Rifle newbie here... Should I bother?

[FiveForSure]

Ok, here's my situation. I'm relatively new to gun ownership in general. I own two revolvers, and I am very comfortable with those. I don't own a semi-auto yet, but plan to when I feel the time and finances are right. I do not own a rifle. Until tonight, I had never shot one.

Tonight was my orientation/target and safety test for membership at my local gun range. I shot every bit as well as the more experienced guys with the .22 revolver and auto test guns. Then they handed me the rifle, and things got ugly. I have serious trouble with my right eye, a condition called keratoconus. Basically, that eye is useless for much other than depth perception. Things close to me are blurry, things far from me are blurry. I hadn't really taken any of this into consideration when it came to shooting a rifle. So I got up on the line, tried to line up the sights with both eyes, which felt natural, but couldn't get it right. So the RSO told me "Well, close your right eye". I did, and immediately realized that there was going to be trouble. I couldn't SEE the front sights at all, and the rear sights were tough to make out. Nothing I tried worked. Not a single rifle round even hit the paper. It was pretty sad. Luckily, they understood that it was not something I had much power over and accepted me based on my handgun work alone.

So my question is.... what can I do, if I want to be able to own rifles and shoot them well? My current dream is to save for and buy an AR-15, but I might as well just buy more handguns if I can't SHOOT the rifles. Would it be worthwhile to try shooting lefty, using my good eye for sighting? Is there any sort of position "correcting" that might compensate for the eye trouble or allow me to sight with my right eye while shooting righty? Please don't tell me my one handicap in life is that I'll never shoot a rifle again. :(

[seanie]

What about trying some type of 1x power red dot sight? I don't know if it will work in your situation, but I'm sure there's got to be someone at your gun club with one already on their rifle that they'd be willing to let you try out.

[Dezynco]

I have a friend who lost the use of his right eye in a work accident. He had to learn to shoot left handed. I build wooden longbows - I even built him a left-handed longbow! I'm saying that you can learn to shoot left-handed, and you have an advantage over most of us who are already right handers - you havn't shot rifles much! Get someone to let you shoot a left-handed or "ambidextrous" rifle and see what happens.

My other suggestion might be to install a "holographic" sight. You don't really focus on the sight, you just look out at the target and the cross-hairs seem to appear out "there" on the target.

[azredhawk44]

That's why us humans are symmetrical down the middle.

I shoot as a southpaw and I'm working on learning to shoot "backwards" like the rest of you silly people. It can be done. Give it time and patience and a .22 training rifle. You'll figure it out quick enough.

[johnwilliamson062]

as suggested shoot left.
Also, one of the people administering that test probably has a lot of rifles with various sight systems. Ask them if they could possibly help you find a way to shoot(you pay for ammo and buy them a soda out of the vending machine). If they aren't interested, find a new club.

[FiveForSure]

My other suggestion might be to install a "holographic" sight. You don't really focus on the sight, you just look out at the target and the cross-hairs seem to appear out "there" on the target.

So as I understand it, with this type of sight, I don't need to "line up" the sights, the sight just goes where it should be, even if I can't get my right eye lined up to it properly? How much would a system like that tack onto the cost of a rifle?

[beerengineer]

anything is possible...if you really want it. I know a world champion that is left eye dominant and shoots from the right side with his left eye. don't ask me how he does it, he just learned that way as a kid. Your situation is unique and not at all like my friends, however, it just shows how you versitale the human mind, body and spirit truely are.

[bobotech]

I am a bit confused. I have a weird problem with my eyes that prevents me from using them at the same time. I have zero depth perception. I can use either my right or left eye but just never at the same time. Its harder for me to shoot rifles with my right eye (shooting right handed) because the sights are fuzzy but I shoot with my left eye (left handed) and everything is fine.

I can shoot with either eye, just more comfortable with my left.

I just am confused why couldn't see the sights with your left eye when you closed your right eye while shooting left handed?

Use left eye=you pretty much have to shoot left handed.

[seanie]

Taken from this site (http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/how-do-holographic-sights-work-290611.html):

With a holographic ("holo") sight, the reticle is always on the spot on the target where the weapon is pointed. Move the gun left or right, and the reticle moves as well, but is still on the point of aim.

Price-wise I found this guy (http://www.opticsplanet.net/eotech-holographic-sight-510.html) for you from Optics Planet. I don't own a holo sight, I've just shot from one before. I'm not sure how good of a deal that is, but I'm sure one of the guys around here will chime in.

[MEDDAC19]

As already said in previous posts, learn to shoot from your left shoulder. If for some reason that is not a workable solution, then you could look for a side mount that will place your scope off to the left of the barrel.

This should allow you to mount the gun on your right shoulder and get a decent sight picture with your left eye. You will not get as much accuracy due to the offset, but still be able to get minute of deer without any trouble at all.

[johnwilliamson062]

According to the Ohio State Riflery coach and several serious CMP shooters along with a number of internet sources.

If you are left eyed and shoot left handed it isn't going to limit how good you can shoot long term. You may have to work a little harder, but you can shoot as well as someone who does not have the problem.

If you shoot left eyed off of your right shoulder you will easily be able to shoot well enough to hunt with only a little extra work. You will have to cant your head more sideways. This will cause the fluid in your inner ear(well the related nerves) to constantly send the signal to your brain that you are falling over. It will cause minute vertigo problems that will effect precision shooting. For those non believers grab a high powered scoped rifle and look through it with your head as upright as you can manage and extremely canted right. For me there is a noticeable difference.

[B-Maxx]

I'm right handed, but left eye dominant. I have zero problems shooting rifle left handed. Felt weird for the first hour or so, but now it is just second nature. I'm know that there are more than a few people out there that would rather just be a crappy rifle shooter than make the attempt to shoot lefty. I see them at the range all the time.

[mobjacker]

I have a lens problem that began about 5 years ago after 40 years of shooting.

I shifted to left eye/left hand rifle and found it was not too hard- and my scores went up immediately.

Try left handed. Awkwardness goes away with practice, and it is amazing how the body transfers the skill from right hand to left hand.
:)

[fast-eddie]

Get a nice .22 plinker and learn lefty, it's easy to learn when you're having fun doing it. Then once you get good at shooting south paw with open sights. The try one of the above mentioned sight systems both directions.