In reality how dangerous is a right handed rifle to shoot left handed..

[shakey jake]

Safety aside, have any right handed shooter settled on a lefty gun becuse its what rhey could pick up easily

 

[purdeydog]

It isn’t. I’ve shot right handed weapons left handed for decades, no issue.

 

[Tim.243]

Safety aside, have any right handed shooter settled on a lefty gun becuse its what rhey could pick up easily

Or in my case at 14 not knowing any different back in 1975 Dads .22lr and club rifles would have been RH especially the .303's with them only being made in RH
My first 12b sbs still has the left cast in the stock which was put in by a Chelmsford gunsmith in 1975.
Many years later when I was having my FAC interview the chap asked me about previous experience so mentioned time spent as the club, he smiled saying " I helped out there back then" closed his notes and the brown envelope followed wa few weeks later.
Thank God for the experience of shooting those RH rifles.

 

[JTO]

I can't close my left eye without squinting my right eye.

Wear an eye patch and keep both eyes open.

 

[Jh1986]

Wear an eye patch and keep both eyes open.

I'm afraid if I do that, other stalkers will take the ****. I already stalk with a parrot on my shoulder, so 2 things would tip them over the edge

 

[Dunwaters]

Answer to the OP’s question, is that it’s no more dangerous than shooting a right handed firearm from the other side.
If there was an issue, the military would have discovered it by now and be issuing cack handed rifles.
None of them do, so its not an issue.

 

[HonestJohn]

Answer to the OP’s question, is that it’s no more dangerous than shooting a right handed firearm from the other side.
If there was an issue, the military would have discovered it by now and be issuing cack handed rifles.
None of them do, so its not an issue.

Although, gas venting is designed to work in line with shooters using them right or left handed. Gas expelled from and rifle rightward, like the SL ported bolts, if shot left handed, would expose the shooters face significantly more than if it was shot right handed.

 

[JTO]

I'm afraid if I do that, other stalkers will take the ****. I already stalk with a parrot on my shoulder, so 2 things would tip them over the edge

Strangely enough, I stood behind someone with a parrot on his shoulder in Weymouth LLoyds bank today! He came out and rode off on a mobility scooter.

 

[Dunwaters]

Although, gas venting is designed to work in line with shooters using them right or left handed. Gas expelled from and rifle rightward, like the SL ported bolts, if shot left handed, would expose the shooters face significantly more than if it was shot right handed.

Undoubtedly true, but the risk has been considered acceptable from the day of the Brown Bess musket right up to the present.
Taking your example, even though the left handed shooter is more exposed to gases than a right handed person, the risk of injury is insufficient to justify warning against their use from the off side. This will have been tested. A truly dangerous product would not be released.
If there was any real risk, our firearms would have right and left only warnings stamped on them, they don’t…so even the most risk averse company, advised by the most litigious liability lawyers can’t find evidence of any real risk of injury associated with using a right handed firearm from the left shoulder or vice versa.

This is just another one of those myths that firearms users and stalkers ponder endlessly to no real advantage, a bit like worrying about contaminating a deer carcass because you use a leather knife sheath.
It possibly could happen, but in reality its about as likely as death by meteor strike.

 

[caorach]

I've found it to be really dangerous.

I shoot left handed but loan rifles etc. are usually right handed. I've pointed the loan rifles at deer and pulled the trigger and the deer has died almost immediately. You don't get much more dangerous than that.

 

[Apthorpe]

Strangely enough, I stood behind someone with a parrot on his shoulder in Weymouth LLoyds bank today! He came out and rode off on a mobility scooter.

Rather an apt metaphor for the state of the nation - from swashbuckling and enterprising to benefits.

 

[bowji john]

In my opinion the safety angle is really a non issue

As for eye dominance

I an right handed and left eye dominant

I taught myself to shoot and in the absence of instruction, developed the poor habit of cocking my head all the way across

I had no one to correct me, until a Rhodesian gunnery Sergeant kindly offered to cure my bad habit with generous application of his boot

I rapidly learned to shoot out of either hand

Now I tend to shoot right handed and have taught my right eye to play ball

 

[GBR66]

.303,SLR, SA80 - no option I supposed you learned - I’ve just had a trapped nerve in my back that’s meant I’ve had to use my left (cack) hand, for a month for everything…now right had recovering but amazing how much my re ambidextrous it’s made me!

 

[Heym SR20]

Why does it matter if you don't shoot with your dominant eye ?

Closing 1 eye works fine- even if you have to close the dominant eye.

You probably will not shoot as well as you would be able to if you used your dominant eye.

We humans have an amazing ability yo use tools to hit objects at a distance, and its your dominant eye that drives the process controlling your hands to propel and launch the missile onto the target. Its the same motor skills whether its using a simple stone, or a bow and arrow or a gun.

By not using your dominant eye you are handicapping yourself considerably. Yes you can probably shoot well enough, especially if you have lots of time and / or are shooting the same target all the time - as in clay pigeon or on a target. But when it comes to that fast instinctive shooting - a snipe flushing from your feet, or that running boar, or that really precise shot at distance that’s when shooting with your dominant eye really pays dividends.

 

[reiver]

I am left handed and have lh rifles or ambidextrous guns now but used to shoot with right handed guns and still do occasionally. Much easier and quicker to handle a lh rifle especially when on driven boar try getting more than a couple of shots off using a right handed rifle left handed ??

 

[Jelen]

.303,SLR, SA80 - no option I supposed you learned - I’ve just had a trapped nerve in my back that’s meant I’ve had to use my left (cack) hand, for a month for everything…now right had recovering but amazing how much my re ambidextrous it’s made me!

Re the SLR (Semi Auto right hand ejection port). In the 70's we trained to shoot from both shoulders out of door frames and round corners. I'm pretty sure that we also did APWT from both shoulders. I can remember feeling dead chuffed passing it the first time with good scores. I'm left handed and left dominant eye which is better for instinctive snap shooting. I tried left hand handed rifle and found it a total pain when it came to using the cleaning rod left handed - couldn't see into the ejection port.

 

[billy_boyle_2010]

You probably will not shoot as well as you would be able to if you used your dominant eye.

We humans have an amazing ability yo use tools to hit objects at a distance, and its your dominant eye that drives the process controlling your hands to propel and launch the missile onto the target. Its the same motor skills whether its using a simple stone, or a bow and arrow or a gun.

By not using your dominant eye you are handicapping yourself considerably. Yes you can probably shoot well enough, especially if you have lots of time and / or are shooting the same target all the time - as in clay pigeon or on a target. But when it comes to that fast instinctive shooting - a snipe flushing from your feet, or that running boar, or that really precise shot at distance that’s when shooting with your dominant eye really pays dividends.

I'm no expert but I think some of this is true some of the time- but certainly not all or most.

What is a dominant eye, exactly ? It won't see any better- or in a higher level of resolution. It just means the brain uses it in preference to the other.

The severity of Eye dominance must vary between people too. Just like some people are absolute retards with their non dominant hand- whilst others are semi ambidextrous- I wonder if this is the case for eye dominance too ? I would think eye dominance in some sports would be a disadvantage- basketball for example. The ability to judge distance with both eyes equally would help ? And being highly eye dominant would mean you shot an awful lot better on one side than the other- and were probably less aware of players on your non dominant side.

For very rapid instinctual shooting- where both eyes are kept open- shooting with a non dominant eye would be distracting.

However- closing the dominant eye fixes these issues.

I can't believe that rifle shooting with a dominant eye leads to getter muscle mind connection? Perhaps on an international competiton level- but for 99.9% of shooters ? I doubt it. One may get tired from closing one eye all the time I suppose

As to launching projectiles- IMO you're massively exaggerating the role of the dominant eye. You can throw a stone with both eyes closed. It's not that rare for eye and hand dominance not to match- closing the non dominant eye means the dominant hand can be used.

I'm sure there are some advantages- judging depth uses both eyes- and if you have to close one you probably lose some depth perception briefly.

The difference in 3 shooters, all shooting right handed, in 2 scenarios

1) has a slightly dominant RE

2) has a very dominant LE- and closes it to shoot

3) has a v dominant RE

A) shotgun snipe

B) Rifle shooting deer

IMO there wouldn't be much difference. Shooter 1 may well still close the non dominant eye- as it will still interfere with their image. Shooter 3 is fine- they can ignore the left eye image. Shooter 2 also closes the LE.

Hopefully someone will be along who really gets this. I can see the difficulties in very instinctual rapid shooting like boar. But that'd it IMO

 

[KimE]

Sounds like you are exactly the same as me…

Thing is because I’m actually right handed I don’t find it at all difficult to work the bolt right handed and because of using sticks I think there’s actually an argument that that was around might be more intuitive as your trigger hand stays on the rifle (I understand that shooting offhand this would be much more difficult and you’d want your front hand to keep the rifle steady into your shoulder)…

I suppose my safety thought was exploding cartridges and cases coming towards rather than away from your face…

Im left handed and shoot both lh and rh rifles, yes there is a slightly elevated risk of gas coming from a blown primer or casehead. I never had any problem my self, rifles should have gas migation holes in the bolt and or action to change the direction of gas away from your face(usually better for rh shouldering shooters) if a primer is blown. I shoot rh rifles and repeat with my left hand my father shoots rh rifles and repeat with his right hand we are both lefthanded, it seems to work just as good. I normally use a lefthanded 308w and a lh 12g shotgun but my combination gun and my rimfire are still rh.

 

[KimE]

Undoubtedly true, but the risk has been considered acceptable from the day of the Brown Bess musket right up to the present.
Taking your example, even though the left handed shooter is more exposed to gases than a right handed person, the risk of injury is insufficient to justify warning against their use from the off side. This will have been tested. A truly dangerous product would not be released.
If there was any real risk, our firearms would have right and left only warnings stamped on them, they don’t…so even the most risk averse company, advised by the most litigious liability lawyers can’t find evidence of any real risk of injury associated with using a right handed firearm from the left shoulder or vice versa.

This is just another one of those myths that firearms users and stalkers ponder endlessly to no real advantage, a bit like worrying about contaminating a deer carcass because you use a leather knife sheath.
It possibly could happen, but in reality its about as likely as death by meteor strike.

The military advice you to wear safety glasses. Shooting the L85 from the left shoulder would give you headache

 

[enfieldspares]

So yes, my question is with standard factory ammunition, how dangerous do you think it is to have the bolt pointing towards your face…ie shoot a right handed rifle left handed.

It's only "dangerous" if you try and play the system and work the bolt with your right hand whilst holding the rifle with your finger through the triggerguard with your left hand. Remove your finger from inside the triggerguard and it will be safe as you can't then accidentally trip the trigger as the bolt closes. It'll also be bloody awkward if the rifle has any weight forward of the trigger as do conventional rifles.