Many "lefties" here?

flanum

Influenced by a differnt thread on a different forum.. im right handed but left eye dominant and so have to shoot left handed. After a recent visit to a well stocked gun-store, i noticed there are very few left handed stocks... a FEW ambi's!

i fell for a gorgeous rifle but unfortunately it had right handed stock with a cheek- piece you cou could shave with. Now i liked that gun that much that im contemplatin getting it and taking a rasp to the cheek piece!!

Why arent all guns ambi nowadays?

Sparks

At a guess, because there are more right-handed people than left-handed people. But a lot of the target shooting rifles these days - especially the top end models - are ambi, or can be made ambi.

Also, you can shoot right handed even if you're left eye dominant. That's what I do. There are special sights sets that you can get (displaced sights or periscopes), and for pistol, you don't even need those; or you can just train your brain to use the other eye as the dominant one (and blinds help a lot with this, though you'll be surprised how effective it can be just to "switch over" in your head).

flanum

when i say left eye dominant.. i mean if i close my left eye, all i can see is a half milky picture.

i had my eyes tested about 2 years ago and was told although my right eye is gammy, my left eye more than makes up for it and they couldnt prescribe any form of glasses for me as my left eye is 110 per cent.

as regards re-training meself to shooting from the right, im that used (since i was a nipper) of taking a gun to my left, it wouldnt feel natural. im happy enough being skitog with shooting, i just wish the stock-makers would swing more to the ambi side of things.

It wasn't me!

I'm right-handed, shoot lefty; just feels more comfortable for me and I'm left-eye dominant.

IRLConor

I'm also left-eyed and right-handed but I shoot right-handed. With both eyes open and no blind, I see the side of the rearsight, not the target. I'm very right-handed though, any time I've played with a lefty rifle I've been rubbish.

More ambidextrous stocks would be great, although the bolt is still a problem so I guess that's one reason to keep bolt-action guns "handed".

Sparks

flanum wrote: »

when i say left eye dominant.. i mean if i close my left eye, all i can see is a half milky picture.

That's a long way past dominance
Again though, there are sights (at least for iron sights rifles) that can help (with telescopics, I'm not so sure, but they're at least possible):

marlyman

jeez, i ffel like a loner, im left handed and left eye dominant. weird :-)

rrpc

Cross dominance is very common. I know a great many people who are so afflicted including myself (left eye, right hand). :P

I've always felt that it's a function of left and right handed parents. My mother was left handed, my father right. My wife is left handed and my eldest son is also cross dominant (left eyed, right handed).

Just goes to prove that mixed marriages have unforseen consequences and should be outlawed.

Sparks

rrpc wrote: »

Just goes to prove that mixed marriages have unforseen consequences and should be outlawed.

Too true. Can you imagine what would happen if we let people from air rifle breed with people from smallbore? You'd wind up with little 3P shooters all over the place....:eek:

Sparks

Sparks wrote: »

Too true. Can you imagine what would happen if we let people from air rifle breed with people from smallbore? You'd wind up with little 3P shooters all over the place....:eek:

With lots of divorced couples!

rrpc

Sparks wrote: »

Too true. Can you imagine what would happen if we let people from air rifle breed with people from smallbore? You'd wind up with little 3P shooters all over the place....:eek:

Should that not be: "little shooters doing 3P's all over the place?

Sparks

No, no, there is such a thing as a 3P shooter, I've heard stories, I've seen the archival footage, I know they exist out there somewhere...



...admittedly probably having tea with elvis, but still...

Bananaman

I'm right handed but my left eye is the one that works so I shoot a long gun left handed. I shoot a small gun right handed but with my shooting position offset. Works fine for me.

First time I picked up a shotgun it just felt natural to shoot it left handed - if it was under the right eye I wouldn't be able to see squat.

B'Man

kowloon

I'm right handed and used to sight through my right eye but my sight has degraded to the point where I can't anymore. I'm so right handed I can't even hold the gun properly on the left, changing over is going to be difficult for me.

Sherifu

http://ask.metafilter.com/97630/How-can-improve-my-sinister-lifestyle

Sparks

kowloon wrote: »

I'm right handed and used to sight through my right eye but my sight has degraded to the point where I can't anymore. I'm so right handed I can't even hold the gun properly on the left, changing over is going to be difficult for me.

One of our best air rifle shooters back in the day used to shoot right-handed and swapped over because she was cross-dominant. Took about a month of training for her to get back on form IIRC. It's not as bad as you'd think.

rrpc

It's not necessarily the best way to deal with it IMHO. Usually your dominant eye does most of the work and as a consequence needs most correction as you get older. Shooting with your non-dominant eye can give a clearer sight picture.

As a matter of interest, Derek Burnett is left eye dominant and shoots right-handed and is currently ranked 11 in the world!

It wasn't me!

rrpc wrote: »

It's not necessarily the best way to deal with it IMHO. Usually your dominant eye does most of the work and as a consequence needs most correction as you get older. Shooting with your non-dominant eye can give a clearer sight picture.

As a matter of interest, Derek Burnett is left eye dominant and shoots right-handed and is currently ranked 11 in the world!

I have wondered about that before. The eyesight in my right eye is very slightly, but noticeably, better than that in my left. I've wondered what it'd be like to shoot right-handed. Doesn't seem to be doing those that do any harm.

kowloon

Sparks wrote: »

One of our best air rifle shooters back in the day used to shoot right-handed and swapped over because she was cross-dominant. Took about a month of training for her to get back on form IIRC. It's not as bad as you'd think.

I'm one step above a stroke with regards to the clumsiness of my left side.
When I get my rifle I'll go lefty from day one and do everything properly.
I'm going to switch the shotgun at some point to something with an easier safety.

Ducksanctuary

marlyman wrote: »

jeez, i ffel like a loner, im left handed and left eye dominant. weird :-)

Me too!

rrpc

kowloon wrote: »

I'm one step above a stroke with regards to the clumsiness of my left side.
When I get my rifle I'll go lefty from day one and do everything properly.
I'm going to switch the shotgun at some point to something with an easier safety.

This is one of the dangers of trying to switch over. The younger you are, the easier it is to do, but as you get older it gets harder. Bear in mind that the fine motor control in your fingers will never be as good with your left hand as your right (for a RH person) unless you do something like playing the piano or typing.

If you've been shooting a long time right handed, then switching over will be very difficult. Believe me I've tried

Left handed and right eyed!

Shoot off my right shoulder...

Grizzly 45

Ducksanctuary wrote: »

Me too!

Another left eye,left hand type here! But am actually trying to cross train to be ambidex.My left eye is going near sighted,and if I dont have a contact in,I am abymsal.So I figure I can compensate by learning to shoot right handed.