Why You Need to Practice One-Handed Shooting

I’ll admit that one-handed shooting isn’t the most exciting thing to practice. After all, it’s a lot tougher to shoot with one hand and most of us aren’t as accurate this way. However, if you plan on carrying a gun or having one in your home for self-defense purposes it’s important you know how to shoot one handed.

But why? Well, the common theory is that one of your hands may get shot or injured during a gun fight. But from the studies I’ve read this is rarely the case and in fact, it’s usually several other reasons that limit you to only one hand. For instance, perhaps you have to hold off an attacker with one hand while drawing your gun and shooting with the other. Maybe a criminal has gotten way too close to you with a knife and you’re fighting off the knife with one hand and using your gun with the other.

Another reason…

You might be shooting with one hand is because the other hand is holding something. When the human body comes under intense pressure our hands literally lock onto what we’re holding. When I was in the police academy many years ago they showed us a training video of an officer serving a search warrant. The officer was carrying the warrant in his right hand and when a gun fight broke out he did not let go of the warrant and was running around with it in his hand. (This is why I always try and avoid carrying anything in my right hand when I’m out and about.)

So, if you’re carrying a cup of coffee in your left hand and all the sudden your life is in danger you might not let go of that coffee and might force yourself to shoot one handed. Also, the object in your other hand may be a lot more important. Perhaps there’s been a shooting and you have to drag somebody away from danger or perhaps you’re carrying your child in one of your arms.

Also, don’t forget that we’re all human and have accidents.

When I was a freshman in high school I fell off my bike and broke both of my arms because I went flying over the handle bars. I’m sure that you’ve broken your fingers or injured your hands once or twice in your life and you never know when this is going to occur. If you happen to break your arm tomorrow I hope you don’t carry your gun until you’ve practiced drawing and shooting with your other hand.

When it comes to the actual method of how to shoot one handed there are many schools of thought. But when I do training I prefer two methods and tell people to use the one they’re most comfortable with. In the first shooting position you take the non-shooting hand and cross it over your chest with your hand in a fist. (It’s as if you’re pounding yourself in the chest like Tarzan.)

The second way to shoot one handed is by clinching your fist together and bringing it toward your body instead of crossing it over your chest. In other words, pretend you’re weight lifting and are doing curls with a barbell to get huge biceps. Well, you would make a fist and curl your arm close to your body.

In both of these positions I like to put my right foot back (because I’m right handed) to give myself a stronger stance and more stability. Of course, you do what works for you and what feels best but either way, next time you’re at the range shoot a few rounds using just one hand.