Let's talk one-handed shooting

Grip, sight allignment, and trigger control are still the basics, one handed or two, and with strong hand or support hand. I regularly practice one handed right or left, and two handed with my support hand as primary. If you carry a BUG on your support side this can be advantageous. Its always good to have options.:)
 
One handed full weapon manipulation is extremely important.

Shooting is one thing from retention and another with an extended arm. Two entirely different purposes. Each depending on the situation.

Other very important things to practice on handed:

Clearing a malfunction - which requires muscle memory, good sights, a good belt.

Reloading - a good holster that doesn't collapse. Re-holster with the slide locked back after you drop the mag, insert the mag, draw and rack the slide on the belt or holster. Continue.
 
Todd Jarriett's article in last month's Outdoor Life: says you can cant the pistol outwards 20 degrees {not inwards "gangsta style} in order to control recoil better.

Sorry...my bad, in another thread which I posted 30 degrees, instead of 20.


I also like to keep my free hand balled up into a fist --- up against my chest --- in order to keep it out of the way of the pistol --- during drawing an firing --- and be ready to use it for a close encounter punch too an opponent.

I use the same modern Isosceles stance as in two handed shooting, unless I was shooting bullseye style.
 
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It's like martial arts or hand to hand combat-you cannot rely on ONE technique. Ed McGivern, Bill Jordan, Charlie Askins etc. were all masters of one hand shooting and all emphasized you learn to shoot and master the handgun with one hand.
 
Shooting one handed is a backup plan.. sure its something you need to be able to do reasonably well but I am not so sure that "mastering" one handed shooting is something I consider practical.
 
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in 1995 I used one hand shooting because my other hand was fending off knife thrusts.

I recommend close range one handed shooting as a standard for every range session, weak handed too.
 
I would have figured that a discussion about one handed shooting would include proper grip. Guess not--so I'll ask the question:
THUMB UP OR DOWN? For me, I steady the gun more with thumb up pressing against grip. Thumb down handles recoil better.
 
I think Deaf has got it nailed, practice, practice, practice.

Strange, I have been shooting one handed most of my life and did not realize it.
When I start out from a draw it is always one handed shooting, until I do a mag exchange then some how the weak hand finds it's way to the pistol grip, mostly on targets further out, or on poppers.

Jim
 
Nnobby45, to me thumbs-down position feels better. I can have a much firmer grip that way on the gun when shooting one-handed.
 
Thanks, Ezmiraldo.

Lots of folks want to talk about the importance of one handed shooting. I was just hoping more would share how they accomplish this important, potentially life saving tactic with re: to thumb UP or DOWN.;)
 
Seems it wasn't that long ago that the Army Marksmanship team was taught to shoot with one hand. (Then again, maybe I am that old) The two-handed method of pistol shooting as taught by most has always irritated me to some degree. There are many advantages to shooting with one hand. Primarily, you expose 1/2 less target area to a potential adversary in a confrontation. There is also a great advantage when shooting around corners, as again you expose very little target area. In a high stress environment, you always revert to your training and it is a difficult thing to change once embedded, and shooting around a corner with two hands exposes too much of the body. The key to one hand shooting is the proper grip strength and stance. The key to limiting malfunctions is to absorb recoil without bending at the wrist or elbow. BTW, thumbs up is the proper way.
 
I decided to tune up my one handed shooting several years ago. Here's how I went about it. As it worked out, this particular skillset was easily summoned-up when a pit/mastiff mix tried to attack me and 3 kids, one of which had already been bitten by the damn thing.

My lessons learned:

A. One-hand shooting is a worthwhile skill to learn
B. If hitting with one hand is the prime objective, precision or bullseye shooting is a good a way as any to learn it
C. The skills acquired in precision shooting are easily transferable to use of the sidearm with one hand, under stress.

Of course, not everyone learns or adapts at the same rate. YMMV
 
The key to one hand shooting is the proper grip strength and stance. The key to limiting malfunctions is to absorb recoil without bending at the wrist or elbow. BTW, thumbs up is the proper way.
Click to expand...

Thank, good post
 
I think the use of thumbs-up or thumbs-down grip depends on the size of one's hand, the size of the pistol, and location of controls on the pistol. The goal is to minimize the chance of malfunctions while having firm grip. One other consideration is that it would be better to have the same grip position - either thumbs-up or thumbs-down when shooting both single and two handed for consistency's sake.
 
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