do you prefer a 1 or 2 hand hold?

[cj2340]

I was thinking about the best way to grip a pistol and naturally many people believe that the two-handed grip is best because you are able to steady the pistol better and control recoil better. Well, in my experience, holding a pistol with only one hand is more comfortable. But I still try to use the 2 handed hold a little each time when I practice shooting in case I need to make a long shot. I also found that for point shooting (with my elbow bent at a 90 degree angle), the one-handed grip also seems to lessen recoil more than a 2 hand hold. So... do most people prefer shooting with 2 hands? Or is a 1 handed hold more comfortable?

 

[Geronimo45]

Point shooting usually requires you to hold the gun with one had. Faster that way, anyhow. I believe that you shouldn't own a handgun that you can't shoot one handed. If it demands two hands to hold, it is not a handgun - it is a hands-gun - a rifle with a pistol grip.

Point shooting - don't know your stance as you do it, I sometimes like firing from the hip and stitching my way up. The Crimson Trace grips help. The key thing to me in point shooting is that you get the gun deployed and blazing as fast as you can. That usually means a one-hand grip for me.

 

[cj2340]

I "point-shoot" the same way as you do, from the hip. And it for self defense situations a person will usually need use the fastest way possible for shooting I would think. And that must be point shooting from the hip, right?

 

[Panthera Tigris]

I find the one hand grip more comfortable also. And less awkward.

 

[Ditchtiger]

I have less muzzle climb with two hands. faster to get back on target

 

[Eightball]

If I'm shooting for accuracy, 2 hands. If I'm shooting for fun, 1 hand. My rifles require 2 hands, and the "novelty" of 1 handed firing hasn't worn off yet. I especially like one-handing the hotter load .357s that lots of people would rather use 2 hands for .

 

[psyopspec]

Up to this point I've been trained on, used, and preferred two hands. However, based on everyone's feedback to the thread I'll try devoting a full range session of a few hundred rounds to shooting with one hand.

For those of you that are proficient at shooting with one hand, do you practice using the other in case your strong hand becomes disabled?

 

[strambo]

For those of you that are proficient at shooting with one hand, do you practice using the other in case your strong hand becomes disabled?

Yup, when I'm practicing point shooting I switch hands quite often. When I'm using the sights (most often) I shoot left handed about 10% of the time. Wanna really mess with yourself? Try clearing a double feed with only your weak hand.

 

[Brian Williams]

Left hand, Right hand, both, practice with all of the above, left eyed, right eyed, both eyes open; laying down head towards target, head away from target, standing, sitting, kneeling. As a wise old Mentor from the Hiatus of The Firingline and the begining of THR said, Shoot in ways you would if it happened in real life, He even reported putting a hole in the leg of his walker one time while doing falling drills, Thanks C.R. Sam.


b

 

[brownie0486]

I prefer a two hand hold to answer the question.

I practice one handed threat focused skills about 60-70 % of the time at 15 feet or less. Two handed past that distance and out to 300 feet, going to sights around 25-30 feet and out.

Brownie

 

[crofrog]

+1 to Brian.

You should invest time, so that your right/left hand and both hands are all equally skilled.

 

[shooter503]

For practice it may be a matter of preference but practice in all grip combinations.

In reality it is going to be a matter of which grip you are able to use. No doubt the two hand is probably better if you have a choice but the one hand MAY be faster and it may be your only option.

Practice in as many different training scenarios as you can. After a while you will find that you will automatically choose the best grip for the occasion.

To give a practical example relevent to another thread, you are getting into your car in a car park and as you slide into the left seat someone who is definately not your wife opens the passenger door. You decide to draw. What grip are you going to use? However, say you had just opened the door of your car, you are still standing upright, and a threatening figure appeared from behind your car with a 2x4. What grip would you use? One half second difference in time, a couple of feet in location and you may use two different responses.

You seem to be having no problems but be careful with the bent arm for recoil reduction. An auto relies on a fairly solid grip to cycle. You do not want to cause yourself feeding problems by giving the pistol inadequate force to recoil against.

 

[hso]

left, right and both

 

[kikr]

Depends on the situation, I train/practice for either hand one handed and for 2 handed weaver and iso.

 

[MadMercS55]

I practice two-handed, left hand\right hand, everything in between. Seeing as how I'm normally out at night and carry a flashlight on my left hand side, I like to practice one handed more since it applies directly to a possible real life situation. With the light, without, etc. I also spend alot of time driving, and I try to practice drawing from a seated position. One of the ranges I go to, I can actually drive onto the range and practice shooting from the car which is very interesting.

 

[10-Ring]

If it's about preference, I like 2 hands. If it's about training, I still prefer 2 hands but I practice strong & weak hand shooting too.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

You should use both hands whenever possible, but do a substantial amount of practice with one (and, to some degree, the other) hand. You don't always have time to get into a perfect shooting stance, or the other hand may be holding something, shielding someone, etc.

 

[Harley Quinn]

I practice both ways

One hand, either hand, and then the two hand. I try to keep it so I am using the strong hand, the weak hand, and then both hands, right hand hold and left hand hold.

I believe you should practice with the firearm so if you were injured you would still be able to have some familiarity.

HQ

 

[Jimmac]

2 Hands

When I went through the State Police Academy many years ago the range officer said " The only reason to shoot one handed, is if you only have one hand".

But we learned 2 hands right hand left hand supported, unsupported, barricade strong side, weak side.

But if you have a choice use 2 hands and hope your aim is good.

Jim

 

[1911 guy]

All of the above.

I prefer a two handed grip. However, I practice and train with every possible variation I can think of. Right only, left only, left with my right supporting, standing, kneeling, on my can, on my back. You name it, I've tried it. Frankly, I suck at some of these variations, but if I find myself in a tight spot and position X is all that's available, it won't be totally foreign to me.

 

[sicario103]

To further extend the "point shoot" from the hip up. It's a no brainer that you'll be using one hand when you draw and point shoot from your hip up, but normally you end up using both hands once your arm is almost fully extended. Ofcourse, this should be used in a close quarter situation.

But like Jimmac stated; you should always use two hands unless you have no choice (eg wounded etc) for self-defense. And this is especially true when you put into account possible innocent bystanders.

 

[ProguninTN]

Hands

I was trained to use two hands. Two hands for accuracy and retention. Therefore, that's what typically do. However, it probably couldn't hurt to practice shooting with one hand just in case.

 

[Flak_Jakett]

Like just about everyone else my prefered method is two handed from any and all stances possible. I also trained with right and left singularly from any and all stances. My shot groups with two hands are tighter and faster than with single hands. My kimber unfortunately can be finicky, when my left hand gets tired sometimes I have malfunctions due to limp wristing.

When point shooting I use 1.5 hands I guess. The first shot I get off with one hand, but immediately after the first shot my second hand is in place and ready to rock with no loss in time. I do a few hundred presentations weekly and am very comfortable with that system. I only get 6 or 7+1 (depending on the mag) and am only willing to waste one fast shot before I get into my aimed shots.

MadMerc has a good point as well. A large number of gun defences have come from inside a car. I notice that with my Inside the waist holster it is hard to draw it from a seat belted sitting position in my car. Thus when I drive I usually pull it out of my holster and jam it into the space between my seat and the center console. I find that it is easily accessible and easily manuevered to cover all angles.

 

[Leif Runenritzer]

Couldn't you make yourself less of a target by standing sideways to your foe, and shooting one-handed? But then i wonder if the slowness in getting your aim back would be worth it.

 

[Gunsmoker]

Or you could jump to the side or drop to a knee.