Shooting a 25 year old virgin...

[tallpaul]

So back in the eighties dad and I ordered twin Shilohs.... they came in 1991... dad could not buy his so I bought both. I have not shot either Sharps until today. I loaded up 50 rounds- on a Dillon 550 I bought and had never used from about the same time period and went to the match. I got 14 out of 20- I could not see the front sight hardly at all and missed all 5 chickens at about the 230 meter mark and missed one ram... the chickens are the wee lil ones the furthest back
I am afraid I need to get some better sights for this old girl. I could not "see" the post and the ladder sight was close but a soule type is going to be acquired. It was fun and what a quality rifle she is... 45-70

 

[tallpaul]

 

[Catpop]

Sounds like same problem I have- aging eyes!
I'm right handed. Mine got so bad, I now now left eye dominant. I've all but given up iron sight rifles! And It's just not natural to me to shoot left handed.
However I can shoot right handed left eye dominant fine!
Best of luck!

 

[tallpaul]

 

[Mr. Hill]

That's a beautiful rifle, and you did well shooting it. 230 is long distance! IMHO.

 

[Steve S.]

I have a SS Hartford in 45-70 that I do not shoot a lot because it is sighted in at 100 yards (for deer hunting) and nothing ever changes - it has a hooded front and Vernier tang which barely serves the needs of my 63 year old eyes. At twilight, forget it and in bright daylight, I can do 2 - 3 inch groups at 100 yards (WW brass and primers, 405 gr. LFN, 36.5 grs. 3031). It is fun for hunting and certainly accurate enough for MO deer. I will use the thing as long as I can see well enough then move on to one of my scoped rifles. If you can avoid it, do not age. Good shooting.

 

[1KPerDay]

However I can shoot right handed left eye dominant fine!

How does that work with rifles?

 

[22250Rem]

Your thread title is certainly thought provoking.

........ I agree...... But I can't believe how long it took to get one to the range. Especially a classic rifle like that in 45-70 which is also something you'd likely never wear out in your lifetime. Not only is it a classic design but it's absolutely gorgeous as well. I can sure relate to the iron sights / aging issues. I still use irons but they just aren't as sharp as they were "back in the day". If I had one of those I'd be looking at some sort of aperture, adjustable, rear sight which are invaluable for many older shooters, myself included. One of those could allow you to enjoy the heck out of that thing for years to come. Have fun with it.

 

[eastbank]

I shoot a pedersoli 74 target repo sharps with soli target rear and a globe with a bubble level front sight. I have shot the snot out of it with nothing but cast lead bullets and after thousands of shots I have never had a problem and your rifle is a much better made rifle. the shotgun butt and pistol grip will help with recoil. eastbank.

 

[LoneGoose]

Beautiful rifle. Try seebettershootbetter.com

For a glasses-mounted aperture. That will help you to see the front sight very well.

 

[entropy]

How does that work with rifles?

There are two ways of doing it; one is free, the other, very expensive, and can be painful. The free way is use the right eye, accepting it's limitations. the other way is put a sinistral stock on the rifle. it has some 'extreme' cast-off to allow the butt to be on the right shoulder, but the barrel aligns with the left eye. I shoot mostly right handed even though I'm left-eye dominant. Back when I started, you shot right handed or else. I have since learned to shoot rifle, pistol, and shotgun left-handed-though not because I'm left-eye dominant, just for practicality's sake.

 

[RussellC]

How does that work with rifles?

Works great for me. Everyone is wired a little differently, even cross dominant folks. Some people a ambidextrous. Some do everything well with either hand, some do some tasks right handed, some left handed. Right handed left eye dominant works for me.

With handguns, while I hold them right handed, I bring the sights up to my left eye and leave both eyes open. For me it works. Lord knows numerous people have told me I "need to shoot left handed to do any good." What a load, Ive been shooting most of my 61 years, and "no, I dont." Maybe some, if not most folks in my situation should, but Im telling you, there are no hard and fast rules for this sort of thing.

Wired differently,
Russellc

 

[1KPerDay]

Works great for me. Everyone is wired a little differently, even cross dominant folks. Some people a ambidextrous. Some do everything well with either hand, some do some tasks right handed, some left handed. Right handed left eye dominant works for me.

With handguns, while I hold them right handed, I bring the sights up to my left eye and leave both eyes open. For me it works. Lord knows numerous people have told me I "need to shoot left handed to do any good." What a load, Ive been shooting most of my 61 years, and "no, I dont." Maybe some, if not most folks in my situation should, but Im telling you, there are no hard and fast rules for this sort of thing.

Wired differently,
Russellc

Yes, but how do you shoot a RIFLE "right handed but left eye dominant"? I am also right handed and left eye dominant and shoot handguns righty, sighting with my left eye. I can shoot well enough, and usually place top 15% in local IDPA and USPSA type matches and have won a couple. I shoot long guns left shoulder/left eye, and can shoot well enough. But the OP sounded like he was shooting a rifle from the right side but using his left eye. Which I couldn't envision.

 

[Sunray]

"...loaded up 50 rounds..." You have to work up the load jus like any other rifle. And you have to know where the thing shoots at the distances. Really don't think you'd get a stock like that these days. At least not without selling an organ.
"...right handed but left eye dominant..." Same as you do a hand gun.
"...If you can avoid it, do not age..." Amen. snicker.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

Shooting a 25 year old virgin? Come on now. Just because you're no good with the ladies doesn't mean you deserve to be shot...

There are two ways of doing it; one is free, the other, very expensive, and can be painful. The free way is use the right eye, accepting it's limitations. the other way is put a sinistral stock on the rifle. it has some 'extreme' cast-off to allow the butt to be on the right shoulder, but the barrel aligns with the left eye. I shoot mostly right handed even though I'm left-eye dominant. Back when I started, you shot right handed or else. I have since learned to shoot rifle, pistol, and shotgun left-handed-though not because I'm left-eye dominant, just for practicality's sake.

Why wouldn't you just shoot it from the left shoulder?

I am in the same boat--right handed, but extremely left eye dominant. To the point where I can't wink or focus through just my right eye. If I try to use a peep sight from the right shoulder I end up just looking down left side of rifle. There is no way for me to look through the peep with my right eye, in any capacity. I first started shooting centerfire rifles around age ten. My grandpa noticed one day when I was shooting the pre-Ranch Mini-14 I used to take my first deer two years later that I was canting my head over the stock trying to see through aperture with my left eye. He told me to safe the rifle, then pulled it over to my left shoulder and said "try that." The rest is history. I've shot everything from single shot rifles to the M249 SAW left handed. Just curious why it would be more practical to get custom stocks and such when it could be as easy as just mounting the rifle on the other shoulder?

 

[RussellC]

Yes, but how do you shoot a RIFLE "right handed but left eye dominant"? I am also right handed and left eye dominant and shoot handguns righty, sighting with my left eye. I can shoot well enough, and usually place top 15% in local IDPA and USPSA type matches and have won a couple. I shoot long guns left shoulder/left eye, and can shoot well enough. But the OP sounded like he was shooting a rifle from the right side but using his left eye. Which I couldn't envision.

Oh, I didn't catch that....I don't see how that works either, but who knows!

Russellc

 

[tallpaul]

"...loaded up 50 rounds..." You have to work up the load jus like any other rifle. And you have to know where the thing shoots at the distances. .

Well I did load 50 rounds and shoot them.. it was an old reliable load across the board load and one of the guys at the shoot recommended it to start so I did... you shoot spotters before you shoot for score so that helped. It did good enough to get me started I never claimed it was an end to a search either nor that I cleaned the targets all the first time out