lefty with right eye dominate question

[lefty red]

I've been shooting since I was seven, and I'm thrity-eight now.  I shot left handed, but I'm right eye dominate.

This messes up my shotgunning, but I manage.  I mostly just close my right eye when shooting.

Now, it shouldn't mess up my rifle shooting should it since I close my right eye when aiming?

Jerry

[burntmuch]

Lefty Im the exact oppisite.  Right handed left eye dominate.  I have no problem shooting with my right eye, or hunting. But a couple hours at the range & my eyes get tired & I get a slight headache.. I tried shooting left handed. I felt like an idiot. That old dog new trick thing.  Good luck  Jay

[lefty red]

Ok, I get the same tired eyes and headaches also.  Had eyes checked out, but they are perfect.  I keep my shooting time down to about 15 minutes at a time.  Then I take a break or go to a handgun.  Been really trying to practice off hand position and the use of the sling.

I shoot handguns right handed, except for single actions.  I swear Colt was a lefty also!

Been trying to switch back over.  Its on my new year resolution list every year.  I do good for about a month, then I move back to the left.  Just feels weird shooting righthanded.  Kind of like trying to unlearn a bad habit, that feels so good.

Jerry   

[Graybeard]

I'm right handed left eye dominant. I learned long ago as a boy to close my left eye when shooting a rifle or handgun and to this day still do even with scoped guns.

Now learning to shoot a shotgun was a challenge I admit but I finally master it well mostly. I shoot from my right shoulder with both eyes open. I tried it left handed and couldn't hit a bull in the butt. My sight picture is kinda weird no doubt compared to that of folks whose's dominant eye and shooting hand are the same but I can generally stay above 90% at skeet never the less. I don't do as well on live birds however as I can learn what the sight picture needs to look like at skeet but every live bird is different and it's not as easy to master.

[bilmac]

I know it's easy for me to say, but at your age I think I would teach myself to shoot right handed. I shoot left handed occasionally just to have that skill, and I know how awkward it feels, but I know that I can make shots left handed. Just think of all the good bolt guns waiting to be your friend if you'll just give up your bad habits.

[dakotashooter2]

I learned long ago as a boy to close my left eye when shooting a rifle or handgun and to this day still do even with scoped guns

As rediculous as it seems, some people are not able to close one eye at a time. My wife is one of them but I know several others who also find it impossible.

[SHOOTALL]

my eyes are ok so this is from seeing others . At a clinic that Remington put on there was a shooter that was right handed left eye dom. (To be honest it was my nephew so i watched close ) . Well he couldn't hit at all so the instructor spent some time with him seeing where he was looking. He takes his shooting glasses and places a sliver of scotch tape on the left lens ( carried the tape for this so it must be seen alot ) anyway the kid starts hitting one after another . The instructor said just use enough to cause the left eye to blur ever so little when the target was in position for the right eye to take over . Worked for him .

[lefty red]

There you go, rubbing it in about shooting good bolt action "wrong"!  LOL  But I do just want to cry when I see a Steyr Scout in .270 and just think about how it feels wrong.  I've got to make myself  shoot right handed.

And thanks for the shotgunning tip.  I've read somewhere about using tape or an eye patch.

Jerry

[bilmac]

Don't know why, I didn't remember this before. My dad was right handad, but he shot left handed. For someone who didn't shoot much and wasn't even very interested, he was an excellent shot with both rifle and shotgun. So he was obviously was left eye dominant and for some reason had the good fortune to learn to shoot backwards. His family were mostly avid shooters, so maybe one of his brothers straightened him out at an early age, but I doubt that people knew much about eye dominance in the early 1900s.

At any rate he learned to shoot backwards, and I'm sure the younger you start the easier it is, but you're still a spring chicken lefty.