Left eye dominant right handed

[apache12]

OK, this is my first post, but I've been reading the forum for a few years, I guess I never had something to ask that hadn't been asked before. I was just helping my 7 year old get dialed in on his ruger 10/22 and becuase he eats left, writes left, but bats right and throws with both hands I figured I should check his dominant eye. Well I learned he is right eye dominant, which should be good for a family of three boys and thier dad (me) who are all right handed, except in teaching him how to check I learned that I' left eye dominant. So how did it take this long for me to figure out? I was never the best shot in the Army, but shot expert, but they did put me on the M60 for a reason, was never a great shot. I mostly hunt pig and coues, and I always shot a bit to the right, so I just always did a bit a Kentucky windage and accounted for my right shooting. I thought it was that I had a heavy finger and just needed to practice. I guess I've been successful I've shot a few coues at 350 and 400 yards plenty of pigs and such, but I've never felt real comfortable. I shoot my shotgun with both eys open and don't own a hangun. So I went to the range with my older boys 223 and shot a group at 50 yrds right handed that was nice an tight and all 2 inches left. Then I switched and shot left at 50 and I was dead on at 50. Is this an easy question, time to switch to left? Can I just crank the scope a few notches to the left? I dont really have the money to go buying new guns, but it was kinda wierd shooting a right gun lefty. Any thoughts would be great. Thanks

[youngbuck]

Welcome to the site!

If he's young he can learn to shoot righty. He could also shoot lefty on a RH bolt gun. He may need to wear an eye patch if he is really right eye dominant. I know guys who do it both ways. If hes 7 learning a bolt action will be new, so shooting fith a bolt on the "wrong" side won't be difficult, unless you only have thumbhole stocks.

[oz31p]

i think hes young enough he could lean what ever you teach him. the best shot i know shots a pistol left a shot gun an rifle right bats eats writes left. all of witch he does very well. unless your training him to be a boxer or a pitcher id teach him to be a righty....just sets him up for an easier life.

[BowNut]

I got one kid left eye'd right handed and one kid right eye'd and left handed! A lot of people in my family are the same so it was something I checked on them right away. I had them shoot the same as what ever eye was dominant. I think thats the best thing to do but I know a lot of great shooters that shoot with there non dominant eye.

[BikerRN]

Great topic, and one I'm not sure we can reach a definative answer for that will accomodate all shooters.

 

I myself am right handed/left eye dominant. With a Red Dot I tilt my AR to the left, and can shoot right handed, but my accuracy is best when shooting left handed. Shotguns, I stick to left, with both eyes open. Handguns, that's a whole 'nother ball game. I shoot with either hand, but have slightly tighter groups shooting right handed, plus it works better for me from a weapon retention standpoint to shoot right handed. Also, my transition from rifle to handgun is faster shooting the longarm left and the handgun right.

 

I mention all these things because each task will have a different set of criteria and needs. For longarms I would advise going with the dominant eye side. For speed, and what I euphamistcally call, Minute of Felon, go with the dominant hand. I shoot longarms 90% left handed. On a bolt action I find myself as fast as a right handed shooter shooting a right handed bolt with the added advantage that my left hand never leaves it's firing position.

 

The task becomes one of combining the dominant eye with the not so dominant hand. If you think about it for a second you may see that using your dominant hand to manipulate the bolt, with the cross dominant eye and non-dominant hand operating the trigger, to be a very beneficial set-up, and is one of a few reasons why I don't recommend left handed bolt actions for left handed shooters.

 

By using the right hand to manipulate the bolt, and keeping the rifle on the left shoulder, you can have the best of both worlds in my opinion. That's my $0.02.

 

Biker

[russd]

i am right handed yet shoot left due to eye dominance. no big deal for me as i have always done it that way. the hard part for you will be holding the gun as a lefty. i like shooting right handed bolt guns still. i tried a lefty bolt action and didn't like it. you can work the bolt with your right hand just fine. keep what you have a practice shooting as a lefty.

[pwrguy]

I also am right handed left eye dominant. I have shot scoped rifles all my life left handed and that is the only thing I do left handed, I even shoot bows and pistols right handed. For me putting a scoped rifle up to my right eye is the most uncomfortable and awkward thing you could imagine. I would let the kid decide what he wants to shoot, forcing him to use his non-dominant eye may handicap him for some time. I have shot many critters with right handed rifles, so you don't have to run out and buy left handed rifles right away. That being said, I think he could learn to shoot either side over time.

[apache12]

Well, I'm really happy to hear that it sounds like I can keep my right handed bolt actions. I'm just going to keep practicing with my boys 223, easy and cheap gun to shoot. It did feel odd yesterday at the range, I kept having a hard time finding comfort with my right hand. I have my boys 223 on a bipod, so I just shot on the bench and crossed my right hand back underneath and rested on my left forearm. I did start shooting my shotgun both eys open a few years back because I just thought i shot better, now I know that it was because my left eye was dominant. Sure does explain some dove and quail misses that just didn't make sense. Well, I kinda excited to go shoot my first left handed coues, going to feel like my first deer all over again. Thanks for all the advice, I love the site, good honest help. Hope to post a pic of my first left handed coues.

[dzell]

i am right handed and left eyed and only ever shot right handed rifles off of a rest i think a right handed rifle is way more convenient for my left handed shootin but thumbhole stocks are pretty much out of the question

[.270]

whatever eye you have open is your dominant eye. the dominant eye deal is pretty much a myth. you generally have a little better vision in your dominant eye, but if you are right handed and left eye dominant, you're probably better off shooting right handed and just learning to keep your left eye closed tightly. the only thing that really matter is how you are most comfortable shooting. you can train your eyes and hands to do anything. my uncle shoots equally as well right or left handed and right or left eyed. a lot of times his first shot is right handed and his second shot is lefthanded and then back to right if he needs to shoot again. when i was a kid, just for the heck of it, i started shooting my bb gun left handed and with my left eye. i've always been kind of ambidextrous (amphibious if you're from aj) and it didn't take long at all to be as good with either hand. i still a shotgun or iron sighted rifle left handed a lot, and i am severely right eye dominant. a friend of mine bought a new bow and got all rigged up, lefthanded, because he was left eye dominant and his stupid uncle told him he had to do it that way. he finally had to give up and go righty because he could never get cooridinated enough to shoot lefty. wasted about a grand on his lefty stuff. shoot however you're most comfortable and train your eyes to shoot they way you want em too. if you don't have enough control over your own body to make one eye close and the other stay open, then take up golf. Lark.

[afmalinois]

I do everything left handed (write, eat, throw, bat....), except shoot (bows, rifles, pistols...you name it). It was hard for me to pick up at first because I was used to doing everything with my left hand. I was still too young at the time to really know about my strong eye (which is my right). My dad told me that he wasn't going out to buy my special left handed guns and bows and that I had better learn to shoot his or get a job. Since I was probably 10 when he told me this, I adapted and over came! Give the boy a right handed gun show him how to use it and practice, practice, practice. He'll never know the difference. Let him worry about shooting off hand when he's older and more skilled, and it will come to him much easier! But then again, like everyone else....my .02.

[Santana Outdoors]

I am left handed on everything including a pistol, but right handed on shooting a rifle and bow. I am right eye dominate. I never could shoot a shot gun very well and my bowling score is as good as my golf, they are both about 100.

 

In little league, no one had a left handed mitt for me to wear so I caught right handed and did great, then took of the mitt and threw left handed (had to be quick). As an adult bought a left handed mitt and could never figure out why I catch very well until I realized it was because of my right eye dominate (at least it sounds good). I can also bat left and right, prefer left.

 

After reading this I think I am going to try and force myself to try and shoot a pistol right handed. Good luck on your son, from my experience I think he probably needs to shoot right handed because of his right eye being dominate.

 

Eric

[BikerRN]

I'll add some more to this subject, since it's so near and dear to my heart, and I have time to spare today.

 

As I said earlier, I shoot longarms left handed. Due to some phyical issues I am unable to close my left eye, and when I try to shoot right eyed it becomes a big mess. What I'm going to try to do in the next couple of weeks is move a scope further forward and use my left eye while shooting right handed. I've spent the morning getting the right eye relief on a rifle to do this.

 

I can shoot my M4 right handed with a forward mounted Red Dot, but I have to tilt the rifle to let my left eye see the dot. It looks unorthodox, but it does work. For this expirment I'll have to make sure I crank my neck the same way each shot, as I'm turning my head to the right against the stock, thus putting my left eye closer to the scope. Again, it looks unorthodox, but if it works I'll let you know.

 

I got the idea from a friend of mine. His son, due to a hand situation is also cross dominant, but is unable to shoot from his dominant eye side. Thus he turns his head. The young man can shoot, and very well I might add. Being that I'm right handed naturally, but left eye dominant, this thread has prompted me to expirment a little. I'll post back in a week or two with my results.

 

Biker

[.270]

google this name. karoly takacs. yeah, it's a real name. when it comes to shooting, if you can lift your gun and aren't blind, you can shoot it proficiently. anyway you want to. eye dominance doesn't matter when one eye is closed. you still see in a straight line. Lark.

[joeeden]

I have the same issue Biker does. I could sit around for hours but I cannot close my left eye only. I'm very adept at closing both eyes at the same time. Especially when I should be glassing. I learned to shoot lefty pretty young. My brother and uncle couldn't help but notice me trying to crane my neck across the gun to see the sights.

 

I'm also amphibious so that may help me or muddy the water. I'm curious to see what fixes people would propose for shooting a compound bow. I shoot a recurve right handed because it feels natural. I'm inclined to shoot a compound lefty but Lark scared me. Perhaps a pirate patch is in order. Lark I promise the affliction disabling the ability to close one eye is real!