Hi everyone. This is my first post here. Reading various threads over the past week I've been very impressed with the tone and quality of this forum. It's such a great resource.
I'm an inexperienced hunter from western Pennsylvania. I've hunted a few times with relatives but have yet to take a deer. This year I want to figure things out on my own. Find my own location on state forest land or a state game land, learn the area, do some scouting, find some spots, and spend a lot of time in the woods.
As I prepare for the fall I'm running into a firearm issue and I keep going back and forth when trying to make a decision. I'm right handed but left eye dominant. I'm a very proficient right handed pistol shooter and have a good amount of professional training with handguns. I've also had professional training shooting an M4 right handed but I'm not nearly as proficient with the rifle.
Looking back, I'm somewhat surprised we didn't take an eye dominance test in my early days of fed firearms training. I've always excelled with a pistol but have been somewhat below average with the long guns. I think it's an eye dominance / quick target acquisition issue.
As I get into hunting I feel like I need to make the decision once and for all. Should I switch to a left handed rifle?
Here are some of the possibly relevant factors:
- Right handed, left eye dominant
- Shoot pistols right handed with no issues at all
- Own one rifle (30/30 lever action that was a wedding gift)
- Two sons.. one left handed, one right handed
[/LIST]
If switching to a left-handed rifle will make me a better hunter I'm willing to do it. At this point, shouldering a rifle left handed feels so odd to me. If I make this switch I will end up with left-handed rifles and right-handed pistols. Is that odd? My oldest son (still only 7 y/o) is left handed so eventually he could use a left handed rifle as well.
Sorry for the long winded post but I'd love some opinions. I'm wavering right now.
I'm an inexperienced hunter from western Pennsylvania. I've hunted a few times with relatives but have yet to take a deer. This year I want to figure things out on my own. Find my own location on state forest land or a state game land, learn the area, do some scouting, find some spots, and spend a lot of time in the woods.
As I prepare for the fall I'm running into a firearm issue and I keep going back and forth when trying to make a decision. I'm right handed but left eye dominant. I'm a very proficient right handed pistol shooter and have a good amount of professional training with handguns. I've also had professional training shooting an M4 right handed but I'm not nearly as proficient with the rifle.
Looking back, I'm somewhat surprised we didn't take an eye dominance test in my early days of fed firearms training. I've always excelled with a pistol but have been somewhat below average with the long guns. I think it's an eye dominance / quick target acquisition issue.
As I get into hunting I feel like I need to make the decision once and for all. Should I switch to a left handed rifle?
Here are some of the possibly relevant factors:
- Right handed, left eye dominant
- Shoot pistols right handed with no issues at all
- Own one rifle (30/30 lever action that was a wedding gift)
- Two sons.. one left handed, one right handed
[/LIST]
If switching to a left-handed rifle will make me a better hunter I'm willing to do it. At this point, shouldering a rifle left handed feels so odd to me. If I make this switch I will end up with left-handed rifles and right-handed pistols. Is that odd? My oldest son (still only 7 y/o) is left handed so eventually he could use a left handed rifle as well.
Sorry for the long winded post but I'd love some opinions. I'm wavering right now.