RH shooter with dominant left eye

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Workin Man

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I have a buddy who is thinking about getting into target shooting. As the title says he has a dominant left eye, but he is right handed. Should he shoot right handed or left handed with a shotgun? Obviously he would need to shoot left handed with a rifle, but since you are supposed to shoot with both eyes open with a shotgun, can he use one right handed?
 
I'm the same way. What I found that works; was to put a small "dot" of electrical tape over my shooting glasses on the left lens, where I would normally look at when shooting with both eyes open. So, when I'm in my normal firing stance, with both eyes open, I see black in the left eye and out the right eye. I still shoot right handed (rifle and shotgun and ambi for pistol). As always practice, practice and practice, soon he will be able to remove the tape and have no problems. I find that if I don't shoot for a while, I go back into left eye dominance, but it can be overcome.
 
I have the same problem. The funny part was that the first time I went shooting, no one told me to look with the right eye, so I was mashing my face all over the stock of the shotgun trying to aim with the left eye, ended up missing everything I was aiming for :D

I'm lucky I didn't get a big blueberry bruise, actually.
 
try squinting or blinking the dominant eye as you shoulder the gun, your right eye will take over dominance automatically.
 
I have the same thing...I have taught myself to shoot a rifle/shotgun either way using either eye...it just takes a bit of practice. This makes things easier to shoot pistol with both eyes open as well. For the longest time though, I would just shoot left handed, even though I am right handed.
 
For long guns, close the dominant eye, if you cannot do this then poke it when you are about to shoot and it will close automatically. The other option is to learn how to shoot with the non-dominant hand.

Boltgun
 
In my case, I was having problems hitting ducks,geese and other birds when shooting right handed and was seriously thinking of giving up the sport completely when I heard about eye dominance and tested myself to see if this was the case. Found out I was left eye dominant and tested it out by shooting left-handed the next weekend - wound up limiting out on ducks that morning. Wound up getting bottom load/bottom eject shotguns or those that were set up for lefties and haven't looked back.

As for rifles, not until a few years ago did I decide to go left handed - figured that since I shotgunned left handed - may as well do the same with rifles. It was ackward at first, operating a left handed bolt action, but with practice, I am as fast as I was right handed and more accurate as I have better depth perception with both eyes open.

My advice to your friend - go left handed, - it may take some practice, but he'll enjoy it more when he becomes a proficient hunter rather than one that gives up the sport.
 
I can shoot both ways. It can come in handy. In a duck blind I can sit on the left and shoot a larger area without moving as much or interfering with my buddy. Your eyes change as you grow older. It is not a bad plan to practice shooting both ways.
 
I`m going to try out the piece of tape in the glasses thing, but I`ll prolly end up just learning to shoot left handed. seems to make more sense in the long run:D
 
I shot competitive trap for years and I am the same as you . I stuck with shooting right handed but also trained my eye with tape, but use see thru scotch tape on your shooting glasses just a small dot and you will still be able to pick up the left hand targets earlier as they will still be visable thru the tape. It won't take to long if youshoot enough to retrain your eye issue.
 
As a coach ,one of the first thing we d is help a new shooter to figure out which is the Dominat Eye . If it does turn out to be a cross over as the above post then we work and try to train the person to shoot with the proper eye , hand situation. It can be a bit frustrating at first but it will be for the better as your shooting progresses.
 
in the movie "firebirds" with nick cage, he had the same problem. He fixed it by dring around in a jeep with women's panties wrapped around his head....maybe that will help
 
There is no suck thing as a right handed shooter with a dominante left eye. If you have dominate left eye then your a lefted handed shooter. If your shooting right handed you just have realized that yet. Some people have done quite well shooting ass backwards but in the long run most of the ones I know have tried shooting left handed and ended up shooting better in a short period of time then they ever did right handed.

Tim
 
Had that afliction , and ended up after shooting 10 years right hand bow, switched to left for 17 years. And slingshot has always been left , rifle right , pistol both . I don't think it matters much . As long as you can see one set of sights , and a good view of the target. Or as with the bow , just good instinct(like a ball player has when throwing to another). No sights req'd , which is also the most fun.
Frank
 
Thanks guys, lots of good advice. I think I'll tell him to try the womens panties thing first though (what are friends for?). LOL! I'll get him to read through this next time he's over (he doesn't have internet access) and he can decide which way he wants to go.

Thanks.
 
Rod B said:
I have the same situation. I learned to shoot left handed.

It took a little time but it was worth the effort.

If I pick up a gun to shoot right handed, it now feels awkward.


Rod.:)
Click to expand...
xs2 it takes a bit of practice but worth it in my books
 
nemesys said:
in the movie "firebirds" with nick cage, he had the same problem. He fixed it by dring around in a jeep with women's panties wrapped around his head....maybe that will help
Click to expand...

I wear women's pantines on my head all the time, and it dosen't help with my shooting. :)
 
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