A question for you lefties...

[android]

Right eyed Lefty here. I own mostly HK pistols which are ambidextrous. I can shoot with both hands, but better left handed. I'm OK for close range self defense shooting right handed. I usually keep both eyes open and sight with the right eye.

For rifles, I can go totally right handed since I'm right eye dominant anyway.

I wouldn't try to force any left handed person into a specific right handed behavior, it can mess with your brain. Just let him try some different things and see what works best. We can train ourselves to do right handed things, but it's better to be given a choice.

 

[KarenTOC]

If I were you, I'd hold off on getting the young'un a pile of lefty guns. It's possible that, even as a lefty, he'll naturally shoot right-handed. A lot of lefties do some things with their right hands. My left-handed husband shot, bowled, and batted with his right hand, but did everything else with his left. My LH son shoots with his right but bats and throws lefty. I have one left-handed friend who does everything except write with her left hand. (that was new to me: never saw a lefty who writes with their right hand - i mean naturally, not forced).

(I figured out my son was a lefty when he was 3 months old because he sucked his right thumb. All the thumb-suckers I ever knew kept their dominant hand free. Wonder if that theory has ever been scientifically tested... time to google.)

 

[hammerklavier]

Thanks for all the great responses. I'll look for a pistol that can be converted, and not worry too much about the long guns.

I saw one response praising lever actions, do the other left handers agree?

 

[mlaustin]

I'm right handed and left eyed and I've never had a problem shooting right handed guns - after a while, you begin to feel like they're just as good, especially with pistols. Your trigger finger or middle finger can easily hit the magazine catch on most auto pistols and you can either slide your thumb over or use your trigger finger (which shouldn't be on the trigger at this point anyways) to release the slide catch. I can even operate the decocking lever on a Sig with no problems without removing my hand from too many controls. I'm just as fast as my right handed friends, and after a few months of practice, it wont even feel like you're at a disadvantage.

I also learned to shoot left handed on right handed bolt guns and even that's not too bad. You'll almost never find left handed guns used, so I learned, continue to learn, and own right handed bolt guns. My other concern was always that I would estimate that probably 95% of rifles are right-handed, and I would rather spend time adjusting on the range than miss a deer because I had to borrow my buddy's rifle and everything was in the wrong place. If you have to take quick shots with a bolt action gun, you probably did something wrong with your first shot .

 

[(Pb)]

The only guns that have presented a major annoyance for me as a left hander are AR15s. Mine is a Stag Arms lefty version and it works good for me. Nothing else really is an issue, although learning to hit the mag release on some pistols took longer.

 

[stonecutter2]

I'm left handed, left eye dominant.

I shoot right-handed...because I always have. It just feels right to me. And I can be pretty darn accurate with a rifle

I also play guitar right-handed, again, because it just feels right to me and I learned that way.

I'd suggest getting something ambidextrous, and just see what your son is most comfortable with. Then go from there.

And it's wonderful of you to take his left-handedness into consideration...that's really cool!

 

[Patrick R]

I'm left hand, left eye. Shoot left. So far no problems with right hand guns.

I write with my right hand.

 

[Bullit13]

lefty

I am also left handed and I have always shot right handed, I served 3 yrs in the Army and qualified with the M-16 many times as an expert marksman, my father was right handed but shot left handed, my daughter is right handed and from the time she was small shooting a BB gun... would shoot left handed so far it has'nt kept her from doing well in her quest for shooting in different scenarios.

 

[Guy de Loimbard]

I'm a lefty and about the only firearms I've encountered that I don't particularly get along well with because of that, are bolt actions with bent bolts. Straight bolts are ok though. There are enough left handed models out there nowadays that I don't think it is much of a problem.

 

[Zip7]

My son is left eye dominant, shoots and writes left handed but plays baseball right handed all the way.

It gave me a good excuse to buy a Ruger #1

 

[Hold My Own]

Just like most of these guys are saying, he'll adapt once he works at it. If you're willing to drop the coin, Stag Arms makes lefty AR's.

My CETME feels like it's built for leftys, but I've pretty much adapted.

 

[Autolycus]

Originally posted by SavageManAntonio:

I am left-handed. I take the approach of going with what works for the leftie. I recommend that you start teaching with something simple such as a single-shot rifle for example. Your child should try left and right-handed shooting. This is not about what works for everyone else but what works for your child.

I am ambidextrous. I can shoot with either hand with pistols. I can not do the same with rifles. It really may not matter which eye is dominant because everyone learns and adapts differently. Some can be trained to overcome eye dominance, some can not.

I am a fan of learning your weapon no matter what it is. I personally have left and right-handed weapons but practice and train mostly with the left-handed. In other words, I train left-handed with left-handed weapons for life-threatening situations such as my carry gun where muscle memory means everything but that IS MY WAY. Everyone is different.

I personally find it offensive that more weapons are not available for lefties because we generally adapt to right-handed since that is what manufacturers make. I feel that we lefties should push for more weapons made for us. My nickname in the forum illustrates the company that I support because they make left-handed weapons, even semi-custom, many times without additional fees. All of my bolt-action rifles are Savage made.

That said, I do feel that many right-handed weapons can be operated properly by lefties such as a 1911-style .45. With some extended controls and practice the operation can be smooth. However, some pistols, such as a SIG P226 are awkward and generally unfit for lefties.

Your choice but I say let your child's abilities and desires help to determine the correct path to follow.

Why not start your own company that caters to us lefties? We are a small part of the market so it is probably not feasible for them. Why is it so offensive? Could you not capitalize on this obvious opening in the market?

Oh and I can shoot my Sigs fine. I like the Decock lever and slide release right where they are.

The original poster should let his son find what suits him, just make sure he is safe with it.

 

[Zach S]

+1
I'm left handed and right eye dominant. I shoot handguns left handed, but rifles right handed. Once you learn something one way, it soon feels natural.

+1 more, kinda.

I'm right handed, left eyed... So I shoot handguns right handed and long arms left handed. I switched to the wrong shoulder several years ago after a buddy's dad suggested it. I asked if he really thought it would help, he simply replied "It cant hurt..." Went from patterns to groups like turning on a light.

I actually see it as a strength rather than a weakness - I'm right handed, and my right hand controls where the muzzle goes.

I've looked at a few left handed guns (a bolt action or two, Remington 870, Stag AR), but they're weird. I've found that most long arms aren't too bad when fired from the wrong shoulder.

Bullpups are a problem, but they balance so weird that I dont like them anyway.

 

[peyton]

I bought my son a left hand 700 and a browning bps. He commented that the shell ejection with the right handed guns distracted him so much he did not like shooting long guns. Now he has his battery and his shotgun is way more nicer than my mossberg 500!!!

 

[DNS]

Savage makes a great line of lefty bolt rifles and the accu-trigger is great.

My daughter and I are both lefty so we shoot a lot of revolvers along with pump and lever rifles too.

Semi auto pistols - not so much.

Mike

 

[.455_Hunter]

I am also a lefty and shoot a lot of revolvers. It seems to me that the typical swing out cylinder revolver is more lefty friendly than righty friendly because you reload using your "good" hand- the "dumb" just holds the gun.

The main issue I have with semi-auto pistols is when the safety is non-ambidextrous, and/or the mag release button is positioned directly under my trigger finger and vulnerable to inadvertent activation.

Other than my Stag AR-15, I don't own any lefty specific long guns.

 

[allank]

OP...I posted earlier, and am a lefty shooter...My hunting rifle is a lever action with a RH safety which is easy to operate over the top of the hammer. It is a Marlin 336XLR. I want to start my son off on a non-auto rifle because I fell he will focus more on the target than shooting fast!