Anyone transitioned from RH to LH

[Quantum673]

I have been thinking a lot over the last few weeks. I think I want to try and start shooting and eventually hunting left handed.
I have successfully done this with handguns and rifles figuring that if I can shoot with both then I will never be in that precarious situation where I have an awkward shot. With a bow it is completely different since it is either a LH bow or a RH bow and a bow is a total different animal TOO shoot.

I know it will take me probably a good year or so to get comfortable enough to hunt but I think I can do it.
My son was LH and I have his bow I could adjust the draw on and start shooting. Main reason I want to do this is kind of a tribute to him and I think it would be pretty cool to take a deer with his bow.

Has anyone ever tried to switch, whether it was a medical necessity or just because? How hard was it?
Am I crazy to even try? Do you think it would negatively affect my shooting RH?

 

[bowhunter1023]

I'm no help on this front. If I do anything left handed, it feels like a stranger...

 

[Big_Holla]

My wife changed over from shooting RH to LH. Her's was out of necessity as even though we thought she was right eye dominant her left eye would take over as she focused and could not close that left eye for some reason. Made about every 3-5th shot go waaay left. We had to crank the bow down a good bit at first for her and it was a little getting used to but I think it was early enough in her archery career that it didn't make much difference and it also didn't take her long to increase her draw weight to match what she was pulling RH.

 

[brock ratcliff]

I knew a couple of fellas through the IBO that switched, and they shot traditional. Both had target panic issues that would really show up at big shoots, switching really helped their scores. I have no idea how they did it, I don't think I could even draw a bow left handed. Dwight Schuh did it as well to get around a shoulder injury. Like anything, I'm sure a person can do it if their mind is set on the task. Good luck with getting it done!

 

[bowhunter1023]

I shoot Schu's at Woodbury two years ago and it was the most awkward thing I have ever done! I was amazed at how weak those muscles were when I tried to draw!

 

[Derek j]

I can shoot left or right with a bow. I usually shoot LH for everything, but would shoot my buddy's RH bow just to tick him off. Everything feels more natural LH though. Never tried to shoot a shotgun or rifle RH. I used to piss my wife off when she had a RH bow cause I could shoot it better than she could. That's when we found out her left was dominant

 

[Quantum673]

I guess I will pull it out this week and adjust the draw on it and sling a couple arrows and see how it goes. I can always take it slow and just shoot a few each time I shoot my bow and see if I can get consistent with it. I will start with a low poundage and work my way up. If nothing else I am sure it will be fun to shoot.
If I can get confident and consistent then I will see if I can get out with it.

 

[MK111]

I'm so right handed I can't even close my fly with my left hand. LOL
If you have a wrong eye dominant all one has to do is get a shooting flip down blinder for the other eye.
I did this with my grandson and he went on to get his NRA Distingished Expert Rating. His left eye is dominant and he's right handed. He tried shooting a left rifle but it didn't feel right. Then there is no need to close the off eye.

 

[doublej]

I sort of switched..
I'm right handed but had to learn to do a lot of things left handed due to losing sight in my right eye at a young age.
So I learned from the get-go left handed so I guess it wasn't as tough then if I was trying to switch but it was still awkward since naturally I do everything right handed.
Spent a lot of time just drawing back a few times a day to build up the muscles. I was 14 at the time and lowest my bow went was 60 lbs. so having to pull that back with my weak arm was tough but In a month or two I was good to go and hunting. My uncle shoots right handed and he helped me sight in my bow since I didn't have the strength to shoot it much..he was stacking arrows with it and never shot LH before.
9 years later it feels completely natural now

 

[Treed]

I'm no help on this front. If I do anything left handed, it feels like a stranger...

:smiley_clap: rotflmao

 

[ohio mossy oak]

I'm so right handed I can't even close my fly with my left hand. LOL
If you have a wrong eye dominant all one has to do is get a shooting flip down blinder for the other eye.
I did this with my grandson and he went on to get his NRA Distingished Expert Rating. His left eye is dominant and he's right handed. He tried shooting a left rifle but it didn't feel right. Then there is no need to close the off eye.

This may not be the answer for everyone.I used a blinder and/or eye patch covering part of my left eye for years.Not having that full field of view in the woods sucks imo. I also shot long-guns this way.It took me years to warm up to the idea or switching with any weapon.Now I have not made the transition with a vertical bow yet,and im sure it will be awkward.But I cant believe i waited so long to do with with shotguns an rifle.It took me a couple hundred shots LH before it felt great,now its second nature and feels amazing.I picked up a crossbow to help in the transition and hunted with it last season.Going from RH shooting with a blinder to LH shooting with both eyes open has changed everything for me. I still shoot pistol RH though

 

[PSE13]

I'm a left handed shooter shooting right handed bows. It did take awhile to get used too. I had to make an eye patch too cover my left eye and eventually I got the hang of it.

 

[Big_Holla]

This may not be the answer for everyone.I used a blinder and/or eye patch covering part of my left eye for years.Not having that full field of view in the woods sucks imo. I also shot long-guns this way.It took me years to warm up to the idea or switching with any weapon.Now I have not made the transition with a vertical bow yet,and im sure it will be awkward.But I cant believe i waited so long to do with with shotguns an rifle.It took me a couple hundred shots LH before it felt great,now its second nature and feels amazing.I picked up a crossbow to help in the transition and hunted with it last season.Going from RH shooting with a blinder to LH shooting with both eyes open has changed everything for me. I still shoot pistol RH though

I'm so right handed I can't even close my fly with my left hand. LOL
If you have a wrong eye dominant all one has to do is get a shooting flip down blinder for the other eye.
I did this with my grandson and he went on to get his NRA Distingished Expert Rating. His left eye is dominant and he's right handed. He tried shooting a left rifle but it didn't feel right. Then there is no need to close the off eye.

With my wife we tried the flip down patch and it just became a pain in the ass. Having to flip it down when hunting is even more of a pain, especially if you forgot it back in the truck!! For some it may work but her with not even being able to squint her left eye it was more of a problem. To find that out we just had her shoot her RH bow for a little while left handed. Once we saw that it solved her problem it was the easiest and best decision to scrap the RH bow and go to the LH.

 

[Schu72]

I am right handed, but shoot left. I've been doing it for so long I can't really offer any advice or suggest the amount of time it takes to get comfortable. I certainly do not consider myself ambidextrous, but shooting left does feel completely natural and has for decades.

 

[Quantum673]

I am right eye dominate but have had no issues shooting rifles and pistols left handed. I qualified expert in the military both left handed and right handed several times. I actually shoot better LH with the pistol and my scores with the rifle were within a couple points with each hand. Hopefully it will transition well to the bow.
I will keep everyone updated.
Thanks for the input.

 

[swantucky]

I tried to switch from left to right shooting firearms, it was fine on the range but as soon as a rabbit jumped out the gun just jumped to the leeft shoulder so I gave up trying. I can still shoot right handed if I get in a tricky position. I tried to switch to right with a bow and it was a disaster, never could even get to the point where I would hit the bale consistantly let alone shoot well enough to hunt that way. I am legally blind in my left eye so when shooting fiorearms I have to lean my head way ovwr to use my right eye.

Shooting a bow left handed with my right eye is a sight to behold. A guy at the proshop recommended trying that. Its hard to envision but I put my head on the "wrong" side of the string when shooting. It is the goofiest looking form you have ever seen. Some of the guys here have seen me shoot...lol Don't tell all the deer I have killed how goofy I looked shooting them. lmao

 

[Boarhead]

Good luck and keep us posted on how you do, that is a great tribute to your son and would be have to be a great feeling for you if you get good enough to take a deer with it.

 

[Big_Holla]

Blackbeard on here also had to make the transition from RH to LH after an injury. Might want to PM him on how things went.

 

[epe]

My dad, 30 some years ago fell out of a tree when his treestands chain broke, and broke his wrist. He had to switch from rh to a lh bow. When I started shooting as a kid, I started with a lh, to emulate him. I had to close my right eye. Years later I switched to a
Rh bow. Took a while but I got the hang of it.