"left handed" - discovered with my grand-daughter - she describes herself as left handed - does hand writing with left hand - but in my shop, we determined she is STRONGLY right eye dominant. I am still not real certain how to deal with that - most definitely when she left-hand shoulders an iron sight rifle or shotgun, it is her right eye that is picking up that front sight. Is less of an issue with scoped rifles, but even she agrees that the view is "better" through her right eye. But she does not seem to have the finger control on the right hand like she has on her left hand. Our solution - trying to learn to shoot off her right shoulder - she is not "experienced" with shooting at all, so about nothing to be "un-learned". Was a thing since for-ever that I learned to shoot with both eyes open - look at target - then bring up the rifle or shotgun - had to make that thing fit - when time to shoot, was all about hitting what you were looking at.
Is perhaps some genetics going on - among me and several brothers - pretty common among us to bat Right Handed - right hand on top, but to use Left Hand hockey sticks (I think) - again, right hand on top end of the stick. Is two of us Left hand for golf; two of us Right hand for golf - clubs are opposite. All of us shoot off our right shoulder and do hand writing with right hand.
Perhaps is what one learns and practices that matter? I have read of and have known shooters who are about as effective from either shoulder - like with a lever action Winchester 30-30 - depends on the circumstances of the shot that is presented - take step forward with right foot - opportunity presents from right side - is almost quicker to do left shoulder shot, than to shuffle feet around for a right shoulder shot.
Good information Potashminer. I have often wished that the terms right hand, or left hand, only apply to activities done with one hand. For two handed activities I try to use my terms right sided, or left sided. I am from families that have left handers on both sides, and in sports we have the same four combinations of RR, RL, LL, and LF. I noticed long ago that what people do with their dominant hand singly, like writing or eating, does not apply to what they do with two hands, that is hockey sticks, baseball bats, golf clubs, and rifles.
At our club we bring a couple bus loads of grade seven kids, 12 or 13 year olds, to our range once or twice a year to give them a chance to shoot 22 rifles. For many it is their first contact with a firearm. Of course before they arrive, they are briefed in their classrooms to get the safety cautions in place. My job, when they first exit the bus, is to screen them for eye dominance. I find between 5% and 10% will have cross eye dominance. As it's their first time shooting, in most cases, I just explain the situation to them and get them behind the rifle on whichever side they feel comfortable, then let them have fun. Oddly, some kids, who are not athletic, will automatically think rifles should be held right sided. That is just because they see that being done so often in movies and TV.
They get to shoot paper targets first to help them understand open "V", Buckhorn, and some peep sights. Once they get that down, they move on to little silhouette animals farther away, and finally balloons at over 45 yards. The smiles are huge, from ear to ear, and they come away understand what rifles can and can't do. Often some come there, and then get cold feet not wanting to shoot, for various reasons; one reason being discouragement they have received at home because they have been made to feel weird or defective over their eye dominance issue. All I can say is approach new shooters with an open mind, and don't try to pound round pegs in square holes for your own convenience.
Now as for safety, just because militaries around the world forced soldiers to shoot one way is no excuse to saddle modern, civilian shooters with odd, disadvantageous, or even dangerous guns. The possibilities of out of battery discharges are rare, but not unheard of. I don't pay much attention to the latest military toys, but I believe some are now using easily convertible models, a step in the right direction from a human resource/safety standpoint. It has been quite a few years now since the first gunked up SKS rifles hit our shores, and I think the precautionary threads here on CGN have faded into electronic history. IMHO some of the filthiest, commonly used guns are 22 semis that many think are great for kids to plink with. Needless to say, all of us, left or right, need to caution new or young shooters about the possibility of protruding firing pins on not just autoloaders, but any firearm. One doesn't have to read too many threads to find either a newbie wanting a gun that requires no cleaning, to someone admitting they never clean their guns.
Three gun is one of our most dynamic, although endangered sports. If more of these events included stages shot completely from the opposite side, there would be a greater appreciation by right shooters of issues faced by left shooters. In all shooting, wear eye protection. We only get two eyes.
