Right, Left, or both - shooting practice

[GunnyGene]

Just curious. I'm a righty and have always shot right handed. But over the last year or so, I also practice lefty shooting (handguns, rifle & shotgun). Anyone else switch from right to left or vice versa? What was/is your experience in terms of sight picture, trigger control, accuracy, etc. ?

 

[TRanger]

I encourage every shooter to practice with the non- dominant hand since there is a good possibility of taking a hit in the dominant hand during a fight. I find pulling my chin down firmly into my shoulder muscle helps lock the gun on target when shooting with my left hand. I have to really lock the arm out straight and focus on what I'm doing with regard to trigger control; but I find I can hit quite effectively using my non-dominant hand. As with anything, practice improves performance.

 

[GunnyGene]

I encourage every shooter to practice with the non- dominant hand since there is a good possibility of taking a hit in the dominant hand during a fight. I find pulling my chin down firmly into my shoulder muscle helps lock the gun on target when shooting with my left hand. I have to really lock the arm out straight and focus on what I'm doing with regard to trigger control; but I find I can hit quite effectively using my non-dominant hand. As with anything, practice improves performance.

My worst weak point is reloading, either magazine or in my pump gun. Gotta think about it more which slows me down considerably. Getting better, but don't think I'll ever overcome it.

 

[Snake45]

A couple decades ago I spent most of one summer teaching myself to shoot handguns left-handed. It's a very useful skill to have, even if you never need it.

Didn't bother doing the same with long guns. I figger if I have both hands available, I'll just shoot them right-handed.

 

[GunnyGene]

A couple decades ago I spent most of one summer teaching myself to shoot handguns left-handed. It's a very useful skill to have, even if you never need it.

Didn't bother doing the same with long guns. I figger if I have both hands available, I'll just shoot them right-handed.

I thought the same thing for a long time, but then looked at what kind of cover/concealment is available in my house and decided that there might be a time when I'd need to shoot lefty because of the house layout.

 

[m657]

I used to shoot cowboy style and had to learn to use off hand because my dominant eye was deteriorating. It took a while but I came to enjoy the advantages of having a six-gun on each hip.

The harder part was learning to use a lever rifle on the off side. Clumsy & awkward at first, eventually I became only clumsy & slow.

I include off hand practice regularly and ICORE at times calls for such stages.

 

[GunnyGene]

I used to shoot cowboy style and had to learn to use off hand because my dominant eye was deteriorating. It took a while but I came to enjoy the advantages of having a six-gun on each hip.

The harder part was learning to use a lever rifle on the off side. Clumsy & awkward at first, eventually I became only clumsy & slow.

I include off hand practice regularly and ICORE at times calls for such stages.

Do you start off on one side and then switch to the other after a couple rounds, or do you set up for one or the other at each session?

 

[Mike J]

I haven't practiced shooting long guns left handed though maybe I should. I did shoot a deer left handed. Where it came from it was the only way to make the shot without a lot of movement. I did not want to call attention to myself.

I have worked on shooting my carry guns left handed. Might be necessary in a self defense situation.

 

[Jeepnik]

I'm a southpaw. But one thing dad made sure of is that I can handle both handguns and long guns with my off hand. Likely not as well, but if push came to shove...

 

[RugerHound]

Tried shooting lefty a few times MANY years ago... Couldn't hit a bull in the butt with a bass fiddle! I asked my dad if he'd ever shot left handed, and he said that he had. I asked how'd he do, and he proceeded to show me. He could hit anything left handed that he could hit right handed.

I asked "Ok.. How the heck do you do it!? He said "I'm right handed with a left dominant eye. So I shoot with my left eye both lefty and righty."

Doh!

I was trying to use my LEFT eye when shooting lefty and right eye (dominant) when shooting righty! Works a lot better when you use your natural dominant eye!

 

[Fountain E. Conner]

Every time I'm at the range... I'm right-handed, left eye dominant.

I normally shoot rifle left-handed, using left eye -- handgun right-handed, using right eye.

And I practice some "wrong-handed", whatever that is, whenever I go to shoot. The grandkids like it. I can stand beside them, and they can see what I'm doing.

 

[vortecMax]

My father always told me to practice shooting rifle both ways. I am not real good left handed but, I feel that if needed I could make a shot.

 

[contender]

I shoot USPSA competition, and some of the stages call for shooting with the weak hand. Makes a lot of us practice it more.

 

[stevemb]

I can shoot my "defensive handguns" or shotguns, nearly as well either way(or nearly as bad, your call). It has taken some effort. As I've nearly preached, learn your own home, which side of doorways are best for you,etc.. It may leave you shooting with your off-hand. So be it, train for it. On my pistols, I put skate board tape from ejection port to rear sight. Then I can "run the gun" one handed, either handed. Slide to be racked on thigh or forearm. Have heard of an airsoft gun being racked on an opponenets forehead, during a force-on-force scuffle !

 

[Wyandot Jim]

I lost sight in my right eye and I'm right handed. Soooooooooo I wanted to shoot CAS. Learned how to shoot long guns left handed. Then wanted to shoot with both hands so did.
It probably takes 3-4000 rounds of 22s each to do both well. Not that hard. And yea I shoot pretty good.

 

[m657]

re: "Do you start off on one side and then switch to the other after a couple rounds, or do you set up for one or the other at each session?"

sorry gunny, I replied with a most thorough answer but the board/computer somehow crashed together without posting it.

Yes, I shoot the full cylinder full from each pistol in each hand using the eye on that side.

After a few months of practice it actually was faster than the old way one-handed/one-eyed.

It now feels awkward to not do it the new way.