Thread: a question for all the south paws out there

My brother is left handed. He is just getting into shooting and he is tring to shoot right handed. He was thinking that most guns are set up for right handers so he would try to learn that way. Seams logical, but I would think that it would be much harder to learn? So my question to you guys, Do you shoot right handed or left handed and why?

Originally Posted by littlecars

My brother is left handed. He is just getting into shooting and he is tring to shoot right handed. He was thinking that most guns are set up for right handers so he would try to learn that way. Seams logical, but I would think that it would be much harder to learn? So my question to you guys, Do you shoot right handed or left handed and why?

Depends if its handguns or rifles for me. I'm right handed but my left eye is dominant. I shoot handguns right handed and rifles left handed. The only time I wish I shot rifles righty is when those right handed semi autos pepper me with brass.

I shoot lefty because I'm left handed and left eye dominant. All my bolt rifles are lefties, but everything else I have is either righty or ambi (O/U Shotgun, top eject Win. M94, bottom-eject Browning BPS, etc...). Finding left handed rifles can be tricky, but it's not impossible, and finding ambi guns isn't too difficult either. I have used right-handed bolt rifles in the past, and it's a little slower on a second shot, but not too bad.

It depends on what he's getting into when it comes to shooting. If it's pistols then there are many that have ambi controls for safety and mag release, you get use to the way the brass flies past your eye sight. Revolvers are a prefect ambi pistol. Holsters for carry are more of an issue but you can find them. Rifles are hard to find set up for a lefty but if you look there are some bolt actions out there. I'm a lefty and instead of retraining my mind/body to shoot right hand I found it easier to accept the minor difficulties and shoot with my dominate hand/eye. I hunted for years with a lever action or semi auto before I found a left handed bolt rifle. Shotguns are easy over/under, pump or semi work pretty well for a lefty.

I'm a lefty and I prefer to shoot "handed-pistols" The 1911 in particular. Other than an ambi-safety, I use all the control with my trigger finger. I mean how much more safe can you be when you reload to mae sure your finger is out of the trigger guard if your trigger finger is depressing the mag release. This has been a habit for several years, and it's great. I know right handed shooters that buy a "mitchell mag-release" for their 1911's so they can dump the empty mad with their right index finger.

I'd say just shoot lefty, I'm a lefty and the only problems I've run into that really bug me are when i shoot a buddy's pistol that has a right hand molded grip. Even with right handed bolt rifles I've never had a problem manipulating the bolt. If he's a lefty then just shoot the way you naturally would pick up a gun and aim it. But it can never hurt to practice with your non dominant hand.

I'm left handed, but was forced and raised right handed. I can pretty much shoot either, but prefer right handed. Most lefties that I know still use right handed firearms (with the exception of molded grips) and have little to no issues.

That being said it kind of depends on your dominant eye and how easy it is for someone to switch. In my case I can use either eye close to the same as well as either hand. I can write with both hands about the same too.

I'm a south paw but am definitely right eye dominant. Thus I shoot handguns left-handed but 'aim' with my right eye. I've just recently started shooting rifles right-handed. Besides feeling bubblegumed and clumsy I've been impressed with the improvement it's made in my accuracy. I'm no marksman but I've improved a lot just because I see better out of my dominant eye... go figure

I shoot pistols left and rifles right. Pistols feel more comfortable in my left hand, but I am right-eye dominant. It seems to work for me. I am glad to see that I am not the only one like that out there. If your friend feels more comfortable shooting lefty, then I wouldn't try to discourage him from that.

I'm another lefty who shoots pistols left handed, and rifles right handed. I have a HK45 that I put an ambi safety on, so it's fully ambidextrous.

Though I'm most comfortable shooting pistols left handed, I need to spend more time shooting right handed. In the TCGC IPSC class, I shot right handed very well. Like most lefties, I can be very proficient when picking things up right handed.

If anyone is worried about shooting semi-autos and autos left handed..............don't. You will not get anything blown back in your face. I shoot rifles left handed and have never had anything in my face from .22s, or AR-15, or AKS-47 and full auto AK-47.

On the other hand, if a cartridge blows up it could be messy and your face might look like the coyote in a Road Runner cartoon. ALWAYS keep any penetrating oils away from cartridges so that they don't make them weak and cause a bullet to lodge in the barrel. ALWAYS stop firing and check for a clear barrel if a shot sounded weak. ALWAYS beware of reloads that you are not CERTAIN of. And ALWAYS inspect/fondle each cartridge for defects as you load magazines.

With simple precautions, shooting left handed is no problem...................elsullo

I'm a righty and shoot leftie because I am left eye dominant. All of my rifles are 'righty'. '03 Springfield, Mosins, other surplus bolt guns, Garand, HK91, various AK configurations and other less common military semi autos...I have no problems shooting any of those whatsoever, regardless of position (prone, kneeling or offhand).

Keith

I'm lefty. All my rifles are LH, Remington makes a plethora. My shotguns are either O/U or left-handed. Again, Remington tends to accomodate my handicap. Brownings and Ithacas eject out the bottom and have tang safeties. Mossbergs also have a tang safety and although they eject out the right side, I've never noticed. My first shotgun was an 870 Wingmaster. Back in the day you couldn't get a lefty, but you could buy a left-handed safety from the factory--that's what I did.

I'm pretty much a revolver guy, since I can manipulate them more efficiently than autos but YMMV.

I'm dominant sinister hand, but practice both dexter and sinister just in case of some defensive eventuality brings that up. As far as rifles go I do shoot dexter, since that was what I learned with. I've seen shooters use right handed bolt rifles and just cycle the bolt over the receiver.

I write with my left hand, but favor right handed when it comes to guns. So, I would say right handed, but whatever feels more comfortable to him. It shouldn't be too much of an issue I think, as long as he's holding the gun so that nothing ejects into his face.

I write left handed and right eye dominant. I shoot a pistol equally well with either hand. I cannot shoot anything with a stock left handed. My idea is for him to learn both ways and whatever feels normal or he does better with. Worst case scenario is that he can shoot good both ways.

Lefty who learned to shoot in a right hand world All rifles I learned on were for right handed people but no issues. I do shoot pistols left handed but only pick ones with a ambi safety and also a mag release that works for me. Every long gun I own is for a righty except my AR is a Stag lefty model. It is great for range days when you can throw brass at the guy on your left

In Boot Camp left eyed right handers learned to shoot with an eye patch over their left eye (lefties with strong right eye had patch on their right eye). They were not trained to shoot the rifle on their eye dominant side. But that is also a several week intensive training session were a civilian does not have the time/training/rounds to correct that problem. They generally do not switch shooting sides after this. I know several right eye dominant left handed people that shoot rifle right handed but pistol left handed because you can get away with that.

Originally Posted by spectra

Lefty who learned to shoot in a right hand world All rifles I learned on were for right handed people but no issues. I do shoot pistols left handed but only pick ones with a ambi safety and also a mag release that works for me. Every long gun I own is for a righty except my AR is a Stag lefty model. It is great for range days when you can throw brass at the guy on your left

As a lifelong lefty, I have had no issues with my handguns .... the ambi-safety (on some of mine) is just gravy. I have adapted by using my left index finger, off the trigger guard, to hit the mag release.

For long-guns, I (unlike Spectra) have only right-handed ones. My 10/22 presents no issues. My AR15 also presents no issues ... and as a bonus, I have yet to get pelted by brass, but I do see it fly across my field of vision. Again, no biggie for me.

Interestingly enough, I'm a SouthPaw who's cross-dominant, so sometimes I keep both eyes open longer ... but I don't think it's hampered my accuracy.

Like many born lefties, even of MY generation, I'm just about ambidextrous - I shoot [all guns and the bow], throw, write, paint and practiced kendo for over thirty years using either or both hands equally well. I'm a shooting instructor for archery and both handgun and long-arm for disabled shooters - being ambidextrous is VERY useful under certain circumstances, and unusually, I have no dominant eye.

I'm not claiming to be a wonder shooter, but I get by.

I found very early on the the Colt M1911 seemed to be designed with lefties in mind - the slide release catch is real easy to operate with the left index finger as is the magazine release catch on the Infinti .45 comp gun I use.

In the Army the ambideterity was a real bonus - I have no 'weak hand' or eye to force to work unnaturally, like most righties do.

tac
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