AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: Kurt on August 20, 2025, 07:26:14 PM
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Has anyone done this, and is the flash of the pan on the left side more disruptive than on the right? Thanks.
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I have shoot this way since the 1960's. You WATCH YOUR SIGHTS not the frizzen, it is common for new flintlock shooters to pull the trigger and there eye follows the frizzen, DOES MAKE any difference whether you shoot left or right.
The biggest problem is making sure that the rifle has NO cast off, this throws the recoil into your cheek.
Straight Butt stock.
Carney
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Got macular degeneration so been doing it that way for about 5 years. No big problems.
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Excellent point about "cast off", I hadn't thought of that.
Interesting smylee. You are shooting right-handed with a left-hand flintlock, and that helps? Macular degeneration is when a kind of haze forms in the center of your focal point, right?
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I have shot RH rifles left-handed for years with no problem. The bridge of your nose blocks the flash. Once upon a time Houston Harrison came to a match saying he had to borrow a LH rifle to shoot in the match. I told him he would like it, because the flash was blocked. Later he grinned and said I was right.
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I just had wrist surgery on my left wrist and I shoot Left handed any ideas how this can work somehow I need a crossover stock any help appreciated
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hortonstn. If you mean how to make shooting left-handed with right eye dominance, use shooting glasses with a piece of transparent tape placed at the focal point of your right eye and it should shift the focus to your left. Theoretically.
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Hi Kurt, actually my right eye is the bad one so I shoot a right hand gun left hand. No problem on my 58 & 62 but my 66 has alot more cast and I tend to cant with that rifle
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Has anyone done this, and is the flash of the pan on the left side more disruptive than on the right? Thanks.
What flash ? Didn't know there was a flash. I have shot LH & RH rifles for Years & never let it bother
me. I test shoot every rifle I build & of them, I have built prob a dozen LH rifles. About a 15
to 1 ratio I guess. I like hunting with a LH because the lock is usually against my belly & less chance
getting the pan damp in wet weather. I suppose it is had Allot of cast off it could be a issue. But it has never bothered me. Besides, if the flash Really bothers you, you will never shoot a flintlock good anyway.
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I have shot the left and right barrels of a SXS flintlock and was not bothered by the left side lock.A high flash "fence" on a high end lock was a help.
Bob Roller
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Thanks for the feedback, gentleman.
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Black Powder Maniac Shooter, Mark Humphries, shoots left handed with right handed flintlocks all the time. Check out his videos.
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A few years ago, I acquired a l/h 12 ga. trade gun. This year was its maiden run for me. I had no problems with it. Like has been said, you should be looking down the barrel, not at the lock. I would have said sights, but since it has none, I said barrel.
A bonus for me was that since I carry my pouch and horn on my left side, it made priming the lock quite easy.
Aside: I forgot to put my primer in my pouch so I had to prime with my main horn. I was using up some Fg powder and the gun went off just as fast as I imagine it would have with Ffffg.
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I shoot a left hand fowler right handed and I shoot it better than my right hand fowlers.
Nit Wit
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Thank you to everyone for your replies and experiences, which are just what I was looking for. Kurt
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The only problem I’ve encountered with shooting a left hand flintlock right handed is some locks don’t shield the area forward of the lock very well. I’ve got a nice permanent tattoo from shooting a lefty right handed.
Hungry Horse
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The only problem I’ve encountered with shooting a left hand flintlock right handed is some locks don’t shield the area forward of the lock very well. I’ve got a nice permanent tattoo from shooting a lefty right handed.
Hungry Horse
That reminded me of a time when a fellow bet me I couldn't get my Bess to fire upside down. So, I loaded it, primed it and rolled it upside down. I then proceeded to fire it. I should have shot it left handed if I would have thought about it. But no, I was just too anxious to prove the guy wrong. What happened? Well, when it went off, it felt like a mule had kicked the inside of my left bicep. And my sleeve was smoking. The vent was even with my arm. The tattoo has long since faded but I did carry it for several years.
John
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Bigsmoke, That one sounds like it belongs in the thread about mishaps! ;)