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Anybody Switch hands?

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:38 am
by kevinpagano
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.

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:48 am
by Bob259
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 :shock: :D )

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:22 am
by kevinpagano
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.

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:06 am
by Innocent
Kevin,
I know a number of shooters that actually shoot their dominant eye, rather than the dominant hand. I have sent an email.

Mary

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:49 am
by shakes
It's been recommended to me that you switch hands regularly to avoid to much muscle build up in one arm :shock: :roll: :lol: :oops: 8)

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:12 am
by lone ringer
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

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:44 pm
by Bob Mc Alice
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.

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:58 pm
by BlauBear
Interesting bunch of people here - always trying to improve the competition! It's good to know the NRA will process medical waivers!

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:53 pm
by Hoser
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.

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:06 pm
by Byron
shakes wrote:It's been recommended to me that you switch hands regularly to avoid to much muscle build up in one arm :shock: :roll: :lol: :oops: 8)
I heard that it can also hurt your vision. :lol:

Kevin, it might be a chicken and egg thing. :?:

Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:08 pm
by Jason
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. :)

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:31 am
by kevinpagano
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

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:07 am
by jneihouse
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

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:16 am
by kevinpagano
CAmo in those colors will work kitty.

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:10 am
by Bob Mc Alice
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.