difficult for her. Eventually she was good to go, but it was a really steep learning curve. Later, as she healed up, there came a day when her injured wrist was healed enough that she could have been shooting two-handed as a lefty -- but she'd never really practiced as a lefty, and knew none of the basic manipulations from mirror image. So she had even more work to do and more to learn.
It's just a LOT easier to learn these things in advance of needing them, when you are not rushed for time or hazy from pain.
pax
The ATV guy had practiced regularly with one handed shooting. He also regularly practiced "as if" he was a lefty, using two hands. So once the initial fog from the injury and drugs cleared up, we went up to the range. He quickly ran through the basic manipulations, smiled, and was good to go on carrying as always.
The wrist surgery gal wasn't prepared. She'd never done one-handed manipulations before, although she had at least shot one-handed a few times. She'd also never practiced "as if" she was a lefty. She spent several very long and tiring sessions on the range trying to get up to speed with one-handed work. It was frustrating and very difficult for her. Eventually she was good to go, but it was a really steep learning curve. Later, as she healed up, there came a day when her injured wrist was healed enough that she could have been shooting two-handed as a lefty -- but she'd never really practiced as a lefty, and knew none of the basic manipulations from mirror image. So she had even more work to do and more to learn.
It's just a LOT easier to learn these things in advance of needing them, when you are not rushed for time or hazy from pain.
pax