The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Big Bores Left-eye dominant, but right-handedGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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My roommate is very interested in shooting rifles on a regular basis, but he has a problem. He is left-eye dominant but right-handed. So needless to say, shooting a high-powered rifle on the wrong shoulder to accomodate your eye causes serious awkwardness and discomfort. Any suggestions? Any possible solutions? Honestly I have no idea what they might be, but I thought if there were ever a place to pose such a question, this would be it! Thanks guys in advance  --->Happiness is nothing but health and a poor memory<---Albert Schweitzer --->All I ever wanted was to be somebody; I guess I should have been more specific<---Lily Tomlin | ||
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Lots of people are that way (myself included) I would definetly reccomend that he shoot left handed(the rifle on his left shoulder) as far as owning or purchasing a left handed rifle, many people do, I still own right hand actions and in the few that have custom stocks I have them made "left hand shooter right hand action" (Renegade) my preference for this is that I am still "right-handed" so I cant load a left handed rifle as easily. Idaho "Other left...!" Vandal minus 300 posts from my total (for all the times I should have just kept my mouth shut......) | |||
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I'm a port sider and I have no probs using a right handed rifle (though I do own several left handed weapons).As I shoot/ hunt for a living I probarly shoot more rounds off in a week than most shooters do in a year.I'm not boasting it's just a matter of life .At the end of the day a Left handed action or stock can be used if you want to be padantic but theres nothing wrong with using a plain factory issue right haned rifle (I've just purchased a weatherby in .223 stock standard ) which has replaced my Ruger 77 which was very tired.Hey 7 barrels is enough for any rifle & the Vanguard was to gooder deal to pass up!but at the end of the day they're both right handed all times wasted wot's not spent shootin | |||
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My wife and daughter are both right-handed/left eye-dominant. I set them up to shoot long guns left-handed. It is as natural to them as it is to me, since they never shot right-handed. George  | |||
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Can't he just close his left eye? and shoot right eyed? Or maybe use scotch tape over the left lens of his glasses? I'm serious with the the question, not being smart a**. I don't have the problem as I shoot equally well [or badly] on either side. [had to learn to shoot left from the passenger seat of the truck. ] Les | |||
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If he wants to shoot right-handed, putting something in the center of the left lens on the shooting glasses should help. A small circular sticker like you get for covering holes in targets will do the job if the scotch tape does not work. I won't argue with the experienced majority about going with the dominant eye over the domininant hand, but someone can learn to shoot dominant hand/weak eye if they want. | |||
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I have seen photographs of custom made stocks which allow shouldering on the right shoulder, the stock makes a curve to the left and lines up with the left eye. Designed originally for one-eyed shooters. On a heavy recoiler this would brutal to say the least but on a moderat recoiler it would be feasible. I wish I had a picture to post but I can't find one. The second approach I have seen is an off-centered scope mount. Here again we are talking about custom gunsmithing but it has been done in the past. _________________________________ AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim. | |||
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My step son shoots left handed though he is right handed(his left eye being the master) Ijust blackened the right hand lens of his shooting glasses as his other problem was he can't close his right eye. On the odd occation he uses my 45-70 with no probs all times wasted wot's not spent shootin | |||
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I'm left handed and left eye dominant but I shoot with both hands and both eyes. You can get used to anything if you practice enough. On a typical range session or varmint shoot I shoot about 10% of time with my right eye and hands just for practice. Frank "I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money." - Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953 NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite | |||
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I say learn him to shoot left handed. I am ambidextrous, and although I prefer right (right eye dominant) I sometimes shoot left for fun or to make sure that I can in case some need arose. if that is what he practices it is what he'll get good at and be comfortable with. Red | |||
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One of Us |
I've faced the exact same situation with a friend wanting to learn to shoot. And as a southpaw whose right eye is dominant myself, I've walked in those shoes. I'd suggest your friend simply practice and practice some more with shooting left-handed/left eye. Yes, it will be awkward at first, but with time will seem very natural. Maybe use this analogy: which side of the computer is the mouse usually on? The right side in most cases. Even though I'm left-handed, there's no way I can use a mouse with my left hand. Give it a go--say 1000 rounds. Isn't that the fun of it all anyway? p.s. why not practice with a 22? No recoil and cheap! friar Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain. | |||
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For a shotgun, you need to shoot with the dominant eye, but I don't think it really matters as much for a scoped rifle. Probably not an open-sighted rifle, either. Like other folks have mentioned, you can learn to shoot with both (or either) hand. With a shotgun, I changed from left to (dominant eye) right, and my scores on skeet/trap/sporting clays improved, as did my wingshooting. I still shoot better groups from supported positions with the left hand/left eye with a rifle. My scores left-handed on the USMC annual quals were also always a couple of points higher than when I'd shoot right-handed. I think it might be visual acuity/ better left-handed trigger control/ more comfort and coordination setting up the sling and getting into the shooting positions. I'd hand them a non-handed gun (Ruger #1, O/U shotgun, break open single shot) and tell them to mount it and point it at the wall. See which hand they do it with. Hopefully, they won't ask you, "Which way?" Steve | |||
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You can learn to shoot right-handed even if you're left eye dominant. I first realized I was part of the 20% of hunters that have this characteristic about 20 years ago. I hunt birds and big-game a lot and but have found it's really only an issue when bird hunting. I learned how to slightly squint my left eye when shooting a shotgun so that I would primarily see out of right eye. At first it took a conscious effort to do this, but over time it became part of how I shoot and everything now works fine. | |||
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Both my son and I are righthanded but left eye dominent. I learned to shoot in boy scouts years agos and was taught "close your left eye ..." consequently I shoot righthanded. I got him a left handed 30-06 and he shoots lefty. Neither of us has trouble hitting what we aim at. Bottom line both ways work. | |||
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I know that this is moving off topic, sorry....I work on computers all the time and I would much prefer that the mouse just be on whatever side the number keys aren't. That way when I want to enter numbers and move from field to field I can do both without having to move my hand from mouse to keyboard. I know, lazy. Red | |||
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I'm left eye dominant and right handed. I shoot with both eyes open accurately and quickly. Always have and always will. I like to use right side bolt guns and stocks with either no cheekpiece or a left handed cheekpiece. This is a serious advantage with big bores as you won't get your knuckles rapped by the bolt handle. It's a real bummer with Ar-15's that eject right port. The answer is the same as always. Trigger time and practice.-Rob Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers to do incredibly stupid things- AH (1941)- Harry Reid (aka Smeagle) 2012 Nothing Up my sleeves but never without a plan and never ever without a surprise! | |||
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tell him to close his left eye and shoot off the right shoulder or just shoot off his left shoulder. The end result is the same either way. I am R/R, but can shoot as well off the left shoulder with my R eye closed or at least squinted. WHen shooting a rifle with a scope it doesn't metter anyway. yes, it kinda sucks for your friend to be set up this way, but he is miles ahead of lots of folks with physical issues they have to deal with when shooting. No sense in getting upset about it. If he abidextrous, then he will have no problem with either shoulder. If he is not ambi, then he can teach his body to be that way if he wants to | |||
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Easy to fix.. just tell him to close the left eye when shooting. Of couse there are obvious disadvantages to this, but less than learning to shoot from the "wrong" shoulder. | |||
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From a standpoint of ultimate performance he is best advised to shoot from the left shoulder fropm the get-go. It is relatively easy to re-train muscles. At his age it is impossible to re-train his eyes. In shooting, vision and gun fit are everything. As a previous poster noted, it is easy to learn to work either a port or starboard side bolt. lawndart  | |||
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I am switching to left handed shooting at the advice of my eye doctor. It really isnt that hard to do just takes practice. I started with shotguns for shooting out of a layout boat and have just purchased my first left handed rifle. The sad part is the lack of guns available to left handers, so my 6.3*62 will still be a left handed VZ24. The next project a 404 will probably go in a MRC action... Good Luck to your friend.. | |||
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A very good freind of mine had the same problem. It can be corected, but it will take time. The way his eye doc. corected it was to have him wear an eye patch on his left eye while around the house and at the range. After two years he has overcome the afliction,and has had no problems, with relapses. There were times when his wife was about to end his suffering. She told him "you are not selling your rightys to by lefties,so buck up and stop winning". On our last hunt he pulled off a fine snap shot on a grouse, looked at us and smiled. His mind was trained to be right eye dominant while shooting, but he still rights with his left. One out of two isnt bad.  Charlie | |||
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Most folks with such a handicap can shoot right handed with a patch over the left eye and in time seem to do very well without the patch..I have taught several people to shoot this way. The only time it didn't work was when the right eye was a bad eye..In the long run this is the best way. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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