Lefty Shooting?

[CliffordK]

Ok, I never much thought about right vs left shooting. It has always been stock to right shoulder, hold left hand and trigger with right.

But, my grandfather had always shot left handed, and nobody ever had a good explanation as to why. That was the way he learned. Winchester Model 100 semi auto which he really liked, but I don't have. He was right handed, but always shot lefty.

I took my young adult nephew shooting yesterday. And, the first gun was the old iron sight 22LR. Anyway, we had a problem when he couldn't line up the front and rear sight. It turns out he is strongly left eye dominant, has poor vision in the right eye, and can't close or wink with the left eye either.

So the next time we go out we'll try left handed shooting.

Most of my guns are lever action, so they should be reasonably ambidextrous, although they all have right side discharges.

There are apparently lefty bolt action guns which I don't have, and don't want to get unless it is necessary. And, of course, left handed black powder guns that put the hammer to the opposite side.

Any thoughts or pointers?

 

[workinonit]

You shoot depending on your eye dominance. I'm left eye dominant so I shoot left handed. I'm ambidextrous with pistols and many other things. I can write with either hand. But shooting is lefty. All of my guns that I use are left handed. Ordered or bought that way. Buy I can shoot any right handed gun as good as a lefty. I have an Ithaca 20 Ga that ejects out of the bottom so it can be shot either way.

 

[MossRoad]

I'm left handed, but right-eye dominant, so I just naturally shoot right handed. As mentioned it's all about which eye is dominant.
I shoot rifle and shotgun right handed. I can shoot pistol either hand, but my right eye still aims it.

Now, I can't shoot bow and arrow worth beans!

I have to draw the string back with my left hand just because it's a power move, but I have to aim with my right eye because it's dominant. So I have to force myself to either just do it by not aiming at all and just looking where I want the arrow to go, take one shot, then adjust for that distance, or... I have to force myself to close my right eye and aim with the left eye.

When I box, I stand in a right handed stance with left hand forward. But my left is my power hand. So I can jab all day, but can't throw a right for beans!



Kinda simple test for rifle shooting is to hand a kid a long gun and ask them to aim it at something. If they haven't shot before, they'll most likely grab the trigger with their right hand if they're right eye dominant, and left hand if left eye dominant, regardless of if they are right or left handed. Give it a try.

Eyepatch is another way to force yourself to shoot with the eye you want to shoot with.

 

[CliffordK]

Eyepatch is another way to force yourself to shoot with the eye you want to shoot with.

We tried an eye patch because he couldn't seem to close the left eye, and it seemed to work. But, we're going to try left handed soon.

He can apparently see much better with the left eye, and might as well train him to use that eye.

I'm not sure that I really have a dominant eye, and it would be difficult for me to focus on the iron sights without actually closing an eye.

 

[dodge man]

People have three dominant things, there eye, hand and foot. I think it was a shooting magazine that talked about your eye being dominate opposite your hand and how to compensate for it. It seems like I remember a picture of someone leaning over the stock and aiming with their left eye and shooting right handed but it might have been with a pistol. It can’t be easy.

 

[MossRoad]

We tried an eye patch because he couldn't seem to close the left eye, and it seemed to work. But, we're going to try left handed soon.

He can apparently see much better with the left eye, and might as well train him to use that eye.

I'm not sure that I really have a dominant eye, and it would be difficult for me to focus on the iron sights without actually closing an eye.

Easy way to test for eye dominance is to point at something with your index finger with both eyes open.

While pointing at the object, alternate closing your left then right eye a few times. You can see which eye is actually pointing at the object. That's the dominant eye. The eye that shifts your finger a bit to one side of the object or the other is your non-dominant eye.

 

[CliffordK]

Easy way to test for eye dominance is to point at something with your index finger with both eyes open.

While pointing at the object, alternate closing your left then right eye a few times. You can see which eye is actually pointing at the object. That's the dominant eye. The eye that shifts your finger a bit to one side of the object or the other is your non-dominant eye.

I think I am slightly right eye dominant, but if I stare at the finger too hard, I end up with two fingers!!! I don't think I trust it enough to not close an eye which just seems natural to do.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I'm left-handed, grew up with RH guns, then as an adult I started to hunt dangerous game and wanted every advantage I could get, so I bought a LH bolt action gun.

It didn't take long to see I had been pizzing in the wrong pot, and switching to LH rifles was the best shooting decision, I ever did!

With some practice, I became a much faster more accurate, more comfortable hunter, with my rifles.

All of my rifles are LH now, even my 22's,

SR

 

[scaredychicken]

interesting

I'm a Lefty ... very dominant. I have pellet guns for target practice

I had NO IDEA that there was a Lefty / Righty way of doing this ... I've just always adjusted somehow.

 

[nybirdman]

If you kids/grandkids are left eye dominate,do them a favor and have them shoot left handed.One daughter and three of my grandkids are left eye dominate and we started them all shooting left.
Deer rifles are single shots,looking for a left hand bolt for our oldest.
Note;I have a long time lefty friend that owns both and shoots them all left.