POI shift when shooting weak hand?

[gringop]

Being a masochist, I have decided to start practicing and shooting IDPA matches with my weak (right) hand. In the past, I have always practiced some WHO at every range session and just used Kentucky windage to get my shots on target, ie. POA is a bit high and right and POI is dead on.

So today I start shooting weak hand freestyle and my POI is constantly about 4" left at 10 yards. I ended up cranking the sights over about 3/32 or 1/8" to get my hits looking good. After having a good (but slow) practice session, I moved the sights back to the original zero and confirmed it shooting strong hand from the bench.

My question is what could be causing this difference in POI and how can I get rid of it?

I'd rather not be cranking my sights back and forth every time I practice or shoot a match.

Gun is a G19 w/3.5lbs connector. The POI shift was consistent no matter how much finger I had on the trigger (tip, pad, joint) or how much pressure I used on the weak hand.

Gringop

[L9X25]

Likely comes down to 2 words: Trigger control

This is particularly true with a Glock

[Matt Cheely]

It's all in the trigger. Some of it is particularly hard to get rid of. Shooting PPC with a heavy pull on a revo, I have to aim at the 9 to get the X left handed. That is from a very solid shooting position as well, just comes down to the release after the trigger breaks and my finger pushing it to the side.

Edited April 8, 2008 by Matt Cheely

[Kevin Kline]

You can line up the sights and start pulling the trigger, but you'd be amazed how much that muzzle will move in the last micro second as the gun is going off and how much of an effect it has on the grouping downrange.

I have to OVER focus when shooting weak handed to really know the absolute millisecond the gun goes off that the sights are EXACTLY where I need them to be, otherwise, the rounds are to the right on the target.

[HSMITH]

My weak hand shoots more accurately than my strong hand freestyle, just a little slower on the splits. Strong hand only I shoot a lot better than I do weak hand only, faster and more accurately.

I am strongly right handed for some things, not so much for other things. I usually shoot groups left handed, it just seems to work better if I want to get the smallest group I can shoot.

I don't remember ever having a point of impact shift from one hand to the other, the gun hits right where the sights are.

[Jake Di Vita]

I'll echo everyone else's comments....the issue is not in the POI changing, you just aren't keeping your sights on target until the bullet leaves the barrel.

[Flexmoney]

Grip influences trigger...in a few ways.

[kevin c]

So there's no truth to what I'd been taught, that the gun is recoiling away from the one hand holding it?

[gringop]

Ach! I will work on dry fire and report back after the next live fire practice session.

(homer) Stupid weak hand trigger finger!(/homer)

Gringop

ETA

I switched eyes when I switched hands.

I also confirmed this by shooting my Ruger 22/45 weak hand from a rest. I still get a POI shift.

Thanks all for the ideas.

Edited April 9, 2008 by gringop

[JimmyZip]

The last time I practiced livefire I had the same problem. If I slowed down and sgueezed so that the pistols going off was a surprise, I would get a hit. So I just kept at it and did improve after a couple of hundred rounds. After that though I think the muscles in my weak hand were tired and shots started to fly to points on the target that I wasn't happy with so I went back to freestyle and strong-hand.

I'm a newbie at dryfire though and practicing really, but that was and is my experience. Even in dryfire, I find that my weak-hand does get tired.

JZ

[HSMITH]

Try shooting weak hand and dominant eye, differences in your eyes can make a difference on the target.

[JimmyZip]

The last time I practiced livefire I had the same problem. If I slowed down and sgueezed so that the pistols going off was a surprise, I would get a hit. So I just kept at it and did improve after a couple of hundred rounds. After that though I think the muscles in my weak hand were tired and shots started to fly to points on the target that I wasn't happy with so I went back to freestyle and strong-hand.

I'm a newbie at dryfire though and practicing really, but that was and is my experience. Even in dryfire, I find that my weak-hand does get tired.

JZ

[Shay1911]

I think HSMITH is right.

Try this: Aim the gun with weak hand, both eyes open. Now close your dominant eye. Does it seem like the gun is off? Does it seem like it is over the strong hand?

The problem that I found, in my self, is that I aim with my dominant eyes, even with both eyes open. When I use weak hand, the gun is shifted. I have to close my dominant eye and then the gun is shifted to the right place. Hard to explain in writing.

YMMV, try dry firing it.