Right handed and left-eye-dominant

[Cottong2001]

We have 5 shooters in my family with a mix of left handed and right handed preferences. Two of my righties (wife and older daughter) are left-eye dominant. My youngest is all over the map (uses either hand and either eye equally). Only my older son is right handed and right-eye dominant.

In the case of my daughter, I'm teaching her to shoot left handed to match her eye dominance and it seems to be working well. It seems easier to teach her hands to do something different than her eyes. My wife finds it very difficult to switch hands, so she's trying to retrain her eye.

I've been shooting all my life, but only since the kids are big enough (and my wife is now very interested in shooting) have I had to think about this.

Anyone else run into this type of situation? And what do you do?

 

[Jackson]

Pistols or rifles?

Pistols: Doesn't matter. Turn your head a little. Teach them to shoot with both hands regardless.

Rifles: Teach them to shoot from both sides regardless. Its good to be able to switch shoulders when needed.

However they have to squint or turn their head to get a clean focus on the front site, they can figure out as they go.

Those are my thoughts.

 

[esrice]

What Jackson said.

 

[AuntieBellum]

I just worked really hard at re-training my eyes. It's funny, though - if I don't shoot for a while, I'll still pick up my rifle, shoulder it as a righty, and try to look through with my left eye. Then I look around to make sure no one saw me do it and go about my business. If your wife continues to have trouble, cover the lens over her dominant eye with tape or paper or something. She'll have no choice but to use the other one, then.

 

[Lonestar6]

I agree with Jackson. Being able to ambi shoot is a great skill to have. I have been lazy lately shooting only left handed, when on a shot right handed last weekend I had a little trouble.my recommendation would be to shoot with both eyes open. Practicing with both hands is of value after you get good at shooting so you are prepared for whatever situation arises

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I'm left eye dominant and right handed. I have shot right handed all my life though. Still close my left eye when shooting, unless I'm point shooting ot using a red dot optic.

 

[rhino]

Pistols or rifles?

Pistols: Doesn't matter. Turn your head a little. Teach them to shoot with both hands regardless.

Rifles: Teach them to shoot from both sides regardless. Its good to be able to switch shoulders when needed.

However they have to squint or turn their head to get a clean focus on the front site, they can figure out as they go.

Those are my thoughts.

Agree 100%.

 

[Signal23]

I am right handed, left eye.

Helps me on the golf course, not so much on shooting, aim point helps, i can get my cheek down and leave both open and the dot shows up.
Scopes are a little more of a challenge

 

[mk2ja]

The trained us to use whichever eye was dominant with whichever hand was dominant for pistols. In the case you're asking about, they said still hold it as righty, and just shift the weapon to align with the left eye. Don't try to retrain your eyes.

For rifles, they trained us to use the eye corresponding to our dominant hand.

At the end of the day, they only teach us one way to do it, but it isn't always the best way—just standardized to work "well enough" for the most people. Gotta find "what works for you."

ETA - I recommend learning to shoot with both eyes open as early in the shooting learning process as possible. Much harder to learn it later on if the habit is already so firmly ingrained. It takes practice.

 

[Cottong2001]

Thanks guys. We'll try some of the suggestions. I like the idea of being able to use both eyes and hands equally.

 

[bakeman]

im a righty and left eye dominant. I shoot all handguns wit both eyes open, but i bring the gun in line with my left eye. Works fine for me. I shoot my long guns right handed, and most of the time its ok. Sometimes i struggle with open sights on small targets though. kind of depends on the day. If things a re a little fuzzy i can shoot a long gun left handed in a pinch. I am left eye dominant because my right eye has an astigmatism.

Just some information about myself. hope it helps. shooting handguns with both eyes open is something that should be learned as early and quickly as possible.

 

[Thegeek]

Same for me. Right hand, left eye. I've learned to shoot everything left handed. Shooting right handed just feels weird to me now.

Picked this up from archery from my younger days and it just carried over to guns. I feel differently about shooting pistol righty and crossing over to the left eye, and shooting rifle lefty. I can shoot right handed if I need to proficiently, but it's my left index finger that's been "trigger trained".

It boils down on how dominant that eye is, and how bad your other eye really is. If both eyes are close, you can "train" or choose to override that dominance for sighting. For me, my right eye is much worse than my left, so using my right eye for sighting isn't even a thought for me.

Bottom line, do what works for you. If you can see your sights and comfortably aim with your non-dominant eye, then by all means, shoot with your dominant hand. If not, take my experience to heart, it will become second nature to shoot with your offhand.

 

[Old Coach]

Left eye, right handed. Taught myself to shoot pistols left handed. At lefty my aim is a little better but at cost of some speed. Had to modify my stance slightly for either.

For rifle I still prefer righty -feels more natural- but I am working on left handed shooting. Lefty still feels awkward. Can't use left eye shooting rifle righty.

Find what is comfortable and works for you. Experiment - good excuse to spend more time at the range.

 

[BudS]

I am also left eye dominant and can shoot ambidextrously. I predominanly shoot pistol right handed and shot bullseye matches most of my life that way, sighting with my left eye. Rifle, I sight with my right eye.

It's funny, but now that I am older, due to an eye surgery, my right eye is now dominant. Talk about trying to teach and old dog new tricks!

It's getting to the point where I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a scattergun, even if I was standing inside!

 

[Birds Away]

use whichever eye was dominant with whichever hand was dominant for pistols. In the case you're asking about, they said still hold it as righty, and just shift the weapon to align with the left eye. Don't try to retrain your eyes.

Ambi pistol shooting is a skill that is well worth developing. I don't agree with attempting to retrain your eyes. Seems a waste of time. I am left eye/right hand and it does cause me some difficulties sometimes. But that's the way I shoot the best.

 

[jgreiner]

We have 5 shooters in my family with a mix of left handed and right handed preferences. Two of my righties (wife and older daughter) are left-eye dominant. My youngest is all over the map (uses either hand and either eye equally). Only my older son is right handed and right-eye dominant.

In the case of my daughter, I'm teaching her to shoot left handed to match her eye dominance and it seems to be working well. It seems easier to teach her hands to do something different than her eyes. My wife finds it very difficult to switch hands, so she's trying to retrain her eye.

I've been shooting all my life, but only since the kids are big enough (and my wife is now very interested in shooting) have I had to think about this.

Anyone else run into this type of situation? And what do you do?

I have actually had my eye dominance shift, along with my change in vision. While I was left eye dominant for a very long time, about two years ago I found myself right eye dominant. Turns out my glasses needed updating, and my left lens was far too weak. After getting it corrected, I noticed that after a month or so (takes that long to adjust to new no line bifocals) it switched back.

But irregardless, I started shooting with BOTH eyes open. What that has taught me, is that eye dominance really doesn't matter when both are open. you simple sight on the target, let whichever eye take over.

BTW, for those of you that are new to no line bifocals, they can really mess up your shooting for a couple of months. I watched my brother go through that just last month. he has always been a far better shot than I. But with his new glasses, he was having all kinds of problems at the range. They can also make things jump and swim in your field of view, until your brain learns to compensate.

 

[melensdad]

See this thread about the OCCLUDER gun sight that is designed to work for cross dominant hand eye people. My daughter is left eye dominant, right handed shooter. I bought and installed this sight for her on a Glock 19.

THREAD LINK => https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...reviews/263725-review_occluder_gun_sight.html

 

[Skywired]

I'm also left eye dominant, long time right hand shooter. A few years ago I lost my right eye, so this isn't all about polite conversation for me anymore.

Some rifles I can continue to shoot righthanded....which is where my comfort zone is. Try as I have, I am still not really comfortable shooting left handed. Complicating matters is that I also use progressive lens glasses,and they really mess with my optics eye relief...or vice versa.

Plus I shoot so many different rifles, I don't really have an opportunity to drill down and memorize a specific body/cheek/distance weld to each stock. Oh well... things could be worse....I could have NO eyes and NO rifles....

 

[Ericpwp]

I'm left eye dominant, but I shoot everything right handed. My brain is better connected to my right trigger finger. I just tilt my head for pistol. For rifle and shotgun, I just wink my left eye to assert my right eye on the sights.

 

[HICKMAN]

I'm left eye dominant and right handed. I have shot right handed all my life though. Still close my left eye when shooting, unless I'm point shooting ot using a red dot optic.

Same here. Been that way my whole life and my left eye squints out of muscle memory just enough to bring the focus in on my right eye.

Always wonder why people seem to make a bigger deal out of it than it is. I'd never consider it natural to try and shoot left handed.