Right Handed but Left Eye Dominant

[rideold]

I'm left handed but right eye dominant. My daughter is right handed but left eye dominant. When it comes to bows and shotguns the eye dominance matter much more. If you are always shooting with one eye closed and looking through a scope then it doesn't matter as much. I still would urge you to have them learn from their eye dominance side. Just makes things better in the long run.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I am RH dominant and left dominant. Through into that that my vision is measurably better in my left as well. Didn't really learn how to shoot until I went into the Army and Uncle Sugar wasn't wasting any time with any "learn to shoot lefty business". So I just had to learn to shoot with my left I closed. I have no problems at all. I also like completing all of the functions associated with shooting (cycling to bolt, switching the safety, reloading, shouldering and cheek welding) with my dominant hand.

The military is geared towards the group rather than the individual, it was better for the military to just make everyone be right-handed, I would surmise it's better for an individual to shoot with their dominate eye.

Also you can get left-handed right action stocks, so you can still work the bolt with your dominant hand if you want.

This is my rifle.

 

[sluggo6850]

I ran into this when I was taking hunter ed. as a kid. I couldn't hit anything till someone told me how to check for your dominant eye. Turns out I am left eye dominant. Now I shoot rifle and bow left handed, also shoot pool left handed. Pretty much everything else I do right handed. Good luck!

 

[CUElk]

i'm left handed, right eye dominant. figured it out on a dove hunt about 35 years ago. It took some getting used to switching to right hand (about a year), but now I don't even think about it, feels natural putting that gun up on my right shoulder. Same with a bow. I never found myself trying to use the left eye. in fact, when I was using the left shoulder I found my self trying to use the right eye. I agree with the others, need to shoot with your dominant side. keeps that sight line nice and straight.

 

[PA deer hunter]

Have a buddy whose left handed , right eye dominant. Couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn when he shot anything left handed. Learned to shoot right handed and turned into a champion 3D shooter. Switch him to other side, he’ll be fine.

 

[Jorge400]

We shouldn’t be pandering to these freaks.

LOL! Left-eye dominant, right-handed people are superior beings. We are deadly accurate shooting left handed while leaving our dominant hand free for close quarters combat.

I'm in the same boat. It was just natural for me to bring a rifle or shotgun up to my left shoulder. Bow as well. Shooting pool both ways, no problem.

Let him shoot left-handed. Sure, finding left-bolt guns can be a challenge but there are plenty out there. I have two Savages, three Winchester Model 70s, a Rock River AR and just took possession of a sweet Christensen Arms Ridgeline all in left-hand bolt. I even have a Browning 425 with a left-hand stock cast and palm as well.

 

[jryoung]

I was all tee'd up for some adult commentary then saw it was for your kid.

I'm in the same boat....well my freak of a kid is. He was working with an archery instructor, and the instructor just said don't mess with it, go left handed. He grabbed another bow off the rack and everything started clicking.

Guess that custom built 260 rem with his name in the serial number just got passed back up in the family line.

 

[TwistedSage]

You can learn to adjust to the cross dominance issue, but it's much better to go with the dominant eye to start, especially with shotguns.

I'm sure it is possible. The issue with this is how repeatable are you going to he when you have to do some weird trick to try to fool your eye dominance before shooting.

I'm sure some can get by without shooting with dominant eye but. To shoot or be accurate to your full potential is another story.

It was made clear to us that we needed to start using our dominant eye in shooting fundamentals. I will concede that only using a scope may not be as effected as shooting open or iron sights. Shooting with iron sights is a great way to develop shooting fundamentals like consistent check weld and sight picture

As stated to really see the effect of shooting with your non dominant eye shoot a bow or watch someone shoot a bow with thier non dominant eye. I've seen my left eye dominant buddy who is fairly accurate completely miss a target at 30 yards with my bow.

 

[golfer]

Just think when it comes times to buying a rifle picking one should be much easier since there are so few left handed rifle options out there.

 

[HSi-ESi]

Same boat here. Wife and the youngest kiddo are both left eye dominant. I noticed early on with the kiddo that left eye was being more dominant, but the hand dominance didn't show until he was in kindergarten (he kept using both for writing, throwing things, etc).

We had the little Bear archery setups, so I switched him to left handed and he loved it right away. Definitely follow the eye dominance.

I've got some lever actions and a Ruger No1, my wife likes to shoot those, she really gets bothered by having the bolt near her face. So I'm planning some rifle purchases, as long as he still wants to shoot. I'm thinking a collection in #1's could really be acquired. Start with a .204 Ruger or maybe a .218 Bee. Then just work my way up the caliber list!

 

[npaden]

Both my son and I are right handed but left eye dominant. I grew up shooting right handed and don't think I could change now at age 51. The biggest issue is wing shooting. I have to close my left eye or I miss. With a rifle I don't think it is that big of a deal.

I've started my son off shooting left handed. Hopefully it will work out well for him down the road. Only issue so far was when he was getting his shotgun merit badge in Boy Scouts. The instructor had him shooting left handed but telling him to keep his right eye closed. I told him the whole reason we bought him a left handed shotgun is so he could keep both eyes open when he was shooting, if he is going to close one eye anyway we can just stick to right handed guns. He doesn't shoot shotgun enough yet so that I can tell that he is going to be a very good shot one way or the other really though. I'm actually a decent shot with keeping my left eye closed. Started this year out 5 for 5 on dove, I'm closer to 50% on the year now, but still think that is pretty decent.

 

[JoltnJoe]

Left eyed right hander here. Not too mention a lazy right eye. My dad wasn’t much of a hunter and I’m not sure either of us ever heard of left handed guns or dominant eyes until I was in my late teens. I was a horrible shooter with zero confidence until I addressed the problem in college. Now I’m a mediocre shooter with no excuses! Make the switch to the dominant side fo sho!

 

[Ben Lamb]

The military is geared towards the group rather than the individual, it was better for the military to just make everyone be right-handed, I would surmise it's better for an individual to shoot with their dominate eye.

Also you can get left-handed right action stocks, so you can still work the bolt with your dominant hand if you want.

This is my rifle.
View attachment 116697

You buys knives at truck stops, don't you.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I’ll run it by the wife

Don't let her turn you into a Newt.

 

[Schism]

My 3 year old son (freak) is also showing signs of left eye dominance while being right handed. I recently visited with a shooting instructor and he said without a doubt to teach him to shoot with his dominant eye. I think it provides me a good excuse to start buying O/U and SxS shotguns.

 

[Brian in Montana]

My wife is cross-eye dominant. She struggled for a few years just trying to use her right eye (weak eye). Ultimately we were out at the range one day and just had her try shooting left handed. It was awkward at first, but didn't take her long to get used to it. She is a terrific shot, shoots a lefty .243 and a .270. Switching to her dominant eye made a world of difference.

 

[Focus]

My older son is right-handed, left eye dominant. I found this out when I put a toy gun in his hand when he was about three. I immediately switched him to lefthanded with rifle and shotgun. He shoots pistols righthanded, sighting with his left eye (Dave Sevigny, multi-time national USPSA shooter does the same thing.....if its good enough for Dave, its good enough for my boy).

Couple weeks ago my now 20 year old son shot two antelope in about a minute, shooting left handed.

I teach archery too. I’m amazed at how many people have the eye dominance issue. Most of them shoot really well when you tell them to “match” their dominant eye. I had a kid last night that shot equally well with either hand, despite being left eye dominant and right handed.

 

[kansasdad]

Before we turned my son around, (right handed, right footed, nearly co-dominant left eyed) he would barely break a sporting clay into two or three pieces, after moving him to his slightly more dominant eye side, he powders the clay into smithereens and ducks drop stone cold dead.

Scoped rifles he shoots righty, to take advantage of his dominant, more controlled finger squeeze (and use my righty rifles) while shooting with left eye closed.

 

[SG25]

I am right handed, but left eye dominant. Since he is young and learning, I would say start him off left handed to learn that way. It will make everything a lot easier down the road.

 

[tzone]

Anyone ever run into this? I noticed my son is in this boat.

Is it easier to teach him to shoot a LH rifle from the beginning or will your eye still look through a scope alright?

Been that way my whole life. Too expensive to change now!

I'm left eye dominant and shoot right handed. I close my left eye when I shoot.