Practicing with both hands...

[hogwylde]

Do any of you practice carrying, drawing and shooting with both hands? I ask this because I was in an interesting position last weekend.

I was on vacation in Cape Cod with my family and we bumped into my niece and her husband, so we decided to spend the evening together and we hit the grocery store for some vittles. My niece stayed in her car while her husband went inside and I stayed with my car since I was suffering for a SEVERE case of Gout in my right wrist. It was so bad that my arm felt broken, I couldn't extend my fingers or bend my wrist, and was severely swollen.

While both of us were outside, two guys (who looked up to no good) approached a nearby truck asking the owner for a ride and while the truck driver was talking to them, and saying "no", four more guys appeared out of nowhere and hung around the truck like vultures. All I could do was tell my niece to stay in her car and lock the doors and I did the same.

There was no way I could have drawn my gun even if I wanted to due to the pain I was in, much less pull the trigger on my LC9, so it got me to thinking even though I could have been carrying....it would have essentially been useless.....and it got me to thinking being able to handle the gun with both hands would have been useful.

Thoughts?

 

[Marslog]

It never hurts to practice with your off hand.

 

[vweedon]

I never did until I took a class to become an Armed Security Officer in Virginia. You have to be able to shoot with both or either hand to pass the firearms qualification test, so now, yes, I do practice with both hands.

 

[jcleaves]

I tried shooting off hand last time at the range....missed everything..something I do realize I need to start working on

 

[Iam2Taz]

I don't draw with my off hand, but do practice. Not as much as I should though.

 

[Bozz]

Definitely start practicing with your weak (or off hand) just in case something like you have going on, or heaven for bid you get into a battle for your life and your strong hand/arm is incapacitated. I don't do it near enough, but should...

So, the short answer is... practice with both hands.

 

[julez456]

I don't "practice" with both. I usually shoot/practice with my left hand even tho I draw from my right side. I also have a left-handed holster that I wear from time to time. I am ambidextrous for the most part and one time I did shoot/practice with my right hand and my shots were pretty much on par with my left hand. I might start practicing more with my right hand just to get used to it.

 

[Kalamity023]

I will shoot with both hands. I feel that I shoot more accurately with my weak hand; mainly this is because I have to constantly think about the fundamentals with my weak hand. I generally shoot slower this way and it helps.

 

[AZSDFT]

Practice using BOTH hands, strong hand only and "SUPPORT" hand only in EVERYTHING necessary in the world of Self Defense. That means shooting your firearm, changing and reloading magazines. I don't mention drawing from the holster because you should already have drawn your weapon and engaged the BG before you need to use only one hand. Now, having said that , in the case you mentioned, knowing that there are times when your physical ailment may prevent you from drawing with your strong hand the by all means practice drawing with your "SUPPORT" hand.

 

[Rocketgeezer]

Definatly practice with both hands, your life may depend on it one day

 

[Firefighterchen]

I don't train nearly enough with my reaction hand. At the range I'm not all that bad, for the same reason as stated before, you really focus on those fundamentals. I have not trained nearly enough though to keep those fundamentals when the shtf though.

In my mind, to really master any weapon, be it a handgun, rifle, shotgun, sword, bow, etc, you should be proficient with both hands from beginning to end (holstered to reholstered with everything in between).

 

[Nightmare45]

Several years ago a friend of mine talked me into practicing and drawing with both hand, I am a little slower withe the left but am glad I practice with both.

 

[anvil6]

Most folks will, sooner or later, be unable to use their "usual" hand for certain tasks - at least for a short time - either due to injury or medical factors.

I see three possible solutions and each requires practice - lots of practice - to become reasonably proficient. Preferably BEFORE the "oh crap, now what do I do" moment.

1. Change nothing. Just draw and fire your present handgun from your present holster worn where you usually have it. There might be some who can actually do this safely. The vast majority of us will probably need to look into options two or three.

2. Buy a "mirror immage" holster/carry device for your handgun - AFTER you've spent the necessary time with your handgun learning to "run the gun" with the "wrong" hand (just mundane stuff - magazine release/cylinder latch, safety lever/decocker, trigger stroke, etc.) and "arm up" that way until your short-term disability passes. If you're totally unable to do so, there's still another option.

3. Carry a backup accessible to the "weak" hand. A backup of grab-gun-pull-trigger-shoot-bad-guy simplicity. For those who already do, this falls into the "do nothing" category - just remember to practice!

The above "solutions" are for the times when we KNOW, before we step into public, that we do not have normal use of both our hands. Injury DURING the fight requires a different set of solutions.

 

[BluesStringer]

Aside from the likelihood that your gout will return consistently, think about this; what is the first thing you should do (if you have the time) when the shooting starts? Anyone who says, "Return fire" hasn't had much, if any, training. Find cover! So you find your cover, duck behind it, and lo and behold, only your weak hand can be used without losing your cover when you decide to engage your target. Oops. Shoulda trained on that, eh?

I was an avid shooter and CC'er for a little over 20 years when I attended my first shooting academy course. I thought my 20+ years experience should suffice to put me in the advanced course, but I really put myself behind the eight-ball by signing up for advanced because the first exercise was weak hand engagement, and every exercise during the three-day course had to be completed using both hands. I managed to squeak by and pass that course, but it was really embarrassing being at the bottom of the class. I've taken three more advanced courses since then, and never been anywhere near the bottom again.

I am fortunate that I have to qualify twice a year for work too, and have to show proficiency with weak-hand shooting during those sessions. I should practice on my own more than I do, but still, I always out-shoot the instructor at qualifying with my left hand. He hates me for it too. LOL

But yeah, if you're going to carry, there is no kind of training/practice that should be thought of as a waste of time. Your body has already answered the question for you. You didn't need us to answer it. Absolutely, learn how to be proficient with your weak hand. The sooner, the better.

Blues

 

[maine04619]

Yes this is called training. Training is teaching yourself or learning form others not only what you NEED to know but those things you MIGHT need no matter how unlikely you thin you may ever need those skills. Better to know them and not use them then to need them and not know them.

 

[gunnerbob]

Do any of you practice carrying, drawing and shooting with both hands? I ask this because I was in an interesting position last weekend.

I was on vacation in Cape Cod with my family and we bumped into my niece and her husband, so we decided to spend the evening together and we hit the grocery store for some vittles. My niece stayed in her car while her husband went inside and I stayed with my car since I was suffering for a SEVERE case of Gout in my right wrist. It was so bad that my arm felt broken, I couldn't extend my fingers or bend my wrist, and was severely swollen.

While both of us were outside, two guys (who looked up to no good) approached a nearby truck asking the owner for a ride and while the truck driver was talking to them, and saying "no", four more guys appeared out of nowhere and hung around the truck like vultures. All I could do was tell my niece to stay in her car and lock the doors and I did the same.

There was no way I could have drawn my gun even if I wanted to due to the pain I was in, much less pull the trigger on my LC9, so it got me to thinking even though I could have been carrying....it would have essentially been useless.....and it got me to thinking being able to handle the gun with both hands would have been useful.

Thoughts?

Yes, I practice drawing and shooting with both hands. I do the same with my rifles... I also practice starting using one hand and switching to the other.

Just in case...

 

[aluminator]

Everytime I go to the range I shoot a couple mags using weak hand only.It came in handy a couple weeks ago at my first IDPA match.The first stage was a plate rack that you had to shoot weak handed with strong hand supporting,then again with strong hand only.I did the best out of my squad of eleven.I surprised myself.