tips on weak-hand-only shooting?

[1KPerDay]

I feel like I'm doing everything the same, focusing closely on the front sight, concentrating hard on a smooth, consistent trigger pull, and I'm still missing.

I'm shooting 8 and 12 inch plates at about 18 yards. I can hit them pretty consistently weak hand with my Ruger .22 but with my 1911 .45 I miss nearly every time. I've tried dry firing with no noticeable flinch. And it's baffling me. I use the same eye to sight (left eye dominant, right handed) regardless so I can't figure out why I should suddenly suck.

Should I move closer? Should I try paper? Hand exercises? Give up?:banghead:

 

[danweasel]

I guess move up closer and shoot paper. Then the holes will tell you all you need to know.

Whenever I start to suck, I shoot from 5 yards, then 7, then 10, etc, until I can figure out what I am doing wrong.

 

[Minnesota Wild]

Weak-hand shooting is much tougher. You don't realize how much of shooting is muscle memory until you try to shoot with muscles that aren't memorized. The honest answer to your question is that you'll get better with thousands of rounds. Until then, focus on the fundamentals (sight picture, breathing, trigger control) and move closer and shoot some paper to see if there is a consistant problem that needs to be corrected.

 

[1KPerDay]

thanks

 

[forindooruseonly]

Load a snap cap somewhere in the magazine with live rounds, don't keep track of where, and shoot. I bet you've got a flinch going on, especially since its with the .45 and not the .22. If nothing else, it might reveal what you've got happening. Fundamentals are fundamentals, but when you're not used to doing something weak handed it certainly becomes challenging.

 

[hammerklavier]

You could be milking the grip as opposed to flinching, could be sight picture; either way, shoot paper to get your diagnosis.

 

[Hk Dan]

Be sure to use the same grip with your left hand that you dowith your right hand. Most folks tend to wrap way too far around thei r weak hand.

 

[1KPerDay]

Thing is, I'm using a proper grip with weak hand, but probably not a proper grip strong hand, since I'm using my left eye.

I'll try a snap cap... good idea.

 

[9mmepiphany]

There are a number of common errors that folks make when shooting with their support hand.

It is really just the reverse of a strong hand one handed grip, but there are more psychological factors than physical ones.

Common errors are:
1. Over gripping, because you don't feel as secure
2. Anticipation, because you are hurrying the trigger to catch the sight while they are on target
3. Locking your elbow out, because you think it makes your platform steadier
4. Over canting the sights inward, because you are not used to canting
5. Dropping and gripping with the thumb, because you think you need more grip

If you can avoid the above, shooting weak hand is actually easier than one-handed strong hand as you are using the other side of your brain to control the hand and you pay more attention to the fundamentals.

I'd recommend moving closer and shooting on paper to track which direction you are missing the target. If you really can't tell, I'd start at 3-5 yards at a paper plate on a larger piece of paper

 

[murf]

call your shots. that should keep you focused on sight alignment and trigger squeeze.

murf

p.s. if that doesn't work, cover your right eye.

 

[06]

I shoot "weak handed" occasionally but never "aim". I point shoot only and hit fairly consistently. Reasoning is: only reason I would be firing weak side is if the strong was injured/wounded/disabled. I snap shoot fairly well anyway and often.

 

[BCRider]

I like 9mm's list. It covers all the factors that I can think of and then some.

You say you do fine when shooting with the .22 in the weak hand. So perhaps try both guns laid out on the bench and shoot some .22. When you're in the "groove" and getting good groups simply transition to the center fire and do what you just did. If the first few hit nicely and then things go to pot review 9mm's list and see if you can rightfully accuse yourself of at least one infraction of his list. Likely one of them is the cause of the degeneration.

Other than this .22 to centerfire transition I can't really help. I'm one of those who can normally match or better my strong hand only groups when shooting weak hand. Likely because I'm so focused on trying to do right with my weak hand.

....speaking of which I really should try some one handed formal bullseye shooting with my so called "weak hand"....

 

[David E]

Thing is, I'm using a proper grip with weak hand, but probably not a proper grip strong hand, since I'm using my left eye.

That shouldn't affect your grip.

I'll try a snap cap... good idea.

I think you'll discover your problem!

But how do you do strong hand only?

 

[coolluke01]

For me, the most important thing is to keep my thumb pressed tight against the frame. This keeps the gun from twisting or moving sideways when you pull the trigger. My two hand strong hand grip doesn't have the thumbs on the frame tight but along the slide pointing forward.

I can always tell when I'm not pressing the thumb properly on the frame because I tend to shoot left. I think the biggest thing is improper trigger pull. It's really hard to train your off hand trigger finger to come straight back. I also think we can compensate for a weaker trigger finger by putting more finger on the trigger. Try keeping just the first pad of the finger on the trigger.

Good luck, it's hard to find what your particular problem is. Moving in close will show you where you are missing and will give you an idea of what could be causing the problem. Finding the problem is the most difficult part.

 

[1KPerDay]

Interesting. I wondered about my thumb. I'll try it.

 

[David E]

What I do is consciously grip tighter with the middle finger, trying to keep the trigger finger isolated and separate from the gripping of the gun itself.

This allows the trigger finger to operate the trigger better.

Meanwhile, you need to shoot paper to see, exactly, where your misses are going.

 

[9mmepiphany]

For me, the most important thing is to keep my thumb pressed tight against the frame. This keeps the gun from twisting or moving sideways when you pull the trigger.

... I can always tell when I'm not pressing the thumb properly on the frame because I tend to shoot left.

That's interesting, because I listed that as #5 (in post #9) as a cause for poor shooting.

I use a mirror image of my strong hand grip when shooting with my support hand. I find that locking the thumb down pushes the shots in the direction of the thumb

I think the biggest thing is improper trigger pull. It's really hard to train your off hand trigger finger to come straight back. I also think we can compensate for a weaker trigger finger by putting more finger on the trigger. Try keeping just the first pad of the finger on the trigger.

I agree and disagree

The biggest thing for accurate shot placement is always trigger control.

It isn't harder to train your finger to press straight back and using more finger will often tend to pull your shots toward that finger...unless you weren't using enough finger on the trigger to start.

It often helps, depending on your finger length, if you flare the base of the finger away from the frame

 

[coolluke01]

I reread my post and see that it was misleading. I do not advocate putting more finger on the trigger. I see it as a natural tendency because we feel that finger is weaker. Less finger on the trigger is better.

I also try and keep the thumb down when single hand shooting strong side.

When shooting two handed strong side I apply more force with the off hand and relax the firing hand a little bit more. About 60/40. This allows better trigger finger action as you are not tensing those muscles. Gripping the gun one handed by pressing the thumb firmly will not tense the finger muscles as much and allow for better trigger squeezes in my experience.

When shooting weak hand do you miss more left and right or up and down? I rarely miss high or low but left and right are the problems. Gripping the gun tighter with the fingers will mostly help reduce muzzle flip and keep the gun inline on a vertical axis. The entire gun is built around reducing the vertical movement. Therefor more effort needs to be concentrated on keeping the gun from moving left and right.

Pressing the gun with the thumb will counteract the lateral movement and provide accurate shots.

But again, find where you shoot on paper and it will tell you where to focus your efforts and help correct the problem.

 

[MrBorland]

For me, the most important thing is to keep my thumb pressed tight against the frame. This keeps the gun from twisting or moving sideways when you pull the trigger.

eh...I can't recommend this. Using your thumb is this way is to use one bad technique to neutralize the effects of another.

Personally, whether shooting 2-handed, SHO, or WHO, target or action shooting, my thumbs are off the gun entirely. Thumbs do little for your grip, so if they're on the frame, they're just another contact point that needs to be applied consistently. Below is a photo of Yours Truly at this year's IDPA Nationals. I'm shooting SHO, but WHO is the mirror image. Thumb is off the gun.

 

[1KPerDay]

I've been keeping my thumb up... I'll try it both ways and shoot some paper and post results.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I shoot one-handed much better when I float my thumb also...it became very clear during the IDPA Classifier

You shouldn't had to counteract lateral displacement if your fingers are pulling the grip into the pocket formed between the thumb and index finger joints at the web of your hand. The muscle at the base of your thumb will be on one side and the palm of your hand on the other.

Dropping/closing/tensing your thumb will cause that pocket to start collapsing and lever the muzzle sideways

 

[coolluke01]

Interesting. I'll have to try this some more. Dry fire and live fire practice seemed to show me thumbs on were better, but now I'm really curious if thumbs off would be better. I will be trying this next time I go out. It's a good thing to have down pat.

 

[1KPerDay]

results standing at 21 feet, Dan Wesson Razorback .45 ACP 1911, Remington "leadless" 230 grain ball.

I only had about 15 minutes so I only got 3 groups.

all 3 groups


center group, 2 hands, 8 shots (not particularly good but whaddayagonnado)


top group, left (weak) hand only, thumb up, 10 shots. Definitely "pushing", right?


Bottom group, weak hand, thumb locked down, 10 shots.


For one thing, looks like I could stand to move my rear sight a bit left, no?

I was able to hit the steel after this weak-hand-only about 70% of the time, holding high and left on the plates

I'd rather fix the problem than move my point of aim, obviously.

 

[David E]

How much are you canting the gun? The more can't, The more to the right it'll hit. (shooting left handed)

The bottom target indicates you're milking the trigger. Try the "stronger middle finger grip," consciously trying to make the trigger finger independent of the grip.

 

[1KPerDay]

a bit, probably 15 degrees or so. I didn't think of that. But my 2 handed group is also a bit to the right as well.