Switch-Hand Shooting

     I know a lot of shooters.  I know a lot of left-handed shooters.  Handedness being what it is I know a whole lot more right-handed shooters.  Interestingly, I know several left-handed people (particularly older cops) who shoot right-handed.  Ask them why they carry their primary weapon (their pistol), this largely one-handed weapon for which they will need maximum dexterity on their off-hand side for use with their clearly non-dominate hand.  Likely they’ll shrug and say something to the effect that left handed holsters weren’t available back when they started (or at least not affordable ones).  I’ve even ran across holsters I’d love to use only to find the dreaded three words “Right Hand Only” at the bottom of the ad. 

     Now, this is not a piece about the exclusion of 10-20% of the population by right-handed elitists.  No, I’ll save that rant for another day.  But, taking the words of the preceding paragraph in mind, think for a moment.  Many left-handed people can and do shoot right-handed when they have to.  Most right-handed people I know balk at the idea of shooting left-handed.  This is not meant as a slight towards folks of the more common handedness.  Theirs is simply the more common world.  I, for instance, love old military guns.  Left-hand friendly military bolt-guns are a wee bit thin on the ground if you know what I mean.  Oh, I make do.  I do the whole reach-across-the-top-of-the-receiver-and-work-the-bolt thing.  I’m actually pretty fast with it on my M48A Mauser, my sportarized Lee-Enfield No.1 MkIII, and even my Mosin-Nagant M44.  The latter, despite the straight-out-at-nearly-ninety-degree bolt handle that seems to lend its self to such manipulations, is not actually the easiest of the bunch to work thusly.  Oh, it works; it’s just not really smooth.  So, when going for speed or even just comfort (they just fit better on the right shoulder) I shoot ‘em right-handed.  How many right-handed shooters, though, when handed a left-handed rifle won’t immediately balk at the notion of shooting it left-handed?

    I think my experiences and those of my fellow south-paws shows that most anyone can shoot with their non-dominate hand.  It’s just that left-handed folks, living in a right-handed world, are more often called upon to operate things “backwards” so shooting “wrong-handed” really isn’t as big a deal to them.

     I think all able-bodied shooters, possessing both hands and all fingers, should endeavor to be able to operate their primary firearms (you do have more than one, right?) with either hand.  Why?  Well, if you’re as accident prone as I am, sooner or later your non-dominant hand may be the only one not in a cast.  Perhaps on an epic hunt of a lifetime that one shot you get at a monster trophy will need to be taken from the opposite side of a tree.  Maybe you’ll be clearing your house after a bump-in-the-night (yes, you should secure and call the police, but maybe the police are far away; heck, maybe you are the police and you’re clearing the house in question).  Maybe you need to cover around a left-hand corner (or, you know, whatever your version of “opposite side” is).  Whatever the scenario, it doesn’t take much imagination to realize that in the real world not everything will be right or left hand friendly. 

     So, when a right-handed person is faced with a left-handed corner or when your dominant hand/arm is out of action/otherwise occupied (like with a crutch), what are they gonna do?  How competent are you with your non-dominant hand?

     Personally, I think you should be able to keep all your shots on a pie-plate at ten yards shooting fairly rapidly (say one round per second or faster).  I suspect most folks can once they get over their initial uncomfortable feeling of shooting “wrong-handed.”  Back when I first got into law enforcement, we had to fire 18 rounds from 25 yards, six of those with our non-dominate hand.  I always got highly annoyed when guys would declare those six shots as “throwaways.”  Holy crap!  They had a total of 75 seconds to fire their 18 rounds, swapping positions between each string of six (lots of revolvers still around even back in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s).  You could easily save up 30 seconds or better for the “weak-handed” stuff.  Still, folks cheered when that part of the qualification was done away with.  We still have to shoot with the other hand (one-handed, point-style) from the five yard line.  In an emergency, that’s a bit more realistic of a distance, I suppose.  But still, failing to hit from 25 yards slow-fire, from kneeling, just because you use that other booger-hooker box is a call for more practice, not a declaration of the rounds just being “throwaways.” 

     Admittedly, I may have it a bit easier than some.  I’m actually completely ambidextrous.  I shoot primarily left-handed because I think left-handed (watching me with a wrench or screwdriver is reportedly the height of hilarity).  Well, that and it’s a big poke in the eye of social convention.  I was first trained to shoot as a child right-handed.  I was a teen when I fiddled around a bit and found I preferred to shoot left-handed. So, yes, I may have an advantage when switch-hitting.  Still, I’ve known my share of people who, due to an injury had to use their non-dominant hand.  They became every bit as proficient as they were before in fairly short order.  So, it is possible, it just may take more effort for some than for others.

     The primary problem when shooting with the non-dominant side is a matter of eye dominance.  Most folks are right or left eye dominant.  Some folks are cross eye-hand dominate (e.g. right-handed but left-eyed).  Such folks often, upon finding this out, continue shooting pistols with their dominate hand, but shoot rifles and shotguns of the shoulder under their dominant eye.  Shooting with the non-dominant eye means probably having to close the dominant one or else you'll just see down the side of the weapon/scope/sights.  Again, I'm kind of weird in this regard, but I've found most folks can make-do.  For instance, a right-handed, right-eyed person shooting a rifle left-handed will likely close or at least partially close his right eye.  When the same person shoots a pistol left-handed, he'll likely just bring the weapon a bit right-of-center and turn his head a little more, aiming with his dominant eye.  It's really a matter of whatever works.

     I’ve covered some of the reasons, and I’m sure everyone can think of many more as to why we should all practice with our opposite hands.  Let me add another:  Backup Guns.  Right now my backup is in my right front pocket in a Kydex holster I made for it.  My primary pistol is high on my left hip, right about nine o’clock.  I like my backup to be available to either hand (like an ankle rig) or the opposite hand.  That way, if my primary arm is injured, I can at least still return fire.  Paranoia?  Perhaps.  Good practice?  Definitely!

     I have one additional reason:  It’s actually great practice.  Think about it.  If you don’t regularly handle your weapons off-handed it will feel unfamiliar.  Yep, much like back when you first started shooting.  Suddenly your mind knows what to do, but you may have trouble at first getting your body on the same page.  This will give you ample opportunity to re-train from nearly the beginning.  Sight-alignment, trigger squeeze, body indexing, smooth draw, foot placement, squaring to the target, these are all things you’ll have to do at least a little bit of re-training on.  It’ll be like training someone to shoot, only it’ll be you.  This training should translate back to shooting with your dominate hand.  Also, once you get really good, it’s kind of … satisfying … when, while shooting with some friends, to take the gun in your non-dominate hand and say, “(Yawn) I’m feeling left-handed today.  Let’s see how I do.”  Be warned, though, if money is on the line, you might be treated much the same way as a pool hustler.  [wink, wink]

     So, whether for better self-defense (always the primary purpose to keep in mind), better bragging rights, or just to prove a challenge to yourself, get some trigger time with that non-dominate hand.  Yes, you can.  Seriously, no excuses, just go do it.