Left Handed recommendations - eye dominance

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Wed May 14, 2008 7:50 pm

Well my 16 yo niece wants to go hunting.

I thought I'd start her out with a 22 and rabbits.

I also thought I'd see if it's really better to have a left eye
dominant person shoot left handed.

I have an M39 she could use or her dads 10/22 with a scope.
I also have a Stevens favorite I would need to reline if that's
a better choice.

What say ye?

MissKitty · Post by **MissKitty** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:01 pm

I don't know too much about this subject...but I always had trouble shooting right handed...One day it crossed my mind...ding-dong- I am suppose to shoot left handed..felt real natural.....even hit the target some times..lol...Stange...but I can use my left hand for alot of things....MissKitty

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:08 pm

Hey BSA, I can only speak for myself here but I shoot left handed with a rifle because I see far better with my left eye (I started shooting prior to getting glasses). I can't say I have noticed any disadvantage. Throwing the bolt on a right handed bolt rifle mounted on my left shoulder with the left hand is easy. The only problem I could see would be if the stock had a raised cheek-piece. My CZ American Safari Mag rifle does have raised cheek-piece but not being able to use it has not affected my ability to shoot the rifle. In fact, a friend of mine who shoots right handed can't get a proper sight picture BECAUSE of the cheek-piece. On any other buttstock, straight or pistol grip, it should make no difference. I haven't noticed any problem with side-eject leverguns either. Just my personal experiences. YMMV.

-Tutt

95fan · Post by **95fan** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:09 pm

If she is left eye dominant then she will shoot much better left handed. I got lucky with my wife as she is left handed but right eye dominant. She can shoot any of my right handed guns just fine.

lever-4-life · Post by **lever-4-life** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:19 pm

If she is left eye dominant let her shoot left handed. I am left eye dominant but my dad made me shoot right, I now do it second nature but it took a long time to get here.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:21 pm

If she is left-eye dominant and you can teach her full binocular vision she will benefit a lot.

She will shoot with both eyes open with every type of sight, and I think it makes for better marksmen.

There are work-arounds if that doesn't work. My wife is left eye dominant but shoots right handed and does very well.

Grizz

O.S.O.K. · Post by **O.S.O.K.** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:23 pm

My yougest son is left eye dominant and right handed (but he's very ambidexterous) and I taught him to shoot left handed. I just bought him a new deer gun too - a left hand Savage stainless/synthetic in 30-06.

I really do think this is the way to go with cross-eye dominance.

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:31 pm

lever-4-life wrote:If she is left eye dominant let her shoot left handed. I am left eye dominant but my dad made me shoot right, I now do it second nature but it took a long time to get here.

+1

Left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left left.

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Wed May 14, 2008 8:34 pm

Tycer

Right!

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:05 pm

I'm left handed and left eye dominant but I've taught myself over the years to shoot right handed. Mainly because my dad was a WWII infantry Sgt. and wouldn't have it any other way.

I can now be a switch hitter if I need to. Shootin off the port side is possible to me and not as hard as it would be for others but I still shoot right handed. the only place I have to shoot left handed is when wing shooting.

Andrew · Post by **Andrew** » Wed May 14, 2008 9:06 pm

I am left eye dominant and I have better vision in my left eye, but am very much right handed. For me putting a gun to my left shoulder is very awkward. I am sure I could get used to it, but I don't see it being worth the trouble.

I think if she is new, she should start with the "good" side. JMHO.

pricecw · Post by **pricecw** » Wed May 14, 2008 10:09 pm

My son is right handed, left eye dominant. When he started shooting, it was right handed (didn't realize he was left eye dominant), we were practicing with BB-Guns and he tried shooting left handed, it was like the gates opened for him. It went from hard to aim, to being natural.

I would recommend going left handed shooting. But get a BB gun and have her try both, and let her pick the one that feels natural.

TxHunter · Post by **TxHunter** » Thu May 15, 2008 3:15 am

My son is left-eye dominate . We found out quite by accident. His uncle ( my brother ) and I were teaching him to shoot . He was doing very dismally when we decided to take a break from the serious task of punching paper and do something fun . Like shooting watermelons .Using our opposite hand. Guess what ? His score immediately got better . Not only were the melons larger but we discovered that left-handed was more natural for him ( and he is right-handed ! ) My old Marlin 39 worked very well as a lever-action is more or less even-handed . All was well until he decided that he wanted to take up archery so he could bowhunt with Dad . Ever try to find a youth bow for the left-handed . It ain't easy !!

O.S.O.K. · Post by **O.S.O.K.** » Thu May 15, 2008 8:49 am

Yep - we started with right hand shooting with my youngest too - and he was horrible. But fortunately for him, I'd been around some educumated folks that taught me about left eye dominance - and we did the "make a triangle" test and sure enough, he was signting with his left eye. Bingo!

I say again, shoot with the eye dominance - especially if you catch this while they're young.

There's plenty of left handed actions nowadays - and plenty of "it doesn't matter" actions too - like lever guns.

Post by **Hobie** » Thu May 15, 2008 9:54 am

My son is right-handed left eye dominant, shoots left-handed.

Last Spike · Post by **Last Spike** » Thu May 15, 2008 10:19 am

I'd start her out with left handed guns. There are left handed rimfires in bolt action. Leverguns such as the Marlin 39A or others will also be good.

Once she's a bit older, then you can start her on rifles from Browning, Winchester, Savage, Tikka, etc.

For shotguns, I'd go with Browning's BPS, Remington's lefty 870 or other lefty friendly models - in 20 gage and when she's a bit older, go into 12 gage.

Rimfire Central has a lefty forum which if I recall, has one stickied post listing the different manufacturers of left handed friendly firearms.

dawei · Post by **dawei** » Thu May 15, 2008 1:59 pm

I'm right handed & left eye dominant - I've shot left-handed for the last 44yrs. I could hit a bull in the butt at 5 feet shooting right-handed.

deerwhacker444 · Post by **deerwhacker444** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:04 pm

.
Left Handed - Left Eye Dominant

I learned to shoot left handed with right handed guns. Didn't own a left handed rifle till I was out of High school. The only problem I ever had was when sling carrying a right handed bolt rifle over my left shoulder. The bolt pokes you right in the kidney and makes for a long day.

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Thu May 15, 2008 6:20 pm

deerwhacker444 wrote:.
Left Handed - Left Eye Dominant

I learned to shoot left handed with right handed guns. Didn't own a left handed rifle till I was out of High school. The only problem I ever had was when sling carrying a right handed bolt rifle over my left shoulder. The bolt pokes you right in the kidney and makes for a long day.

Deerwhacker444,

With that pic of Marty Feldman posted I woulda thought you were
BOTH eye dominant!

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Thu May 15, 2008 6:23 pm

I will start her out left handed, with either the 10/22 or the M39.
I will let her choose (don't think she would wanna carry my heavy
Win M52 (1929)).

Too much to do this month, buy license, tags, etc,
update software, DMV fees due, aint life grand!

Maybe I will see if she takes to it and might gift her the Savage
Favorite at the end of the year after complete rebuild.

Jay

handirifle · Post by **handirifle** » Thu May 15, 2008 6:27 pm

Well, bsa, being born left handed, and having to grow up in a RH world, AND being right eye dominent, I still learned to shoot left handed.

I can shoot just as well either way, with a rifle, scoped or not. With a handgun, RH is more comfortable. WIth a shotgun, it's iffy. Somedays better LH some days right.

One advantage I have being lefthanded, is I've become VERY ambidextrious. I can shoot rifles either way, or shoot a RH rifle left handed no issue, speed or accuracy.

By the way, I really do not shooting both eyes open, right or left handed, guns or bows.

I say, let her shoot both ways and which ever way feels best, go with it.

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Fri May 16, 2008 8:16 am

My son, when very young (7 y.o.), would crane his head over the stock, trying to look through the sights while shooting right-handed.

He, too, instantly did better when I switched him to shooting "lefty", even though he's right-handed in all other things - and shoots better than I do today (35 years later).

Both of my daughters and my wife are right-handed/right-eye dominant - so the issue never came up with them.

sore shoulder · Post by **sore shoulder** » Fri May 16, 2008 10:24 am

Last training I decided to start shooting left handed due to a condition inmy right eye that causes slight blurriness. Nothing I notice regularly till I start looking through a site. I was shooting 1.2cm groups with 3cm being the minmum acceptable. To say I was happy was an understatement.

I wasn't too worried as I have always been able to do most things left handed, except throw a baseball. I have always been able to use a skillsaw, hammer or nailgun just as well lefty as righty. I attribute this to having played drums most of my life. I have heard many times of people switching to left handed shooting with great success.

Slick13 · Post by **Slick13** » Fri May 16, 2008 1:58 pm

bsaride wrote:Well my 16 yo niece wants to go hunting.

I thought I'd start her out with a 22 and rabbits.

I also thought I'd see if it's really better to have a left eye
dominant person shoot left handed.

I have an M39 she could use or her dads 10/22 with a scope.
I also have a Stevens favorite I would need to reline if that's
a better choice.

What say ye?

Hand her a rifle. The hand she reaches for it with is the one she should shoot with.

I don't give a hoot about eye dominance. Shoot with the hand that is natural, and if that is the side of the non dominant eye, close the dominant one and shoot one eyed.

Until I started shooting trap, I didn't realize people even shot with both eyes open..."how the hell do you do that?!" I'm right handed, I've always shot right handed, and I've always closed my left eye (which I found out a couple years ago is my dominant eye). Hasn't kept me from a AA average in my local trap league, and I'm a half yard away from making the 27 yard line at ATA Handicap Trap.

Personally, I think the advantages of two eyed shooting over one eyed are over rated.

~Michael

Left Handed recommendations - eye dominance

Left Handed recommendations - eye dominance

Re: Left Handed recommendations - eye dominance