shooting a right hand gun left handed

[chuck-ia]

My great nephew called and wanted to go shooting, so we went out yesterday and shot my right hand lancaster style flintlock. He started out shooting right handed, had kind of a different stance, maybe like he was shooting trap but was shooting pretty good, (first time with a flintlock) probably better than me, so I kept my mouth shut about giving advice at this point. Then he said maybe I should try shooting left hand, this time his stance looked pretty normal and shot better, he was knocking down prarie dog targets every time at 50 yards, 3 out of 4 at 70 yards offhand. I have a right hand GPR in  (percussion) I would gladly give him, but am thinking maybe he would be better off with a left hand gun. I guess what I am getting at is, do any of you shoot a right hand gun left handed? chuck

[Dave Faletti]

Biggest issue is with cap fragments or fouling getting into an eye.  Whether or not its an issue depends on the breach and lock design.  Fit of the rifle is the only other issue.  Nice to use a lefty gun for a left handed person if you can.

[FRJ]

I'm left handed and shoot that way but years ago my first M/L flintlock was a rt handed rifle. It was ok but with a caplock I'd be worried about the pieces of cap going in my eyes. If possible get him a L/H rifle. FRJ

[SCLoyalist]

Whether shooting a RH gun right or left handed, safety glasses are always a good idea.   I'm not sure there is any significantly greater danger of debris in the eye shooting 'wrong' handed -  people shot, and still shoot, double barrels in perc and flint all the time, without harm.     I'd be more fearful of flying debris if shooting a percussion gun than a flinter - a flinter is going to vent outboard from 10 to 14 inches forward of the eyes; a percussion nipple is going to fragment radially around a nipple which is angled back towards the shooter.  Either could get you, but I'd rather take my chances with the geometry of the  flint gun, and improve my chances by having safety glasses between me and the ignition.

One issue that comes to mind that might affect form in trying to shoot a RH gun left handed is the cheekpiece and any cast to the stock.  And, is his right or left eye dominant?

Maybe a couple of more outings to the range trying the GPR and a LH gun, if you can borrow one, is in order before deciding what to go with.

Good luck, SCL

[Bob Roller]

Shooting a right hand flintlock would be no different than me shooting the left side of a flintlock double barrel. I would think a caplock with the possibility of hot cap fragments would be a bigger threat than anything a flintlock could do.

Bob Roller

[chuck-ia]

I did make him wear glasses and hearing protection. Next time over we will probably try the GPR. In the meantime I may poke around a bit and try to find a trade for a left hand gun. Course he thought shooting the flintlock was great fun, and now wants me to take him deer hunting this fall, (he is allready making plans). thanks, chuck

[Don Getz]

Did you ever see a left hand antique kentucky rifle?     I have shot guns that had the flintlock on the left side, no problem.
To a new shooter shooting a flintlock for the first time is rather exciting, having that mini explosion right in front of your
eyes.  After shooting these things for a while you learn to ignore this and do what you are supposed to do......concentrate
on the sights and target..........Don

[Roger Fisher]

Did you ever see a left hand antique kentucky rifle?     I have shot guns that had the flintlock on the left side, no problem.
To a new shooter shooting a flintlock for the first time is rather exciting, having that mini explosion right in front of your
eyes.  After shooting these things for a while you learn to ignore this and do what you are supposed to do......concentrate
on the sights and target..........Don

After shooting a flinter for a while and your zone of sight is that frt sight and that target you don't even see the lock flash.....

I recall years ago at Blue Ridge Rifles a shooter was shooting a right handed flinter lefty and was nutzing at the lock on the line with the lock close to his chest.  Rifle fired and burn't a nice hole in his tee shirt and some in his hide.

[Don Tripp]

I shoot left handed. All of my first guns were right handed including a percussion Hawken. If I had not been born cross eye dominant I might have never built a rifle. I couldn't find a left handed longrifle that I could afford on a high schooler's budget so I made a rifle. The most important thing is to get out and shoot though, if he has the rifle and enjoys shooting it, he will probably switch to a left handed rifle later but having that first gun is important.

[BrownBear]

I have a right hand GPR in  (percussion) I would gladly give him, but am thinking maybe he would be better off with a left hand gun. I guess what I am getting at is, do any of you shoot a right hand gun left handed? chuck

My first rifle was right handed GPR capper, and it was a non-issue.  Never had a cap fragment go anywhere it shouldn't.  I still shoot a lot of right handed cappers, but I'm pretty leery of right handed flinters.  The flash doesn't bother me, but the flint chards in my face are an issue.  The little bitty flakes are scary enough, but the big old chunk that imbedded under my right eye when a flint shattered sealed the deal for me.

If I was buying a flinter for him, sure I'd buy him a lefty GPR with all happiness. If I was buying a capper I wouldn't be too concerned. Same for gifting a rifle you already own.

[Jim Thomas]

I'm a lefty and the same thing happened to me Roger..way back in the 70's when I first started.   Tried to muffle the sound of the click so a deer wouldn't hear it.           Sure teaches respect....and the value of a frizzen stall.       

I've taught myself to shoot off each either shoulder.  I'm equally as comfortable either way.    Have always stayed with a RH lock.    Built a short LOP, late season flinter left handed with a RH lock.    As Don says, once you get used to it.....

Teaching myself to use either shoulder was easier than teaching myself to  load and fiddle with all the accoutrements with the opposite hand or the shooting pouch relocated.       

[northmn]

I used to shoot a few right ahnd percussions lefty in matches and used a Brown Bess for Rondy trap events.  Later built a right handed musket that fit me to replace the Bess as no suitable LH locks were available.  Basically at shooting events one should wear glasses period.  I build my guns lefty now, as they just work a little better as RH does for right handers.  You are supposed to wear shooting glasses when shooting any firearm, historic or modern.  I admit I do not always do so, but I should.

DP

[Stormrider51]

I'm a lefty and I don't think there were any left handed locks available when I started shooting BP in the late 1950's.  At least I never had a rifle with one.  Percussion locks always seemed to tattoo my right forearm with debris and that's probably a big reason I developed an early preference for flinters.  I learned to ignore the flash from the pan easier than tolerating the increasing pain in my forearm caused by cap debris.  Getting my first lefty flinter was a revelation.  So THIS is what it should be like!  I still haven't owned a lefty percussion but like I said, I developed an early preference for rock locks and have never seen the need for anything else.  If you are going to have a lefty shoot a right handed percussion you might want to provide him with some sort of protection for that right forearm.  I used a leather bracer like that used by archers for a while.  Better still, get him a left handed gun.  He will thank you for it in the end.

Storm

[Daryl]

I  Basically at shooting events one should wear glasses period.  I build my guns lefty now, as they just work a little better as RH does for right handers.  You are supposed to wear shooting glasses when shooting any firearm, historic or modern.  I admit I do not always do so, but I should.
DP

Absolutely!  If you have to wear primitive eyewear, have the lenses replaced with safety lenses and wear those - at least they offer SOME protection, even though too small in my opinion.  I used to wear normal shooting glasses - NAY - HAD to wear them to shoot a flintlock without tightly squinching my eyeballs shut. Later when I found I actually needed glasses to see, I found I always had my eye protection with me - on my face.  Shooting glasses are better than non-prescription, safety eye gasses if not needed for vision acuity, as good shooting glasses sharpen the target and the sights - better accuracy should be the result.

[northmn]

As to percussions spitting on the forearm.  I used to use those little cups around the nipple that also prevented corrosion to the barrel and stock.  They eliminated any issues on the forearm.

DP

[BrownBear]

As to percussions spitting on the forearm.  I used to use those little cups around the nipple that also prevented corrosion to the barrel and stock.  They eliminated any issues on the forearm.

DP

Bolsters are bad for that, and I've had to resort to the flash guards, too.  Snail style breeches aren't an issue for me.

The easy answer for me in the whole right/left hand question is to hand a lefty flinter to one of my righty friends who say it doesn't matter.  They hate them.  End of story.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

There is a rifle in Kindigs book that is a right hand rifle with a left hand flintlock. So I would say that the most important thing is the shape of the rifle, where the cheekpiece is and if it has cast off or not. Apparently where the lock is as far as shooting is, is not that important.

[Jim Thomas]

As to percussions spitting on the forearm.  I used to use those little cups around the nipple that also prevented corrosion to the barrel and stock.  They eliminated any issues on the forearm.

DP

Bolsters are bad for that, and I've had to resort to the flash guards, too.  Snail style breeches aren't an issue for me.

The easy answer for me in the whole right/left hand question is to hand a lefty flinter to one of my righty friends who say it doesn't matter.  They hate them.  End of story.

I remember the first shotgun I had.  The safety was positioned for a righty....but I made it work.   Give a righty a left handed safety and listen.     Left handed people make many adjustments and I think they are more inclined to accept them as being a non barrier.   

[John A. Stein]

I'm a lefty and shot a right hand percussion drum and nipple rifle for years before I made a lefty Flint. I wore long sleeve shirts in cool weather, but when it was short-sleeve weather I got tattooed. The brass cups just redirected the cap flash to my face. I took a hint from the flash guards for flint rifles. I cut a strip from a soda can and punched a hole for the nipple and protected my arm and rifle stock from the cap flash. You can do trial and error to determine the size and shape of the guard. There are plenty of soda and beer cans around to provide material for unlimited trials and errors.

[George Sutton]

I have no issues with shooting a left handed gun off my right shoulder, other than castoff. For people who have issues with the flash it may be the way to go. Sometimes you wonder why they put the lock on the right side.

Centershot.

[William Worth]

I bought a used (but like new) left handed .54 T/C at Friendship one year.  I am left eyed and right handed.  For reasons I cannot explain, it actually shoots right on when shot left handed, but is uniformly off when I try to fire it right handed.  Both are off of the bench and using the same sight picture.

I am still unable to make myself feel "correct" shooting left handed after all these years shooting right handed and closing my left eye.   

[chuck-ia]

The boy wants to come over and shoot Sunday, I am going to give the gpr to him. What fun is shooting a gun that is not yours? Will see how he gets along with it, am betting it will work just fine. I really enjoy helping out a youngster, (especially a relative) who has an interest in muzzleloading, and will do what I can to get him off to a good start. I was pretty impressed the first time he came over, he loved the shooting, but was allso interested in the cleaning process. Will probably set him up with a bag and such too. Anyway we'll see how it goes. Thanks for all the advice. chuck

[Stormrider51]

Way to go, Chuck.  The future of muzzleloading belongs to the kids and every one of them we can win away from reality TV and video games is a victory.  A victory for us and also for them one day when they look back.  Giving him his own rifle, right or left handed, is the best thing you could do.  As I said earlier, I shot right handed guns off my left shoulder for a very long time.  I'm sure he will do fine.

Storm

[chuck-ia]

Gave the rifle to the boy today, went shooting and he got along fine with the gun. Allso another nephew called and wanted to go shooting, (both boys just graduated from high school) (I gave him a youth cva rifle 6 years ago). I did not take a gun along to shoot, but to supervise. Things went really well, especially the safe gun handling part. Had one dry ball, and one double load, actually glad that happened, to show how to pull a ball, and once to dribble powder in the nipple hole and shoot the ball out, most important to stress the loaded mark on the ram rod. Sent them both home with a little powder and a bag, balls, patches and such. The one nephew pretty much out grew the youth rifle but will leave it up to him  to upgrade. Went through the whole cleaning routine on both guns. I think both can shoot on their own now. Looking forward to the next time one or both come over, will take a gun and shoot with them. chuck

[heelerau]

I am trying to do the same across the pond here, my daughter quite happily shoots the Lancaster,  bit more time on the loading and cleaning. She has not shot a britch loading brass mangler and will try and keep it that way. Ver hard to find youngsters interested in any type of shooting. even harder with bp. Good on ya mate !!

Cheers

Gordon