Lefty Shooting Righty

[marksman8351]

anyone else here have any experience shooting lefty with flint lock style black powder rifle. im just concerned with getting sparks directly in my face and burning my eyebrows off. im really interested in a flintlock or something that style but i can only find left handed ones new for 400 + where as i can get my choice of a few used right handed ones under 100.

[jh9x18ky]

I also shoot left, and mostly have right hand percussion rifles..... Can't speak about flints. RH percussion rifles dont bother me at all.

[marksman8351]

Any comments on flints?

[shafter]

I'd like to hear about this too. I think I'm gonna try next time I'm out. I would be more worried about my arm than my face though. The face is in the same place no matter what side you shoot on.

[Wyosmith]

I make muzzleloaders to earn my living. I have made several double barreled rifles and some were flintlocks.

When you fire a double you will have a lock on the side towards you 50% of the time
It doesn't harm a thing.

If the gun is made right, it is not going to burn you.

The only real "down side" to it is that the stock may have cast-off to the other side, and make getting a good cheek weld impossible.

If you are looking for a good left handed rifle, let me know
I have 2 to sell. One cap-lock 58 Cal Hawken and one Lancaster longrifle in 54 caliber.

[marksman8351]

this will be my first bp rifle so im definitely looking to go cheap in case i get frustrated with it but i know i would really like to go as oldschool as possible if i could i want something thats frontier/civil war ish flint lock if i could not even percussion but at this points if its around 100 bucks to start ill take what i can find.

[mykeal]

In my opinion, going cheap will cause frustration: A cheap gun will almost certainly provide unsatisfactory performance, and attempts to improve it will result in frustration.

[marksman8351]

im talking about a used one

[mykeal]

There are no good quality used flintlock long rifles for $100. There are cheap, poor quality used flintlock rifles for $100.

[Hawg]

but at this points if its around 100 bucks to start ill take what i can find.

About the best you're going to get for that is a CVA Hawken percussion. You can forget about a decent flinter for twice that.

[marksman8351]

yeah ive been looking at the traditions flints or maybe a lyman im not sure tho but im still wondering my general question which is if i shoot lefty with a righty rifle there wont be any hard sparks or fire coming at my face will there?

[arcticap]

Sparks can come into the shooter's face even if they're
shooting a flintlock long gun made for their dominant hand.
A good reason to always wear eye protection when shooting.

Whether or not people choose to wear Glasses
when shooting is there own Biz, but FWIW, here's a Shot
of my Lowes Safety Glasses after today's 45 round session
with musket:



Most of these spots are at least partially melted/imbedded
into the plastic, and won't come out.

==

No - wind was light. This is pretty much normal. Has been
since I started shooting in the late 60's. Granted I was
shooting a Musket, with a whopping pan. Before anybody
asks, there's nothing unusual about how I shoot or hold
the Weapon; I look pretty much like everybody else when
I shoot. My safety glasses have always looked like this after
a lot of shooting, and so do my friends. Thats why I started
that other thread about types of Lenses in Prescription Glasses
and how well they hold up. But the simple point I wanted to
make here is why I wear the Glasses to begin with, & I figured
a Picture was worth a thousand words - again, FWIW.

Eric

ps - A shooting Buddy has suggested that we design and patent
a pair of glasses with tear-away sheet lenses, like MotoCross Face
shields...

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fu...arch/1/#996889

Follow my personal referral link to register for free at the Muzzle Loading Forum:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fu...referral/4225/

[mykeal]

Nobody is going to say that you won't ever get sparks back in your face shooting a wrong-handed flintlock. It can happen, but rarely. And it's just as likely regardless of the handedness of the gun. That's why, even at the most traditional of events, eye protection is encouraged and in almost all cases mandatory.

If you are comfortable shooting a wrong-handed centerfire rifle, then you will be just as comfortable shooting a wrong-handed flintlock. You will have to get used to the lock - everyone does and everyone can, and it might take a little more effort or time if the lock is on the same side as your sighting eye - but frankly the castoff is a bigger issue in my opinion.

[Hawg]

but frankly the castoff is a bigger issue in my opinion.

I doubt there'll be any castoff on a production gun.

[marksman8351]

and castoff is?

[Hardcase]

Cast off is a slight bend in the stock, usually in the wrist, that puts the barrel a little more in line with your eye, so that you don't have to bend your neck so much to get a good sight picture.

For a right handed gun, the stock is bent slightly away.

[marksman8351]

ahh thanks been shooting bow for years other than my occasional turkey hunt with my 12g no rifle season here