Shooting required with off or weak hand

[owen judice]

I haven't seen this in a while at an actual shoot, but is it proper to require shooters to shoot any gun with the off or weak hand as part of a scenario.

[Chickahominy Charlie]

If they did write such a stage, I'd probably not come back again.

 

There's a reason I don't shoot GF or Double Duelist (I shoot one-handed Duelist). I have arthritis in my left thumb. I'm actually a pretty good shot left-handed.....with a semi-auto, but don't make me have to cock it.

 

Chick

[Riverboat Red, SASS #71733]

NO!

[Marshal Stone, SASS #53366]

I haven't seen this in a long time either.

 

But when I did encounter it I told the match director

I would not shoot the scenario as I saw it as a safety issue.

 

Marshal Stone

[Chuckaroo #13080 Regulator]

Many people are incapable of shooting safely with their off hand.

 

Any stage writer that makes that a requirement for shooting a stage, should stop writing stages.

[Deuce Stevens SASS#55996]

I know of a half dozen shooters locally that it would be a safety issue for, big NO.

[Cheyenne Culpepper 32827]

Would you like the liability issue if something went wrong? next question, who's gonna own the range afterwards? hmmm

 

sounds like all the other replies, NO!

 

cheyenne

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

It is almost in the same category as handing someone a gun model they have never shot before, and asking them to shoot it as fast as they can - just about a guaranteed disaster, and a likely cause of an injury or worse.

 

This is a competition to many of your shooters. It's not just "shooting down by the river with your buddies." They will be offended by being required to do something they have not been able to practice, and understand, and know how to manage safely.

 

Good luck, GJ

[BLACKFOOT SASS #11947]

I have been to one match that had a stage with that rewuirement. It wasn't the smartest thing that the stage writer had ever done. Can't say that I really thought it was a good idea.

 

Drifter

[Cypress Sun]

I haven't seen any match require off hand shooting ever since the late '90's. They did it twice, both times they wanted you to shoot pistols, rifle and shotgun like that. The club that ran that match has long since been history. No one liked it then and I don't think they would like it now.

 

It's a bad idea, kind of like teaching a kid how to drive a stickshift in rush hour traffic........but with bullets.

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

It may sound like an interesting way to "mix things up" a little on the surface, but when you stop and think about it, you have to remember some people just plain *can't* shoot with their week hand.

 

Southpaws are more likely to be able to adapt becuase we live in a "right handed world" and so we teach ourselves to do many things with both hands. But most right handed folks never use their left for anything because there is no need for them to do so. To actually require someone to do something as potentially *deadly* as operating a firearm with their weak hand is just plain asking for trouble.

 

For proof, how many people shoot duelist vs. those who shoot double duelist.

 

Not a good idea, no matter how you slice it, IMO.

[Grizzly Dave]

It may sound like an interesting way to "mix things up" a little on the surface, but when you stop and think about it, you have to remember some people just plain *can't* shoot with their week hand.

 

Southpaws are more likely to be able to adapt becuase we live in a "right handed world" and so we teach ourselves to do many things with both hands. But most right handed folks never use their left for anything because there is no need for them to do so. To actually require someone to do something as potentially *deadly* as operating a firearm with their weak hand is just plain asking for trouble.

 

For proof, how many people shoot duelist vs. those who shoot double duelist.

 

Not a good idea, no matter how you slice it, IMO.

 

I'm left handed as well and agree with your observation. I shoot traditional most times, but when I do shoot a stage duelist, I shoot double duelist. Shot a gunfighter side match this weekend, now that was FUN!

[Three Fingered Fred 59408]

**

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

Beyond the obvious safety issues (and those are paramount).

It is an unfair situation.

 

I am a half way decent gunfighter.

Requiring me to shoot "Offhand" means nothing to me.

Doesn't handicap me in any way, shape or form.

And being fully ambidextrous - I can shoot long guns from either side as well (I usually shoot left handed, but can switch if need be).

 

You write a stage or a match which puts me against shooters (even good shooters) that have never switched sides or can't switch sides?

Patently unfair as I will beat shooters that I have no business even running close with.

 

Why would anyone want to write a match that would skew the results that wildly?

[Jack Houston # 35508]

I haven't seen this in a while at an actual shoot, but is it proper to require shooters to shoot any gun with the off or weak hand as part of a scenario.

The first and only time I've seen that is at your club awhile back!! Didn't bother me I shoot with both hands!

[owen judice]

Reason I asked was I got an email telling about an up coming match and on one stage they are going to require EVERY ONE to shoot the stage Gunfighter, I won't be at that match. I don't shoot Gunfighter or any thing else that requires me to shoot with my weak hand.

[Anvil Al #59168]

My wife don't shoot one handed. She shoots two handed.

If she wanted to shoot one handed she would.

 

But then to ask her to shoot one handed. AND with her weak hand

 

She will not feel comfortable doing so. And to make her try it in a stage????

Don't think she would. Don't think I would want her to. She would not want to go back.

If she don't go back. I don't go back.

 

To many other clubs around that have good fun stages for us to pick from. We would go there.

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

No problem for me I also shoot USPSA/IDPA, I practice daily w/a Glock 27 even days 2 hands are

used, odd days I shoot weak hand.

 

Well, good for you.

 

Take a look at the trigger on a Colt or clone sometime. It is not centered like a Ruger, it is off to the left side of the trigger guard. I always shoot duelist and I am a righty. One day a bunch of years ago I attended a match where one stage required us to shoot one pistol with the off hand. Sometimes I have a little bit too much finger on the trigger. No problem when I shoot righty. But with too much finger on the trigger..........

 

I pulled my second pistol. Cocked the hammer. Got ready to squeeze the trigger, or so I thought. BOOOM!! Right over the berm. The match director looked at the assistant match director and said he guessed it wasn't such a good idea to require shooters to use their weak hand after all. That club never did it again.

 

If required, I would refuse to comply. Take whatever penalty they wanted to access. Very bad idea to require somebody to shoot in a manner they are not accustomed to, or are uncomfortable with.

 

No clubs in these parts have had such a requirement for a long time now.

 

Reason I asked was I got an email telling about an up coming match and on one stage they are going to require EVERY ONE to shoot the stage Gunfighter, I won't be at that match. I don't shoot Gunfighter or any thing else that requires me to shoot with my weak hand.

 

 

Yeah, it's still a real bad idea. I dunno how crowded that club is with nearby houses, but first time somebody puts a round through somebody's picture window down range, the club is in a lot of trouble. If it wuz me, I would tell them why its a bad idea, and I would refuse to shoot the stage.

[Anvil Al #59168]

Reason I asked was I got an email telling about an up coming match and on one stage they are going to require EVERY ONE to shoot the stage Gunfighter, I won't be at that match. I don't shoot Gunfighter or any thing else that requires me to shoot with my weak hand.

 

 

Glad it is a match that I WON'T be attending.

[Three Fingered Fred 59408]

**

[Gold Canyon Kid #43974]

I haven't seen this in a while at an actual shoot, but is it proper to require shooters to shoot any gun with the off or weak hand as part of a scenario.

On one occasion, at a monthly match, as a Posse Marshal I refused to allow our posse to shoot a stage until the requirement for shooting your pistols with the off hand one handed (i.e. duelist) was removed from the stage. I did not consider it safe. The match director replaced me with a new Posse Marshal. When that happened the rest of the posse told the new Posse Marshal and Match Director they would not shoot the stage unless it was changed. Since another posse had already shot the stage, the Match Director just threw it out and no one else shot the stage. I told the Match Director he was just having us shoot this way so he and other gunfighters had an unfair advantage. In fairness this was only his 3rd or 4th match designing stages. He has not spoken to me since and I consider that a good thing. He only ran a couple more matches and decided to let someone be Match Director.

[Iron Pony]

Well I'd send them an email back with some of the responses here cut and pasted into it. Then I'd tell em not to count on me being there as I dont relish the possibility of seeing someone else or myself injured or scared wittless by someone trying to do something the stage writer though was a good idea. Or simply put you could quote curly bill and just say "Well,bye" and walk off.

[Wyatt]

Reason I asked was I got an email telling about an up coming match and on one stage they are going to require EVERY ONE to shoot the stage Gunfighter, I won't be at that match. I don't shoot Gunfighter or any thing else that requires me to shoot with my weak hand.

 

I would ask the MD how he plans on handling shooters with a crossdraw rig. Places pistols on table?

 

This has Bad, Very Bad, Very Very Bad Bad implications as to what can go wrong.

 

If you do not feel you can shoot the stage GF I would refuse to comply and take a P.....or just stay home.

 

Wyatt

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

NO!

 

+1

[The Shoer 27979]

I am right hand dominant but I forced myself to shoot left handed when I was in my teens, I shot gunfighter and a lot of the time I will shoot my rifle right handed and my shotgun left handed. It is just not right to force somebody to shot in a style that is out of there comfort zone

[Matthew Duncan]

With either hand I can equally miss...

[Slowhand Bob, 24229]

I have not seen it in many years. I never remember seeing it done without a waiver issued to shooters who felt unsafe doing it but in those days the average SASS shooter was not as crippled and unpracticed as the modern bunch, most enjoyed trying a new skill occasionally in those days and never threatened to take their little ball and go home because they did not like the rules. Since when does a shooter who practices practical skills have an unfair advantage over the shooter who does not elect to do so? I seriously doubt that we have even one or two percent of SASS shooters with a true handicap in their weak hand. As to whether the duelist would be advantaged, even blind hogs find an occasional acorn. Until SASS says it is illegal, yes it can be written into a stage and I, for one, would have no problem with it, even though it certainly wouldn't offer me any advantage.

[Goody, SASS #26190]

I wouldn't write it, but I wouldn't leave either.

[Possum Skinner, SASS#60697]

I think it's a great idea... if your goal is to run shooters off or ruin a club. Even forcing shooters who normally shoot two-handed to shoot duelist is asking for bad trouble.

 

And then there's the ones who ignorantly say, "Well, it won't effect me." it just might be you that accidentally gets shot. Or one of your loved ones.

[Three Fingered Fred 59408]

**

[Pit Bull Tex]

I think anyone that would write a stage like that is very wrong.Would I shoot it yes,I try to shoot gun fighter.I have RA and some time it will start to bother me really bad.My finger are turn sideway now. I would just take a stage DQ if I could not shoot with both hand when my RA is bad. We had a lady that shoots two handed but sunday she wanted to try one handed and she did good, but when back to two handed after 3 or 4 stages. If someone WANTS to try something that is not their way of shooting the pressure is not there. I think that who ever would write a stage like that should not be allow to write stages anymore.I will take our stage writer anyday. If he would use some words in my line that I knew what they were, I would use it here if I could spell it.Thanks Pard.Thats the one.

[Possum Skinner, SASS#60697]

Phalanges, Pit Bul. As in, "Git yer slimy, wet phalanges offa my boots!"

[Ace_of_Hearts]

Reason I asked was I got an email telling about an up coming match and on one stage they are going to require EVERY ONE to shoot the stage Gunfighter, I won't be at that match. I don't shoot Gunfighter or any thing else that requires me to shoot with my weak hand.

 

Am I to understand that they are actually writing a stage that REQUIRES you to violate the rules??????

 

Sass Shooters Handbook page 13

The Gunfighter and B-Western Categories are the only categories that allow two loaded revolvers out of leather at the same time.

[Lazarus Longshot, SASS #44254 Life]

Another one for the "bad idea" column. I actually practice with my 1911 shooting with my weak hand, but I can't do it with my SAA clones. Why? Arthritis in my left thumb. Generally, I can't cock the pistol in my left hand. That's why I shoot duelist.

 

 

[Gold Canyon Kid #43974]

Am I to understand that they are actually writing a stage that REQUIRES you to violate the rules??????

 

Sass Shooters Handbook page 13

The Gunfighter and B-Western Categories are the only categories that allow two loaded revolvers out of leather at the same time.

I did not believe the original poster said anything about two loaded guns out at once. Only to shoot with off hand duelist which is legal in all categories. Not illegal but sure pretty dumb and unsafe for folks that haven't practiced it a bunch.