Monday, February 25, 2013

Snippets from elsewhere...

  • In reference to yet another dumb proposed law, the question was asked "How are we going to pay for it?" My answer: "Get the Chinese to loan us more money so the Treasury can buy more paper & ink."

  • Yesterday I mentioned the Califorming* effect on the rest of the nation caused by allowing West Coast Real Estate Monopoly Money to be exchanged on a one-for-one basis with US greenbacks, but had to concede to a California reader on Facebook that it wasn't the only influence: "It happens from the other coast, too, of course. Some national TV program featured an Edwardian manse on Pennsylvania Ave just blocks from our governor's mansion on a "Look How Much House You Can Get In Some Places For Only $500k!" Yeah, Gothamite, that's because in America, half a million bucks is a lot of money for a house, not a good deal on a condo made from a windowless broom closet... "
*Totally stolen from BobG.
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22 comments:

sobriant74 said...

Tam
Completely off topic, but I respect your experience. I found out yesterday while at a 4H shooting range with my daughter that she is left eye dominant. Seeing as how she is right handed I was surprised. We finally settled on her shooting from her left shoulder but the question is this;
For a bolt action should she shoot a standard or southpaw rifle?
They had savage mark ii's in both left and right bolts, but she found working the bolt with her left cumbersome. Any danger in having the brass eject right in front of her face?
Or should she just spend some time learning to work the bolt with her left (she has no interest in trying to shoot with her right eye)?
Again, off topic but I have a shallow pool of people I can ask who I feel might know something about this.
Thanks

sobriant74 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rob said...

The term is actually "Californication".

@sobriant: as a lefty, I would say both. She should shoot right handed rifles so she will know how to use them, which is a good idea since they make up the vast majority of firearms. However, she should have left-handed bolt-action rifles for her own, as certain positions, such as shooting prone without a bipod, are difficult when using the wrong-handed rifle.

In my experience, most right-handed rifles won't inject into your face. Some will, though, so it might not be a bad idea to try it yourself before handing it over to her. I've also found that working a right-handed bolt with my right hand is the most efficient way to do it. It does break the sight picture when done shooting off-hand, so it can be slower, but its far easier than having to reach over to work it with my left hand, and it is actually faster when using a bipod or rest.

Scott J said...

Yeah I dread teaching my southpaw daughter to shoot. I tend to forget she is.

I was attempting to teach her to cast a fishing rod last year and got admonished "daddy, I'm left handed".

We had to abandon the effort as I'm barely coordinated to teach with my dominant hand.

I'll have to teach myself to cast southpaw first or else schedule some time with my wife's dad as he's also a southpaw.

billf said...

I'm right-handed,but left eye dominant,so right from the start,I've been shooting leftie (for over 40 years).I would suggest getting a left hand rifle,there are many leftie rifles and pistols,and start her practicing that way.She'll learn and become coordinated enough to shoot well,and after a while it's no big deal.

sobriant74 said...

billf thanks,
I appreciate the first hand information. I am starting to lean towards getting a left handed rifle (oddly enough one of the few things still in stock in most local fun stores) and just having her learn to use her left arm. A little muscle memory and I think the "working the bolt with your off hand" issue will go away. And its probably easier to train her left arm than it is to retrain her eye. Now I also need to find someone with a bow press so I can get her bow restrung for left handed use. She's been yelling at me since last summer, when she started archery, that doing it left handed feels wrong. Suffice it to say I also quickly tested my boy for eye dominance this weekend. He's too young for me to let shoot (4) but he does come up as right handed and right eyed. Thank the FSM for small miracles.

sobriant74 said...

correction to the archery bit, I should have said she has been yelling at me for having to shoot "right handed"

Windy Wilson said...

Some PSE bows are left handed. That is a fairly economical brand, with some bows costing $125 or so from the likes of Sportsmansguide (barring a sell out, of course).

PMain said...

I'm right handed & left eye dominant. I find that I prefer shooting rifles right-handed & using my right, less dominant eye. the only benefit I've seen, besides outright comfort, is keeping both eyes open & focused downrange seems a lot easier than when compared to pistol shooting. Some suggest placing a piece of clear tape over the dominant eye's protection.


Otherwise, live in CA & agree that this state is hosed & the governmental centric cancer will only spread outwords. But can't complain too much today it being in the mid 70's & I'm wearing shorts & a t-shirt.

sobriant74 said...

PMain,
I appreciate the insight, but she's not open to using her right eye.
We tried it (putting a piece of paper in front of her left eye). It left her frustrated and at the point of tears. I don't want her to associate the shooting sports with a headache. If she wants to use her left eye, we're going to find a way to make that work.
As far as shooting a pistol she's fine holding it right handed and using her dominant left eye. We had no problem there so I didn't bring it up, sorry for that lack of information. We were using a Mark III 22/45 and she had good groups with it using her left eye and right trigger finger.

By the way, muchas gracias to Ms. Tam for letting me hijack her blog comments, I promise to avoid it in the future.

Tam said...

Not a problem!

I, too, am naturally cross-eye dominant (left-eye, although not strongly) and shoot right-handed.

I just tend to close my left eye for iron-sighted rifle work, but if she's not comfortable doing that, kudos on you for making sure that shooting is fun and not a chore for her!

NotClauswitz said...

I shoot like Tam only not as well. After playing with eyeball dominance for close to fifty years I end up shooting right handed because I AM right handed and value manipulation skills over eye dominance. It's fun at 200-yds to shoot with both eyes open and have your target flicking left-right like it's on a zip-line. Makes you quiet-down a bit. With pistols it's such a short sight-radius, just get the rear sight up there and aligned with the front whichever way the moon rotates and quit over-thinking and fussing.

Old NFO said...

But it's an UPSCALE broom closet Tam... And another $250K will get you a parking space...

Darrell said...

This is rich, a Wyoming legislator explains it to a libtard:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/24/by-all-means-leave-the-amazingly-blunt-response-one-state-rep-gave-a-citizen-who-wrote-him-opposing-concealed-carry-in-schools/#

KnifeRating.com said...

Haha, I haven't heard the term "Califorming" before. Pretty funny.

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Ed said...

Bless Chuck Rangel's heart for proposing to bring back indentured servitude. Will this be another government requirement of citizens that will not be fulfilled by illegal aliens?

Buzz said...

Long guns, left
Bow and handguns, right

That doesn't mean I can't shoot a long run right-handed just as accurate, but I'm more comfortable from the left. I found myself slightly more accurate with a BB gun left-handed at Y-camp, so I adopted the left as a wee lad, but I throw in a bit of rightie to stay practiced since graduating to bigger holes.


Anonymous said...

I'm right hand/left eye severely-can't even wink the other way (not that that's necessary to shoot well), and the few times I've tried to do it, left-handed rifles just feel wrong. I've never had a problem shooting right handed rifles left handed--bolts, semi's, or machine guns. Given all the simplifications that come with buying right, I'd let her go with that if she likes it. If you want to see how one might shoot a bolt gun quickly with the "wrong hand," check out Guns and Ammo TV clips (online if you don't get it on the tube). Not always a great show, Greg Boddington runs a bolt gun pretty well. By the way, I shoot handguns right handed, and I'd let her natural preference dictate that as well.

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Steve Skubinna said...

I'm more or less left handed, but having been born in the mid fifties had to learn to do some things right handed. Back then the prevailing attitude had advanced beyond considering sinistrality a sign of demonic possession but that was about as far as many people were willing to go.

In the Army I had no trouble shooting left handed, aside from the occasional casing landing inside my sleeve. The only weapon they wouldn't let us shoot left handed was the M60, but since nearly everything about using a crew served weapon is new muscle memory it was probably as easy for me to learn it right handed.

So I would say try having her shoot left handed and see how it works out for her. As for bolt actions, I have one left handed (Ruger M77, .30-06) that works well for me. I have read that many tactical shooters prefer left handed rifles so they can keep their firing hand position and manipulate the bolt with their support hand.

Oddly, the one major advantage I have found being a lefty is when combat loading a pump shotgun. Right handers have to fumble their support hand around the bottom of the receiver, and often must take their eyes off target, while I can slap the round in and jack the slide forward in one smooth motion without having to look down. Pisses them off to no end.

On the other hand it tends to put me in point during security drills.

sobriant74 said...

Thanks for all the feedback. I appreciate everyone taking the time to write something. Its usually tough being a parent, but when you get thrown for a loop by things like eye dominance, it sure is nice to have some folks to fall back on for advice.