Stupid question Monday, has anyone considered shooting an opposite handed rifle?

[grainy]

If I'm a righty shooting a right-handed rifle, I have to take my hand off the grip to cycle the action.

If I switched to a left-handed rifle, I could keep my dominant hand on the grip, possibly reducing how much the rifle is moving between shots, right?

 

[Tokay444]

Weirdos do it all the time.

 

[Tokay444]

If I'm a righty shooting a right-handed rifle, I have to take my hand off the grip to cycle the action.

If I switched to a left-handed rifle, I could keep my dominant hand on the grip, possibly reducing how much the rifle is moving between shots, right?

Your firing hand isn't what keeps the rifle from moving between shots.

 

[Mike278th]

My son is left-handed, so i shoot his lefty gun right-handed plenty. More helpful than just not as much movement of the trigger hand, there's the benefit of being able to see the chamber pretty easily with that configuration. You can keep an eye on whether the bolt picks up a round. I've thought about building me a lefty, since it wouldn't be any big loss if it didn't work out, he'd just get a nearly new action for Christmas

 

[Sheldon N]

If I'm a righty shooting a right-handed rifle, I have to take my hand off the grip to cycle the action.

If I switched to a left-handed rifle, I could keep my dominant hand on the grip, possibly reducing how much the rifle is moving between shots, right?

No, there would be a lot more problems and more gun movement. If you shoot enough weak-side/left handed with a right handed rifle you will have experienced this.

Shooting prone or any other modified prone with a bipod and a rear bag - your rifle should be supported by the rear bag and your non-firing hand stays on the bag controlling the rifle. If you run the bolt with your non-firing hand you lose all rear bag control. Shooting bipod/rear bag weak-side sucks because of this.

Off a barricade it's not too bad, if your rifle is balanced. Either way you can pretty much keep the rifle on target while running the bolt.

Shooting actual off-hand unsupported would be terrible. You'd have no way to hold up the rifle while running the bolt.

 

[grainy]

More helpful than just not as much movement of the trigger hand, there's the benefit of being able to see the chamber pretty easily with that configuration.

Good point!

Shooting prone or any other modified prone with a bipod and a rear bag

Didn't think about prone, was just thinking about barricades, but you're right -- this wouldn't help for prone.

 

[37L1]

Weirdos do it all the time.

 

[Rob01]

If I'm a righty shooting a right-handed rifle, I have to take my hand off the grip to cycle the action.

If I switched to a left-handed rifle, I could keep my dominant hand on the grip, possibly reducing how much the rifle is moving between shots, right?

If the rifle is moving when you work the bolt you need practice and not try some useless band aid to your problem.

 

[Tokay444]

If you want your face on the side that everything is coming out of in the event of a case failure, there are right bolt left ports.

 

[reelserious]

you are over thinking it. Just ask yourself if the top shooters are doing this and you will have your answer

 

[Emerson0311]

BR folks sometimes do things a bit differently than the “normal” crew. I have considered right bolt left eject, but undercapitalized and over hobbied.

 

[MrSmith]

Some folks do it, most don't. Definitely NOT advised when shooting a flintlock.

Thank you,
MrSmith

 

[Jo3tek]

I shoot at RiflesOnly whenever I get a chance and most of the time, one stage requires weak shoulder to be utilized. So I practiced and gotten proficient.

Secondly, the wife is a lefty and I’m a righty. So I get a chance to practice both hands/shoulders when I feel like it.

I’ve gotten pretty proficient at it. I normally shoulder/eye left side but keep my hands running normally right handed.

But switching to a left hand rifle to keep your hand on the grip sounds like you’re gonna have trouble handling your rifle when moving or trying to get stable

 

[Rob01]

I shoot at RiflesOnly whenever I get a chance and most of the time, one stage requires weak shoulder to be utilized. So I practiced and gotten proficient.

Secondly, the wife is a lefty and I’m a righty. So I get a chance to practice both hands/shoulders when I feel like it.

I’ve gotten pretty proficient at it. I normally shoulder/eye left side but keep my hands running normally right handed.

But switching to a left hand rifle to keep your hand on the grip sounds like you’re gonna have trouble handling your rifle when moving or trying to get stable

Yup Jacob is good about that and it’s a skill a lot have lost as it’s not cool to shoot weakside anymore in matches and people bitch when it’s thrown in.

When you say running normal right handed do you mean pulling the trigger with the right hand or just irking the bolt? When I shoot weakside I work the bolt with my right hand but trigger with left as it’s on the grip.

 

[Jo3tek]

Yup Jacob is good about that and it’s a skill a lot have lost as it’s not cool to shoot weakside anymore in matches and people bitch when it’s thrown in.

When you say running normal right handed do you mean pulling the trigger with the right hand or just irking the bolt? When I shoot weakside I work the bolt with my right hand but trigger with left as it’s on the grip.

I run left shoulder left eye but I keep run my hands right handed as normal

So my left hand is still working the bag/forend, and my right hand is still working the bolt/trigger/grip. Hopefully you can see in the very blurry photo, I’m on my left shoulder/eye but my left hand is still working the bag and the right hand is working bolt. It’s a learning curve for your shoulder and eye but still comfortable on manipulating the rifle.

Yeah, I’ve noticed the constant complaints when it comes shooting in a tight corner, forcing them to shoot weak side or an awkward position. IMO, isn’t matches suppose to be challenging and competitive?

 

[Rob01]

I run left shoulder left eye but I keep run my hands right handed as normal

So my left hand is still working the bag/forend, and my right hand is still working the bolt/trigger/grip. Hopefully you can see in the very blurry photo, I’m on my left shoulder/eye but my left hand is still working the bag and the right hand is working bolt. It’s a learning curve for your shoulder and eye but still comfortable on manipulating the rifle.

Yeah, I’ve noticed the constant complaints when it comes shooting in a tight corner, forcing them to shoot weak side or an awkward position. IMO, isn’t matches suppose to be challenging and competitive?

Have you tried to use the left hand on the trigger? It’s much easier than bending your right hand back to the trigger. At least for me. Takes a little getting used to but becomes much easier with use.

And yup they are. I switch to left when in a tight corner or a place where right is too much work and it’s so much better. They are doing a disservice not pushing people like Jacob does.

 

[Fx51LP308]

My problem is being "Cross-eye dominant." Right handed (and, therefore, right handed gear), but I sight via the left eye. It doesn't cause too many problems. I can still get some decent groups, but it's just a PITA. Still, not worth switching to left handed gear.

 

[Rob01]

My problem is being "Cross-eye dominant." Right handed (and, therefore, right handed gear), but I sight via the left eye. It doesn't cause too many problems. I can still get some decent groups, but it's just a PITA. Still, not worth switching to left handed gear.

I’m cross eye dominant also and never slowed me down using my right eye for matches. It helps when shooting weakside but you don’t need to use your dominant eye to shoot.

 

[Jo3tek]

Have you tried to use the left hand on the trigger? It’s much easier than bending your right hand back to the trigger. At least for me. Takes a little getting used to but becomes much easier with use.

And yup they are. I switch to left when in a tight corner or a place where right is too much work and it’s so much better. They are doing a disservice not pushing people like Jacob does.

I’ve tried so many times using my left hand on the trigger but I couldn’t get comfortable enough to be confident in my trigger break and safely manipulate the rifle. It just felt better just to bend my wrist just a bit to get on the grip and straight with the trigger, I’ve trained well enough to clean his stages many times that calls for weak side, so I just stuck with it.

 

[Rob01]

Was just wondering. Got to do what works for you.

 

[Hickswr]

Have you tried to use the left hand on the trigger? It’s much easier than bending your right hand back to the trigger. At least for me. Takes a little getting used to but becomes much easier with use.

And yup they are. I switch to left when in a tight corner or a place where right is too much work and it’s so much better. They are doing a disservice not pushing people like Jacob does.

What if a guy only has one eye?

 

[Rob01]

What if a guy only has one eye?

What if he only has one leg? Or one arm? Improvise, adapt and overcome lol You can only work with what you have.

 

[Sheldon N]

I’ve tried so many times using my left hand on the trigger but I couldn’t get comfortable enough to be confident in my trigger break and safely manipulate the rifle. It just felt better just to bend my wrist just a bit to get on the grip and straight with the trigger, I’ve trained well enough to clean his stages many times that calls for weak side, so I just stuck with it.

Match directors in our area specify that it has to be all three - weak side trigger finger, weak side shoulder and weak side eye.

 

[Rob01]

Match directors in our area specify that it has to be all three - weak side trigger finger, weak side shoulder and weak side eye.

A lot do as they are trying to test the shooter. Get them out of the comfort zone.

 

[Jo3tek]

Match directors in our area specify that it has to be all three - weak side trigger finger, weak side shoulder and weak side eye.

It’s something I still train on. Theres always something to learn

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

Our son loaned this rifle to Brenda. He is a lefty so all his bolts are left handed. She actually thought it worked quite well shooting off a bench.

Shooting silhouette with bolt handguns, a left handed bolt works better. Brenda used a Savage Striker for a while, never happy with it so, she took over my half scale gun. I don’t have a picture of her shooting but you can see the issue with the picture of me shooting. One had to reach over to work the bolt, being single shots, you also had to load it with your off hand and then use that hand to close the bolt. Fortunately we had two minutes to get off five shots.

 

[Jo3tek]

@Rob01 & @Sheldon N

Finnaly found it! Here’s a video of me shooting left shoulder but right handed with my hands.

 

[wvfarrier]

If I'm a righty shooting a right-handed rifle, I have to take my hand off the grip to cycle the action.

If I switched to a left-handed rifle, I could keep my dominant hand on the grip, possibly reducing how much the rifle is moving between shots, right?

I am a lefty who shot right for 35 years before finally getting a lefty. I ended up switching back to right handed rifles since it allows me to keep my firing hand in place

 

[grainy]

> I am a lefty who shot right for 35 years before finally getting a lefty. I ended up switching back to right handed rifles since it allows me to keep my firing hand in place

I'm a cross-eye dominant lefty so I shoot shotguns right-handed, and started shooting PRS right-handed as well because of that. I was curious about getting a left-handed bolt gun, and this idea popped in my head of just shooting the right-handed rifle left-handed.

 

[Rob01]

Eye dominance doesn’t matter. I am cross eye dominant and right handed and shoot right handed. Been doing it almost 40 years now. It helps when I swap to left handed and shoot but never thought it was a good idea to go to a left handed rifle just due to eye dominance as it’s much harder to retrain your limbs than to just shut your eye.

Also if you are keeping one hand on the rifle for the firing hand and working the bolt with the other then what hand is stabilizing the front of the rifle on the bag if on a prop or on the rear bag if prone? That would be that hand that you pull off that to work the bolt. It’s easier and quicker to keep the rifle stabilized and take the firing hand off the grip and work the bolt and get back on the grip. If there was any great advantage keeping hand on grip and working bolt with other hand then it would have been done by many people as you see how trends take off in the sport. It hasn’t because it isn’t. You can all do what you like but just wanted to put this up for anyone contemplating it to think about it long and hard.

 

[Dead Eye Dick]

Cross eye dominance is not irreparable. Before I realized that a fellow or LADY can’t fix cross eye problems, I told my Brenda just to keep practicing using her right eye. That was decades ago. I doubt she even remembers it. Though issues with her broken hip and frank unconcern keep her from competing anymore. However, in her day, using her non-dominant right eye, she is international class IHMSA, hunted squirrels for decades using a .22lr (quite successfully I might add) and shocks me with her still very accurate use of a conceal carry handgun.