The TDSA Tip
One-Handed Shooting

Andrew Colglazier,  TDSA Team Member

This tip is for information purposes only and is NOT intended to be instruction or training, and is NOT a substitute for actual instruction or training. For proper training, visit the TDSA Courses page.

I have learned a few things over the years, both on my own and in the course of being trained by some of the biggest names on the firearms competition circuit. I have found these things to be very helpful in shooting one-handed, and they have improved my gun handling.  One handed shooting will rarely win a match for a shooter, but it will very often lose the match.

Keep in mind, the weapon will recoil. You cannot stop this fact of shooting, even when firing with two hands. The idea is to control the recoil and to simply go with the flow. This is most important when firing rapidly and at multiple targets.

1. Keep a stable stance. Advance the foot towards the target which is on the same side as your shooting hand. Keep your knees bent slightly, bend forward at the waist slightly, keep your weight on your toes, not your heels. Keep your off-hand in close to your chest, both for balance and for safety reasons.

2. Keep your shooting-arm elbow bent, slightly. Keep your shooting-arm wrist locked pretty tight. The bent elbow will help to control recoil, the tight wrist will help prevent limp wristing the weapon, which is much easier to do shooting one handed than with both. The bent elbow will allow recoil to be soaked up mainly at that joint, rather than at the shoulder. If the shoulder moves in recoil, the weapon will move more, which will pull your sights farther off target.

3. Don't try to keep the weapon oriented straight up and down to the target. Allow your arm, and the weapon, to rotate slightly in relation to the target. It isn't quite a "gangsta" look, but in that direction. When I shoot one handed, I allow the sights to point at about 10:00 or 11:00 o'clock (right handed), 1:00 or 2:00 (left handed). This does several important things. First, it lets you straighten your wrist in relation to your weapon. Your wrist needs to be straight so you can lock it up. Second, it allows for a more normal aiming process, especially when firing using shooting weak side/ dominant eye. Third, if you are shooting multiple targets, it allows you to ride the recoil from target to target, making for faster transitions.

4. This is perhaps the most important thing to remember... take the slack out of the trigger before firing. This is always important, but even more so when firing one handed. Slapping the trigger is so easy, and taking the slack out will reduce this the most.

Practice, practice, practice. I actually like shooting one handed, strong hand, weak hand. I look forward to stages or courses of fire where this is required, because I trust my ability to do this thing, while others dread it and avoid practicing it if possible.

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