Lefty, right eye dominant

[brl]

I was at the range the other day when someone there noticed that I was shooting left handed but am right eye dominant. He said that I'd be better suited to re-learn to shoot using my right hand. What are your thoughts?

Would that also apply to rifle shooting? I forgot to ask.

Someone at the range later told me that he was an NRA instructor. So, I'm sure he's intelligent on the subject but would it really make that much of a difference?

That would make things a whole lot simpler when I buy my first bolt action rifle! LOL

Thank you!!

 

[BoydAllen]

It depends. I take it that you are left handed. I am right handed and left eyed, and learned how to shoot left handed from the start.

When I was young, I couldn't close my left eye while leaving my right open without closing it with my fingers, and with it open, shooting right handed, all I could see was the side of the barrel. Also, I am fairly handy with my left hand. I took piano lessons (notice I didn't say I play the piano) when I was young, played string bass in HS and fooled around a little on the guitar. These all helped train my left hand to be more useful.

On the other hand, I know a fellow who has the same dominant eye/hand situation who is less than comfortable shooting left handed. He can do it, but it is easier for him to deal with the eye issues than the hand. If you decide to make the change, my advice is to burn a lot of ammo shooting a .22 that has a full sized stock and weight, and don't try to go back and forth. You will only make success less likely. It will feel strange at first, but if you stick with it, there may be advantages.

 

[deadlyswift]

BRl: I am right handed but left eye dominant. So I shoot left handed. I was very young when this was discovered. until I was 11 or 12 yr old I would lean over the stock and look down my sights or through my scope with my left eye. At 11 or 12 yrs of age and as I got bigger this became hard to do. It was very awkward to me at first when I started to shoot left handed. It didn't take long before I got use to it tho. I don't know if it makes that big of a difference but all my rifle are right handed rifles. I have adapted to working a right handed bolt shooting left handed. I'm sure I could work the bolt and load more efficiently if I shot a left handed rifle, but there just seems to be more parts and more models available in right handed guns so I just adapted to my handicap and shoot right handed guns left handed. I don't know if I shot a left handed gun that it would improve my accuracy but learning to shoot left handed because I am left eye dominant did help 200%!! Hope this helps
Mark

 

[brl]

Thank you...the posts do help. I am going to the range tomorrow and will give it a try. I have a lot of .22 ammo and will bring both a rifle and handgun to see what happens for the first round.

Thanks again!!

 

[CanusLatransSnpr]

You pose a very good question brl! I just discovered last October that I am cross-eyed dominant, which means I don't have a dominant eye or I could shoot equally as well with either eye. I am right handed and have always shot right handed. I do remember when I turned 8 my parents bought me a Daisy BB gun for my birthday and I had difficulty training my left eye to close so i could shoot. My dad worked with me and was patient, thank God, so I could learn to shoot. I have tried shooting left handed but, it has never worked out well for me. A friend of mines father was in the Vietnam conflict and there he learned to shoot either hand, even though he is right handed! Later in life this proved to be a blessing because the use of his right hand is limited at best now! There are pros for learning to shoot ambidextrously!

 

[tiny68]

There is a discussion about this in Mike Ratigan's book "Extreme Rifle Accuracy". Mike feels that watching the flags in point black benchrest is more critical than the aiming. So the best would be to watch flags with your dominant eye and shooting with the other. I am a lefty and was left eye dominant. I shot everything lefty until I was in my early 20s. I had a series of eye inflections that made me keep my left eye dilated and covered for up to a month at a time. I came out it being able to shoot left and right equally. I shoot the same score at trap with either hand (well with my crappy trap scores that is not staying much). I shoot a pistol equally with either hand. I shoot benchrest with either hand, but since all of my rifles are RB/RE configuration I stick with shooting at a righty. I am still struggling to shoot with both eyes open at BR. Tim

 

[brl]

I struggle trying to shoot with both eyes open as well. Although, might be easier shooting with same side as my dominant eye. I'll make note tomorrow while at the range. Although, I know the first time shooting with a new hand will be extremely awkward...at best.

 

[nirish]

Hi,All you need to do is to get a rail for your front sight/and your back sight so you can used your right eye.

 

[Forum Boss]

I am right-handed but strongly left-eye dominant.

Honestly, for scoped rifle shooting (as opposed to shotgun & pistol), you will find eye dominance to be a non-issue. If your gun is set up for a lefty, and you aim with your left eye, you will find that the brain easily (and automatically) takes over to concentrate on the image within the "circle" of the scope... provided you get your head in the right distance range for eye relief. As you're fishing around for the white circle, your right eye will try to take over. Put a little dot of silicone or a velcro patch on the stock so you can index your head quickly each time.

When shooting pistol, I wouldn't try to retrain your eye dominance. Just angle your body and head a bit so that your right eye is forward of the left. Now tilt the gun a little bit over to the right... maybe 15 degrees. You'll see that your right eye will take over the sights. If you shoot a red dot, you may have to tilt the gun more.

 

[JASmith]

...Honestly, for scoped rifle shooting (as opposed to shotgun & pistol), you will find eye dominance to be a non-issue...

I am left-handed and right-eye dominant. I shot rifle and shotgun lefthanded but shot pistol and archery right-handed. Wasn't smart enough to make the connection until I was in my 40's -- I switched to right-hand for everything.

Boy did it make a difference! For starters, I can readily shoot with both eyes open with a scope. I could, with difficulty do this when shooting left-handed.

My shooting fatigue also went way down -- so my experience was that using the dominant eye makes a difference even with a scope!

 

[JASmith]

...When shooting pistol, I wouldn't try to retrain your eye dominance. Just angle your body and head a bit so that your right eye is forward of the left. Now tilt the gun a little bit over to the right... maybe 15 degrees. You'll see that your right eye will take over the sights. If you shoot a red dot, you may have to tilt the gun more.

This technique can work for defense style targets and shooting. It may, however, yield surprising results for precision shooting at unknown ranges in the field. Using this technique with the holdover needed for 75 to 100 yard shots with .38 or .45 caliber pistols can result in significant left or right displacement of the hits.

 

[tdking]

If you don't plan to compete at the national level or higher, then it probably won't make a lot of difference if you continue to shoot right handed. However if you want to reach your maximum potential as a shooter, you should switch to shooting left handed.

Many years ago the Russians surveyed quite a few world class shooters and found that, with one exception, they all shot from the side of their dominant eye, not from the side of their dominant hand. So if you don't plan to compete at a high level, then realy doesn't matter which side you shoot from. However to reach your full potential you should shoot from the side of your dominant eye.

I switched from shooting right-handed to shooting left-handed when I was 11 or so and have never gone back to right handed shooting since.

Theron

 

[cliffy]

Eye Dominance determines which way one should hold his or her rifle, bow, pistol, shotgun, etc. Fighting eye dominance will only inhibit the best accuracy down-range. My son is left-eye dominant, so shoots left-handed, although he is a natural righty. I am right-eye dominant, so I favor right-handed rifles. Learning which is one's dominant eye will solve a myriad of accuracy grief. Cliffy

 

[osammy1]

This is a great fix .osammy1234@yahoo.com

 

[comagutsa]

Yep I'm left handed but right eye dominant so I learnt to shoot right handed

 

[Uthink Uknow]

Eleven years later and it’s the still only way to go; learn to shoot from your eye dominant side.

 

[GuitarmanNick]

I am right eye dominant and right handed. I shoot right handed although I cannot see sights or red dots clearly with my right eye, but can see enough to be reasonably accurate to about 200 yards with a rifle. I have found that using a diopter on the right lens of my shooting glasses is helpful, at times. Some days, due to disease, my eyes work better than other days. The diopter only helps on my good days.
When I shoot hand guns, I shoot right handed but use my left eye for sighting. It is difficult and requires conscious effort on my part.
Because of my eye problems over the last 20 years, I have tried to develop my body's natural ability to aim when fast firing a hand gun. For the most part, rounds are in the vital areas of a target out to 50 feet. I consider this to be more than adequate but it requires me to practice since these skills are perishable. If you ever find yourself in a real gun fight at close range, it is doubtful anything but reflexes will come into play so training is critical. The brain shuts down the thought center, and enhances the motor skill and physical response sections during "fight or flight" situations. If you plan to survive, those reflexes must be developed long before they are needed. The adrenaline rush can be used as energy, or send you into a panic depending on how you prepare for such a situation.
I recently purchased a Diana Chaser air rifle that has the bolt on the left side and is quiet enough to be fired in my apartment. This has allowed me to begin learning to shoot rifles left handed. Still haven't tried it with my centerfires, but plan to when weather warms up.
With the current climate, it might be wise to develop shooting skills both right and left handed with a range of weapons. An injury could leave you unprepared to defend yourself, otherwise.

 

[Precision_Seeker]

I am left-handed, but right eye dominant also. I shoot handguns as a lefty, but rifles as a righty.
I figure with handguns, I can more easily adjust my head to line up with the sights than I can with my scope.
Now it just feels natural.

I will add that I found I am more accurate with handguns when I shoot with my right hand - possibly because I am not trying to "muscle" them with my non-dominant hand. But I am not nearly as fluid or quick with my right hand.

 

[kzin]

It depends. I take it that you are left handed. I am right handed and left eyed, and learned how to shoot left handed from the start.

When I was young, I couldn't close my left eye while leaving my right open without closing it with my fingers, and with it open, shooting right handed, all I could see was the side of the barrel.

Are you me?
I still can't close my left eye only. I can ONLY shoot with my right eye with a red dot and both eyes open. (or left eye occluded)
But although I'm very right handed in most things I can't even remember a time when shooting a long gun left handed didn't feel like the natural way. All the way back to bb guns at 10yo.

Worst thing about shooting rifle left handed is seeing equipment for sale that you can't use.

OP, definitely at least try to convert to dominant eye. Precision shooting with the non-dominant eye can work but then when you try shotgun or action rifle you can find it very difficult.

 

[kzin]

If you don't plan to compete at the national level or higher, then it probably won't make a lot of difference if you continue to shoot right handed. However if you want to reach your maximum potential as a shooter, you should switch to shooting left handed.

Many years ago the Russians surveyed quite a few world class shooters and found that, with one exception, they all shot from the side of their dominant eye, not from the side of their dominant hand. So if you don't plan to compete at a high level, then realy doesn't matter which side you shoot from. However to reach your full potential you should shoot from the side of your dominant eye.

I switched from shooting right-handed to shooting left-handed when I was 11 or so and have never gone back to right handed shooting since.

Theron

Agree with what you're saying but I think you're crossing up OPs actual current situation.

He probably should switch to shooting RH with dominant right eye.