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Have to Shoot Left Handed

4K views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  Leighton 
#1 ·
I now have terrible vision in my right eye and have to shoot left handed though I am not ambi nor lefthanded. I am slowly switching to levers but things are sort of awkward esp with shotguns. I guess it just takes practise
 
#2 ·
It's usually easier for a lefty to become a righty than vice versa. I do not envy your position.

However, you can take some comfort in the fact that the same nervous system wiring which causes parasympathetic movement (you fall and catch yourself, both hands squeeze) also helps with cross training. In other words, your basic skills are still there while shooting lefty even if it feels awkward right now.

Take me for example: I do not feel right shooting with my right hand. I can do it, but it doesn't feel right.

However, when I look at my groups shot with left hand only and compare them to groups shot right hand only, they are virtually identical, though perhaps a bit of a mirror image.

Keep at it and don't give up. You'll get it!

Josh <><
 
#4 ·
Howdy Mr. Chancesr,

I am also a right hand dominant shooter sir, so I can very well understand the situation you now find yourself facing. But once I started in law enforcement in the early 70s, I realized being able to fire weak hand supported and more important for me, weak hand only, were both survival skills I need to acquire.

It really does work just the same in my view, except you have to remind yourself it is truly a mirror situation from what you are accustomed to. All of my qualification courses over the years, and especially various tactical courses have required the use of weak hand only shooting. They have even required weak hand only malfunction drills. I can assure you with practice, these begin to feel a bit more "normal" for us right handed folks.

Since you have been right handed as your dominant hand all of your life, the odds figure that your right arm is a bit stronger than your left too. So you may find that intially when making this change, your groups will not be as tight. My suggestion to you sir, especially if doing any "left hand only" drills is to cant your handgun inward about 45 degress. This will engage more of the muscles of your left arm, and give you a stronger firing position than would a "normal, straight up" hold. Of course, if you decide to add in some "new, weak hand (right) only drills, do the same, and cant your handgun inward about 45 degrees, for the same reason.

It has also been my observation that most shooters I have trained over the decades, with just a bit of practice, actually end up shooting slightly tighter groups with their left hand, during one hand only stages. I think as much as anything, subconsciously you do not feel as strong with what was/is your weak hand, and you actually concentrate more on your shooting techniques.

Just hang in there sir, as it truly is an acquired skill. Once acquired it also needs to be practiced to maintain it in my view. I recall about 1 year into my time on duty, I was chasing a murder suspect. He jumped a chain link fence into a back yard at 0'dark hundred, so I did too. However, I left a large portion of my right palm flesh hanging on the top of the fence. It took I think 6 stitches to close the wound, and required me to wear a shoulder holster in uniform for about 2 months, as I would have to fire using my left hand as my primary hand. But by that time, I had already developed my skills to the point I was confident I could shoot this way too.

From my experiences, I think when faced to change something as you now must sir, you DO adapt to it. The more you shoot right now, I think you will find the quicker it begins to feel "more normal" for you too. Trust me, with my right hand still heavily bandaged and stitched, I did do some serious left hand only practice consistently for a couple of weeks (almost daily), and then continued to practice a couple of times each week, to maintain that survival skill.

I hope reading this may help you feel that things are not quite as bleak as they may seem to you right now too sir. Hang in there and just practice as much as you can. It really is an acquired skill, and besides, you will be able to use both hands for the most part too. So it really could be worse.

twoguns
 
#5 ·
I'm just opposite. Due to injusries to my left hand, wrist and forearm, I've had to learn to shoot hard recoiling handguns right handed. 9mm recoil is about all I can take with my left. For some reason when using both hands, I still do better left dominant, one handed I've actually gotten more adept than with my left. Perhaps its ingrained fear of the pain from my left arm. As in all in my head!
 
#8 ·
Heya Gib,

I'm having to do likewise for anything resembling precision shooting; cataract is worse in the right eye. I do have to cover the right to use the left, and drills with both eyes open must still be done with the right as dominant.

Right hand strength (and coordination) isn't what it was before the stroke. I now shoot equally crappy with either hand.

The hardest thing for me to do is change stance to right foot leading when I'm shooting lefty.

With neuropathy affecting things my hands get numb so I change off sides every magazine. I think thats helped more than anything in getting used to wrongside shooting.

Gettin' old ain't for sissies.



Regards,

Pat
 
#10 ·
I had a stroke in my left eye, my dominate eye and I cant see the bottom right quadrant at all. I bought a new R/H X bolt and started shooting my handguns with my left hand but right eye. Everything is good and it was just one more challenge in this thing called life. FRJ
 
#11 · (Edited)
I was born right handed/right eye dominant and shot that way for 50 years. I served in the US Army in the most defoliated area of Viet Nam at the peak of the spraying effort. My exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange has caused me to be afflicted by several Auto-immune System disorders, 35 years later. I am totally blind in my right eye (hence my handle, one eye joe), and have lost most of my mobility in my right arm/hand and leg/foot. As a result, I have learned to shoot one handed, using left hand and eye--the only ones that work. I have drifted away from my 1911, as operating the slide and loading mags is impossible. I have drifted away from long guns also, although I can still manage to shoot a rifle off a bi-pod or some bags using one hand. I have sold my collection of Ruger SA revolvers. I continue to shoot my DA S&W and Colt revolvers twice a week. I'm not the pistolero I used to be (maintained a Bullseye average in the low 290s for many years), but @ 70 years of age I'm still out there having fun. I've switched to left handed crossdraw belt holsters for my CCW revolvers, which are usually a 2 1/2" S&W 686+ and a 642. SOOO, as the guys above said, gettin' old ain't for sissies, and it's just one more challenge in this thing called life. When I go to the Vet's Hospital (as I frequently must), I realize how lucky I am to have become disabled so late in life, and I'm VERY thankful for the things that I can still do--like shootin' left handed.........
 
#12 ·
Hello, I’m a similar situation than you are, FRJ, since I’m left-handed but my dominant eye is the right one. I don’t think this is a problem when shooting handguns, despite the fact that, against some experts’ advice, I close one of my eyes (the left one). When I shoot with long arms, however, I’m forced to use my non-dominant left eye. Unless I turn blind on one of my eyes or lose mobility on my left hand/arm, I don’t intend to change.
 
#15 ·
For one born an raised left handed, I've had to over come all the faults of right handed guns, plus also learning to shoot right handed. So I do have some sympathy for those right handed shooters who have had to convert. It isn't easy, an the older you are when you do convert, just makes it that much tougher!
 
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