Left Eye dominant, Right handed?

**BushmasterFanBoy** · 03-18-09, 10:14

I'm left eye dominant, and right handed, so I shoot rifles off my right, since I feel I can better manipulate the weapon, especially the trigger pull. I typically keep my left eye closed for distance shots, even though I have better vision out of it. It becomes less of a problem with RDO's, but I find the "competing" image to be too distracting at times.

However, I don't think I can shoot my rifle as well, especially at distance, as I can my pistol (I use both eyes open, or close the right, while shooting right handed), since I've restricted myself to using my weak eye. I do practice off-hand drills, but its always a close quarter fall back, or an attempt to use a barricade, never a preferred shooting side.

What I'd like to know is, would it be worth my time to essentially re-learn trigger control, driving the gun, manipulating the controls, on my left, so that I can gain the use of my dominant eye? Would this help significantly at distance? What about closer targets?

**larry0071** · 03-18-09, 10:48

I don't have a reply on how you should change your training based on your left eye dominance, but I can relate to you in that I am right handed and left eye dominant. Difference between the two of us is that I can not at all use a bow, rifle or pistol in a right handed situation without feeling like I'm wearing a dress to play football!

As queer as it can feel.... when I shoot and force myself to go right handed, nothing works near as well as when I go left. When I hold the rifle right handed, I tend to tilt the gun on its side 10-15 towards the left as if I'm trying to get it to line up with my left eye. I have to force myself to hold the rifle upright and force myself to move my face over to get a good cheek weld to the stock. It is very un-natural.

When I allow nature to take its course and I go back to left handed hold, everything falls into place by the grace of God. It is hard to shoot weak sided especially if you do not consistantly train yourself for it (I do not do it near enough). Good luck, and may God help you be the very best you can be!

**BushmasterFanBoy** · 03-18-09, 10:53

Originally Posted by larry0071

I don't have a reply on how you should change your training based on your left eye dominance, but I can relate to you in that I am right handed and left eye dominant. Difference between the two of us is that I can not at all use a bow, rifle or pistol in a right handed situation without feeling like I'm wearing a dress to play football!

As queer as it can feel.... when I shoot and force myself to go right handed, nothing works near as well as when I go left. When I hold the rifle right handed, I tend to tilt the gun on its side 10-15 towards the left as if I'm trying to get it to line up with my left eye. I have to force myself to hold the rifle upright and force myself to move my face over to get a good cheek weld to the stock. It is very un-natural.

When I allow nature to take its course and I go back to left handed hold, everything falls into place by the grace of God. It is hard to shoot weak sided especially if you do not consistantly train yourself for it (I do not do it near enough). Good luck, and may God help you be the very best you can be!

Thanks, I'm gonna be switching to left handed for the foreseeable future, already swapped my sling swivels on the AR

. I will keep shooting pistol right handed however, as I've never had an issue with using my left eye to a right hand hold.

**Spade** · 03-18-09, 13:34

I to am a left eye/right hand shooter. I have always shot pistol right hand & rifle left with never any problems. In my situation my right eye is so far gone that short of just spray & pray my off hand rifle shooting is next to nil. Obviously I can still shoot pistol with either. I don't know how much diference there is with your eyes but as you get older you may have to rely on you good eye any way.

**shadowalker** · 03-18-09, 13:38

I'm left handed, left eyed but grew up shooting rifle right handed because that's what everyone else did. I shoot handgun left handed with both eyes open. It never really bothered me to shoot rifle right handed because I'd just blink my left eye and acquire site picture with my right eye.

About a year ago I started learning to shoot left handed, it felt completely wrong for a while but now it feels natural, and I have the ability to comfortably shoot off either shoulder.

**larry0071** · 03-18-09, 13:39

For some reason, I do hold my pistols in my right hand and support with my left, but I cross my pistol over to the left eye. I can feel that it is unnatural in my shoulder (Go ahead and try it, you will feel the shoulder muscle pulling when you cross over compared to when you don't) but again, holding the pistol in the left hand and supporting with the right hand feels as queer as a $3 bill!

**hal_5555** · 03-18-09, 13:42

i also have the dreaded left eye, right hand... but i have been training for the past year to do things with my left hand.

i originally had rifle set up lefty and pistol set up righty. that made things too complicated in my book. so i decided on just doing things with both hands completely. i can shoot well right and shoot very well left. i even went so far as to start eating with my left hand to get used to it feeling the way right should be.

it still feels weird to shoot carbine left, but i get the best results with it. eye fatigue is less, and better feel after the initial weirdness. as i said, i have everything set up to shoot left though. this way my support side is actually a strong side. i think it gives me better ability to do things both sides too. i can do just about anything with my right, while still having control with firing hand.

its taken a while, but i think its the best of both worlds for me. but def a shit load of work and learning.

**Spade** · 03-18-09, 13:51

Originally Posted by hal_5555

i also have the dreaded left eye, right hand... but i have been training for the past year to do things with my left hand.

i originally had rifle set up lefty and pistol set up righty. that made things too complicated in my book. so i decided on just doing things with both hands completely. i can shoot well right and shoot very well left. i even went so far as to start eating with my left hand to get used to it feeling the way right should be.

it still feels weird to shoot carbine left, but i get the best results with it. eye fatigue is less, and better feel after the initial weirdness. as i said, i have everything set up to shoot left though. this way my support side is actually a strong side. i think it gives me better ability to do things both sides too. i can do just about anything with my right, while still having control with firing hand.

its taken a while, but i think its the best of both worlds for me. but def a shit load of work and learning.

Huh I can see how having your support side set up as your strong could be useful. I have my rlfle set left handed & my pistol set on right side. It is complicated sometimes, however so can finding a left hand holster.