Retraining to shoot left handed

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AStone

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I'm starting this thread to explore the possibility of retraining to shoot a long gun (in my case, rifles) with the "other hand" than what I learned on.

Here's the background.

I'm right handed, so I grew up shooting right handed.

Due to a life transition called living in poverty (for time and money) during grad school, I stopped shooting rifles in my 20's, but got back into it a few years ago.

At that point, I discovered that I'm left eye dominant. (I didn't even know what that meant until I joined THR; before then, I always thought it was normal to shoot with one eye closed.)

Since learning about that, I've started shooting my revolvers as much left handed as right handed. I started training my left hand/arm by dry fire practice, then started at the range once I was fairly confident I'd not make a total fool of myself by dropping the gun or something. :uhoh:

I'm still a better shot right handed, but that margin is getting smaller. Left handed is starting to feel more and more natural for my revolvers. And, of course, sight picture is so much easier for me left handed, and it's comforting to know that if my right hand/arm is injured, I can still shoot.

However, I still shoot my rifles - both Marlin lever guns - entirely right handed. It feels awkward and slow to mount a rifle to my left side. Yet, when I do, my sight picture - especially with the ghost rings on my .30-30 - develops much faster and easier.

Adding to the mix - and motivating starting this thread - I'm now starting to explore ARs (see sig line; I've got the fever). I've learned that Stag, one of the top contenders for me at this very early stage of research, offers both right and left hand models.

So, I thought it'd be worthwhile to consider the plausibility of retraining myself to shoot successfully, confidently and well left handed. If I can do that before buying an AR (which is probably at least months away), then perhaps I should consider buying a left hand model.

Admittedly, this is a long shot. I'm sure there are probably reasons for me not to try this. But I'm just exploring options. My Marlin 336 is a side eject, for example, not ideal for left hand shooters. But if I retrained for left handed shooting, I could still perhaps shoot the 336 right handed.

So,to the question again : has anyone done it personally, or know of others who have? Any links to other threads or pages? Any tips, ideas or caveats?

Thanks in advance for advice.

Nem
 
I'm right eye dominate and have learned to shoot left handed.

It's mostly a matter of practice. Lots of dry fire and drills. Some range time left handed. At 1st my left eye was fine with optics but I couldn't align an iron sight to save my life. After a while I can use AK irons with my left eye with no problems.

I wouldn't buy a lefty AR, the standard configuration works fine. BSW
 
Brian, this is an encouraging start. Thanks.

I wouldn't buy a lefty AR, the standard configuration works fine.
Oh, now that's interesting.

I assumed an right handed (RH) AR would chuck brass in a way that would make RH shooting undesirable.

No? Does it consistently sling it far enough forward that it's not a problem?
 
In order to shoot an AR left-handed you're going to need one with a spent case deflector. Despite warnings, my LH son-in-law insisted on shooting my SP1 off his left shoulder and paid the price. Sometimes people just have to learn for themselves.;)
Tinpig
 
I assumed an right handed (RH) AR would chuck brass in a way that would make RH shooting undesirable.

No? Does it consistently sling it far enough forward that it's not a problem?

They usually chuck brass far enough to make shooting a right-handed AR comfortable enough to shoot left-handed.

Depending on who you ask the ejection pattern can be from 1-4 o'clock, angles at which the brass will generally avoid the shooter. I've got about 1K rounds downrange from a RH AR and haven't had a problem yet.

Left-handed ARs are a nice luxury but are by no means a necessity. I like them for the small added safety factor in case of an even smaller change of a catastrophic failure. Remember that if it was a feature to have the ejection port facing the shooter's face the vast majority of rifles would have been produced opposite of how they are. This is in addition of the added benefit of having the same (mirror-image) manual of arms as everyone else.

I also like the fact that I don't get any exhaust in my face while shooting cheap/dirty ammo. I'd say look into them and be aware of the limitations and such, but you can always swap out the LH upper for a RH upper later on with not real penalty.

IIRC the LH only parts are:
+Bolt
+Bolt Carrier
+Upper Receiver
+Barrel Extension

Everything else is interchangeable.
 
im right handed and shoot rifle left

because i lost vision in my right eye,i shoot pistol and shotguns with a pistol grip right handed,some rifles that have high mount scopes i prefer right handed ,some i prefer left,i have aks and ars and shooting them left handed doesnt bother me.i would not buy a left handed gun in case u decide to sell because demand would be low
 
+1 Due to vision loss in my right eye I'm left eye dominant. I'm right handed but shoot lefty. My first Ar was a regular right handed model. I had no problem shooting it left handed. Now I have a model 1L stag and love it! I really like the left handed ejection and ambi saftey.

I bow hunt as well and have shot righted bow but it was difficult. I recently switched to a left handed bow which took a little bit of practice but now no problem. The biggest thing is the sight picture.

Again I really like my lefty Stag AR!
 
Dragon, I've tried that for years.

Doesn't work for me, regardless of technique.

I see two images, and my mind can't sort out quickly which one to use.

This is why I'm considering retraining with left handed shooting.
When I shoulder a rifle on my left side, my mind "gets it", and uses the correct sight image.
 
Nem,

To learn LH shooting I suggest a good air rifle. It'll allow you to shoot a lot for very little money. Even after you get proficient from portside, it'll facilitate ongoing practice for cheap. Check out the RWS Model 34 in .177.

WRT to AR-15s, no need for a lefty rifle. Just make sure that you get one with a case deflector bump behind the ejection port and you'll be good to go. Most current product AR-15s with A2 or flattop uppers have them (tho not all). I'm left handed and the only southpaw accessory I've added to my AR-15s has been a DPMS ambidextrous selector.
 
i'm left-eyed, left-handed. shoot left handed always (unless i'm practicing shooting right)

never in my life been hit with a piece of brass from an AR15. (though, my KAC SR-25 which does not have a deflector hits me with brass every time i pull the trigger. it's not a big deal, and actually, i've come to think of it as a feature, since it i don't have to search for my brass)

all you need is the deflector built into the side of the receiver (except really old slab-sides). that little bump just behind the port. you do not need the external thing that screws onto the top.

as for shooting left-handed, i think the standard AR15 controls work better for lefties than righties. i'd NEVER switch to using a left-handed AR.
 
i'd NEVER switch to using a left-handed AR.
I trust Taliv's advice on that issue, along with similar advice from others above.

So, I'm going to nudge this thread back to the original question:

What tips, tricks and advice do you all have for retraining to shoot left handed, just in case I want to try it out?

I mean, switch hitting ... er shooting with a rifle. How cool is that? :cool:
 
So is this part of the reason your ghost ring sight is moved so far to one side?

I know my oldest step-son learned to shoot right handed and was re-trained by the US Army to shoot left handed because of eye dominance issues. I'll ask him if they used any special practice drills...

Maybe all you need is a tough drill sergeant yelling at you...
 
I got my first gun which was a marlin model 60 and I shot it left handed and learned like that because I'm a southpaw. When I got my remington 700 I went to my friends ranch few times just to learn with plain notch sights shooting from the other arm... My biggest problem I discovered was that I can hold a gun much steadier when going from my left arm instead if my right. Other than that it's not really that difficult. But I would go with the airgun idea.
 
I'm right handed, left eye dominant. Have worn glasses since first grade. My eyesight has steadily deteriorated with age, with massive astigmatism in both eyes, worse on the right. I'm now 50.

I started shooting right handed, did fine with iron sights on a rifle, did better with a cheap .22 scope. Not too long after I turned 21, I realized how much better I could see sights on handguns from the left, and started the switch. At this time, I owned an 8 3/8" K22. With a fresh eyeglass prescription, a rest, and my left eye, I could consistently shoot well under an inch at 25 yards. Over time, I came to realize that I was slow but accurate from the left, and fast but kind of comprehensive from the right.

Over the years since, my overall eyesight has diminished to the point that the acuity advantage on the left has merged with the dexterity advantage of the right, and I can honestly say that I suck equally from both sides, though I suck a bit more quickly right handed.

Good luck, and don't forget to practice your excuses.
 
I am left handed and shoot left or right. Pistol and rifle. The tendancy is to shoot a rifle left handed but being able to shoot a rifle right handed is always there.
Lots of practice. Practice free style standing and get into a system. It will grow on you.
 
I am left handed, right eye dominat and shot rifles right handed and pistols left handed, I have a aim point red dot on my witness .40 and am using it to learn to shot with both eyes open, I shoot rifles only with a scope since old age equals old eyes.
 
I am Right handed and Left eye Dominate. in my mid twenties I switched to shooting left handed. While always a good pistol, but I could miss a barn wall with a longarm while standing inside the barn with the doors closed! Once making the shift shooting became fun and trip to the firing range to qualify where no longer stressful.
The first thing I do when teach someone to shoot is to check eye dominates. Once that is settle then it is time to find a 22 that fits.
Just practice, in short order it will be second nature to shoot off the left side.
 
I'm a lefty and luckily left eye dominant. My right eye is just there, doesn't do me much good. I've never shot a weapon designed for a lefty, and have never had a problem with brass. The only thing I wouldn't try is a bullpup type stock. That would be dangerous.
 
So let me make sure I have this right: You want to switch to shooting long guns left-handed to the exclusion of shooting right-handed? That is what I am figuring since you are considering buying a lefty AR15. Dunno anyone who's done that, but I'd imagine it's just practice, practice, practice. But you also mentioned "switch hitting", which has been recommended to me.

The pres of my hunting club suggested I learn to shoot off both shoulders. I was puzzled so he explained "When you are out in the field, sometimes you are dealing with terrain where, the way you are positioned, the only way you can get that shot off, is if you take it off your left shoulder.* If you get into that situation, and you don't have the skill, you will have to pass on the shot." The old guy has literally taken game all over the world so sometimes I heed his advice. ;)

IMHO no need to buy lefty guns if you are gonna switch-hit.

* I am a right-handed shooter.
 
So let me make sure I have this right: You want to switch to shooting long guns left-handed to the exclusion of shooting right-handed?
Beetle, that is what I had in mind when I started this investigation - well, maybe not to the exclusion of right-handed, but mostly shooting leftie.

However, my original thought of buying a left-handed AR to accommodate that has changed while reading this thread. Even though it hasn't fully clicked for me yet why a right-handed AR wouldn't bop a LH shooter in the face with a spent shell, I'm listening, and am moving to the position that regardless of whether I wind up shooting LH or RH, I should get a RH AR.

That's where I'm at today. Ask me again tomorrow. :)
 
I've shot M16's and AR15's lefthanded since first issued one in 1968. I don't see any reason to consider buying one of the lefthand versions of the rifle and in fact it would no doubt screw me up, at least for a while. I tried some of the "ambidextrous" charge handle releases but took them off before very long because they never felt natural and they added portruberances that I couldn't get used to.

If you try shooting any kind of high power rifle off handed pay special attention to your method of absorbing recoil. I was shooting benchrest a lot a few years back. 6ppc is not a hard recoiling round but benchrest technique calls for "free recoil" shooting in which the rifle is supported on bags front and rear, allowed to slide straight back in the bags with the shooter making contact only with the trigger finger and sometimes a light steadying touch on the stock. I began to think that I could obtain a slightly more clear view through my scopes with my right eye instead of my left. So I set up to try shooting benchrest right handed one day. I did everything the same but from the other side.

The first shot I fired broke my nose. The free recoiling scope had whacked me hard and broke my damned nose! I bled all over the rifle, all over the range bench, all over the path to the rangemater's hut, and all over his counter before we could get me some paper towels to hold back my bleeding nose.

For weeks I had to go to the range with two pretty shiners, and had to come up with all manner of weird lies about a car crash at work. I went to work looking like a blues brother - suit, tie, and shades. I just didn't have the right hat.

So if you switch hit with recoiling rifles keep in mind that there may be habits of gun handling that don't automatically transfer as you change hands.
 
Even though it hasn't fully clicked for me yet why a right-handed AR wouldn't bop a LH shooter in the face with a spent shell...

Nematocyst-

Here's why:
1. military_a1_ejectionportopen.jpg
No spent shell deflector behind ejection port.
This will bop a LH shooter.

2. colt_a2_stripped.jpg
Spent shell deflector just behind ejection port (also forward assist.)
This one will not bop you.
:)

Tinpig
 
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