Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire switching sides (right to left handed)

I need to switch from right eye & right hand dominant to left handed shooting due to health reasons, I have cancer and they put my port on the right side so I can't really have recoil impacting it.

Waiting till treatment is over is not really an option at the moment. Longer story. So I want to see if anyone has tips on switching sides for rifle and possibly shotgun shooting? I really want to go hunting with my children this year.

What I did:

Bought a left handed 22 and burned up a couple of cases of ammo.

Used my "neutral" cast Browning to burn up many cases of shotgun ammo.

Still am no where close to a dead-eye-dick from the left yet, but I am hunting birds and wild game again without thinking much about it, and varmints best beware.

Good luck in your transition to lefty.

Thought I wanted a left handed Weatherby in my mid 40's so I bought one. My right hand kept sneaking up to open that non existent right hand bolt after every shot. Get past these memory reactions and you'll be fine.

Trust your eyes and brain. Don't second guess. It's awkward but very doable

Had to learn how to shoot lefty when I smashed my right hand while in the military back around mid 90's.

I have/had cancer as well. When they put the port in I asked for them to put it on the left side. While I was out, the S.O.B. put it on the right. Currently I'm in a wait and see situation. Wait and see if I'm free or if they will have to go to surgery.

I didn't have much trouble switching from right hand shooting to left. I taught myself many years agoJust something I can't do in a hurry It did come in handy on several deer hunts when I couldn't move around without being seen by the deer.

Good luck one the transition plus an added prayer you beat that cancer.
PJ

First, very sorry to hear of your affliction. I sincerely hope that you make a full and speedy recovery, and I hope you make those hunting trips.

I wish I could offer advice on the R to L transition.

I can easily shoot handguns left handed, as I am right eye dominant anyway. But can not even imagine using a long gun left handed. Hell, I can hardly operate a fork or spoon with my left hand.

Good Luck! Sincerely. Heck, go hunting with the kids and enjoy the hell out of it, even if you are not able to operate a firearm at the time.

Simply practice! The more time you spend doing it, the better you will be. We sometimes have a family gathering where we do some shooting with 22’s on “spinner targets”! Eventually, the competition ends up with everyone shooting from the weak side! memtb

Super

I'm right handed,left eye dominate. I shoot right hand bolt guns left handed.
Just reach over the top and work the bolt.
This past winter I started working on a left hand M70 for my grandson.
In the evenings while watching TV I worked the bolt left handed to smooth
up the action. After awhile it became a lot more natural.
Just practice.

You could try hunting with a hand gun.
Over the years some people have had cross over stocks made.
Don't forget to post pictures of your successes.

Hal

Geez - I have cancer, am right hand/eye dominant, have a port on right side, and have been shooting rifle and shotgun right handed, with the port, for about a year. Was never told not to shoot right handed with a port. All has been just fine.

I learned to shoot rifles both right and left handed when I broke my right collar bone. It took some time to feel proficient left handed. Just burn up a couple thousand rounds and you'll be fine. 22lr makes it affordable!

Practice, practice, practice.

It's a lot easier to do when you are 12.

Where they actually put my port I'm worried about sholdering a gun quickly and hurting it. I've already had a few instances just picking up heavy/long things that hit it and caused me a lot of pain so this seems like an easier way.

Maybe time to get a 22lr barrel for the encore and a left handed/neutral rifle stock and just burn up some 22s.

I switched years ago. After the first season everything fell into place. I am right handed and shoot lefty. Work the bolt with my right hand.

Son as born left handed, indicated early on he wanted to join the military to be a pilot. So started a Micky Mantle training program, if you have ever read his bio, his dad taught him to bat, off handed, so he became a switch hitter. So long story, short, the son could shoot into the same group with both hands by 12, at 14 was the FL state IHMSA Junior champion. His partner, and spotter was PJJohn, John Lackios,a PJ Legend. So son went through the Pipeline and became a PJ.

Easiest way to start training, is a pirate patch for the right eye. A neutral stock, or a cast on stock for the left eye. Handgun is practice and more practice. A 22 rifle is a good place to start with close targets so you can see the impact and adjust. Once you get the left eye down, start with the lead estimating for moving targets then the shotgun, remove the patch for use of both eyes.

Have done it on multi occasions nothin long range good luck with ur illness👍

Sure glad I'm both right handed and right eye dominant.

My wife is left handed, but right eye dominate. She learned how to shoot right handed, as all of their rifles/shotguns at the time were right handed and lefties were and still are difficult to get!

She’s pretty darn good with a rifle! 😉 memtb

I learned to shoot either way when I was a kid.

I’m having this debate now with interventional radiology
Supposed to get a port in Friday

I do NOT want a port on my right shoulder, I’m making them do a pre-emptive vascular ultrasound of my left pectoral to make sure.

If not, then to hell with it they can stick me 5,6,7 times in the arm to get an iV.

Got to sack up and demand what you want. These ass holes want it their way because they mostly like working on the side they are conveniently used to.

Practice,practice,practice.

I am right handed,right eye dominate and when spending time with an Uncle on a golf course i learned to play left handed.

Sucked at first but got better.

Learned to throw a cast net by a 80 year old man that owned a trawl company still throw lefty and coil rope left handed.

The shooting came because of a shot that i could have had but i did not know how it would work.

Now if it calls for it it's easy.

22 sounds like the perfect type to learn,then move up.

Yup, practice. Lost my right eye 3 years ago. Sucks but I'm getting better

Start with something low recoiling, and off the bench. Like a 22. Then progress to practicing offhand from the weak side. Again, with something low recoiling. If you have a .410 and like shotgunning, that would be a good place to start. Work into it, and you will realize and accept your limitations. I know I have mine, from the weak side. Good luck and beat that cancer!!!

I don't have any advice for you on switching but I will tell you this,

Kick cancers Ass!! Kick it all the way back to hell where it belongs.

I shoot left handed, play cricket and attempt tennis left-handed. I prefer to use manual saw, chisels left handed.

But can use my right hand. I think I am right master eye but sight in left eye is worse than right eye. I wear contact lenses.

Long way of saying it is doable. I learnt to drive on a manual shift / stock gearbox. Wife prefers automatics so all family vehicles are automatic. Sometimes I find myself trying to shift gear manually.

Like others have stated, lots of practice and develop a new muscle memory.

I write with my right hand due to school.

Best of luck.

I don’t have cancer but do have a port on the right side…. It gets used 3x’s a week for about 3 years now. I never really shot a lot of big kickers but since the port, I shoot mostly 223 and a AR-9. I just make sure to keep the butt of the rifle a little more of to the side instead of directly in my shoulder pocket…. It ain’t perfect but I make the best of it.

I also took it as an opportunity to get better with my handguns….. I’m actually getting ready to scope a revolver and start practicing for longer range big hunting.

I didn’t know it was an option at the time, but for sure get it on the left side if possible.

I have shot several deer lefthanded because of where they showed up. I didn't feel like I could turn my body without spooking them. Shot one lefthanded last year. Doesn't seem like a big deal with a scoped rifle.

I'm Trying my tumors are shrinking, next week is round 12 of chemo its working but it's gonna take awhile.

My problem is my port is already in and I am a recoil junkie as it doesn't bother me at all. I want to shoot some larger calibers so that is why I was thinking about switching sides. Still would be able to shoot larger calibers left handed.

I’d get the port swapped sides. That’s just me.

I’ve got my people on notice if fluoroscopy does not reveal a patent route on my left, back me out and revive me. No deal. I’ll take my lumps witu the 179 year old coke bottle glasses iv specialty technician.

Im on my 7 infusion of Keytruda as a mono-therapy via iv infusions. I had a bad time 2 weeks back, low volumetric vascular hence my port order.

Best to you

I’ve already got a 2-lumen cvc on the right side but it’s coming out soon. My vascular doc said 1-ounce loads would be ok for doves but not to go to Argentina 😃.

I was very restrained this past fall having my Savage 10ml-II, I wasn’t gonna pop any cap unless 130 or better whitetail. Didnt have to test that. lol
Didnt need any nasty ass deer meat noway

Fuggin picc lines suck…. Had one in each arm for about a year before I complained enough to get the port put in…. I was so happy to not have any tubes hanging out of me that I didn’t give a chit what side my port was on lol.

I went from left-handed archery to right-handed when an astute instructor noticed I was right eye dominant at about age 25. Awkward at first, but with significant improvement within just a couple days. Had to overcome muscle memory which is relatively easy, while the strength development took about a week.

One might have to go the closed eye or patch route due to your right eye dominance though. Given the time available for rifle shots that might be easy. Scatter gunning though might be more of a challenge.

Good luck,

Well, I am terminally right handed.
When I had an implant on my right shoulder, I was looking at having to convert on nearly everything I did.
I tried! I really did! May as well tried knitting with boxing gloves on.
Doc finally told me the shoulder could handle medium to light recoil. No more heavy 12 gauge loads or magnum rifles.
Not a problem! I'm a recoil weenie anyway.
For a rifle, I chose an AR in 6.8mm Rem SPC. It has performed perfectly....so far! Coyotes, feral hogs and deer!
The shotgun was an antique Rem "Sportsman" in 16 gauge.
I wouldn't want to spend a day on a trap/skeet range, but one round of trap OR skeet would be "doable"!

Long ago, I watched a "Monster Bucks" tape. MLB pitcher, Ben something, was a bow hunter. He pitched left handed, but shot his bow right handed. To overcome the dominant eye, he wore an eyepatch on his left eye. Worked for him.

Atta Boy!!