So I took the RPR out just now to shoot an eye test at 50m, with CCI Standard. Conditions were far from perfect, and shooting directly into the sun, but I wanted to see if there's a difference.
I shot three 5rd groups as normal - 1.405", 1.135", 1.03" in the order I fired them. First group was 3MoA left and low.
Then I removed the cheek rest so I could use my left eye. Very awkward with no cheek weld behind an 18-power scope. And without the cheek rest the butt stock is free to move, so the rifle was freely recoiling. It was like trying to shoot a pistol mounting a rifle scope - using the wrong eye, very uncomfortable. Despite this, the difference in clarity of the 13mm target dots, and the reticle was obvious. Groups were .89", .67", .57". I pulled one shot very badly.
Then I put the rest back on and went around the bench to shoot left-handed. This was even more uncomfortable. I do occasional LH practice, but mainly offhand, usually 12ga, and not very recently.
From a bench my positioning was terrible. I didn't know where to rest my head or where to place the butt in my shoulder. I was using a rear bag and I couldn't work that out either. That may just be due to thumb not being able grip or squeeze the bag though.
The biggest issue by far though is that I have no feel of the trigger, at all. My first shot I pulled down about 40mm. The next four impressed me at .99", then 1.17" and 1.44". Virtually identical to my normal RH shooting. The last group I pulled one 40mm left, and felt like I was pulling the trigger sideways instead of rearward.
Operating the bolt was lovely, as usual shooting from the left shoulder. But from the bench it meant I had to re-grip the bag every shot, and that is annoying.
All up, my left eye vision is very significantly clearer, and far more crisp. Even with no practice and a very awkward position I can shoot better using my left eye. More importantly, it's easier to shoot well. With my right eye I need to move my eye around to get a clear picture and I'm "fudging" a bit to try to aim at where I think the target is. It's slower and takes concentration. With some practice I would expect to be shooting as well as I used to shoot with my right eye.
But shooting left-handed will require a huge amount of practice to gain any competancy. I've pulled triggers with my right finger something like 200,000 times, with my left, including all the weak-hand IPSC drills, maybe 1000 times. I'll endeavour to do a lot more LH practice when I'm shooting, just to develop some trigger feel.
Then I pulled the scope and fired a LH 5rd and 10rd group at 40mm diamonds with iron sights. The AR15 sights work well for me, I would put them on everything if it were possible. I didn't specifically note it, but the 40mm diamond was tiny sitting atop the front post. Recalling the image I think the post must be about four times the width, about 200mm wide at 50m - it's far wider than the JW21 I've been using for Silhouette practice for years.
The 5rd group was 2.915". One was well left on it's own but I don't think I pulled it (it is likely but I don't recall any issue), and it's still within the bounds of the following 10rd group at 2.43". The groups were about 70mm left. The first was 15mm high, the second was 25mm high. Then I went around the bench and finished off right-handed. The 5rd group of 1.435" was about 100mm left and 35mm high. The 10rd group was 1.265", 100mm left and 40mm high. I pulled one of these to the left. The final shot went 40mm high, but I could not see the target at all. The sun was well in my eyes by then. I had some indication of the front post, but not the diamonds on the page. I was fishing around trying to pick out the black spot peripherally, then move the sight onto where I thought the spot was. I was in the vicinity but I can't call it an aimed shot.
The sights were infinitely more crisp through my left eye. But I shoot so much over iron sights I've learned to adapt to finding a sight picture. I have actually removed the sights completely on the JW21 and can still usually put 10 out of fifteen on the 50m half-scale pig simply from consistent cheekweld and familiarity of seeing the targets poking out around the obstruction of the rifle and sights. Lack of trigger feel is the issue shooting left-handed, the sight picture is excellent. Oh well, more practicing
It can take months, sometimes years to get eye surgery, and it's relatively expensive. Rose's mum is having both eyes done in May and June. Her dad had one fifteen years ago with no improvement. My dad did one about the same time with the same result. Rose's mum's friend had one that failed and cost her the remaining sight in the eye. She had the other done, which also failed and she's been blind since. There are risks but they're small, which doesn't mean much if you're the anomaly. We'll see what the surgeon says, repair might not even be an option.
But the experiment was interesting, try it yourself sometime
