# need advice on lasers



## Bigfoot63 (Aug 11, 2016)

As many of you know, I lost my right eye to cancer. I am right handed and have
been trying to better my shooting skills left handed, not impossible but slow.
my thoughts have drifted to fitting all my firearms and bows with lasers pointers
to be able to continue shooting right handed.
I am interested in any input as to functionality and reliability.
I am interested in cost... not cheap but don't want to break the bank either. can't
break the bank as the cancer has done that. (haha)
if the idea is sound I will start implementing it as I can. just need you brains on this one.
thank you for your input.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

Bigfoot63 said:


> As many of you know, I lost my right eye to cancer. I am right handed and have
> been trying to better my shooting skills left handed, not impossible but slow.
> my thoughts have drifted to fitting all my firearms and bows with lasers pointers
> to be able to continue shooting right handed.
> ...


If you are talking pistols, there is no need for a laser. I've taught more than a few right handed, left eye dominant shooter to shoot accurately. Simply move the pistol to the left so you can sight with your left eye. Rifles are a whole different ball game entirely.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Like in the John Wayne movie El Dorado, get a shotgun.

Crimson Trace might be more practical. Have them on several pistols and rifles and they work great.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Bigfoot63 said:


> As many of you know, I lost my right eye to cancer. I am right handed and have
> been trying to better my shooting skills left handed, not impossible but slow.
> my thoughts have drifted to fitting all my firearms and bows with lasers pointers
> to be able to continue shooting right handed.
> ...


bigfoot63,

I have limited experience with lasers on handguns, and I agree with @Chiefster23 about keeping your same grip and moving the pistol over to the left eye.

With ammo being as costly as it is, Its sad to say it, but practice is the only way to get comfortable shooting out of your non-dominant eye. Maybe try a Snap-Cap first without laser and see how you feel after a few hours withe the snap cap?

PS Sorry about your eye Sir!

But do you get to wear a patch? Eye Patche's are pretty cool! Good luck my friend!


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## MisterMills357 (Apr 15, 2015)

I would say that you have a good idea there, I have a very weak right eye myself, it is rated at 20/200. I fire pistols right handed though, and I have gotten pretty good at it. But I have considered a laser sight my self, it would put a red dot right on a target. That is a good concept.


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## Bigfoot63 (Aug 11, 2016)

Chiefster23 said:


> If you are talking pistols, there is no need for a laser. I've taught more than a few right handed, left eye dominant shooter to shoot accurately. Simply move the pistol to the left so you can sight with your left eye. Rifles are a whole different ball game.


not so much pistols, military and law enforcement taught me to shoot with my off hand , plus muscle memory is helpful. 
still good enough to kill left handed pistol. no, i'm looking for long gun solutions.


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## Bigfoot63 (Aug 11, 2016)

Slippy said:


> bigfoot63,
> 
> I have limited experience with lasers on handguns, and I agree with @Chiefster23 about keeping your same grip and moving the pistol over to the left eye.
> 
> ...


my biggest problem is the stance and shouldering of the weapon feels alein. not the sight picture.
and yes ,i get to wear a patch and also say "not bad for a one eyed fat man"


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## Bigfoot63 (Aug 11, 2016)

thanks for the input guys. I will continue to train myself in left handed stance and follow up with the red dot thoughts.
my father suggested a camera system he stumbled across, I will research that and get back to you.
the snap caps are a good idea as ammo is at a premium right now.
the biggest issues I see are mountings that don't move after recoil... and closer kill zones due to limited sight, 
I mean I don't know if I could see a red dot at 300 meters.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

Visible lasers on long guns have limited and specific use. Even with a green laser (green is more visible to the eye) you are going to be able to see it at best about 40-50 yards on an over cast day. Visible lasers have their use at night, such as in the home and when shooting where you are not able to get behind you regular sights such as around obstructions and when wearing a gas mask. Outside of that they are not the most useful. IR lasers on long guns have tremendous value. I have a Steiner DbalI2 with visible and IR laser. Still learning to use it with my nods.
I have crimson trace lasers on two handguns. The Glock 17 I keep under my pillow and my S&W .40 Shield. I think that lasers on handguns can have a lot of value. They are a viable alternative sighting system that with practice can put you on target and shooting quicker. You can shoot around obstacles easier and if you are like me and wear corrective lenses, they are great if you do not have time to put on your glasses/in your contacts and you can still shoot in a self defense situation with confidence. They are also a training aid when shooting to help you see and correct your faults.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Every pistol that I have that I can hang a laser on has one, all are Crimson Trace.

The best are the green ones and they show up better in the daytime.

They are not the answer to all, only about 75%, emissions can be blocked by rain, snow, mud and other items.

It may be too bright out, summer sun or a sun lit winter's day.

Then there battery considerations, once a year, in summer, I change all the batteries at one time, most are CR2032's, greens a different one.

In the dark they are tops, the green ones have enough spurious light emission that you don't need a flashlight to identify a target.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

SOCOM42 said:


> Every pistol that I have that I can hang a laser on has one, all are Crimson Trace.
> 
> The best are the green ones and they show up better in the daytime.
> 
> ...


Will agree. One of the swat boys told me the green ones were more visible to old blind guys in the day time. Thats back when I was trying to figure out how to put one on my thutty thutty without messing it up. Come to find out there aint no way.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Laser is a tool . It requires time to learn to use it. You still need the iron sights.


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## Pir8fan (Nov 16, 2012)

Chiefster23 said:


> If you are talking pistols, there is no need for a laser. I've taught more than a few right handed, left eye dominant shooter to shoot accurately. Simply move the pistol to the left so you can sight with your left eye. Rifles are a whole different ball game.


Exactly. I'm a lefty that's right eye dominant. For long guns, I shoot right handed because there were no left-handed models available when I was young and I didn't like the shells flying in front of my face when they were ejected.


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## pakrat (Nov 18, 2012)

I have green laser sights on every long gun that will accommodate one… to the point of drilling and tapping picatinny rail mounts into the forward stocks. I’ve done this to expand the flexible use of each rifle. It’s nice to have a big old 50mm scope on my .270, but if I suddenly had to acquire a target within 50ft with that rifle, my response and accuracy would be pitiful. Even the quick transition to iron sights is not as smooth as one to a laser point.

Where possible, I’ve used a wired remote switch mounted near the trigger guard and a Ranger Band or two to keep the wire from getting snagged anywhere. My application has been focused on close targets though. I use a laser bore reference to initially sight the laser sights in at 50ft, so I don’t have much experience at longer ranges. It’s been more to make a longer range weapon more functional up close.

Crimson Trace are great sights, but the price has climbed steadily. I just ordered an ADE HG54G at half the cost of a Universal CT. I'll be mounting it as a third tier sight on an AR type platform. We'll see how it goes.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

Crimson Trace used to do an annual sale where lasers were greatly discounted or if you bought one laser, you could get one of their cheapest lasers for free. The second situation is when I bought the railmaster red laser/white light combo for my Glock 17 and got one of their cheapest red laser units for free. Something to keep in mind anyways.


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## Bigfoot63 (Aug 11, 2016)

this is exactly what I am looking for. I need to be able to throw my rifle up 
and put lead on target right handed. but with no right eye that is difficult.
I'm not looking for 300 meters... 25 to 40 meters would be okay with me.
my concern is the laser moving after recoil. I have long used a boresight
laser for initial scope mounting.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Laser will not move unless you do. That is a big part of learning to use one. Know where to expect the point to be If your hold is off you will be looking for it instead of shooting. This is why Good reddot are often better for many.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

I may be way off base here but please hear me out. During indoor benchrest shoots I have seen right handed guys using scope mounts that offset their scopes to the left. I believe that is to allow them to use the scope without actually resting their cheek on the rifle stock. I'm pretty sure something similar could be rigged up to offset a red dot sight far to the left to allow right handed shooting but sighting with the left eye. I don't know if these mounts were commercially available or custom made. Just something to consider.

With covid most benchrest matches are probably canceled but if you can find a club, match, or individual that shoots big money benchrest guns you could probably find a source for these custom mounts.

https://www.hartcustomrifles.com/product/hart-offset-scope-base/


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## Bigfoot63 (Aug 11, 2016)

thanks guys, all the advice will be researched. i am definately
interested in the off set scope/red dot concept. as things develope , I will
keep the forum informed.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Conversation goes from rifle to hand gun. Two different subjects when it come to lasers. Handgun is short range and good lasers work. Rifle in day light good luck. They are not strong enough. For a sight you will have to go with a RedDot type. There are countless options and a wide price range.
Good thing is you do not have to go side mount. Sight heights can solve issues you are running into. Most good reddots have option for higher mount that will get you shooting.
Get height and eye relief right and you will be hitting 300 yards like a pro.


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## Bigfoot63 (Aug 11, 2016)

Smitty901 said:


> Conversation goes from rifle to hand gun. Two different subjects when it come to lasers. Handgun is short range and good lasers work. Rifle in day light good luck. They are not strong enough. For a sight you will have to go with a RedDot type. There are countless options and a wide price range.
> Good thing is you do not have to go side mount. Sight heights can solve issues you are running into. Most good reddots have option for higher mount that will get you shooting.
> Get height and eye relief right and you will be hitting 300 yards like a pro.


pistols are not the problem... I have no eye on the right side. So I am having to learn to shoulder 
the weapon left handed. this is a different feeling for me. it is not natural as I have
shot right handed for 40 years, never gave any thought to learning to shoot
lefty. eye relief and scope height don't come into play for my current situation, 
pistols being close range and combined with muscle memory, I am still 
able to hit the target with a good deal of accuracy using pistols.
but unless I am using a scattergun, right handed is hit or miss more than is acceptible.


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## rolex (Apr 21, 2012)

SOCOM is correct, In Wy my steiner laser green is hard to see . They were on sale for xmas and I have 3.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Bigfoot63 said:


> pistols are not the problem... I have no eye on the right side. So I am having to learn to shoulder
> the weapon left handed. this is a different feeling for me. it is not natural as I have
> shot right handed for 40 years, never gave any thought to learning to shoot
> lefty. eye relief and scope height don't come into play for my current situation,
> ...


 Then any laser on the market is worthless to you. In day light they have no range for a rifle.


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## Bigfoot63 (Aug 11, 2016)

that makes sense, thanks. so it is an exercise to retrain my brain and body for a life of lefty shooting. 
I know a lot of ambidexterious shooters so I know it is possible. I was just looking for alternative solutions.
thank you for all the input and insight. I still came away with some interesting Ideas.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

This may sound stupid, but I will suggest it.

Have a red dot mounted on a custom mount to use right shoulder with left eye.

Should be about a 60-65 millimeter offset. 

Point is you won't have to learn everything over.

OK, now I have given everyone an excuse to hack on me, go to it.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

That’s exactly what I suggested in post #18 with a link to a supplier who builds such a mount.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Chiefster23 said:


> That's exactly what I suggested in post #18 with a link to a supplier who builds such a mount.


Sorry I missed it.

It should work for him.


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