Weak hand...half gangsta aiming

[FlySubCompact]

I recently watched a Jerry Miculek video where he was trying out some ungodly calibered pistol. He did his usual two hand speed shooting, then alternated from strong hand to weak.

In one clip (head mounted GoPro footage) of the weak hand shooting I noticed that he had the pistol canted at about a 45 degree angle. I've also noticed this on occasion in other shooter videos when shooting single hand fashion.

Just curious as to what is the merit of this half gansta thing.

[full case load]

I believe that the arm muscles in weak hand shooting are more relaxed and more "natural" feeling when canted. Some use more or less cant to obtain a hold that "feels" right. I am somewhat ambidextrous and my weak hand tends to "straighten' up in the latter part of a string of shots if I start canted over.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I do the same thing when shooting weak hand and a slightly less obvious version when shooting one-handed dominant. For me it helps get my dominant eye aligned and control recoil better. It can also be held steadier and longer because you are extending your arms naturally and not using your shoulders to rotate the arms so that the pistol is straight up and down. Same muscular-skeletal concept as the isoceles.

[Qtiphky]

According to some buddies of mine in the local sherrifs department, they are now being taught that by some experts as it is a more natural hand/arm position and easier to aim. I haven't been abke to go shooting and try it for myself but the logic is if you just put your hand up it naturally goes like that and moving it to vertical uses muscles.

[g.willikers]

If Mr. Miculek uses the technique, you can bet the farm it's a good one.
One thing to remember when doing it is the sights, bullet path and point of impact will be offset.

[redhologram]

Yes, put your arms out in front of you (think like you are about to grab someone around the neck). Your arms have more of a natural cant to them than going straight out in a Frankenstein like motion.

[FlySubCompact]

If Mr. Miculek uses the technique, you can bet the farm it's a good one.

Yeah, that is why I asked about it. Obviously, from noting his speed and accuracy, he is not one for gimmicks. Just efficiency. The pistol was a stout Coonan (sp?).

I believe that the arm muscles in weak hand shooting are more relaxed and more "natural" feeling when canted.

Guess that make sense as long as you can get eyes lined up with the target.

[Rattlehead]

Mine is usually slightly canted. Pulling up to perfectly vertical doesn't feel natural, like when you're off NPOA with a rifle. It's more pronounced weak hand than strong (very slight with strong hand but noticeable when looking down the sights).

[Derbel McDillet]

Canting the pistol 45-degrees when firing weak handed allows you to more easily align the sights using your dominant eye.

[factoryrat]

One of the RO's (former sheriff) where I shoot suggested the canted hold for my weak hand shooting. It works better for me when I am tired. I find that If I move the gun to the vertical position my accuracy increases (I am talking punching x's on paper (still plenty accurate for a defensive situation). I always shoot with both hands, 2 handed and separate dominant and weak hand drills, when I am doing practical practice w/carry guns. I also tend to shoot @least 2 hrs on those days, so I am glad to have this in technique in my toolbox. I like to kid the guys about my 4" pythons, but I doubt the left arm is even that big.

[Brit]

The reason for the can't, it is a little more natural, less strain.
Puts more muscle on top. I have used the slight can't for years, with either one hand shooting.

[Deja vu]

Yeah, that is why I asked about it. Obviously, from noting his speed and accuracy, he is not one for gimmicks. Just efficiency. The pistol was a stout Coonan

I can tell you that the recoil on the Coonan doe not seem real bad but it always looks bad seeing others shoot it. Any way it does help when shooting off hard to twist the gun slightly to a more natural angle for your wrist.

[dyl]

I too think it's for the dominant eye. I first saw that technique maybe a year ago on Ruger's youtube channel in a video of Dave Spaulding doing short teaching segments. He recommended that for 1 handed strong side shooting but you can bet there's added benefit for weak hand. I bet the idea has been around longer than that even.

[Neal_G.]

The canted one-arm shooting stance is common practice, I thought anyways. I have a 2005 edition of Mas Ayoob's "Combat Handgunnery" where he demonstrates it, and a 2009 edition of ex-Navy Seal Erik Lawrence's "Tactical Pistol Shooting" where he teaches it. I think Brian Enos might have helped develop it in the 80's and it spread from there, but I could be wrong.

It is a natural way to shoot one-handed. Anyone can feel that if they tightly ball there fist/arm muscles and extend like they were going to shoot normally. If you rotate your arm inward, 45 degrees, you can actually feel some of the muscle strain leave your arm.

Some trainers also advise extending your shooting arm out like you would normally shoot, no cant, but rolling your elbow down and in. This feels unnatural at first, because it is, but apparently helps manage recoil by keeping the recoil pulse up and down instead of canted. I want to get some more practice with this before I decide which I like better.

Here is a good thread on this very subject, with videos, on the Brian Enos Forum:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/inde...owtopic=120322

[afone1]

Good for doing double taps.

[BillM]

I shoot USPSA, I cant the gun to the left when shooting right handed, and to
the right shooting left handed. I also advance right foot a bit when shooting
right handed, and vice versa. It's not a dominant eye thing for me--I'm
cross dominant. Canting the gun gives better recoil control, the gun tends
to recoil straight up-and-down, coming back on target quicker and the
following shots are faster.

[Hook686]

At bad breath distances I do not think it matters too much, either hand. You might try at various distances just to see what results you get.

[zach_]

I don't practice weak handed as much as I should.

Hook, I have never considered my breath to be a weapon.

[Jim567]

My muscle memory does not recognize or like half gangster.
No worries.

[hdaackda]

Any youtube links?

to be honest, I think here is no "benefit" of this half gansta style apart from some people think its "cool"..

[Art Eatman]

At common handgun distances, odds are that any divergence in POA/POI is very small. While I've always tried to avoid any canting, I also subscribe to the empirical notion, "If it works, it's okay."

[Hook686]

Some day some of you young bucks might be lucky enough to be old far#s. You might find that due to rotator cuff damage a slightly canted position might be a whole lot more doable.

[bamaranger]

I/We were taught at our academy in 1985 that a slight inboard cant with the left (off) hand, for right eye dominant shooters helped in sight alignment.

Bamaboy is cross dominant, right hand, left master. He shoots handguns (well I might add) with a very slight inboard cant of his right hand, to get lined up with his left master.

[g.willikers]

Here's how champion shootist Doug Koenig does it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4raf4Wi-Uo

[g.willikers]

Here's how IPSC shootist, Saul Kirsch does it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgbBChhrRKo

Here's Jerry Miculek shooting gangsta' style:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1jx1TOzxrE