Why not more lefties?

[Yugopap4me 29]

I recently discovered that I'm a "leftie". But I dont understand how shooting left means your a "leftie" since your right arm is doing almost none of the work except pulling the trigger. Think about it. If you're right handed why would you only give it the simple job of pulling a trigger? Since I've switched to left handed shooting...my strong right arm is faster at aiming my rifle where I need it..mag changes...clearing jams...and just about everything else. It doesn't make sense that I would leave all these important tasks up to my weak left hand. So why so many right handed rifle shooters? I can understand why a right handed person would stick to shooting pistols right handed...but at this point I can't see the advantage of a right handed shotgun or rifle shooter actually shooting right. That makes sense right? About being right but not shooting right and shooting left being right. Right?

Edited December 7, 2015 by Yugopap4me

[Long Shot 1,287]

Two words.

 

Eye dominance.

[Yugopap4me 29]

To be honest..I don't completely understand eye dominance. I have better than 20/20 vision. So I guess I can't really grasp the concept except that shooting left feels more natural for some reason even though I'm right handed and can't tell a difference as far as my vision goes shooting left or right

[Long Shot 1,287]

http://vision.about.com/od/contactlenses/ht/Eye_Dominance.htm

[SGL 530]

Two words.

 

Eye dominance.

 

This is exactly it.  In most people, one eye is at least slightly better than the other.  Your brain picks up on this and selects it as the dominant eye.  There are lots of tests that you can look up to determine which eye is dominant.

 

I'm a lefty in most things in life, but have always shot a rifle right handed.  It wasn't a conscious choice, it's just how I used to shoot my BB gun as a kid and the way I've always done it since.   I only found out about eye dominance later in life. 

 

I have also pondered and been grateful for the OP's points about being able to use my coordinated hand for mag changes and other manipulations.  I feel that this gave me a big advantage learning to rock & lock S12 magazines in the beginning but have since gotten to the point where it is pretty natural with either hand.

Strangely though, it always felt more natural to shoot a handgun with my left hand so that's how I've always done it.  With a pistol, it just takes a slight turning of my head to the left to get my big nose out of the way and I shoot just fine with my right eye and left hand.

 

Find what works for you and roll with it, but take some time to practice both pistol and rifle with your "bad hand" as it's a worthwhile skill to have.

[SGL 530]

P.S.  When I say I shoot "fine" with a pistol, that's definitely relative.   Tooth & Nail's ferris wheel steel target video had my jaw dropping and made me realize that I need to put the shotgun down spend more time at the range with a pistol.

[BigChongus 765]

Same scenario as SGL. I'm predominantly righty, but the first time I ever fired an air rifle when I was a kid I naturally shouldered it on the left as I'm left eye dominant. 

[CZtheDay 8]

My 6-year old daughter is left eye dominant and right handed, as am I.  Pistols shooting right, rifles left.  Bolt actions is where shooting a righty rifle lefty is more challenging, but it's manageable.