Left handed vrs right

[James Kopp]

I am new to the sport and a left handed shooter. Is there a Huge advantage to a left handed gun ? I am looking for a build kit, but I can’t decided left or right because of the ignition system side..Love to hear from lefty’s and everyone else...not to mention sweet place to purchase a build kit ....looking to do a colonial 1700 piece ....

 

[tenngun]

Left was rare in the old days. However left handedness was considered suspicious. A left handed was taught to shoot right and write right. The only advantage was sword fighting, as left handed unbalanced a right handed.
Many lefties today get a left handed gun. Should you shoot left handed it’s inconvenient to have the lock on your cheek side. A flint a little more inconvenient then percussion.
Should you want to persist in your sinister affliction you might be best servered building a sinister gun. Me thinks you will like it better.

 

[flinter1977]

I'm left handed and only have right handed flintlocks . besides the cheek piece, the lock on the right side does not affect me. I have never owned or shot a left handed gun it would seem odd to me now.

 

[Justin.44]

I'm also left-handed. I've never shot a lefty gun of any type, though I would like to get one, it's not a big deal to me.

 

[Ontario47]

I have the "sinister affliction". I am left handed and left eye dominant. Sinister= left eye, Dexter=right eye. Since you said you are a left hand shooter, I assume you are left eye dominant. I built a lefty kit and would recommend that especially in a flint long gun. If you are going to load shot for birds (real or clay) it is more important to stay on your dominant eye side. Otherwise, lefties are forced to be ambidextrous in this life, I shoot right handed flintlocks right handed at stationary targets without much difficulty.

 

[EC121]

Being lefthanded I have both types and can't tell the difference.

 

[Phil Coffins]

An other left hand shootist that shoots right hand guns. Last year I built a left handed flintlock and after a while I pass by it for my right hand guns. This year I built a Kibler colonial that’s right hand and really like it.
IMG_0113 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[1950DAVE]

I have a grand son, right handed , left eye dominant. My son figured out early on his problem , before ten yrs old, when he noticed he was wanting to lay his head across the stock to sight. It took very little training for him to become a crack shot shooting lefty. Like Ontario said, go with dominant eye.
Dave

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Im right eye dominant so it would not matter.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

An other left hand shootist that shoots right hand guns. Last year I built a left handed flintlock and after a while I pass by it for my right hand guns. This year I built a Kibler colonial that’s right hand and really like it.
IMG_0113 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

That's a beauty!
Flintlocklar

 

[oldwood]

If it's possible for you , use the dominant eye to sight the gun , this way on moving targets , if you can learn to shoot w/both eyes open , you'll do much better. Shooting coaches told me this , and it works. Hope this helps...........oldwood

 

[coredneck]

right handed but left eyes the boss..took a baseball to my right when I was a kid...I shoot either way as its just a matter of closing one eye..that said shooting a righty on the left side the lock is directly in front of your face when it goes off...that sounds like a flinch waiting to happen

 

[Firelock937]

There have been several threads about this over the years. I am a left handed shooter and only have right handed flintlocks, and it does not bother me in the least. If you look at past threads you'll see that some other left handed shooters are terribly bothered by right handed flintlocks. I would suggest trying some guns out first if possible.
There is also the historical / period correctness issue, and whether or not it is important to you.

 

[76 shovelhead]

im right handed but left eye dom. learned to shoot left 50 some years ago. iv'e had both right and left i feel i can shoot my left flints better. and the after shot picture is better i just finished a track of the wolf 50 cal flint -golden age. in left hand it shoots better than me. but i do like it. wish kibler would build a lefty. kit

 

[Bob McBride]

I think you should shoot based on your eye dominance as well. I takes about 50 shoulders from the opposite side for it to start feeling natural, but cross eye dominance is a handicap you’ll always deal with with a long gun. I’m a left handed, right eye dominant, right handed long gun shooter. If you find yourself putting the rifle on the wrong shoulder, and are closing one eye because your good eye is on the wrong side as well, it’s probably time to reevaluate your choices.

 

[jdw276]

Lefty here. When i shoot right handed guns it seems to help me shoot as the hammer blocks the view of the front sight and helps me focus on the sight. Do not notice the flash in the pan really on a righty or lefty. I had built 2 lefty flinters and bought a couple flint and capper leftys and righties for the grandsons so have both sides. Actually feels funky not having to reach over the wrist area to pull the hammer back like you have to on a righty. Easy to get used to though. Draw back for me on a righty is i prime and cap with my left hand. Reaching over the gun, close to my over hanging belly makes it tough to see at times when off hand shooting as i do that somewhere in the waist zip code area. Priming and capping is more convenient with the lock on the correct side for me a lefty and easier to see.

 

[gordief]

i've shot RH bolt guns for 50 yrs.. finely got a LH... don't like it at all.

have been shooting a RH TC Hawken for 30 yrs.. now i want to try a flintlock.. like you not sure
which way to go.

i think you can learn to shoot either, as long as you stay w/ your master eye.
being LHed a man gets good at ... adapting & overcoming...

 

[mushka]

I am right handed but mostly blind in the right eye and shoot all long guns left handed. I shoot handguns right handed. I have both right and left handed muzzle loaders and they all are satisfactory to me, makes me no difference.

 

[Frogman]

Im left handed and learn to shoot right handed in the millitary, that brass is a little warm goin down your shirt.

 

[olskool]

well if you ever want to sell it I think it would be easier to sell a right handed gun,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,