Author Topic: Left eye dominant, right handed shooter (Read 3101 times)

nemovir · « **on:** August 12, 2019, 04:57:17 AM »

I have been shooting right handed all my life, but I am left eye dominant. If I want a rifle built for me, should I get a left handed rifle?

snapper · « **Reply #1 on:** August 12, 2019, 05:04:57 AM »

Only you can answer that question.

Why switch now on a custom rifle?

If you want to switch, switch on a .22 rifle and see if you can do it and like it before spending the money on a custom rifle.

Fleener

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #2 on:** August 12, 2019, 04:02:40 PM »

Are you closing your left eye when you shoot? If you are i'd keep shooting right handed.

I was a right hand shooter all my life and lost the sight in my right eye. I had no choice but to switch to LH shooting. It take s a long time to get comfortable with it. If I had another choice I never would have switched.

Now, if you're shooting a shotgun with both eyes open as you should. Then. i'd switch to LH shooting.

Carney Pace · « **Reply #3 on:** August 12, 2019, 04:13:02 PM »

I have the same condition. When I try to shoot right handed I have to crawl the stock so bad Recoil really hurts. If I can even see the sights.
I shoot right handed flintlock, but not percussion it spits gas in my face.

Carney

nemovir · « **Reply #4 on:** August 12, 2019, 04:28:43 PM »

Quote from: OldMtnMan on August 12, 2019, 04:02:40 PM

Are you closing your left eye when you shoot? If you are i'd keep shooting right handed.

Yes, I been closing my left eye.

Quote from: snapper on August 12, 2019, 05:04:57 AM

Why switch now on a custom rifle?

It because it would be a custom rifle that I am thinking that I should, possibly, switch. Maybe, shooting left is what I was meant to do?

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #5 on:** August 12, 2019, 04:33:53 PM »

How does it feel when you shoulder a gun left handed? If you think it will help you go for it.

What are the results of an eye test? Can you see better with your left eye?

Keep in mind LH guns are hard to sell if you ever want to sell it. It's also harder to pass down if nobody shoots left handed.

smokinbuck · « **Reply #6 on:** August 12, 2019, 05:56:32 PM »

I shot RH for over 50 years when I lost the use of my right eye to macular degeneration. While learning to shoot LH I put a set of mirrors on one of my rifles and was able to shoot RH with my left eye. It was accepted at Friendship as legal and was quite competitive.
Mark

Dale Halterman · « **Reply #7 on:** August 12, 2019, 06:14:11 PM »

If you are shooting with glasses there is something you might try.

Put a piece of tape on the left lens of your shooting glasses to block your vision in that eye only. Then you can leave both eyes opened.

Dale H

JPK · « **Reply #8 on:** August 12, 2019, 06:16:03 PM »

I’m right handed but left eye dominate. All my guns except one are right handed and are shot from the left. It’s simply not a problem to do and in a pinch I can shoot right handed but with a bit of difficulty. Try mounting the gun ( unloaded ) and get comfortable with having proper form. Your groups will show if it works for you.

MuskratMike · « **Reply #9 on:** August 12, 2019, 07:47:16 PM »

I also have left eye dominate and am very, very right handed. When I shot a lot of trap I placed a piece of tape on the left eyeglass lense to force my right eye to be the dominate eye. When shooting rifle I just shoot right handed and seem to win my share of matches. On my newest rifle I installed a ghost ring to help these old eyes focus. Did help and really makes my right eye take over.

Mick C · « **Reply #10 on:** August 18, 2019, 12:48:41 AM »

I'm way left eye dominate and I shoot right handed rifles left handed. I have owned one left hand rifle and even though I shout left handed, it just didn't feel right and I have since sold it. I think it's really all in what you get used to.

MuskratMike · « **Reply #11 on:** August 18, 2019, 01:57:51 AM »

I take it you only shoot cap locks? Don't see anyone shooting a right hand flintlock left handed. That's a recipe for a visit to the ER.

Bob McBride · « **Reply #12 on:** August 18, 2019, 03:33:38 AM »

I shoot right handed flintlocks left handed as did every left hander of the period I’m pretty sure. Then again there were quite a few more fellers with a patched eye back then....

leadslinger62 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 18, 2019, 03:48:35 AM »

Shot right handed for Years until the right eye gave out on me. I actually quit shooting Black Powder until I missed it so bad that I bought an open sighted .22 and a case of shells. Now, I can shoot lefty and it feels natural. I am supposing that in the future I will have to head down the smoothbore path !!

little joe · « **Reply #14 on:** August 18, 2019, 10:05:59 AM »

Built my wife a rifle for this condition. 3.75 in of drop and.75 cast off and problem solved.

Darkhorse · « **Reply #15 on:** August 18, 2019, 11:12:41 AM »

I'm left eye dominate. And I shoot left handed guns of all sorts, including flintlocks. Of course growing up I didn't have the LH option. All my kin were right handed and they had me shooting right handed, also no LH guns were available back then. Years later I went from a RH caplock to a LH flintlock, it felt a little awkward at first but it wasn't long before it felt just right and fit a lot better.
I just shot the gun and let muscle memory take over.
I feel that anyone who is left eye dominant should shoot a left handed rifle. You might be surprised at how much better the rifle fits and shoots for you. One could start with a LH great plains rifle but a longrifle correctly set up with "cast on" just might be your dream rifle.

okawbow · « **Reply #16 on:** August 18, 2019, 05:28:41 PM »

Can’t see where it matters much shooting a rifle. I’m left eye dominate, but have always shot a rifle right handed. I see the sights better anyway with my right eye.

Shooting a traditional bow or wing shooting with a shotgun is a different matter. There is definitely an advantage shooting with the dominate eye when shooting at moving targets. However, I rarely shoot a rifle at a moving target, so there is no point in changing something I’ve done all my life.

Huntschool · « **Reply #17 on:** August 18, 2019, 09:08:41 PM »

As an NSCA instructor I have dealt with left eye, right handed folks more than I want to think about. I have used every method known to man to get them shooting off their comfort side (right). Thats for shotgun. With a rifle most folks close their off side eye (left in this case) and no problem. Most were trained to close that eye anyway when shooting a rifle. I shoot both eyes open even on an iron sighted rifle until I register the target and then I close my left eye to fine sight on the target. Works for me.

I have taught some of my left eye dominant right handed students to do the same thing with rifles. Shotguns, as mentioned above, or moving targets are a different story. The best method, in general is to block the left eye and keep shooting right handed. If one shoots enough targets (clays) they will become accustom to not having binocular vision and do quite well. I had a young lady on my collegiate shotgun team that needed to completely block her left eye. She won more events then you could shake a stick at (skeet, trap, sporting clays). The funny part was as soon as she got done shooting the glasses she wore to shoot had to come off or she could not hardly walk. Binocular vision makes walking easier..... LOL

I would say for rifle shooting stay on your right side and close your left eye.

Just my thoughts.

westbrook · « **Reply #18 on:** August 19, 2019, 02:22:10 PM »

I'm left eye dominant. Shoot guns and bows left handed, always have since the first time I picked them up, never had to think about it. Other wise I am completely right handed.

Eric

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #19 on:** August 19, 2019, 03:35:20 PM »

Quote from: MuskratMike on August 18, 2019, 01:57:51 AM

I take it you only shoot cap locks? Don't see anyone shooting a right hand flintlock left handed. That's a recipe for a visit to the ER.

I did it for years. Why do you think it would be a problem? Don't you wear eye protection when you shoot?

Daryl · « **Reply #20 on:** August 19, 2019, 08:15:39 PM »

We have a target, #25 I think, that is a 'weak' arm shot. That means most of us (not many cap shooters) have to shoot that one weak handed with our flint locks.
Never had an accident.

Zachary · « **Reply #21 on:** August 19, 2019, 09:12:00 PM »

I’m left eye dominant right handed and have shot guns left handed since the first one I picked up. Never had a left handed gun until I had my flintlock custom made. The maker thought I’d be happier if I had it built left handed. I had my reservations but let him talk me into because I figured he should know. It was the easiest thing to get used to and way more comfortable so I sold my right hand flintlock and wouldn’t go back.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #22 on:** August 20, 2019, 03:20:36 PM »

What always bothered me about shooting a RH gun left handed was the cheek piece was on the wrong side. Besides looking kind of goofy when I shot it. I felt less cheek slap when I could use the cheek piece. At least on Hawken style guns.

mushka · « **Reply #23 on:** August 20, 2019, 05:39:10 PM »

I am right handed. I lost my right eye after years of shooting long guns right handed. I trained for about a year shooting left handed with rifles and shotguns before becoming comfortable and somewhat proficient. Now it's automatic after about 20 some odd years shooting left side. I have always shot with both eyes open so that's not ever been a problem. I do shoot handguns and my bows right handed. Handguns are easy, the bows took a lot of practice learning to aim. I shoot my flintlock left side and don't know what the problem would be as long as one wears glasses. Need to wear glasses regardless.

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #24 on:** August 21, 2019, 04:20:32 AM »

My shooting style is exactly the opposite. I am right eyed and left handed. but I learned to shoot everything from the right side, so I don't know any difference. but there is a difference when shooting a handgun, as I hold it in my left hand and use my right eye to aim. I often keep both eyes open for all types of shooting, but my right eye is so dominant that doesn't interfere. Even though my left side is by far the more powerful, and I shoot moderately heavy traditional and primitive bows, up to 100 pounds at 32", there is no way I can draw those bows with my left side. Over the coarse of a lifetime, my body shoots right handed, in spite of definite lefthandedness.

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Author Topic: Left eye dominant, right handed shooter (Read 3101 times)

leadslinger62

westbrook