Right brained lefty

IAM Rand

IAM Rand

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I hope the title was not too deceptive. I was born odd, left handed that is. I can't say that I have ever been bothered by living in a right handed world. This thread is specifically related to firearms and the left handed shooter.

For those other lefties here, do you get left handed rifles? I have thought about it but it never has been enough of a bother for me to go left on the rifles. I have switched over a Springfield Hellion because of the ejection port but I have several AR style rifles that are not a problem with the ejection. I am sure that there are revolvers specifically designed for the left-handed shooter but again, I have never wanted one. I used to carry a 627 for duty and was able to reload faster with moon clips than some of my cohorts with a magazine.

I have thought about getting a lefty rifle for hunting but then I asked myself if I really needed it. When hunting, I try to end it with one shot so not sure why a left handed rifle would help me. Have any lefties here gone left or just adapted and overcome?
 
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I too was born with that "specialty". Being a lefty and right eye dominant it never really affected handgun shooting. But trying to shoot a rifle left-handed and trying to sight with the left eye was a problem. During a rifle course I was leaning my head way over in order to see the sights, so from then on I decided I would try shooting rifles right-handed. To reinforce that, I always pick up a rifle or long gun like a right-hander. It is actually an advantage when performing transition drills because I swing the slung rifle off to my right side to transition to the pistol on my left.

All of this works for me because of the cross dominance. If you are left eye dominant this will not help you. But, before I became a right handed rifle shooter and shot from the left I didn't have issues with ejection or manipulating controls using AR pattern rifles, or even my Garand. Where I hunt deer lever guns are permitted and pose no problems from either side.
 
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Sinister, Latin for Left-Handed!

My wife, second son, 4 of 9 grandkids, best friend, along with several good friends are all lefties!

My wife shoots whatever gun I hand her. She has a Berretta 391 20 gauge Sporting Clays model set up for left-handed shooting.

The second son. was in USMC for 4 years and shot the M-16 A1 from left shoulder. He owns a left-handed 22 Bolt action, he shoots left-handed. He owns a Stag M-4 clone that is entirely left-handed. Shoots it just fine. He also has a 1911 and a Tauras 38 plastic revolver (like a LCP 38) and shoots them all left-handed.

The grandkids all have been shooting Right-Handed guns in position for their dominate eye.

A sad story: Number Two son came home from the Marines (ca, 2003). I found, what I considered the perfect "Welcome Home" gift. A much older Savage 110 Varmint heavy barrel in 223, In a cheap plastic stock. It came with a Philippine 6-18x40mm scope too. I took it to the range and zeroed it with a Winchester Promotional ammo. 45gr. spitzer soft point at 3700 fps., 40 rounds to the white box. I owned several lots of the ammo and included 200 rounds of what it was zeroed for. The gun shot 1/4" groups of a rest at 100 yards. (I was very impressed with myself, getting good groups with a left-handed gun.)

About a year later I invited him to groundhog hunt at my dad's farm, He had sold the gun! (he said he put the money away and used that to buy the Stag late on) I was shocked!

Ivan
 
Left handed right eye dominate. When I was young and shooting BB guns couldn’t hit anything because I can’t close my left eye independently and I was holding the gun left handed but trying to shoot with my right eye. When working always carried and shot right handed for pistol and rifle.
 
I'm a lefty. Lever guns, pump guns and break-open shotguns are very manageable. Automatics are also not a problem. I regularly compete left-handed with an M1 Garand.

I do have a Remington 700 and a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight with left-hand bolts. I have run right-hand bolt guns but it's a bit of flailing around.
 
I am a strong righty, but left eye dominant. As a kid playing with toy guns I simply shot left handed, never knowing it WAS left handed. Regardless of eye usage, to hold a rifle right handed seems so unnatural to me now.

I suggest that anyone with a strong dominant eye simply learn to shoot with the appropriate hand.
 
Lefty here also. All types of shooting including archery are right handed for me. However, all stick and ball sports are done left handed.
 
I am left handed and shot that way until I joined the Corps. I am left eye dominant, but have a astigmatism in the left eye. The Corps had me start shooting right handed/right eye. Have always done so since. For the most part I do most things right handed/but will do it left if required by circumstances. I guess you could say I am ambidextrous.
 
I'm right handed and was born right eyed dominant. But almost 3 years ago I had a retinal hemorrhage in my right eye. I'm a competitive handgun shooter and to avoid quitting cold I practiced a lot and eventually became able to shoot a handgun right handed but left eyed. It kept me in the game.

After the retinal hemorrhage pretty much cleared up I had cataract surgery done on both eyes. Then one day I was going through a safe and pulled out an AR-15 with the original iron peep sight. Out of habit I pulled up the AR-15 and looked through the peep sight with my right eye and found that I could see the front sight clearly. So I decided to take the AR-15 out and see what I could do. It turned out that at least up to 50 yard offhanded shooting totally right handed I could hit something with the rifle. Now I'm going to see if I can shoot trap again.
 
I think that being left handed and right eye dominant or vice-versa is almost worse than just being a lefty. I am left handed and left eye dominant and haven't really had any issues. Not sure how having a different eye dominant would work easily. Definitely didn't expect to have so many responding here.
 
Lefty and left eye dominant.
Started with a Win 88, later moved to LH Rifles.
After I stopped hunting I sold most of my rifles, kept a Husqvarna Carl Gustaf.
Did back up and buy a really ugly Savage!
Recently installed a metal mag release in my Glock 43x.
Put it in Lefthanded!
Feels weird! Been shooting so long with RH release, I may just reverse it!
 

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I am left-handed but right eye dominant. I can shoot a pistol with either hand, but shoot rifles and shotguns right-handed to avoid dealing with the cross dominance.
 
Left handed and left eye dominant. For hunting, I was never interested in bolt action rifles because back in the day there were very few LH bolts. Took up handgun hunting because of that. Contenders and revolvers are awesome. Now I sometimes carry either a modified G41 in 45Super or a G24 w Underwood solids as backup when deer hunting. Off to play w a new M&P 40 CORE with a RMR tomorrow.
 
Mostly LH, with left eye dominant. I do write right handed and never felt like left handed writing was right for me.
When I bought my first AR, there was an expensive variant from Noveske IIRC for lefties. After some thought about my use and needs, I bought a standard model. I was new to ARs and did not really shoot one to any extent until I bought that one and took it to a Pat Rogers class. My thinking at the time was that I was most likely to need to use an AR as a reserve cop, which meant at the time our car mounted Colts. Being properly trained to shoot a standard right handed AR as a lefty mattered, so that is what I did.
The biggest problem for me as a lefty is 1911s. Some double sided safeties don't do as a well as the single sided, but for LE/defense use, a single sided safety is unwise.
 
I am all messed up. I don't have a dominant eye. I eat, shoot a long gun and write left handed. I shoot a pistol, bow, swing a bat, chop with an axe and throw right handed. I can use a claw hammer with either hand. Larry
 
tops said:
I am all messed up. I don't have a dominant eye. I eat, shoot a long gun and write left handed. I shoot a pistol, bow, swing a bat, chop with an axe and throw right handed. I can use a claw hammer with either hand. Larry
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Exactly the same for me. I've grown so accustomed to shooting right-handed rifles on the left side that shooting a true left handed gun feels strange. I've purchased exactly one left handed rifle, a CZ 452 bolt action .22 that doesn't see much use. I've never felt handicapped shooting right-handed hunting rifles though I have modified a few by removing the stock comb.
 
The only lefty gun I own is a stag AR. I don’t shoot it very often.
I also cowboy shoot. I can load and unload a 1873 single action faster than rightys,it just works better. I heard that Sam Colt was left handed. Maybe thats why. Ialso load my 97 winchester pump faster than rightys. It looks awkward seeing them load a shell with their left hand over the top f the receiver. I’m somewhat ambidextrous also as are most leftys in order to live in a right handed worls. Maybe thats why helps too.
 
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