Left handed shooting right handed

[ADK Bigfoot]

I am predominately left handed, but shoot from either shoulder. I actually think, for hunting, a right handed gun is easier to keep "tucked in" and out of the weather, with the action against the body. I have shot two deer and a couple of turkeys from the "wrong side" when they decided not to cooperate with my set up and came in from the left! I have shot a woods walk where one or more shots had to be made from the weak side; never had a problem. Practice both and you will be ready for anything.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Robby]

If any of my kids were born left handed I would have taught them to shoot right handed as early as possible to where they just took it for granted that was the way to shoot. But that would have been the only thing.
Robby

 

[Cruzatte]

I'm so left-handed I can't even pick my nose right-handed. All my guns are right-handed & I have zero problems shooting them. A couple years back I ran across a good deal on a lefty Renegade & thought I'd treat myself to one correct-sided gun. It was so totally foreign to me I never could get used to it so I sold it. Felt completely out of whack/unnatural somehow.

Yup. It's all down to what you get used to, I guess.

 

[tim-jon]

I'm also very left handed. And like all left handed people, learned to adapt to a right hand world. Never liked left handed scissors in school and left handed guns were few and far between, so I learned to operate all of them from the other side.

Oddly pistols with the lock on the right are great (like it was designed) for left handed people! Not to be harsh, but right handed people didn't even think about switching the lock side so they could cock it with the non firing hand. The same is true with a very popular unmentionable rifle that has been in service in our military for almost 60 years!

Perhaps the only people who think being left handed is a disadvantage are right handed people

 

[user 56333]

This is one of the things that has kept me from getting in to muzzle-loading unfortunately. I'm left-eye dominant, and I don't want to use a left-handed gun as I don't consider them to be very historically authentic (only rich folks had those back in the day, and I'm no rich man). However, I'm aware of the risks of shooting a right-handed gun from the left-shoulder ... a flinter could scorch my face or arm, and a capper could spit fragments at my eyes.

I guess pistols would be the only muzzle-loader that I might be able to shoot lefty and be safe...

Perhaps I should try a flint or percussion shotgun off the right shoulder, and just shoot with both eyes open? I can use modern shotguns right-handed and occasionally hit targets, although nowhere near as good as when I'm shooting lefty.

 

[TexiKan]

As a left hander (and left eye dominant) I never saw a decent left handed production gun when I began. I had to use a right handed percussion rifle and rarely had issues with the cap hitting my eyes since we were always required to wear eye protection, anyway. I had an occasional splatter on my right forearm but more often than not, I would wear a long sleeve shirt just in case. I have been shooting most every month at our club since 1976. My go-to and most dependable rifle remains a right handed .50 cal. A few years ago I purchased a nice LH flint and the only thing that is keeping me from using it more is to get a better rear sight that fits the slot. So far, I have adapted.

 

[morehops52]

As TexiKan said, lefty guns even if they were made just weren't available to us that started in the 70's. I've shot RH cap locks without eye protection when I was young and stupid, luckily without consequences. I now have both lefty and RH. While I personally can't shoot a RH flint as a lefty some leftys on here will tell you no problem. My two favorite rifles are RH and are the most accurate of them all.
I would suggest shooting someone's RH cap lock and use sunglasses. You can even just use the cap or put a very light load in and see how it goes. I think you will find that there is very little difference in left or right as far as the cap ignition goes. Stock fit is a different issue but I have a slip-on adjustable cheek piece on one of my rifles. No it isn't made out of possum skin but I'm willing to give up a little PC to make thing work.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

I am left handed.
I have not had any problems shooting right handed caplock guns left handed, unless the stock was thumbholed or the cheek piece was extreme. But the cap flash on my exposed right forearm was a flincher, for sure. I shot PH Enfields in N-SSA competition for years, but only with some form of forearm guard.

Flintlocks pose no issues in that regard. Never had any issues with flash. If you are looking at the front sight, you don’t see a flash. I have a double flint shotgun and never see the flash in shooting. The touch hole/vent is far enough from your eye to matter

ADK Bigfoot

 

[user 48702]

This is one of the things that has kept me from getting in to muzzle-loading unfortunately. I'm left-eye dominant, and I don't want to use a left-handed gun as I don't consider them to be very historically authentic (only rich folks had those back in the day, and I'm no rich man). However, I'm aware of the risks of shooting a right-handed gun from the left-shoulder ... a flinter could scorch my face or arm, and a capper could spit fragments at my eyes.

I guess pistols would be the only muzzle-loader that I might be able to shoot lefty and be safe...

Perhaps I should try a flint or percussion shotgun off the right shoulder, and just shoot with both eyes open? I can use modern shotguns right-handed and occasionally hit targets, although nowhere near as good as when I'm shooting lefty.

I'm left handed and have always shot righthand arms left hand, never had a problem. Take a look at the flintlock double barrels. You don't see anyone switching from right to left shoulder for each barrel when shooting one. This gun is on my bucket list.

 

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Not in muzzleloading but center fire.
Right-handed. Wanted to try shooting a lefty action right-handed.
Picked up a Savage Model 12 lefty repeater bolt action. Found an "ambi" stock and mounted it up and went shooting. LOVED IT!!
Enough that I ordered up a right-hand "bench rest" style thumb hole stock. Plugged the right-hand bolt handle cut and re cut it on the left side.
(The folks that cut the stock don't know their right from their left but that's another story. )
Added a single shot adaptor/follower to the action, a tactical (longer) bolt handle to ease the lift and mounted it on a Whidden V Block
Right hand stays in the thumb hole for stock control while my free left hand feeds ammo and works the bolt.
Only problem is? Going back to my right-hand rigs, taking my right-hand off the stock to work the bolt just doesn't get it!!
Percussion guns wouldn't be too bad but a right hand flintlock going off next to my eye ?? Even with eye protection would?? That would take some serious thought on my part.

 

[user 56333]

I'm left handed and have always shot righthand arms left hand, never had a problem. Take a look at the flintlock double barrels. You don't see anyone switching from right to left shoulder for each barrel when shooting one. This gun is on my bucket list.

Fair point actually. Although that guy is wearing shooting glasses, something which I don't normally do when shooting modern guns (yeah, I know it's stupid, but they distract me, I don't like having something perched on my face like that).

 

[user 56333]

Not in muzzleloading but center fire.
Right-handed. Wanted to try shooting a lefty action right-handed.
Picked up a Savage Model 12 lefty repeater bolt action. Found an "ambi" stock and mounted it up and went shooting. LOVED IT!!
Enough that I ordered up a right-hand "bench rest" style thumb hole stock. Plugged the right-hand bolt handle cut and re cut it on the left side.
(The folks that cut the stock don't know their right from their left but that's another story. )
Added a single shot adaptor/follower to the action, a tactical (longer) bolt handle to ease the lift and mounted it on a Whidden V Block
Right hand stays in the thumb hole for stock control while my free left hand feeds ammo and works the bolt.
Only problem is? Going back to my right-hand rigs, taking my right-hand off the stock to work the bolt just doesn't get it!!
Percussion guns wouldn't be too bad but a right hand flintlock going off next to my eye ?? Even with eye protection would?? That would take some serious thought on my part.

I shoot right-handed bolt-action rifles all the time lefty, no ambi or lefty modifications, and I've never had an issue. To work the bolt I just do what this fellow does:

 

[earlwb]

I had surgery on my right shoulder so I can’t shoot right handed anything much larger than a 22 rimfire nowadays. So it is left handed for rifle or shotgun shooting anymore. But except for it feeling a little awkward I don’t really have a problem shooting left handed. Many Years ago I got a Dixie Gun Works left handed flintlock rifle and found that I can shoot it left handed OK. So it hasn’t been a big deal for me. As a kid I was ambidextrous anyway. But the teachers made me conform to right handedness way back then. I used to think the teachers were being mean but I am right eye dominant though. So maybe not.

 

[GregK]

I'm a natural lefty and have always shot from my left shoulder and tried to buy as many left handed guns as possible, I've had TC Renegades LH in 50 and 54. After pacemaker surgery in 2018 I had to learn to shoot right handed, so all the lefty guns have been sold and replaced with right handed ones. My current BP gun is a TC Seneca 45 they only come in RH configuration.

 

[Rockflyer]

Thanks for the responses ! I appreciate hearing the different experiences and views we have on this subject.