About to become left handed for awhile... SASS shooting?

[Monster Zero]

I've recently found out that I'm going to become left handed for awhile. Awhile as in for a number of months... Not by choice, but for better or for worse, because of rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder.

So, I'm going thru the list of all the things I can do while I'm learning to be left handed.

Left handed walking, left handed reading, left handed cooking, left handed playing chess on the internet, left handed learning un pocito mas el espanol, left handed getting caught up on some bookkeeping, left handed reloading... some other stuff too, not shooting related.

How about some left handed shooting? Hmm, what would be fun and different from anything I've ever done before? How about left handed SASS shooting in my local SASS organization?

Now an open topic for conversation, particularly in what kind of cool single action revolvers would I get to go buy now that I'll have the excuse, and how to properly utilize them doing the SASS thing?

 

[rpenmanparker]

What’s SASS?

In any case weak hand shooting is really unremarkable. It is so easy even I can do it. As long as I am allowed to use my dominant side eye, I shoot nearly as well shooting with one hand as the other. And I am totally uncoordinated. No ambidexterity of other kinds at all. Too bad I can’t close my dominant side eye and use the weak side one or else I could shoot totally from the weak side.

 

[bullseye308]

You won’t be fanning a sixgun with one hand. Practice wiping, dressing, and writing left handed beforehand and see what you are in for.

 

[Riomouse911]

Single Action Shooting Society...Cowboy Action Shooting with single-action revolvers, lever guns, SxS shotguns, etc. from the "western" era.

Gonna be tough to load your guns...I can't image how you're going to operate or reload them with a bum wing during a timed stage...but you never know, you may just become a much better shooter for it...

 

[huntsman]

My condolences sir, I’m lefty and wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

When shooting support hand I was told to move eye to gun, odd because it seemed more natural to move gun to eye. Good luck

 

[CraigC]

Shooting is easy enough and will just take practice. The real trick is to learn how to operate the ejector with one hand. Of course, this is with the right.

 

[ATLDave]

Shooting passably well wrong-handed is far, far easier than learning to write or throw a ball (with any authority) left-handed. Shooting doesn't require a huge amount of dexterity or coordination of a "kinetic chain"... you're just trying to keep a firm grip and move one finger (or even just one joint of one finger) in isolation. Recoil control will be worse, but that's true for one-handed shooting with your dominant hand, too. If your non-dominant hand is materially weaker (in terms of actual, measurable strength), then that will be something to work on.

The biggest challenge is learning to trust and overcome the inherent discomfort/fear of doing something really serious (like shooting) with your less-good hand. It's mainly psychological.

Some of the "practical" pistol games occasionally require "weak handed" shooting. It doesn't feel great, and relatively few people really enjoy it, but it's not some really, really onerous thing. Get a good grip. Point the gun at the target. Align the sights. Pull the trigger straight to the rear while keeping the sights aligned. Same as any other shooting.

 

[Sistema1927]

The revolver shooting is easy with your left hand. Rifle and shotgun will be a different story.

Loading will require some assistance as well.

Fanning? Not in SASS unless something has changed in the rules.

 

[J-Bar]

Go to a SASS match near you. Some of the members will overwhelm you trying to loan you guns to shoot. Don't buy ANYTHING until you go to a match. It is an easy game to fall in love with; you don't know what category of cowboy you are yet. And frequently SASS shooters have guns for sale; you can probably try and buy at a match. If there is a SASS state championship match or Regional championship match nearby that you can attend, please do so. There will be vendors there selling new and used guns, shotguns and rifles in addition to revolvers.

SASS targets are big and close at most clubs. You can have quick success shooting weak-handed at SASS, probably faster than bullseye competition.

Here is a link to a list of SASS clubs in each state. Click on your state and the ones nearby to find the club's website and shooting schedule:

https://www.sassnet.com/clubs/

Here is a link to the Shooter's Handbook. It provides a lot of useful information about firearms, rules, etc.:

https://www.sassnet.com/Downloads/Shooters Handbook Vers 22_3.pdf

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Gonna be tough to load your guns...I can't image how you're going to operate or reload them with a bum wing during a timed stage...but you never know, you may just become a much better shooter for it...

Howdy

I can't remember the last time we had to reload on the clock. Loading is done at the loading table, not on the clock. Of course it does help to have two hands.

The toughest thing you will encounter is if you shoot a Marlin, the empties will be ejecting in front of you, since they all eject to the right. Choose a Winchester style rifle and it won't matter, they all eject straight out the top.

 

[Varminterror]

You won’t be fanning a sixgun with one hand.

You won’t be fanning a sixgun in SASS/CAS, so that’s not a concern.

I’m a strong proponent of ambidextrous handgunning, and by extension, longgunning also. If you can’t run a handgun with both hands, now is a great opportunity to learn. Running the rifle left handed with open sights will likely be the bigger adaptation for you, if you are truly right eye dominant.

 

[doubleh]

Been there, done that, got the tee shirt, for both hands. Trust me when I say you are going to find wiping a certain part of your anatomy and brushing your teeth to be a much greater problem than shooting for a considerable length of time. About the time you have learned to do these things with your off hand then you will be able go back to using the right hand again.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Being cross dominate, left eye - right hand, as I am is an advantage. I shoot left handed primarily but can easily switch to right with either handguns or long guns. I have on numerous occasions shot game right handed because it required the least amount of movement to make the shot.
Weak hand practice emphasizes a focus on form and technique helping reinforce good shooting habits.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
It isn't that difficult to learn to shoot left handed.
About 15 years I had a stress fracture in my right wrist and under doctor's orders I wasn't to use my right hand for an entire shooting season.
By the time that spring and summer had passed I was shooting quite well left handed.
I can still hit a clay bird at 25 yards left handed without much difficulty.

 

[gotboostvr]

I shot an IDPA match with a guy that made masters CDP (shooting a 45 1911) both right, and (after a surgery on his right shoulder) left handed.

You can do it too, it'll be easier to learn a second time.

 

[340PD]

Having done both rotator cuff's in the same summer, I can assure you you will not nearly be as handicapped as you imagine. Your shooting will be one handed for quite awhile but sleeping will be your biggest concern for a month or two. Get a chair you can remain asleep for more than 6 hours without becoming uncomfortable. Do your PT and continue it. I was 68 at the ttime and one year after surgery on my first shoulder I bought a compound bow, set it at 56#, resumed golf, and never looked back.
The positive side of this, you will get great training in offhand shooting, a skill too many people ignore.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

I've recently found out that I'm going to become left handed for awhile. Awhile as in for a number of months... Not by choice, but for better or for worse, because of rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder.

So, I'm going thru the list of all the things I can do while I'm learning to be left handed.

Left handed walking, left handed reading, left handed cooking, left handed playing chess on the internet, left handed learning un pocito mas el espanol, left handed getting caught up on some bookkeeping, left handed reloading... some other stuff too, not shooting related.

How about some left handed shooting? Hmm, what would be fun and different from anything I've ever done before? How about left handed SASS shooting in my local SASS organization?

Now an open topic for conversation, particularly in what kind of cool single action revolvers would I get to go buy now that I'll have the excuse, and how to properly utilize them doing the SASS thing?

Here is a thought. With a gun or guns of your choice, shoot a few targets left handed and save them. After a few months of your involuntary left handedness
shoot the same guns and targets to check your progress.

 

[Hertzer]

I understand what your going through had a similar experience a with post surgery forced arm change. Took something like 10 days of serious practice shooting lefty to get comfortable with it. I managed at lest to get through the postal league matches without embarrassing myself. Scores were lower but where improving with each week.

 

[H&R Glock]

Fear not! your dexterity will return in time. We left handers with right handed rifles, will never heal.