Learning to shoot off the other shoulder any advice welcome.

DRN

Well-Known Member
Due to a right eye problem I am going to have to switch shoulders and use my left side now.
If anyone has any practical advice or tips for shooting off the other shoulder (other than practice alot) then I would love to hear them (shotgun or rifle tips welcome)

(Im right handed and will be keeping all my right hand action guns with ambidextrous stocks)

Cheers

Nick
 
I had this problem a few years ago, I couldn't get on with the other shoulder, I had better results with a floating rib shooting off right shoulder using left eye. Good luck.
 
Can't give you any tips but a mate has had an ongoing problem (detached retina and unsuccessful repairs) for over a year and made the switch well - he is now winning our club clays shoots from the "wrong" shoulder.
 
Hi Nick,
its very daunting isn't it!
Due to cancer in my right eye, discovered last Feb and treated last March I have had to learn to shoot left handed.

i can't really help as far as shotguns go but I have to say learning to shoot rifles left handed was much easier than I expected!

It doesn't feel as natural as right handed, but within a couple of hours on a range I was getting s good groups at 100m as I used to get with my natural hand.

I did need to re-zero my rifles for some reason but apart from that it was a fairly easy process. Just bite the bullet and go for it!

one thing that helped was the fact that it felt so unnatural, this made me really think about the basics (breathing, trigger control etc).

feel free to PM me if you want any more advice, all the best with it,
mike
 
Can't give you any tips but a mate has had an ongoing problem (detached retina and unsuccessful repairs) for over a year and made the switch well - he is now winning our club clays shoots from the "wrong" shoulder.

That fills me with confidence. Maybe I'll end up better than before.

Cheers
 
Hi Nick,
its very daunting isn't it!
Due to cancer in my right eye, discovered last Feb and treated last March I have had to learn to shoot left handed.

i can't really help as far as shotguns go but I have to say learning to shoot rifles left handed was much easier than I expected!

It doesn't feel as natural as right handed, but within a couple of hours on a range I was getting s good groups at 100m as I used to get with my natural hand.

I did need to re-zero my rifles for some reason but apart from that it was a fairly easy process. Just bite the bullet and go for it!

one thing that helped was the fact that it felt so unnatural, this made me really think about the basics (breathing, trigger control etc).

feel free to PM me if you want any more advice, all the best with it,
mike

Bad luck Mike, I hope your recovered. Good to know it didnt take too long.
 
Bad luck Mike, I hope your recovered. Good to know it didnt take too long.
Thanks for that,
yes recovered mostly (apart from the eyesight in the right eye). But still have periodic monitoring to check all remains as it should be which is a bummer, but better than the alternative by a long way!

i guess from swapping shooting shoulders I probably had 2 range trips before I shot my next deer, following that I've not really looked back.

all the best with it!
mike
 
Due to a right eye problem I am going to have to switch shoulders and use my left side now.
If anyone has any practical advice or tips for shooting off the other shoulder (other than practice alot) then I would love to hear them (shotgun or rifle tips welcome)

(Im right handed and will be keeping all my right hand action guns with ambidextrous stocks)

Cheers

Nick

Hi Nick..
I had the same problem about three years ago and was very reluctant to change shoulders, have you ever tried knocking a nail in with a hammer, using the wrong hand!
It just felt wrong. But, I bit the bullet, bought a left-handed shotgun and just kept with it. At first, even breaking the gun and putting carts in was awkward. But stick with it and
it'll work for you. At first I kept up with the rifle off the original, right shoulder but, that eventually felt wrong and now shoot off my left with everything.
Stick with it and in six months time you'll have forgot all about it. Hopefully… Good luck.
cjs
 
I'm left handed and use right handed only rifles it feels so much better. I never had to switch just a natural lefty. I'm decent with my right but can't hold the stock the same. Feels like playing snooker with the opposite hand.
treat it as though your learning all over again but this time you have experience and know what to do.
 
I'm right handed but with a left master eye, I learnt to shoot right handed then converted left handed,it felt very awkward & it took a while but it soon became natural. If I pick up a long barrelled weapon it is automatically left handed. However I use a right handed bolt as I'm all fingers & thumbs is I try to do it left handed.
However if I pick up a pistol, i do it right handed & I just bring it across to my left eye.
You might what to get a shotgun refitted due to eye dominance. Good luck
 
Hi Nick,
its very daunting isn't it!
Due to cancer in my right eye, discovered last Feb and treated last March I have had to learn to shoot left handed.

i can't really help as far as shotguns go but I have to say learning to shoot rifles left handed was much easier than I expected!

It doesn't feel as natural as right handed, but within a couple of hours on a range I was getting s good groups at 100m as I used to get with my natural hand.

I did need to re-zero my rifles for some reason but apart from that it was a fairly easy process. Just bite the bullet and go for it!

one thing that helped was the fact that it felt so unnatural, this made me really think about the basics (breathing, trigger control etc).

feel free to PM me if you want any more advice, all the best with it,
mike

Weldone to you Mike and good luck for the future.

Nick, stick with it mate, rifle I can see a steady transition and as said several concentration advantages. Shotgun is a different animal as the body needs action, twisting, feet position etc so I would start with the rifle and build your confidence. Both won't be easy, but I would stick with a rh rifle (if you have a big cal' switch to a muzzle brake) and possibly seek a cranked ole timer shotgun neither the less good luck and keep updating the thread as we are behind you.
 
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I had a problem with my right eyein 1989. I am right handed and learnred to shoot with my left eye. The rifle was easy, it just took practice. The shotgun took a while longer. I now still shoot left handed or right with the rifle and can shoot well with both. I still shoot the shotgun with my right though.
Just pracise and you will be suprised how easy you will get into the swing of it.

Good luck..
 
Can I suggest getting a cheap air rifle? Find somewhere quiet where you can plink away at targets and cans and build up your confidence. Good luck. JCS
 
Not that I have to due to medical reasons but I have a couple of high seats that depending on which side the deer appear dictates whether I shoot left or right handed. Left I use left eye right I use right eye and have never had a problem it's easy than you think. Shotgun can't offer any advise there
ILB
 
Ok. Well done for making the change. Much good advice here. If you wish to use the suggested air rifle to improve your shotgun shooting, take any sort of sights off it and learn to just bring it up to your shoulder and fire. These little targets that you knock over and spring back up are fine. Russia used to use this as a way of starting their shot gunners.
But, as ever, it's best to get some proper coaching. Make sure your gun fits and then ensure that you are mounting it properly.
Good hunting.
 
Thanks for all the advice and replies. I will start putting in some practice.
Cheers
 
For the rifle I'd have guessed lots of practice with as JCS says an air rifle or a .22lr.

For the SG, probably worth hiring an instructor for a few sessions as they can see you and can give best advice
 
Shotgun particular loads of dry mounting before firing ensure its starts to feel normal before you head out. The stocks may also have to much cast off depending on the you build to be shot from the other shoulder. It's not an easy thing to start but becomes more natural and instinctive as things go on.
 
I'm right handed and shoot left handed due to left eye dominance.(almost blind in my right eye)
as a youngster I used to shoot my air rifle right handed and looked through the scope with my left eye.(not a too much of a problem with an air rifle)
but when I started off with the powder burners it became obvious I couldn't do this due to the recoil.
so I learnt to shoot left handed and it became quite natural very quickly. I have even won some precision centrefire competitions at my local range.
 
I have always shot left handed due to a left leading eye. I dislocated my left wrist - a very big owwwy - involving major surgery pins and in plaster for three months, and potentially faced with not having a lot of use.

So out came the pellet gun and a couple of tins of pellets later I am pretty happy taking a shot from either side, although I was lucky and had a pretty good recovery and have 90% of the use of my left hand.

If you know how to shot, which you do it doesn't take long for everything else to catch up.

But and its a big but its bloody annoying at first and you are all fingers and thumbs. Little and often and then it suddenly clicks.

You can also do a lot of practice without a firearm in you hand - on the bus, sitting in traffic, at your desk and jus go through your minds eye taking a shot with your other hand and eye.
 
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