Lefty becoming a righty

[1TallTx'n]

Quality LH firearms are limited and aftermarket tacti-cool gear is limited as well. Its been years since I've handled a rifle so I've been asking myself if I shouldn't become a righty, doing so would go against my natural instinct.

If I do start shooting RH, would I ever get good enough to compete? I've been shouldering a ghost rifle and it is so foreign to me to do so.

I guess its like anything else you want or need to learn; drill, drill, drill. Or will I just be trying to rollerskate in a buffalo heard.

 

[wilecoyote]

no,you don't need become a righty_
from entry-level 700s up, until to Accuracys, the lh options about new rifles are quite high, but poorly advertised_
the aftermaket tacti-cool gear belong to tacti-cool guys, and being one of them don't mean necessarily to be a good competitor/shooter_
being LH involve sometime more research and effort to find the right stuff or build it by yourself, but overcoming that can be quite interesting_
the important thing is not surrender yourself to any (RH)mass unwritten law: that DON'T exist_
Saddle up!

 

[hounddawg]

I'm ambidex. Used to have a RH flintlock, and the face-scorch was good motivation. It's not as difficult as it seems, though eye dominance is a factor. I find that I shoot about 4" to the right @ 100yd if the rifle is zeroed lefty and I shoot RH.

 

[wilecoyote]

I'm ambidex. Used to have a RH flintlock, and the face-scorch was good motivation. It's not as difficult as it seems, though eye dominance is a factor. I find that I shoot about 4" to the right @ 100yd if the rifle is zeroed lefty and I shoot RH.

Hounddawg,please consider your avatar joined to your words: with all my real respect,it's very difficult not being somewhat puzzled seeing&reading both at the same time... (forgive my joke, but I can't resist)_

 

[hounddawg]

Yeah, it's funny. Always was a fan of ol' Moshe Dayan, so that's the reason for the avatar.

They told him to keep an eye on the young Israeli soldiers. He said "But what about the damned Arabs?"

 

[1TallTx'n]

I agree that the hit or miss will be due to the lose nut behind the butt plate so I'd definitely spend time at the range before I dressed anything up beyond glass and bipod (of course, I could cut the legs out of an old pair of jeans and fill them with sand) and I don't see myself with an AI. I'm not that good nor do I have the funds for one.

Its been 10 or so years since I've been to the range or field, I was thinking that switching sides would be a viable option.

On a side note. It didn't dawn on me until after I bought my scope that I'm probably going at this backwards. I probably should have bought the rifle first and pulled the Weaver off the 710 I have in the closet.

Yes, I have a Remy 710 but I'm so disgusted with it I hesitate to admit it. I never could get PoA and PoI to come together so I put it in the closet and tried to ignore the yearning to smell potassium nitrate again.

 

[wilecoyote]

710 is,in my opinion,a sure way to become disgusted about Remingtons_ you could find some goods on the "looking to buy" below here,where is a LH only section_ about "new" options, I'm quite happy with my 700LH VS,and I don't have payed a prohibitive sum for it,at his time_ I'm sure more better options can be learned from the LH people here,anyway_

 

[338RUM runner]

Back in my early days (1965) I tried going RH on Uncle Sams Ammo at basic training, and I just couldn't do it. I'm just to left sided. I wish you well in your task. I have found all the LH Rifles that I wanted and still getting more. Helps to have a Son that is also a Lefty. Don't fight it.

 

[Killswitch Engage]

I was a lefty most of my life but was relatively ambidextrous on a lot of things. I decided once I went in the corps I wasn't interested in struggling in a right handers world and dealing with what I was issued. So, I forced myself to become right handed and over time I had completely retrained myself and have excelled in marksmanship as good or better then when I was a lefty. I didn't have a terribly strong eye dominance issue so that wasnt hard to overcome. At this point in my life I can shoot either side very well and don't really feel I have a weak side. If I did I would consider it to be my left now. I shoot everything right side. I am very glad I took the initiative and retaught myself. It's nothing but mental and forcing yourself to use the other side of your brain.

 

[1TallTx'n]

Remington 710...

Dig hole in backyard.

If no backyard....dig hole in neighbor's backyard.

Place 710 in its original box and proceed to bury.

Give decent speech about best of intentions, times you could've had together, lie about group sizes.

Notify next of kin.

I've thought about that but the neighbors might see me and laugh and demand an explanation as to why I had it in the first place.

 

[Strykervet]

All this is assuming you are left eye dominant... If you don't know, finding out sooner than later is better. You can find the test online and do it in seconds right now. You can learn to shoot with the weak hand, but you can't learn to shoot using the non-dominant eye and actually be good at it. I've had to put eye patches on the right eye of right handed shooters and vice versa. They shot better, but had to work at getting comfortable doing it.

 

[Killswitch Engage]

i dont agree with you strykervet, while its is not always easy to overcome eye dominance can most certainly be re-taught and once performed long enough simply becomes second nature.

 

[Surgikill]

Quality LH firearms are limited and aftermarket tacti-cool gear is limited as well. Its been years since I've handled a rifle so I've been asking myself if I shouldn't become a righty, doing so would go against my natural instinct.

If I do start shooting RH, would I ever get good enough to compete? I've been shouldering a ghost rifle and it is so foreign to me to do so.

I guess its like anything else you want or need to learn; drill, drill, drill. Or will I just be trying to rollerskate in a buffalo heard.

You could still shoulder it lefty but would have to use your right hand to operate the bolt.

Sent from GS3 Synergy

 

[aliveinspirit]

i dont agree with you strykervet, while its is not always easy to overcome eye dominance can most certainly be re-taught and once performed long enough simply becomes second nature.

I second this, coming from experience, i was left handed/right eye dominate. I say was because i switched my eye dominance, out of necessity when i started shooting 3 position smallbore. I am now completely left eye dominate, there is absolutely no hesitation when bringing a rifle or pistol up, my left eye always is dominate.

 

[Name Enough]

I am left handed and more importantly I am left eye dominant. I shoot left handed and right handed rifles. As a bench rest rifle I can operate a right handed rifle very well but my hunting rifles are all left handed. Follow up shots are difficult if you are shooting a right handed action.
Not to worry - you can find good left handed rifles.

I shoot an M1a and think the right side charging handle works fine.
I don't have a problem with right handed ARs as long as they have a case deflector. The orginal M16 issued to me in 1969 didn't have one and the cases ejected right in my face. The First Sargent said - learn to shoot right handed. I told him I am an idiot right handed so I'll just learn to love the burn.
I did have a problem with a AR10 because of the weight so I got an LWrC with a left side charging handle.
If you shoot left handed a left handed action is safer to shoot.

 

[ilmonster]

I discovered I am left handed but right eye dominant when I began shooting shotguns (skeet primarily). As a result, I switched hands and now shoot both shotguns and rifles right handed. It was actually much easier than I thought it would be, and am now a happy right handed shooter.

p.s. I usually shoot between 23 - 25 in a round of skeet

 

[hounddawg]

lefty shooting a rh rifle:

Marksman In Action (Scene From Saving Private Ryan) - YouTube

 

[308boltgun]

i dont agree with you strykervet, while its is not always easy to overcome eye dominance can most certainly be re-taught and once performed long enough simply becomes second nature.

I would give my right arm to be ambidextrous

I agree with Strykevet, eye dominance is more important. Killswitch is also right, sometimes... It depends on the person. I taught kids to shoot rifle for 14 years and have been an archery instructor for the last 4 years. In my experience, some people can switch, some cannot. I for example and EXTREMELY right eye dominant. I cant even close my right eye and keep my left eye open. As an instructor, it taught me many years ago to TRY. I even put a patch over my right eye. I can do all of the positions left handed. standing, sitting prone, I just cant switch my concentration over to the left eye enough to hit the target.

 

[wilecoyote]

I agree : I'm ambidextrous about all, handgun included, but when it's the rifle time, as lh eye dom., nothing to do:left eye/hand rule_

about the Spielberg scene: we have somewhere a thread about "how evading a sniper": it seems even appropriate to it...

 

[Punisher3]

In my personal experience, when shooting opposite hand it forces you to realllllly focus on what you are doing, properly applying the fundamentals and really trying. When we shoot dominant hand, we tend to fall to our training scars and make minor mistakes that we just simply don't pay attention to. I don't think your transition will be all that difficult if you decided to switch hands. Just like anything, practice, practice, practice and you will have it in no time. I actually enjoy shooting off hand.

 

[Armiger]

Interesting thread. I am right handed but left eye dominant. I have always shot my rifles left handed from my first rifle, a JC Higgins .22 purchased at Sears. With pistols I am ambidextrous to a degree. I shoot my semiautos left handed with no issue - FAL, AK and M1A. It was not until five years ago that I bought a left hand rifle for hunting- Sako 75. Now that I am going the route of figuring out a build for a custom bolt gun, I am scratching my head wondering if I really need to go with a left handed action. I will still shoot it from the left side due to dominance. So outside of reaching over to operate the bolt, I am not sure of the drawback....

 

[wrongside]

Left hand guns are out there, I have 10. Most are LH Savages, but also have 4 Remington's one LA LH a LH 22 rimfire and a 20 and12 gauge 1100. I guess I am left eyed but I can shoot rifle or shotgun right handed also. I mostly shoot with both eyes open but shooting shotgun RH I close my left eye. The left hand guns are out there I just have to go to a lot of gun shows to find a used one, all of mine are pre-owned. Don't give into the right hand world!

 

[wilecoyote]

Interesting thread. I am right handed but left eye dominant. I have always shot my rifles left handed from my first rifle, a JC Higgins .22 purchased at Sears. With pistols I am ambidextrous to a degree. I shoot my semiautos left handed with no issue - FAL, AK and M1A. It was not until five years ago that I bought a left hand rifle for hunting- Sako 75. Now that I am going the route of figuring out a build for a custom bolt gun, I am scratching my head wondering if I really need to go with a left handed action. I will still shoot it from the left side due to dominance. So outside of reaching over to operate the bolt, I am not sure of the drawback....

If I could trust on some gunsmith (?) here, I would seriously think about a LH bolt and right ejection port...(more or less like your FAL,I suppose)