Side lever preference..lefty vs righty

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Boombots74

Member
Dec 6, 2015
485
18
NJ, United States
Guys,

Just wanted some input on your shooting style. I have both the Wildcat and a Vulcan. Wildcat with the lever on the right of the gun as all of them come from the factory. I am a righty so I hold the grip with my right support the gun with my left, shoot, remove my right hand from the grip, cock with my right hand, return back to the grip and trigger with the right hand and repeat. Pretty standard, right?

Now here's the kicker. The new side lever from AGT came as a lefty setup, (lever on the left, and yes you can swap to right as well) and I installed it as a lefty, to experiment to see which I would like more. So I still hold the gun as a righty, right hand on the grip, support the gun with my left, shoot. I now use my left hand to cock while my right hand is still on the grip and more importantly still has acquisition of the target. Return my support hand to support the gun and fire.

I did about 40 rounds so far and I actually like the lefty setup. Find it to be quite faster on target acquisition, which equates to faster follow up shots. Maybe I'm the oddball like everyone says that I am.

What are your thoughts?
 
I too own a Vulcan. I'm afflicted with left eye dominance, therefore shoot as a lefty. The Vulcan is a warm welcome to me because I've had to shoot right hand guns all my life. I'll be honest, due to lifetime habits, it's a bit challenging to get used to. However, after only a few mags, I'm in love.

I prefer to use my trigger hand to cock the gun because I feel it a margin of safety. I prefer to have both hands on the gun when a pellet is chambered. I also feel that, due to simple physics, target acquisition is faster because I'm not holding up a heavy gun by the trigger grip.
 
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I do both but it usually depends on how heavy the gun is and if I am shooting from a rest or not.

I shoot both right and left handed. For a light gun with the cocking lever on the right (like my Ataman ultra compact), I prefer to shoot it left handed and cock with my right hand so I can keep my finger on the trigger and eye on the target. I do the same with heavier guns when shooting from a rest.

With a heavier rifle offhand or a bullpup with rear cocking, I prefer the cocking lever to be on the side I am shooting from. I.e. My Cricket is easer to shoot right handed. 

In all honesty, it's rarely a big deal either way as I'm not usually rapid firing. If I miss a hunting shot, I usually have to line up a new shot anyway as animals tend to move when pellets hit the branch they are sitting on. 

It's most comfortable to do what you are used to but anyone can used to doing it the other way if they have to. 
 
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"zebra"I do both but it usually depends on how heavy the gun is and if I am shooting from a rest or not.

I shoot both right and left handed. For a light gun with the cocking lever on the right (like my Ataman ultra compact), I prefer to shoot it left handed and cock with my right hand so I can keep my finger on the trigger and eye on the target. I do the same with heavier guns when shooting from a rest.


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Zebra, are you cross-dominant? If so, you sir are a rare breed.
 
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Some folks shoot the speed shoot at ERB with their weak hand on the trigger and their strong running the bolt and loading. I have tried it at our local matches and it doesn’t work for me. Too bad, those who can shoot this way are very fast.

We also have a rapid fire event where you have to shoot either prone or sitting. Like hunting, you just can’t keep both hands at the breach end of the rifle and do this. 

Ron
 
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Blue fax,

That's exactly my point. With conventional shooting methods and firearms we are molded to shoot one way. Right handed rifle with the bolt on the right, holding the grip with the right and chambering a round with the right hand as well.

Like when we were kids taking our road test, remember that guys....years ago? We were told to place our hands on the wheel at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions. That was just for the road test, now that you have you license and years of driving I'm sure 90% of us drive with only one hand.

Stepping out of that mold and "evolving" my shooting methods, I am favoring a lefty setup and with enough practice I am sure I will condition myself to do it efficiently. Yeah, I still grab the charging handle on the right from time to time because I am a slow learner and forget the handle is on the left now. But that in itself puts a smile on my face.
 
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"Zoey"
"zebra"I do both but it usually depends on how heavy the gun is and if I am shooting from a rest or not.

I shoot both right and left handed. For a light gun with the cocking lever on the right (like my Ataman ultra compact), I prefer to shoot it left handed and cock with my right hand so I can keep my finger on the trigger and eye on the target. I do the same with heavier guns when shooting from a rest.


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Zebra, are you cross-dominant? If so, you sir are a rare breed.
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If that means ambidextrous then yes. My eyes are also similar enough for it not to matter although my left eye is slightly better if I had to pick.

I am fairly convinced that anyone can learn to shoot right or left handed though. It's not like writing where you need a lot of coordination in your hand. It might not ever be as comfortable to shoot with the other hand for some but they can still learn to do it with practice.

I tend to switch sides based on which presents the best angle for the shot. If the shot is straight ahead, I choose based on the gun and my position (e.g. Bench or off-hand). 

I have seen people shoot better with the other hand sometimes because a righty using their left hand is forced to think more about a proper hold. They lose some of their bad habits like gripping too hard etc.
 
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