Another Rifle Challenge....

[WapitiTalk1]

OK, now that I'm set up with my new boom stick (first one in many, many years..have only owned/hunted with archery gear for oh, say 25 years) I'm on to a new challenge.  I'd like to set up Mrs. Phantom with a rifle that she can shoot at the range with me when I take my .308 out.  She's a great gal but doesn't hunt.  That doesn't mean she doesn't shoot.  We've got a handful of pistols that we shoot and she does pretty darn well.  Here is the challenge.  Wifey is very left eye dominant and is right handed.  I have worked through this issue with pistols with her and she's accurate enough by canting her little revolver (and other pistols) just enough so she can line up the front post and rear aperture and shoot with her dominant/left eye while holding the gun in her right hand. 

The crux of the biscuit: 

1.  Does she need to learn to shoot left handed with a rifle/scope?

2.  What are your recommendations for a rifle/scope combo for the little bit that is Mrs. Phantom?  She's 5' 5' and is a pretty dainty little chickadee.

As always, thanks!  RJ   

[lokidog]

A couple of things, shooting with a scope, it is no big deal to close her dominant eye to shoot right handed. Another possibility would be to get a Win Model 94 30-30 or other caliber and put a side mount scope on it, it makes it very easy to shoot right handed but use your left eye.

[2labs]

Go with the howa in .204 AWSOME cal. No recoil. Get one of the package deals from Buds. Thers one right now for $515 same gun you just bought

[huntnphool]

I'd contact Carpsniper and check out the Ruger American, they are available in left hand.

[hunting4sanity]

I've got the same issue of being right-handed, but left eye dominant. I tried switching to left-hand shooting, but almost always shoot right-handed because it's more comfortable, go with whatever is comfortable and fun for her. Look at the Ruger American Compact models.  If it's just a "for fun & plinking" gun the 223 would be low recoil and has cheap ammo available - not legal for big game hunting in WA. It would be nice if she could go to a dealer and shoulder some of the different brands, as well as some of the compact/youth models versus full-size. Other calibers to consider, 243 and 7mm-08.

[jrebel]

With eye dominance problems you may look into the savage lady hunter.  Most women that have not shot rifles much struggle with scoped rifles.  They have a hard time with the eye relief and anchoring the butt of the rifle to their cheek.  The lady hunter will eliminate that issue making it easier to deal with the dominance issue.  Also a good scope that has a ton of eye reief.

Maybe have her shoot a few rifles before you buy to find what fits her.  If you are ever in the Wenatchee area she is more than welcome to shoot one of my wife's lady hunter rifles or my daughters youth .243. 

Jrebel

[Stein]

A couple of things, shooting with a scope, it is no big deal to close her dominant eye to shoot right handed. Another possibility would be to get a Win Model 94 30-30 or other caliber and put a side mount scope on it, it makes it very easy to shoot right handed but use your left eye.

   I'm her same boat and have absolutely no problem shooting a scoped rifle with my non-dominant eye.

[pianoman9701]

She could use a patch on her left eye while using a scope. It would be more comfortable than trying to keep her eye closed. But, with a properly set up scope and stock, I would think her right eye would be looking down the scope when she pulls up. It shouldn't be as much of an issue as with open sights or a bow.

[lamrith]

Not sure the platform you were looking for bolt or Semi, but we could always meet and have her shoot the various caliber AR's I have.
223, 300blk, 6.5Grendel  if for no other reason than to get out and shoot and let her try different calibers and rifles.

She does not now, but do you see her ever hunting with it down the line?  If not then it really opens the door to about any caliber and you can look at more economical calibers that are still accurate at the distance you place to shoot.  223 might be a great option for that, in bolt gun or semi and there are tons of different rifles out there in that caliber.  Mossberg MVP Varmint is one that jumps out to me.  I had one with the 24" barrel and it was a really sweet shooter.  Good weight to it, so was like shooting a 22, it shot .7MOA with cheap 55grn factory and crappy reloads I was making when I 1st started reloading.
They even make them full ready to go:
http://www.mossberg.com/product/mvp-varmint-scoped-combos-27710/
or you can buy with just scope, or bare rifle.  The mossberg trigger is pretty nice for a factory rig too, they also offer it in .204 and 7.62x51(308)

I cannot offer much help on the eye dominance issue, I have never dealt with it.

[JackOfAllTrades]

Ok... I'm very right handed. I am an NRA Master classification Bullseye  pistol shot, right handed. I have been for some ten years or so. A few years ago I had a mini stroke and lost much of my right eye (corrected), vision. (its like looking through fog or vasoline smeared glasses) -The optic nerve is dying from a short time lack of blood flow/oxygen.

So... I took a year off Bullseye competition and practiced shooting right handed, with left eye. I do not cant a pistol. I don't recommend it. Changing stance and pistol position will more than correct for shooting right handed pistol at arms length. Two hands... There's no issue...

All of my rifles are right handed.  With the scope position close to the receiver there is no way to shoot left eye/right handed. And if we could, the shooting positions would be so out of whack I'd not expect good results. So, the only thing left, really, is to shoot right handed rifles, left handed. It will feel odd to a right handed shooter that's shot that way for years, but it didn't take me long to adapt. I'd recommend that your girly do the same. If you're not comfortable with a sight picture or position, then focus on what you're doing (trigger control), goes down hill.

-Steve

[The scout]

243 ruger American/youth

[bobcat]

Definitely go with the 243. Low recoil, cheap ammo, and legal for big game hunting.

This Mossberg might be a good choice. However, I'd replace the scope with a Leupold.

[WapitiTalk1]

Thanks for all the discussion guys; I'm following all your comments.