Left Eye Dominant . . . . Right handed

[TCLouis]

So I plan to start working towards using my left eye and continue to shoot right handed with the pistolas.
I can and have been for years shooting right handed with the right eye, but just want to try this other for a while and seeking wisdom.
Plus it oughta drive folks crazy t the range trying to figure out what seems off in my "style".
Any one else out there shooting across like this?
If so, how is it working for ya?

With rifles I will just shot right handed, at least with the scoped ones, I do not think has any effect anyway.

I grew up shooting shotgun left handed because I could not close my left eye. May I need to try shotgun left handed now.
Oh wait I have shot 4-5 shotgun shells in the last 10 years or . . . Not likely worth the effort!

[M-Tecs]

For a handgun it's not a problem. For rifles and shotguns it doesn't work with both eyes open. Closing the left eye works well but it doesn't work for rifles or shotguns unless you use offset sights or a radical stock will torque badly when fired.

[ReloaderFred]

It's more common than people realize. A lot of people go through their whole lives without knowing which eye is their dominant eye. In our Handgun Safety Classes, one of the first things we do is check the students for which eye is dominant, and you'd be surprised the number of people in their 50's, 60's and 70's who have never checked to see which one is dominant.

As said, it's easy to switch with a handgun, but not a long gun. I know people who are right handed, but shoot a long gun lefthanded, because they are left eye dominant.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[500Linebaughbuck]

i am also right handed and left eye dominant. i can use my revolver with both. a rifle i shoot it left handed. i also use both eyes to shoot. i always did, i never got myself to shoot closing my eye.

[contender1]

I too teach,, and I agree with ReloaderFred. I see a lot of folks who are like that. My wife is like that.

We do a lot of handgunning,,,,, and as such,, there are a few things you can try.
Using the right hand,,, "cant" the handgun slightly to allow the sights to align with the left eye.
Using the right hand,,,, turn the gun to where they align. HOWEVER,,, if shooting a heavy recoiling handgun,,, this gives you more felt recoil, as the wrist isn't aligned with the arm.
In USPSA competition,,, I see a lot of shooters who put a piece of Scotch Tape on the left lens of their shooting glasses to where they are "forced" to use the right eye for proper sight alignment & recoil control. You can do this for practice etc. The tape fuzzes the dominant eye,, while still allowing pereffial (spelling???) vision.
Lastly,, you can also learn to shoot left handed.

Just a few ideas.

[wch]

I have a grandson who is right handed and left eye dominant so I taped the left lens of is shooting glasses with electrical tape and he shoots quite well now.

[Omega]

I'm right handed but left eye dominant and shoot rifles and bows left handed. I have shot this way for ever but can't seem to get used to a left handed rifle, just seems off. I contemplated getting a left handed stock for my right handed rifles but due to price and the fact that I can use them just fine I don't bother.

[lefty o]

no problem with handguns, ive been doing it for a very long time. long guns should be shot from the dominant eye side though.

[Road_Clam]

I have the worst eyesight. Extremely nearsighted. I'm typically a RH shooter. My left eye is stronger than my right. I've learned to shoot handgun RH hold, left eye sighting. As for rifle this gets tricky, I typically shoot optics RH unless the optic has very small hash lines for elevation compensation. I have 2 FFP scopes and they are awesome for shooters with poor eyes. As for iron sights, I need to use my left eye so I've learned to shoot irons LH. This has been very challenging, but shooting ambi has been a great skillset for me to learn.

[oldhenry]

I was r. eye dominant (r. eye had above average vision). I dealt with glaucoma for years & finally the drops no longer controlled the pressure........surgery was the only remedy. The surgery saved my long time r. eye vision, but it was no longer my dominant (best) eye.

I stopped rifle shooting (I'm 78 & the change over to left hand rifle shooting was too much of a challenge). I just resumed my handgun shooting with my left eye & hold the gun with my right hand which works out fine.

Henry

[bluelund79]

I am left eye dominant and right handed. When I was younger, my Dad put a piece of scotch tape over the left lens of my hooting glasses. Since we bird and big game hunt lot, it’s necessary to continue to do that. When I shoot my handguns, I either close my eye or keep them both open. I don’t want to relearn how to shoot, so it’s easier to continue what works, and stay proficient.

[bdicki]

I'm right handed and left eye dominate, been shooting left hand since I started shooting at a young age. It just seemed right so I didn't fight it.

[Handloader109]

Never understood why I could shoot my shotgun so much better lefthanded...... Yep issue.

[gwpercle]

I was right handed / right eye dominant. Lost the sight in right eye....now I'm right handed / left eye only. When you got one eye ....it's the dominant one by default .
Handguns I shoot right handed, left eye sighting is no problem.
Long guns , rifle and shotgun, I shoot left handed, left eye sighting. I don't really have a choice here but it's not hard to switch over. The left hand can master the trigger easily. The hard part is carrying the long gun on the left side so mounting to the left shoulder is easy.
I still have trouble carrying a long gun on my left....my right always wants to carry it and without realizing it while hunting the gun winds up on my right. As long as I get it to left shoulder...shooting and hitting is easy.
Try shooting a round of skeet left handed using your dominant left eye....it just might surprise you how well you do and how easy it is to work the long guns trigger. Shot guns are easy to trigger, rifles are a bit harder to master but not that hard with practice.
Handgun shooting requires a lot more triggernometry to be an accurate shot with, I would have a hard time shooting left handed but since you can get by with the right hand left eye arraignment why go to all the trouble .
Gary

[str8wal]

I am a lefty with dominant right eye. Have always shot righty, it just seemed normal. I think if possible it best to learn to shoot with the dominant eye.

[Loudenboomer]

Years ago the American Rifleman Magazine published an article on this subject. Their findings over a many year study showed that kids that learned to shoot eye dominance regardless of what handed they were became better shots. I teach firearms safety to youngsters. Eye dominance is one of the first things we check for. I don't force it but kids seem to get into the grove quicker and shoot better eye dominant. My right handed son had a serious eye injury at 5 years of age. He learned to shoot left out of necessity and became an excellent shot. I have adult friends who have struggled shooting with cross dominance their whole lives. In most cases a proper start on their shooting technique would have been rewarding.

[oldsalt444]

Shooting all crooked like you are suggesting can be done, but I'd advise against it. The problem will be that your neck muscles will get overworked resulting in early fatigue and distraction. That will lead to poor shots and frustration. Yeah, you might do it for a short while and get away with it, but not for extended shooting sessions. I too am cross dominant and have been shooting bullseye competition for many years. I know of what I speak about this. The best solution is to block out your dominant eye with a blinder, scotch tape or what-have-you. Then you can keep both eyes open which reduces eye fatigue. I use a white colored blinder which keeps the amount of light close to the same for both eyes. I also use a Merit Optical Device that suction cups onto my shooting glasses. The adjustable aperture will allow you to see both sights clearly and even the target clearly too.

[Loudenboomer]

Old salt. To clarify you must have been replying to OP. The system I was suggesting is defiantly NOT shooting "all crooked"

[dvnv]

Right hand/left eye...learned to shoot rifles and shotguns lefty. As a young adult I purchased a revolver and started to shoot it lefty too. After a year or two (even with all previous shooting being lefty) I tried the handgun righty and my shooting was modestly improved. So now handguns are used right handed with both eyes open, sighted with my left eye. It takes a modified stance with a little bend at the wrist, but I shoot up to a 475L without issue.

[Mike Kerr]

Eye dominance is one of the most important determinations in handgun shooting at least at the lower levels of the learning tree. I look forward to hearing what your results are after a trial period of several hundred rounds and several different shooting sessions.