Left-Handed Shooting

It’s not easy being a left handed shooter and it never has been! The bullying (from the editors of Shooting Sports and Gun Mart!) but one of the injustices we southpaws have to bear along with the ridicule of fellow shooters and excommunication! When buying a new gun at your local gun shop would have the dealer’s head fall into his hands, once you had broken the news that you were a southpaw!

Adapt and overcome

It’s always been a case of adapt and overcome, usually by way of putting up with a right-handed stock, yep, the sharp side of the cheek piece! Right-handed thumbhole stocks could be summed up in one word, ‘impossible’. Then there were right-handed bolt-actions to try and navigate with my wrong-sided arms, but in my case, I learned to make the best of what I had and dare I say it, I’m actually so used to using a right-handed bolt, I most likely wouldn’t specifically buy a dedicated left-hander, although I do own one. But the best has to be semi autos, be it 22 rifles or shotguns. Oh yes, time to get your mouth filled with hot spent brass and powder burns on your face! Eye protection is a must!

But by far the most undesirable gun to shoot for a lefty would be a bullpup! Although, in the airgun world, Daystate, who make the Pulsar and Renegade bullpups, have catered for us abnormals and these guns can be swapped around to southpaw, ten points Daystate. Not to mention those lovely guys at Air Arms with their near ambidextrous Galahad that you can swap the cocking lever over to suit.

Airguns better

While I mention airguns and the airgun world though, I’ve got to give praise because I’ve found that out of all the different sections or disciplines of our sport, Airgun manufacturers seem to be really on the case as far as thinking of us and in the last few years an ambidextrous stock on a rifle has really become the norm. This is especially good for someone like me who is doing testing and reviewing. If I’m testing a rifle, be it air or firearm and I’m sent a ‘normal’ right hooker, then I have no choice but to use it right handed, unless I can get away with it, but with me being left eye dominant, it becomes a real pain!

Born this way

So, while I’m on my soap box, just for fun, I’ve compiled a little list of the things that us lefties get annoyed with, so manufacturers, dealers, clubs and other shooters, take note!

1. This has to be the biggest one! Price hike on left handed guns. Yes, I know, there are machining costs etc, but we shouldn’t be charged extra for being born like this!

2. Shortage of left-handed shooting benches at clubs. Yep, this is a real pain at some clubs, where wooden shooting benches are on the range. On one of my local ranges, only about 5% of shooting benches are southpaw, but I believe more are now being made. Ahem, wonder who moaned about that?! It’s good to see that some ranges now use a T-shaped bench that can accommodate anyone.

3. Ambidextrous controls on some firearms, or the lack of! Some guns have them, a lot don’t! Like I said, I’m that used to right handed buttons and levers now, I personally would not buy a left-handed gun, of course, depending on the type of stock it has. But that said, it all depends on the type of shooting you are going to be doing. If you are just getting something for plinking and you’re not intent on spending a great deal, then it doesn’t really matter, but if you are investing a lot of money into your dream gun for example, or want supreme accuracy, then a full southpaw is definitely worth the investment.

As far as serious competition guns go, it goes without saying that the more accurately and in some cases, the quicker you can operate /shoot the gun in question, the more points you will score. Obviously, I’m talking about practical shooting like PSG, Mini Rifle or Three Gun, where lots of shooters that do these disciplines will adapt their guns to make using them quicker and easier. So, fumbling with a right-handed gun when you are a lefty and against the clock can be very stressful, trust me, I know! But you can, on some rifles and shotguns, adapt and overcome with after-market parts, to make life easier but getting a full left-handed gun is the ultimate answer.

4. Hot brass from right-handed guns hitting your arm. Not really a problem, apart from a distraction, unless you start getting burnt! Hot brass in your face is far more annoying, as is flames and un-burnt powder when using a right-handed semi-auto!

5. Bullpups! We just ain’t able to use them! Okay, in some cases (mainly airguns) some guns CAN be swapped around, as I’ve detailed.

6. Competition Disadvantage! When shooting PSG or Mini Rifle comps, I find that many courses can be a little fiddley, as they are set up for right-handed shooters. Yes, I know, we have to go with the majority but blimey, you sometimes have to be double-jointed to get an eye on the target that you are shooting at around a barrier! You righties should be made to shoot a course left handed, then lets see how good you are! MUHAHAHA!

My goodness, I can’t tell you how good it feels to have a good moan about being a lefty on the pages of a national shooting publication! Seriously though, these are just some of the everyday gripes that us lefties have to put up with but to be fair, things are getting better and gun manufacturers are taking, well, erm, ‘stock’ (see what I did there?!) and really are starting to cater for us. And as a southpaw myself, it is always one of the first questions that I have to ask a gun manufacturer when they bring something new out!

Safe shooting! - Rack.