Swapping from right handed to left handed shooting.

[kennett]

I've always been a fairly decent rough/snap shot but equally have always struggled with consistency on driven game, either shooting well or missing everything!

Part of this is down to rhe fact that I'm right handed but left eye dominant, which either didn't happen right away or just because I've shot right handed for 25 years and always muddled through. However this sort of came to a head when I shot in Wales last week with a borrowed gun, and got frustrated half way through the day and switched to my left shoulder and began to shoot much better. My question is, is 36 too late to swap, and realistically how much work will take to train everything to shoot fluidly with my weak hand but strong eye!

 

Thanks

[harrycatcat1]

Give it a whirl on Clay's left handed, see how you get on, it's all about confidence 👍👍👍 you've got nothing to lose by trying it.

Edited January 22, 2023 by harrycatcat1

[JKD]

Your brain will naturally take control, if you don't think about your method ,,,, just go through the motion. Definitely try what Harry suggested above 😉

Not shooting related but,,,, I'm right handed. When I was a youngster I was playing cricket and it didn't feel right (pun not intended). I subconsciously changed to being left handed and played naturally, surprising myself and all my chums ! 20 years later I had a knockabout with a baseball and bat with a few acquaintances,,,, same thing happened. Didn't feel brilliant right handed,,,, switched to left handed and knocked the ball out of the park, literally !!! But,,,, can't throw a ball left handed,,,, well a bit girly like 💃🤣

 

[Scully]

I’m right handed, left eye dominant and have a PVD in my right eye! 
Despite this I hit much much more than I miss with any gun I own, and I put this down to relentlessly practising my mount at home. 
Possibly the fact I have all my guns set up to give me the exact same ‘view’ when I look down that rib helps also?
I may well be wrong, but those are the only explanations I have. 🤷‍♂️
I’d say, give it a go from the left shoulder; the more you practise the better and more natural it will become, and what do you have to lose? 

Edited January 22, 2023 by Scully

[kennett]

1 minute ago, Scully said:

I’m right handed, left eye dominant and have a PVD in my right eye! 
Despite this I hit much much more than I miss with any gun I own, and I put this down to relentlessly practising my mount at home. 
Possibly the fact I have all my guns set up to give me the exact same ‘view’ when I look down that rib helps also?
I may well be wrong, but those are the only explanations I have. 🤷‍♂️
 

 

34 minutes ago, JKD said:

Your brain will naturally take control, if you don't think about your method ,,,, just go through the motion. Definitely try what Harry suggested above 😉

Not shooting related but,,,, I'm right handed. When I was a youngster I was playing cricket and it didn't feel right (pun not intended). I subconsciously changed to being left handed and played naturally, surprising myself and all my chums ! 20 years later I had a knockabout with a baseball and bat with a few acquaintances,,,, same thing happened. Didn't feel brilliant right handed,,,, switched to left handed and knocked the ball out of the park, literally !!! But,,,, can't throw a ball left handed,,,, well a bit girly like 💃🤣

 

This is partly what's making me hesitant about making the swap, I can definitely shoot left handed but everything else from carrying to loading and mounting seems alien and clumsy! Maybe a combination of practice mounting at home and a few hours on the clays will help.

[JKD]

13 minutes ago, kennett said:

 

This is partly what's making me hesitant about making the swap, I can definitely shoot left handed but everything else from carrying to loading and mounting seems alien and clumsy! Maybe a combination of practice mounting at home and a few hours on the clays will help.

Just get rid of the doubt and things will work naturally I'm sure 👍

[243deer]

I think your speed of change will depend on how ambidextrous you are but as you have said you can already shoot left handed things look very promising, as JKD says - go for it 100%

[Old Boggy]

I have always shot left handed and in my early years had slight left eye dominance, but this changed to right eye dominance over time. I found that I just couldn`t shoot off the right shoulder so have since shut my right eye once I am about to take the shot. Probably not what you want to hear but it might just be worth a try.

OB

[Grandalf]

1 hour ago, kennett said:

I've always been a fairly decent rough/snap shot but equally have always struggled with consistency on driven game, either shooting well or missing everything!

Part of this is down to rhe fact that I'm right handed but left eye dominant, which either didn't happen right away or just because I've shot right handed for 25 years and always muddled through. However this sort of came to a head when I shot in Wales last week with a borrowed gun, and got frustrated half way through the day and switched to my left shoulder and began to shoot much better. My question is, is 36 too late to swap, and realistically how much work will take to train everything to shoot fluidly with my weak hand but strong eye!

 

Thanks

Kennet - Is the bit about you being too old to change a joke?   I changed at 79!   I was right handed and right master eyed.   Shot that way sice I was about seven until I lost half the sight in my right eye due glaucoma.   This is a condition that gradually gets worse.   Decided that the time had come to either shoot left handed or give up.   Started with rifles - Stalking and foxing mainly - did some practice and no problem there at all.   Slow and deliberate shots most of the time.   I am now nearly 84 and still use right handed rifles, but use the other shoulder.   Once you get used to doing things in a different way its not a problem.  

Shotguns are a different kettle of fish though.   Always shot by mounting late and not thinking too much about what I was doing.   Reckon this makes you swing faster and as long as you have some daylight between you and the bird it comes down more often than not.   If I ever started thinking about what I was doing then it all went to rubbish..

Anyway, at first I couldn't hit a thing.   Then I purchased a left handed Hatsan auto and gradually the act came together.   No I am not ever going to win cups but then I never did anyway.   Do I still enjoy myself and do reasonably well?   On a good day yes, but I am nearly 84 so I don't expect miracles and as long as I enjoy the day that's the main thing. 

Now I am doing a lot of rifle shooting which is stalking and fox control and I will hold my own on a range against most people of any age.   With a shotgun it's not great but, as I said above, good enough that I don't get embarrassed and I still do game and fowling.

Take a deep breath boy and go for it.   It's only a metal tube with a club handle which you need to swing about a bit.   Enjoy my friend. 

[RyanMc]

46 minutes ago, kennett said:

 

This is partly what's making me hesitant about making the swap, I can definitely shoot left handed but everything else from carrying to loading and mounting seems alien and clumsy! Maybe a combination of practice mounting at home and a few hours on the clays will help.

I'm all left nothing right, eye, hand & foot!! I shot a lefty O/U, that's it, RH rifles, load like a right hander, carry a rifle slung on the right... a product of growing up in a world setup all wrong for us lefties. I can shoulder and shoot if I had too using the right, but i must close the left eye to get any sight picture down the rib.

Give it a go on the pigeons/crows or clays before going after the game and see how you get on and find some combination that works for you. 

[Walker570]

As an ex tactical firearms chap we learned to shoot weak eye weak hand and both shoulder mounted guns and handgun. It is not that difficult once you have educated your brain to do as you wish.   As said above go and do some clays, simple going away to start with and don't expect it to drop into place straight away as old habits are hard to get out of your mind.  The MAJOR important issue is the correct fit of your gun, does it mount easily to the shoulder for a start....wearing your normal game shooting coat....pick a spot 50yrds away, mount and see if the gun looks on target..DO NOT AIM IT...the movement should all drop into place without all the fancy artsy ####cy gismos stuck on barrels these days. If you don't agree then just point your finger at something out there ...do you AIM your finger ...does it have all those ornaments on it because if the gun fits then you should look at the bird and the gun should naturally follow your gaze.   Point your fimnger..left or right hand and your brain will do the rest if you let it.   Hope this helps and you get to enjoy your shooting more.

Edited January 22, 2023 by Walker570

[JKD]

23 minutes ago, Grandalf said:

Shotguns are a different kettle of fish though.   Always shot by mounting late and not thinking too much about what I was doing.

If I ever started thinking about what I was doing then it all went to rubbish..

Take a deep breath boy and go for it.   It's only a metal tube with a club handle which you need to swing about a bit.   Enjoy my friend. 

Grandalf has given great advice, and I've edited his reply to highlight basically what I was alluding to. My baseball analogy was exactly this,,,, I was thinking about hitting the ball right handed,,,, swapped to left handed and didn't think about anything except for the flight of the ball 😀

ps. I don't shoot with shotguns, only with air. It's all about doing things naturally 😉

Edited January 22, 2023 by JKD

[muncher]

I’ve had to change this year as my right eye has destroyed itself, I’m 56 and I’ve not had many issues, yea it takes some practice and it’s frustrating at times but it’s definitely worth it. 
 

[Charliedog]

My lad has same issue, only 16 but changed to left handed about 2 years ago, his shooting improved greatly

[kennett]

2 hours ago, JKD said:

Grandalf has given great advice, and I've edited his reply to highlight basically what I was alluding to. My baseball analogy was exactly this,,,, I was thinking about hitting the ball right handed,,,, swapped to left handed and didn't think about anything except for the flight of the ball 😀

ps. I don't shoot with shotguns, only with air. It's all about doing things naturally 😉

This is exactly the issue I have, for example I stood on a peg in quarry and the picker ups must have pushed a covey of partridge from the back, I stood day dreaming with an open gun but managed to close it, pick a left and right and crash both into the quarry wall in front of me....all basically without thinking about it. But if I can see a cock pheasant climb out of a wood and come at me across a field I have always struggled as my instinct and eyes all have a fall out about who's doing what 😂

Thanks everyone, exactly what I needed to hear! Looks like I have a project for the summer 🤞

[Weihrauch17]

No brainer swap shoulders, I did.  I did at cricket also.  Age doesn't come into it.

Edited January 22, 2023 by Weihrauch17

[mickyj]

I shot from the age of 6 till I was 34 left handed, air guns, rim fire and shotgun , I ended up losing my left index finger and crushing my left thumb to the point of being as much use as a chocolate teapot !!!.  I've managed to learn how to shoot right handed although it took awhile , a lot of misses and frustration but I'm now doing mid 30's-40 on clays out of 50 and have had some good days on the pigeons  rifle shooting was easier to get used to as with todays rifles and scopes makes it easy to sight in although free standing with a springer air rifle was a bit harder to get used to . just keep at it pal , practise practise practise 

all the best 

[Westley]

On 22/01/2023 at 12:24, Walker570 said:

As an ex tactical firearms chap we learned to shoot weak eye weak hand and both shoulder mounted guns and handgun. It is not that difficult once you have educated your brain to do as you wish.   As said above go and do some clays, simple going away to start with and don't expect it to drop into place straight away as old habits are hard to get out of your mind.  The MAJOR important issue is the correct fit of your gun, does it mount easily to the shoulder for a start....wearing your normal game shooting coat....pick a spot 50yrds away, mount and see if the gun looks on target..DO NOT AIM IT...the movement should all drop into place without all the fancy artsy ####cy gismos stuck on barrels these days. If you don't agree then just point your finger at something out there ...do you AIM your finger ...does it have all those ornaments on it because if the gun fits then you should look at the bird and the gun should naturally follow your gaze.   Point your fimnger..left or right hand and your brain will do the rest if you let it.   Hope this helps and you get to enjoy your shooting more.

I was unable to 'educate' my brain to shoot left handed. I AWAYS struggled with that, probably due to shooting both eyes open.  I did close 1 eye on my scoped rifle though.