Right handed but left eye dominant??

Rman said:
No, you are attempting to overcome hand dominance. Give a righty a wrong handed stick and see how it goes. Why is a rifle any different?
Have not found most of these comments or suggestions to be true across multiple people. As you mentioned, it would have a lot to do with the difference in eye strength, available coordination, etc.
For most encumbered with this issue, the easiest was to close the eye. It isn’t like the non-dominant eye doesn’t work. It certainly is the most practical, the least effort, and can still achieve results at the highest levels.
There is little value forcing someone to shoot wrong handed when a simple wink will solve the problem more times than it won’t.
Watched a fellow at the range attempting to do this with his kid as a direct result of forum “advice” Dad went out and purchased a left handed rifle for the kid, who was right handed left eye dominant. Kid would have been about 14. The whole show looked like a monkey humping a football. It was starting to get a bit heated. Asked a few questions. Dad had the same condition, but figured it was too late for him, and wanted the kid to do it as he had read about. Kid did everything right handed. Ask Dad if the kid could wink. Turns out he could! (Have never met anyone than can’t in under a minute). Kid shot better right than he did left, with the eye closed. Dad tried lefty as well and couldn’t get it to work.
This is one example of many. Multiple forums show the same results as above. They also show results where it worked or was “better”.

Again, if it works for you, great. That doesn’t mean it’s going to work for everyone else.

When the easiest thing to try is closing one eye, that should probably be the first step?

R.
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Side tangent, I've actually met people who could not, infact, wink. If one eye closed, then the other eye also closed, lol.

Your example isn't a dad trying to overcome his kid's hand dominance. It's a dad trying to get his kid to do something that "wasn't comfortable" or "didn't feel right". That's a mental obstacle, not a physical one.

I've trained hundreds, if not thousands of people. Without fail 99 out of 100 shoot better after a few minutes of adjusting to shooting wrong handed, but right eyed. 1 out 100 people are too stubborn to really try and end up just doing what they want because "it feels comfortable."
 
Rman said:
If you say so…

No value in trying the easiest thing first tho, eh?

R.
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1) thanks for showing everyone that you don't put any value on shooting with both eyes open. That tells us a lot.

2) Its not about what is easiest. It's about what will get the best results. I want my daughter to be the best shot she can be, across many disciplines. That said, shooting left handed is not HARD to do, especially if your starting point is rested at a bench. From my perspective you're making a mountain out of a mole hill.
 
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Suther said:
1) thanks for showing everyone that you don't put any value on shooting with both eyes open. That tells us a lot.

2) Its not about what is easiest. It's about what will get the best results. I want my daughter to be the best shot she can be, across many disciplines. That said, shooting left handed is not HARD to do, especially if your starting point is rested at a bench. From my perspective you're making a mountain out of a mole hill.
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1) Thanks for showing everyone your complete disregard for anything anyone else has to say, and your overwhelming desire to be absolutely right. That tells us a lot indeed. Please point out where it was said there was no value in it? You can't because that isn't what was said.

2) You keep beating this drum, when it was simply suggested that for some, trying the wink could be a far easier solution than going to a full wrong handed set up, especially with a scoped rifle. But hey... if you just gotta be right, then fill your boots. If you think trying a wink on to see if works, before running out and buying more rifles is a mountain, then that also tells us a lot.

3) Reading comprehension is a thing. You should try it sometime. It also prevents picking fights where none were needed.

R.
 
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GrimRX said:
Side tangent, I've actually met people who could not, infact, wink. If one eye closed, then the other eye also closed, lol.

Your example isn't a dad trying to overcome his kid's hand dominance. It's a dad trying to get his kid to do something that "wasn't comfortable" or "didn't feel right". That's a mental obstacle, not a physical one.

I've trained hundreds, if not thousands of people. Without fail 99 out of 100 shoot better after a few minutes of adjusting to shooting wrong handed, but right eyed. 1 out 100 people are too stubborn to really try and end up just doing what they want because "it feels comfortable."
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Have as well, most could learn in a very short time, some couldn't.
There are plenty more examples. Some simply can't switch hands. It's been the case more times than not.
Isn't feeling comfortable part of learning how to shoot?
It is merely being suggested that switching hands isn't for everyone, and that a simple attempt at a wink may be a solution. It' doesn't cost anything and takes seconds.

There are so many more variables to this. Again, what works for some doesn't work for others.
Saying one thing is THE way, is never the way.

R.
 
OP: my daughter is left eye dominant and wants to shoot LH rifles. I was thinking about getting a CVA Scout for her to try LH shooting, what do you guys think?

Rman: #### that, make her close one eye.



But I'm the one who has disregard for what others say lol
 
Suther said:
OP: my daughter is left eye dominant and wants to shoot LH rifles. I was thinking about getting a CVA Scout for her to try LH shooting, what do you guys think?

Rman: #### that, make her close one eye.



But I'm the one who has disregard for what others say lol
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Again, that isn't even close to what was said, was it? And you know it.
It's a pretty weak fella that has to lie in order to prove his "point"
And it definitely proves that you have disregard for what others say... to the fact that you have to make it up.
Weak.
R.
 
Rman said:
Have as well, most could learn in a very short time, some couldn't.
There are plenty more examples. Some simply can't switch hands. It's been the case more times than not.
Isn't feeling comfortable part of learning how to shoot?
It is merely being suggested that switching hands isn't for everyone, and that a simple attempt at a wink may be a solution. It' doesn't cost anything and takes seconds.

There are so many more variables to this. Again, what works for some doesn't work for others.
Saying one thing is THE way, is never the way.

R.
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Honestly, I've never met someone that could not switch hands (baring bodily deformity). Uncomfortable, yes. Mental block, yes. But truly unable to switch hands? No.

As for comfort being part of learning how to shoot. To an extent. Just like anything else, there is best practices that should be learned first before anything else.

I found that the wink tends to be a bandaid. It lets them shoot comfortably now, but will almost always have negative effects on their shooting in the future. I've met and taught middling shooters that have been shooting for years. They pass the tests they need to and so have never really been bothered to try anything new. I've given them a few minutes of advice, they start using their dom eye and non-dom hand and their grouping size shrinks and ability to discriminate the details on their target increases. Its really those that have a very weak dominance one way or another that only see a little improvement but even then, if it's only a weak dominance, training and familiarity from the start would have benefited them, if only a little.
 
Rman said:
Again, that isn't even close to what was said, was it? And you know it.
It's a pretty weak fella that has to lie in order to prove his "point"
And it definitely proves that you have disregard for what others say... to the fact that you have to make it up.
Weak.
R.
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Lmfao and let the ad hominem begin!

I didn't make it up ####. You're just trying to use weasel words to obfuscate.
 
Rman said:
Every time this comes up... the answer is to shoot wrong handed. The hand dominance would be more difficult to overcome than the eye dominance. The easy answer is to close the left eye. Regardless of eye dominance, not everyone can shoot with both eyes open, and if shooting a scope, it really doesn't matter that much. Certainly, all up to the individual but just a few things to consider before running out and buying a wrong handed rifle.

R.
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Here is you saying, and I quote, "the easy answer is to close the left eye".

But I'm a liar for saying that your advice was "make her close one eye"?...
 
I'm also right handed but left-eye dominant. I didn't realize this until a few years in my shooting when I was speaking to someone while skeet shooting (which requires both eyes open). After realizing this I switched to left-hand shooting, on my existing right-hand rifles (which is more relevant for something like a bolt action). It took a little getting used to but it quickly became natural for me after a couple months. Sticking to my stronger eye has allowed me to acquire targets much better/quicker, and staying with the right-handed rifles keeps my purchase options open (left hand rifles and parts are much harder to find and often more expensive). I also feel this benefits bolt action bench rest/prone shooting as my trigger hand stays on the grip and my right hand can cycle the rifle.

I recently bought my first lever-action rifle a few weeks ago and was interested to see how I would cycle it with my left hand (weaker hand). I had no issues whatsoever, in fact, after about a dozen rounds I was cycling that thing flawlessly like a cowboy on crack.
 
Suther said:
Here is you saying, and I quote, "the easy answer is to close the left eye".

But I'm a liar for saying that your advice was "make her close one eye"?...
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Where was anything said to do with make? It was suggested to try. That's a far cry from make.
And where was this said: " #### that, make her close one eye."
The same place as "don't put any value on shooting with both eyes open."

These are lies from you These things were not said by me.

Also, not the one spewing Latin phrases and $2 weasel words like obfuscate.

R.
 
I am right handed and left eye dominant.
My grandpa (ex-US Navy) taught me how to shoot , open sights as he was trained...with both eyes open. Couldn't line up the sights or hit the target .right handed, at first, unless I closed my left eye.
Wasn't until he walked away and came back, seeing me try to tilt my head t line up those sight by tilting my head. He had me switch to shooting left handed so I could line up the sights and keep both eyes open. Haven't looked back since, other than to work hard to train myself to acquire right eye dominance that could be retained after opening my left eye...this took a long time, and a lot of focus to train my brain to do. This way should I ever suffer a left eye injury out in the bush , I could shoot my firearm right handed and right eyed if needed. Have actually gotten something in my eye while out in the bush, and could not use my left eye until I got aid in removing the particle. It can be very disconcerting!

As a certified archery instructor, it is even more important for people to learn to shoot with their dominant eye, so they can judge distance (depth perception requires both eyes), and to be able to judge rate of travel of an object, and whether it is moving away or towards you (important in shooting flying targets, whether it be with a bow, shotgun, or other firearm).
And yes, it is easier to train muscle memory than it is to retrain the brain to acquire and maintain eye dominance! (1000 repetitions for muscle memory to start to form, vs 15,000 repetitions to start to make an action start to become instinctive)

So to the OP's question:
Teaching your daughter to shoot with an ambidextrous firearm (single shot, break action, or lever action) would be better than a RH firearm. But you will need to find one with a neutral cast in the stock, vs a cast off stock configuration so that her check weld can be maintained while lining up the sights properly.
That being said, there are still several models of LH firearms being made, from 22LR on up, and in shotguns, but mostly 20 and 20 gauge.
Best of luck in your quest! And may she continue to show interest in shooting, and grow her skills. Hope you have many great memories shared together!

Personally, I only have a few firearms now that are RH, for sentimental reasons. Otherwise, I have mainly switched to ambidextrous or LH firearms.
 
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I am that way. I didn't know it until I started shooting pistols. All my rifles and shotguns are in right hand. I shot right hand in hockey. Shouldering a long gun on my left side feels so awkward and manipulating a bolt with my left hand is like a brain teaser for me. I am sure a person could get used to it over time but I have never had an issue hunting or busting clays right handed.
 
I fall into the same group as your daughter. I've been shooting since age 8 or so, always right-handed rifles and guns. The discrepancy of a left dominant eye has been such a non-issue to me that it never even occurred to me as relates to hunting/shooting until recently. A half-century later that is. It's still a non-issue. I doubt getting used to shooting a left-handed gun would be a non-issue for me, though, now nor back-when.
 
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