One hand or two?

[client32]

I'm sure this has been covered before.
I was shooting the other day and had a friends Taurus PT92 with me. I still consider myself fairly new to handguns, and I mostly just do target practice. I have become fairly good in my own opinion (or at least to a level that I am comfortable with). Anyways, I was shooting this PT92 and decided to shoot one handed. I ended up with a much smaller group than when holding the gun with two hands.

Does anyone else shoot better with one hand than two?

 

[Graystar]

That goes against the norm. I would say that you're doing something really really wrong when shooting with two hands.

 

[dav]

I shoot better groups with my weak hand than my strong hand. But I shoot the best groups using both hands.

 

[Henry Bowman]

I'll bet it has more to do with dominant eye than strong hand vs. weak hand or one hand vs. two hand shooting.

 

[Darrin]

I'll bet it has more to do with dominant eye

That's what I was thinking...

 

[MJRW]

I wonder if he is doing something wrong with his two handed shooting stance and grip that he doesn't do wrong with his one handed stance and grip. Friend of mine who recently started shooting couldn't get his Taurus to shoot straight, in his opinion. I got it to shoot straight. Wasn't the gun. I kept watching what he was doing with his gun and didn't notice anything particularly odd. Then I looked at his stance. The best way to describe it is awkward bear pooping stance. Legs far apart, real far. Right leg straight, left leg bent. Left shoulder forward, left elbow bent, right arm straight. Corrected his stance and grip and he was shooting straight. So maybe when client removes his weak side from the equation, the problems with that side go away as well.

 

[client32]

I guess I should add to this. This is the only gun that I show an improvement when shooting one handed. Of course I normally shoot a revolver.

I could very well be doing something wrong when using both hands. Could you describe a correct stance. Something like how MJRW described the incorrect stance.

 

[10-Ring]

Even though it's something I practice (shooting one handed), I shoot using my weak hand as support.

 

[ojh]

Does anyone else shoot better with one hand than two?

The thing you described happened to me too when I was starting pistol shooting. Some guru told me that in is not uncommon for novice pistoleros to shoot better one handed. His explanation was basically that with two hands, an inexperienced shooter is more easily trying to compensate the inevitable motions of the gun by trying to actively move the gun to the opposite direction, which is wrong and gives poor groups. An experienced shooter should always shoot better with two hands, if he or she has practiced two-handed shooting.

I shoot paper targets one-handed, and metallic silhouettes two-handed. Haven't tried to shoot a two-handed group on paper for a long time - maybe I'm afraid that it would be worse than one-handed, proving me still a amateur

 

[BunsenH]

I'm fairly new at this as well but I've found something similar.

If I shoot weak handed in isosceles (two hands), I'm yanking the gun all over the place when I pull the trigger. One hand weak handed I'm fine. If I use a Weaver grip two handed with my weak hand, I shoot great (well for me anyway). Strong hand I'm pretty consistant however I shoot.

Was that a confusing paragraph or what?

 

[Standing Wolf]

This old bullseye shooter probably never will get the hang of holding onto a pistol with both hands. I try it now and then, but my single-handed groups are always better.

 

[Nick96]

They are called "hand guns" not "hands guns". I always shoot better with two hands. Even better resting on a bench. But when it gets right down to it, if you expect to save your bacon when the bad stuff happens - you best better practice with that hand cannon one handed - weak hand better still.

 

[Ala Dan]

I keep both hands on the wheel while driving;
likewise, I keep both hands on my firearm while
shooting!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[sm]

client32,
sounds like eye-dominance, gun fit , or platform to me, one or a combo of any.

I use two hands, ...I know bulls-eye shooters whom have practiced, shot so much and the guns fit such, two hands give them fits.

I practice strong hand only, weak hand only also with draw.

 

[Majic]

Legs far apart, real far. Right leg straight, left leg bent. Left shoulder forward, left elbow bent, right arm straight.

The foot placement maybe wrong and you didn't describe the grip, but it sounds like he was attempting a modified weaver stance. If his body is comfortable and stable it was most likely his grip.

 

[blades67]

One hand or two?

Yup. Practice often.

 

[themic]

what's wrong with learning both?

sometimes i find that with one hand, i slow down a bit and breather smoother, perhaps in an effort to compensate for having only one hand.

still cant shoot wrong-handed worth a crap, nor can i shoot isosceles well. standing square just ain't natural to my martial-artist-and-fencing-inclined body positions. i'd rather be off center and ready to move, with a slimmer profile. so in that case when right foot is forward one handed right handed is simply more comfortable.

 

[C.R.Sam]

Defensive shooting.

Practice with either hand, both hands, either eye, both eyes, any stance you can think of.

One can neither schedule nor script the next crisis.

Sam

 

[Island Beretta]

Well said C.R. Sam!! Life is not always an IPSC or IDPA match..