Cross dominance issue and stock alteration

[Plainsman53]

Hello, I'm new here and been searching through the posts about cross dominant eyes.  I'm right handed with a left master eye.  I shoot a bow left handed but everything else pretty much right handed.  I read an article by a man named Ralph M. Lermayer about adapting a stock by removing some of the comb with a wood rasp until he could shoot right handed but shoot with his left eye lined up with the sights.  There were no pictures.  Has anyone seen examples of a stock done that way?  Do to a left thumb that doesn't function properly I'd prefer not to shoot a hammer gun left handed.
I'd appreciate any ideas.

Bryan

[smokinbuck]

I "was" right eye dominant but lost the use of that eye a number of years ago. While trying to learn to shoot lefty I wanted to continue shooting and rigged one of my rifles to shoot eighty with my left eye. I used two mirrors mounted on the tang and in front of the action, on the left side, to act as a horizontal periscope. I will try to remember to post a couple of pics.

[Dale Halterman]

Have you tried putting a piece of tape over the left lens of your shooting glasses to block your left eye? Trick I read about some where.

Dale H

[Carney Pace]

I have been shooting left eye dominant Right hand Flintlocks  for over 50 years.

Works just fine. The flash does not bother, unless you have the habit of watching the cock drop. whether you use a right or left flintlock that is a problem.

Only thing you cannot do is shoot a rifle with "cast off".  "Cast off" causes the rifle to recoil into your check.

One thing it does is confuse the photographers--- they set up for a right handed picture and they end up getting your back side.

Carney

[James Rogers]

Bryan, you may be able to achieve that with a dishing and a bend together as you have a ways to go to get to the other eye.  There were original crossover stocks made as well. I have seen pics of a couple in flint as well. This may be one of feltwads? Winking down or tape on the dominant lens of your glasses can help with that.

[T*O*F]

I built one for a lady with the problem.  What I ended up doing was starting with a very thick blank.  I laid out 2 barrel channels and used the one she would be sighting down.  Then blended the stock to match her face.  The crook isn't all that noticeable when looking from the bottom, but more readily apparent from the top.  From either side, it just looks like a regular rifle.

[Daryl]

Hello, I'm new here and been searching through the posts about cross dominant eyes.  I'm right handed with a left master eye.  I shoot a bow left handed but everything else pretty much right handed.  I read an article by a man named Ralph M. Lermayer about adapting a stock by removing some of the comb with a wood rasp until he could shoot right handed but shoot with his left eye lined up with the sights.  There were no pictures.  Has anyone seen examples of a stock done that way?  Do to a left thumb that doesn't function properly I'd prefer not to shoot a hammer gun left handed.
I'd appreciate any ideas.

Bryan

Bryan - I am cross dominant, that being my eyes trade dominance. Thus I cannot shoot both eyes open, but must close the left eye when aiming with sights. A smoothbore with shot,
I shoot both eyes open as when wing shooting, it matters not, because where I look is where the shot goes as I am looking over the gun. I do not even see the front sight/bead, thus
changing dominance makes no difference.
All you have to do, is to close the left eye.  A stock altered as you note, would be next to impossible to sell and would drastically devalue a rifle, imho.

[MuskratMike]

I am also VERY right handed and left eye dominate. Years ago when I shot a lot of trap I had a set of corrective glasses made (which I need just to see) and had a second set made with the focal point when I am shooting blurred out. You can do the same with a small piece of tape, just looks funny and gums up the lens over time. This forces your weak eye to become the dominate eye. I have seen the "bent" stocks but that is very drastic and makes a rifle or shotgun all but worthless to anyone but you.

[Scota4570]

I am very right handed but can shoot left handed too.  I shoot with both eyes open.  I have trained myself to swap dominate eyes on command.  It may be worth practicing.  Point your finger at something and teach yourself to make it move side to side with your mind as if you were closing your eyes alternately.  IF you can turn on your left eye on command you can learn to shoot left handed. 

[moleeyes36]

I built one for a lady with the problem.  What I ended up doing was starting with a very thick blank.  I laid out 2 barrel channels and used the one she would be sighting down.  Then blended the stock to match her face.  The crook isn't all that noticeable when looking from the bottom, but more readily apparent from the top.  From either side, it just looks like a regular rifle.

The lady that TOF built the rifle for is the wife of a friend of mine.  TOF hit a home run with that rifle; it's a great design.  She doesn't shoot much now (too involved with grand children), but she shot it quite well and had a lot of success with it in matches.

Don Richards

[Bob McBride]

I shoot pistols lefty and shot right handed rifles lefty for years as I'm a natural left hander but right eye dominant. I now shoot rifles right handed. I found I could shoot right handed rifles just fine left handed by closing one eye. The comb height is more important than the cheek rest for a consistent sight picture. IMO.

[Daryl]

I am very right handed but can shoot left handed too.  I shoot with both eyes open.  I have trained myself to swap dominate eyes on command.  It may be worth practicing.  Point your finger at something and teach yourself to make it move side to side with your mind as if you were closing your eyes alternately.  IF you can turn on your left eye on command you can learn to shoot left handed.

Interesting. During basic training we had to shoot both left and right handed. When shooting left handed, the right eye is closed and one MUST use the left eye, after all, you are shooting left handed - this is easily learned & visa-vis.
To use the right eye when shooting left handed, or left eye when shooting right handed, means the head has be be cranked over at an acute angle and this ruins one's equilibrium ie: balance.
That makes for more movement than will happen if using the appropriate eye - right when shooting right handed, left when shooting left handed.

[Plainsman53]

I want to thank everyone for all the replies and pictures also.  There is lots of knowledge here and looks like some of you could build rocket ships (if you wanted too).  I've probably been over thinking it.  I shot with eft eye closed for a long time and was trying to shoot with both eyes open. I think I'll try some of these suggestions before I start cutting on a gun stock.

Thanks,
Bryan

[577SXS]

If you wear glasses when shooting put a small piece of tape right where your dominant eye is looking but don't cover the whole lens. This will force your other eye to take over. My brother had the same issue and this solved his problem.