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Tips on switching from Rightie to Leftie.....


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I shoot right handed. My right eye is horrible, but I have managed. Recently got an SKS and the sight window is just too blurry for me.

 

So damn expensive to get eye surgery (may do it in the future). I can read every letter on an eye chart with my left, but only about three lines down with the right......

 

This sucks....any advise on shooting my rifle left handed. I tried (without firing) to get a good stance leftie but it was very akward trying to shoulder it.....

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That sucks SP. The wife started out a leftie and I insisted she learn to shoot right handed. We had a forearm burn incident when she was shooting leftie and being she was a new shooter at the time I figured why not nip this in the bud.

 

I had a pair of shooting glasses made that I use at the range. Shatter proof glass and sharp as a tack.

 

Maybe you could get a pair of glasses that equals your eyes out when shooting.

 

Good luck!

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Some people shoot rightie, but adjust their cheekweld so that they are using their left eye. i.e. the guy on youtube who uses the handle Hickock45. You could probably make that work, with less alteration to the learning you have already done.

 

They also have this neat invention where you can put a bit of glass up top to make things easy to see. Might be worth a look there too.

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I am left eye dominant and right handed (exactly the situation you describe) also. It will become more natural over time for you. It was insisted that i learn to shoor with my right eye because i am right handed, and i did for a long time with good results. When, as an adult, i began using my left eye to shoot with my skill went from good to excellent once i overcame the awkwardness of learning something new.

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I am right eye dominant and am an ambidextrous shooter.

 

You just have to get used to the stance really.  Try shadow boxing as a lefty.  Right foot forward, left back, pivot left and right at the torso and throw punches.

 

This will likely help remove the awkwardness of reversing your stance and the motor skills that comewith it.  Get a bag for a target for your punches if you like.

 

You have to practice and practice and practice.  I actually shoot with my left eye forced to be dominant when I go lefty.  How I do that is that I close my right eye, the left one takes over to compensate, then with my eye focused on the front sight blade I open the other eye.  I actually shoot with both eyes open lefty or righty, they're just crossed on purpose.  This aligns both view points that you get from both eyes and gives you a better perspective, imo, of your aim.

 

You just have to practice and keep practicing.  After a while, your subconscious mind will take over when you've got it.

Edited by ShadowFire
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Well, to switch from Right to Left isn't trivial.

 

The first step involves what used to be a very common procedure, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobotomy.

The second involves changing your voter registration to Socialist, Communist, Green Party, Democrat or some other form of nonsense.

 

 

 

...oops! Sorry. You were talking about changing the side you shoot from.

That's much easier...it's called practice. Being born left' handed, I am, by necessity partially ambidextrous, and have learned to shoot longarms either right or left handed. I'm still better with my left side, even though I am cross-dominant, ie. right eye dominant and left handed.

 

Practice is the key.

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Some people shoot rightie, but adjust their cheekweld so that they are using their left eye. i.e. the guy on youtube who uses the handle Hickock45. You could probably make that work, with less alteration to the learning you have already done.

 

They also have this neat invention where you can put a bit of glass up top to make things easy to see. Might be worth a look there too.

Doing this seems practically impossible with a long gun.  I watch hickock too.  I think he squints and uses his less dominant eye while using a rifle/shotgun, and uses both eyes open with a pistol (but turns his head to the side a bit).

 

I also am right handed with a dominant left eye.  I do the same as hickock, as it seems theres less advantage switching to lefty with a rifle, and I can adjust with a handgun.  

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I can shoot pool like a muthafucka left handed and if my eyes would cooperate I could pull the same switchup with guns... but unless it's right up close & personal my left eye cannot be trusted to get on time like right fuckin now. That's my input FWIW. I can do it but it takes more time.

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I'm right handed and right eye dominant, but an injury to my right palm and wrist forced me to become a lefty almost 25 years ago. I can still shoot right handed, but not very well (weak grip and fused wrist). Practice is the operative word you need to focus on. Your dominant eye will probably always be your dominant eye, but becoming more familar using your other eye will definitely help.

 

good luck.

 

 

Did I mention practice?

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I'm right handed in everything except shooting and left eye dominate, I have to wear an eye patch over my left eye to shoot right handed with a long gun. It feels clumsy as hell but it can be done. Use to crack me up I'd go for M60 qualification every year and have to 1st qualify right handed then shoot the rest of the week left handed.

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Shooting left handed using a red dot seemed to help me a lot. My left eye seemed to learn to transpose the image over both eyes, then on it's own shouldering the rifle left handed I could use the iron sights.

 I think the south paw boxing drills is a great concept. Shooting left from bench is simple standing feels a bit awkward still.

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