Shooting from the Wrong Shoulder

9.3mauser

9.3mauser

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Kawartha Lakes, ON
I was just curious if anybody practices shooting from their weak side. I was sitting in a spot today where a deer could have appeared on either side of me, and the only way to get a shot to my right would have been to stand up and turn 90+ degrees, or flip the rifle over and shoot from the left shoulder. It also got me thinking that I've never practiced this with live ammo. Dry fire practice lots of times, but anytime I'm at the range it always slips my mind.

So does anybody regularly practice from their off-side?
 
Never practiced it but did a couple shots in the field that way. One I was pinned down sitting in tall grass with a doe at maybe ten yards. The other was a small buck while I was in a tree. The doe would have spotted the extra motion or it seemed like it at the time. The buck, I would have fallen out of the tree shooting right handed.
 
I can't do it, just doesn't work! I shoot left handed and that's it. I have shot right handed guns since day one. Treated myself to a brand new X-bolt last yr over 50 some years later in left hand and had to sell it, I just can't do it!:(the feel just isn't right, my right eye is not good enough, and I got frozen shoulder on the left side). Some young fella out in SK got a good buy on that rifle.
 
When the warthog rocketed away to the right, providing me with a quartering away shot, instead of attempting to shoot off balance while attempting to swing to the right, to say nothing of sweeping the PH and the tracker, I shouldered the rifle on my left shoulder which made tracking to the right a natural movement, and was rewarded with what is perhaps the prettiest running shot I've ever made. Unsure of how well I had hit him, I rotated the rifle to the left, cycled the bolt with my left hand, and was immediately ready for a quick follow up; none was necessary. I don't practice shooting from my weak side regularly,but enough to keep my hand in. I had programmed myself on that hunt to shoot from my off shoulder on a game animal running to the right, which significantly reduced the reactionary time before I fired. Some might argue that its a skill that will never be used off the rifle range, but you just never know.
 
I've tried... it no worky... everything from that side feels too awkward... I can't hit the proverbial broadside of the barn...
 
I've been trying due to a shoulder injury that means I can't shoot right handed. Not working so well practice might be a good idea
 
I have tried. It took me many years in lacrosse to play both ways on the floor. when it comes to shooting I cant seam to hump that learning curve.
I can hit a 10" plate at 50 yrds at best.
If I ever had a situation ware witching hands would alert the animal I would rather stay on my strong hand and wait for a clear running shot if close enough
 
I've never tried a shotgun from the wrong side but shoot a rifle with no problem. As long as it's not a thumbhole stock, those tend to be one sided only.:d
 
I keep telling myself that i need to practise some with my left hand just in case, but i never seem to remember once i'm there.
 
I shoot left or right (better with right) , but I make a point of practicing snap shots with both. It may feel awkward at first but don't give up. It is a very handy ability to have in some hunting applications. Try it with a rifle that can be cycled either left or right handed such as a lever or pump. As good as a bolt gun is, they tend to be a hinderence in the left/right ability.
 
I've done it with leverguns and autoloaders but not a bolt rifle.
Once shortly after right shoulder rotator cuff surgery I took an old 32 Spl. hunting and it worked out pretty good shooting from the left shoulder, in fact better then expected.
 
I do.

In the beginning it was very difficult, to the point that I thought I would never get good with shooting from my weak side.

Now, it has become a second nature to me, and I can do it without over thinking it.
 
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Used to shoot right handed.. Figured out I was left eye dominant, took about one day out in the bush shooting targets to get used to shooting with my left. I'm just as good even better shooting left, especially with irons sights. Shooting right is just as easy though.
 
I can do both although I can't say I practice it. I'm right handed but with a very dominant left eye taught myself to shoot left. I have shot both rifle and shotgun on both sides.
 
Completely SUCKED at a tactical shotgun match a few weeks ago because I found it almost impossible to hit anything from my left shoulder... Yup, practiced some after that...

No problem with my AR, but it has an EoTech... I've literally shot that thing through a hole and upside down! You think "no way am I hitting anything", but you put that dot where you want it to go and the EoTech takes care of the rest...
 
The problem is even worse when you are in a tree stand (those prefab ones) and are strapped in to prevent falls. I couldn't cover more than 120 degrees from where I was.
 
I was doing some dry firing practice just this morning, and while I'm tolerably steady for the first shot, a fast follow up is definitely out of the question. I hunt with bolt rifles almost exclusively, and reaching across from the left is terribly clumsy and slow. Going to have to practice that a lot more. I also have to squint or close my right eye to see the sights.
 
I grew up shooting left handed but did shoot a lot right handed, (depending what side of the farm pickup I was shooting gophers from, driving...right H, shotgun...left H LOL) shooting with a rest was equally comfortable but without the rest, left was the only way that worked satisfactorily.
Then, in my forties I lost my left eye so shooting right became a necessity. Shooting free hand was almost impossible at any distance and quick "jump shooting" or waterfowling was out of the question.

Then I started participating in a timed shooting sport. Participating in this sport has made me a significantly better "right handed" shooter. In short order it became as mechanically natural to bring a gun up right handed as it used to be to do it left handed.

It can be done with a little concentration & repetitive practice.
 
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