Survivalists understand the importance of self-defense.
Being trained with firearms is an important component of that.
But this one overlooked technique might save you in an armed self-defense scenario.
Firearm practice is essential if you’re going to exercise your Second Amendment rights.
And nothing is more important than firearm safety.
However, you also need to develop your skills so you can handle yourself if an unfortunate event arises.
Practice will better help you control your nerves and limit mistakes caused by fear or a lack of preparedness.
But one skill that gets overlooked is being able to shoot with your off hand.
If you’re right-handed (and likely right-eye dominant), your grip and stance will be oriented that way.
It might seem trivial to learn how to shoot with your off hand, but self-defense situations can be unpredictable.
You may find yourself in a scenario where you have to use your off hand either due to injury or another unforeseen circumstance.
Switching hands may not seem like a big deal, but it can throw you off.
Putting your off hand in the dominant grip position might make the experience of holding a gun feel foreign.
Some aspects will stay the same, such as the fundamentals of where to aim and how to control your breathing.
However, your off-hand trigger finger might be slow and clumsy.
This could result in slower action, or accidentally letting a round go when you didn’t want to.
Also, your opposite arm may not handle kick as well, so that’s something that just has to be built up.
Handling kick poorly will make you far less accurate and fast.
The challenges of using a handgun with your off hand are real, but using a long gun with your off hand is more difficult.
There is a steeper learning curve with shotguns and rifles.
While handguns are still generally held at the center of your body, shotguns and rifles are held on the opposite side.
Adjusting for shoulder placement and head tilt is going to feel awkward.
And there’s really no shortcut.
You just have to get the reps in until it feels comfortable.
Again, off-hand shooting practice may not seem necessary, but survivalists understand that it’s better to be prepared than not.
An injury to your dominant hand could be a very real possibility, particularly in a SHTF scenario.
That would be a catastrophe.
Or you may find yourself taking cover behind a barricade or a corner.
Depending on your position, peeking out behind a barricade or corner to shoot with your dominant hand could put you in a compromising spot.
You might be exposing more of your body than is necessary.
Next time you’re at the range, it wouldn’t hurt to incorporate some off-hand practice to help sharpen your skills.
Switching hands and stances can even help you mentally re-ingrain the fundamentals.
The more you advance, the easier it is to forget about the fundamentals on which everything is built.
