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

[skarke]

I tend to agree.  It isn't as important, IMHO, regarding shooting thru a scope at a relatively stationary target.  But, in shotgun shooting and pistol shooting, which are by definition, shooting sports by reflex pointing, you'll likely be better off in the long run.

While learning, you'll hate life.  But when you drop more birds and your pistol targets get smaller groupings, you'll be glad you put forth the effort.

[INresponse]

If you are just starting out I would suggest using the same hand as your dominant hand, right/right or left/left.  If you have been shooting for a while and you are doing good then it may not be that big of a problem.

I am left eye dominant but right handed.  I learned to shoot a shotgun left handed and actually thought that was better because my strong hand was pumping the rounds through it, not my weak hand.  When I got hired as an officer and entered the academy I selected a left handed holster, having never shot a handgun before it didn't matter.  But, with practice over the course of 18 weeks or training I found that I could shoot just as well right handed or left handed, but always using my left eye.  After 18 years I don't care if I am shooting left or right handed with any handgun, it just takes a little practice in the beginning.  When I am in uniform I use a left handed holster, when I am in plain clothes or off duty I use a right handed holster, no confusion and no worries because I have been doing this and practicing this for many years.

If you are comfortable with your left hand stick with it, but also practice just as much with your right hand because someday your left hand may not work and you may be dependant on your right hand.

Keep practicing and good luck.

[mirage1988]

I was a lefty shooter, left eye dominant until I lost 80% of the vision in my dominant eye from optic neuritis. It is possible to switch sides shooting- that was actually the easy part, but it was really tough while my brain and my eyes were trying to switch eye dominance.  

[MGMorden]

Never tried it myself, and don't technically know if it's possible as I've only heard of this from a guy I talked to a few times.  That said, according to him he had the same problem but rather than changing his shooting hand, he changed his eye dominance.  From what he claimed, if you're willing to wear a patch over your current dominant eye for a few months the body will readjust and the unpatched eye will become dominant instead.  It's a lot of trouble (I certainly wouldn't try it without verifying that it will work) to go to but he claimed to have have done it.

[Dand]

I've always heard its best to go with the dominant eye. My youngest son couldn't hit a thing with a bb gun shooting right but having a left dominant  eye. Had him switch and he does fine now shooting left handed.

I am left handed, probably left eyed. But when I started shooting, early 60's, my dad insisted I shoot right handed so I would be able to find guns that worked. I still shoot right handed use my right eye but I have to work hard for accuracy and I'm not consistent. But too lazy to try switching now at 55. One day when I was an early teen, I was out with some other kids and tried shooting left eyed, I seem to remember I did well that day with my 22 rifle.

When I got my first hand gun, a 22 revolver, I shot it right handed. I'd do ok for a while then the groups would go to pot.  I found that I was switching eyes without knowing it. So I close my left eye. Now its hard to make myself shoot with both eyes open.

So I have a lot of bad habits. Shoot trap and skeet poorly, hand guns a little better and rate myself fair at best with rifles compared to folks I know who are much much better than I.

If you're starting out new I'd say go with your dominant eye and see how you like it.

[smong2000]

I recommend switching, I did it for archery and you WILL shoot better once you transition.  My advice for switching is to practice daily or at least 5 times a week for a few months to get it ingrained.  Dry fire or whatever, but make sure you go the motions of loading and unloading as you will be shooting.  I shot  3 rounds of 5 arrows every night at home all winter and by about 6 weeks it became 'natural'.  After that, I started shooting 3 rounds with my new hand and 1 with my old every session.  The shooting is really the easy part of the switch because it's a fixed, repeatable process.  I found that picking up the bow and loading the arrows was difficult because you body wants to do all those motions as you normally go through life, fine motor activities on your native side.  Stick with it and good luck.

[shot1]

I too am right handed and left eye dominant. You can teach your eye to switch dominants when shooting. I have done this. As a kid learning to shoot I just always shut my left eye but as I got older I learned that I could see much better if I kept both eyes open. I just trained myself to see the sights with the right eye and keep both eyes open. When shooting a scoped rifle I still close my left eye though. I have found while helping teach handgun carry permit classes many people that have an astigmatism can't see the sights well. They blur if they try to hold the sight picture for more than just a couple of seconds. I teach them to just bring the pistol up and acquire their sight picture and shoot quickly. With a little practice they get really accurate. This is about the same thing I did to start training my eye dominants. I would squint my left eye a little and pick up the sights with my right eye and shoot quickly before the left eye would take over. After a while the left eye gave up and let the right eye take over. I now can shoot with both eyes open and sight with my right eye. It takes a while but it can be done.

[BRL]

Thank you for all the input. I am headed to the range on Tuesday and will try it out with the handguns I shoot best with. Last night I handled several handguns and rifles right handed. Wow, was it awkward. But, I might be a step ahead of the game if I learn to switch. I am a decent shot left handed now. So, if I can master the right hand while continuing to keep the left up to par, I'll have the option of using either hand interchangeably down the road.

Thanks!! 

[Doublebass73]

Good luck, I think you'll find that it will be easier than you think to switch. My daughter is left handed but right eye dominant. I took her shooting for the longest time and she couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. It finally dawned on me to check her eye dominance. As soon as I switched her to shooting right handed she was instantly getting good groups on the targets.

[Hank08]

BRL, With a handgun a shooter can use either eye regardless of which hand is holding the gun.  Use your strong hand to hold the handgun and turn your head slightly to use your dominant eye.   Close your other eye ,if you want, until your used to using the dominant one.
H08

[BRL]

That's what I've been doing til this point...using my left hand, closing my left eye and tilting my head to get a sight picture with my right eye. It's worked til now. But who knows if I've reached my potential shooting that way. I might be better the other way. There's only one way to find out. Also, I'd like to get into handgun hunting with open sights.

[INresponse]

Unless you are planning on competing in some very competitive shooting leagues or division, I would recommend practicing shooting handguns with both hands.  It is not that difficult and it wont take long to get good with both hands.  At work they make us shoot handguns and long guns both left and right.  Not a problem for me with handguns and shotguns but my right eye has a weak muscle and shooting rifles is difficult if I have to aim (which is most times), but even with that I got better with practice.

Practice with both hands, you wont be sorry.

[BRL]

That's what I'm thinking.

[Hank08]

Yes, definately, use both hands whichever eye you use.
H08

[SHOOTALL]

Lots of advice , mine is no better , with shooting glasses its an easy fix place a very small sliver of tape on the right lens . The eyes will adjust dominance to the eye with the clear view . It is a great idea to be able to shoot well with both hands . To do so one or the other hand is shooting off doninate eye . So why change ? your left hand wil be quicker and it may matter at some point . You can always close your right eye if a well aimed shot is nessary. Some folks have eyes that switch back and forth as to which is the lead eye .

[Ole Man Dan]

 
I've taught folks who were 'Cross Dominant', and resistant to change, to keep both eyes open
when shooting pistols w/iron sights.
Rifles need to be shot on the side with the dominant eye.

I grew up left handed and right eye dominant.  I pretty much became ambidextrous out of necessity.
(That explains my boxes of holsters)

[SHOOTALL]

just close one eye for the rifle or use a scope or other aid . Wing shooting a shotgun wear glasses with the sliver of tape . No need to change a lifestyle really.

[BRL]

Just for the heck of it...and the better selection of bolt actions, I tried shooting right handed with 2 of my rifles. Surprisingly it wasn't that difficult and didn't fee that awkward except for at first. Now, this might be because I shot laying down, something I had never done before anyway. It was pretty comfortable so I didn't move to the bench. That may be a different story. Also, I didn't try handguns with my right hand yet either...baby steps. I think I will be able to shoot rifle both lefty or righty and will continue to practice that way. Again, handguns will be a different story.

Thanks!!

[Gene R]

My son is right handed, but left eye dominant.

He shoots his rifles left handed...and better than any man around here that we shoot with.

He shoots his revolvers right handed but left eye..Same said...

He shoots a left handed bow very well also...

In my opinion, it is easier to shoot with the hand that has the dominant eye rather than train the other eye...

Everyone tried to change him and all it did was confuse him...I just had him shoot the way he was most comfortable with and with out crossing over(No left hand shooting with right eye)

Left eye dominant shoot rifles,shotguns and bows with your left hand
Right eye dominant shoot rifles, shotguns and bows with your right hand

But crossing over with handguns seems to work really well for him, I do not agree with it, but it does work extremely well....

[DANNY-L]

wear a patch and try training the eye

[DickelDawg]

Eye dominance applies only to shooting with both eyes open. As a hunter who didn't know anything about eye dominance until very late in hunting experience I found out why I almost never could hit a crossing target going left to right when hitting a crossing target right to left was much easier. I'm right handed and left-eye dominant. I learned to shoot left handed. Was a much better shot after the change.

[Basicguy]

I am left handed right eye dominant. I shoot left handed strong side but I hold the weapon in front of my right eye. No problem. When I shoot long guns I trigger with the right hand keeping the right eye as my sighting eye. Cross dominance affects about 20% of the population in my professional experience, most do fine.

I don't like the controls on many weapons but maintain shooting standard weapons, ei right handed. I want to be able to pick up any right handed weapon and know how to deal with it.

Right handed, right eyed people don't know how well they have it.

[Lloyd Smale]

my wife suffers from this. She does better with a redot on a gun then anything else. Me i cant see anymore with either so i just get used to missing!

[Hank08]

My son is right handed but lost his right eye, for handguns it's no problem just uses the only eye he has but for rifle we mounted the scope in a high see thru Mt. so he still shoots right handed and can see thru the scope with his left eye. Works for him.
H08

[bigleo18]

I am LH and right eye dominant and all of my shooting instructors told me  me to tilt my chin down and towards my left shoulder and my right eye picks up the sights just fine and I shoot with both eyes open now. I also shoot RH you never know when you might half to shoot off hand.

[BRL]

Much more feedback than I thought here...thank you for the posts.

I signed up for a Practical Rifle class in October. I will initially try to re-learn to shoot rifle RH. I hope to purchase a RH bolt action after that if things go well. I've taken aim and dry fired my rifles right handed and while it does seem awkward to hold the rifle that way, my sight picture does seem to be more clear with more field of view. I keep both eyes open and can acquire a target pretty quickly.

Thanks again for the posts!!