Anybody Switch hands?

kevinpagano · Post by **kevinpagano** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:38 am

I have a eye problem that seems to be getting worse. The crosshairs are a constant wavy line and the dot is disfigured. I have been contemplating switching to shoot left handed. Has anyone had to do this. I am wondering what challenges I will be up against in doing so.

Bob259 · Post by **Bob259** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:48 am

Kevin, I have Carpal Tunnel real bad in my right arm and a 4 oz trigger some times feels like 10 lbs, so shooting my rifle with the 2 lb trigger becomes a challenge at best some days. My friend is a 'lefty' and I tried his rifle out and I was so uncomfortable that I couldn't hit anything. The best bet is find someone there that shoots left hand rifle and try their rifle or find a rifle with a stock with out the roll over and try shooting it lefty.

I know the eyes can really raise heck, I now have Trifocals and can't seem to find one that works right. Have you went to the eye doctor and seen if he could make you a lens that would help. My eye Dr. is great I bring my rifles and pistols right in with me and he works with me on what works best (sometimes it makes his staff and patients nervous though

)

kevinpagano · Post by **kevinpagano** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:22 am

Bob, thanks for the advice. The problem is that I have liquid leaking into my retina. This happens from time to time and then my eye dries up and leaves scar tissue. There is no cure to this condition according to my specialist. I just have to live with it. They say it will finally stop occuring when I get into my 50s. Some days are worse than others. I have tried shooting left handed but feel so awkward with it. I might try to go to someone that specializes with shooters. I think there is someone here in Colorado Springs.

Innocent · Post by **Innocent** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:06 am

Kevin,
I know a number of shooters that actually shoot their dominant eye, rather than the dominant hand. I have sent an email.

Mary

shakes · Post by **shakes** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:49 am

It's been recommended to me that you switch hands regularly to avoid to much muscle build up in one arm

lone ringer · Post by **lone ringer** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:12 am

Kevin, I have a friend that lost the sight on his right eye due to Macular Degeneration and he made his own scope mounts that enabled him to shoot right handed but see the target with his left eye. I have tried shooting his rifles and its not so bad.

I believe it would not be a problem for you to get a letter from your doctor to obtain NRA permission to offset the mounting of the scope on your rifle. It would be a lot easier than to teach yourself to shoot left handed but it has happened in the past. There is a record of an Olympic champion that won a gold medal shooting a pistol left handed after having lost the use of his right hand due to a defective grenade exploding.

From Internet.
Karoly Takacs was a member of the Hungarian pistol shooting team in 1938 when, while serving as a sergeant in the army, a defective grenade exploded in his right hand - his pistol hand -and shattered it completely. After spending a month in the hospital, Takacs secretly taught himself to shoot with his left hand. The following year he won the Hungarian pistol shooting championship and was a member of the Hungarian team that won the automatic pistol event at the world championships. The next two Olympics, in 1940 and 1944, were cancelled because of war, but in 1948 Takacs qualified for the Hungarian Olympic team in the rapid-fire pistol event. He was 38 years old. Before the competition, the favorite, world champion and world record holder, Carlos Enrique D

Bob Mc Alice · Post by **Bob Mc Alice** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:44 pm

Hey Kevin,... Lone ringers mention of an offset scope base set my mechanical imagination in motion. I sketched such a mount today at lunch. It will use angle iron, a chunk of #6 rebar, and a couple of muffler clamps. It will be TIG welded together. Might send your Annie over the weight limit, though. I will work with Kitty to at least get it powder coated to tone down the "scrap yard" look. ................. Seriously, if the offset scope sounds like it might be an option worth exploring, and if nothing is commercially available, I will gladly help you make one.

BlauBear · Post by **BlauBear** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:58 pm

Interesting bunch of people here - always trying to improve the competition! It's good to know the NRA will process medical waivers!

Hoser · Post by **Hoser** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:53 pm

Kevin, the only time I shoot wrong sided is when the stage designer makes me. Oops. Nevermind. Wrong game.

Go see Doc Cristensen. He is a gun guy and speaks the lingo. Lots of shooters from the OTC go to him.

Byron · Post by **Byron** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:06 pm

shakes wrote:It's been recommended to me that you switch hands regularly to avoid to much muscle build up in one arm

I heard that it can also hurt your vision.

Kevin, it might be a chicken and egg thing.

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:08 pm

I've know a few people who either had eye dominance other than their primary hand or had injuries to their dominant eyes, and they didn't really have a ton of trouble swapping over to the other hand. All were rifle shooters. I don't know all that many competitive pistol shooters.

kevinpagano · Post by **kevinpagano** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:31 am

Hey thanks everyone for the advice. I might try and go see the guy hoser suggests. Maybe he can help.

and some ofyour advice is just twisted LOL

Bob, when can you have the attachment done for me. Do I need to supply some duct tape??

Kevin

jneihouse · Post by **jneihouse** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:07 am

Bob, when can you have the attachment done for me. Do I need to supply some duct tape??

Would you like pink, purple, or bright yellow powdercoat?????

Kitty

kevinpagano · Post by **kevinpagano** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:16 am

CAmo in those colors will work kitty.

Bob Mc Alice · Post by **Bob Mc Alice** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:10 am

kevinpagano wrote:

Bob, when can you have the attachment done for me. Do I need to supply some duct tape??

No duct tape on this model, would fail in hot weather. Stay tuned, working on the prototype at lunch. Will post photos for your approval tonite.