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ahuebel View Drop Down
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    Posted: August/08/2007 at 14:07

I am right handed but I am left eye dominant. Can I train myself, or should I say, can I practice and become an effective right handed shooter? It seems that would be possible. I mean if I close my left eye and line myself behind the scope, I don't see how it couldn't be done. Has anyone tried this?

 

EDIT: Well I read a few articles on the subject and it appears that it is more often recommended to simply use the off-hand and the dominant eye than to try and train yourself to use your weak eye. I have right handed guns and I'd love to shoot right handed but I think I'll just stick to the way I picked up a gun naturally, and that was with my left. I know it is a bit off topic but this seemed like a reasonable forum to put it in.



Edited by ahuebel
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fishnpbr View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fishnpbr Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/08/2007 at 17:49
ahuebel I had the same problem. I am left handed and right eye dominant. I shot left handed with so so accuracy. I had no help as a young shooter and was not aware of the dominant eye thing. I went in the Marine Corps in 1977 and the first thing my PMI did was to determine our dominant eye. Shooting right handed didn't feel good at all. The PMI let me shoot boths ways and even though it was less comfortable I always shot much better right handed. It's been that way ever since. Two years ago I did kill a nice buck shooting left handed through a scoped rifle. It was close range and the only shot I could take.
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ahuebel View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ahuebel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/08/2007 at 18:00
Interesting. I didn't have any real guidance when I first shot a rifle and was not aware of the dominant eye thing either. I naturally picked it up and held it left handed. Same thing when I first played pool. I didn't get very serious about hunting until a few years ago and still shoot left handed. I think I will stick with it. One reason I would want to change over and use my weak eye is that I would like to bow hunt at some point and don't want to have to get a left handed bow. Plus I'd like to have the cheek piece on my guns to be on the "correct side" :).
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Dolphin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dolphin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/08/2007 at 19:21
If you are left eye dominant you should always try to shoot left eye dominant and use rifles and shotguns set-up for left eye dominant persons.  Only switch back if it just does not work.  You will find that you will be much more accurate and comfortable in the end.
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RifleDude View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/08/2007 at 19:41

If you really want to shoot right handed, practice shooting that way and see if it starts to become comfortable to you.  It may be difficult at first, but I believe anything is possible if you want to bad enough, and you can train yourself to do anything if you work at it.  If it doesn't work out, you can always go back to shooting left handed.  I know if for some reason I were to lose sight in my right eye or had an injury to my right shoulder that prevented me from shooting right handed, I certainly wouldn't stop shooting, and have no doubt I could quickly adapt to shooting left handed if I had to. 



Edited by RifleDude
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pyro6999 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/09/2007 at 06:42
i dont shoot lefty at all and two of the last three bucks i have shot i had to shoot left handed and i am a righty, i for one think it made me shoot way better than i would have if i could have shoot with my right, the reason i say that is because i really took my time with the shot and made damn sure i was going to make a perfect shot and i didnt do to bad i told the guys that i hunt with that i shot it left handed and they were like ooo that must of sucked and i of course said i wouldnt want to do it that way all the time but at least i know i can shoot either eye and either hand.
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Dolphin View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dolphin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/09/2007 at 08:11
Originally posted by RifleDude RifleDude wrote:

If you really want to shoot right handed, practice shooting that way and see if it starts to become comfortable to you.  It may be difficult at first, but I believe anything is possible if you want to bad enough, and you can train yourself to do anything if you work at it.  If it doesn't work out, you can always go back to shooting left handed.  I know if for some reason I were to lose sight in my right eye or had an injury to my right shoulder that prevented me from shooting right handed, I certainly wouldn't stop shooting, and have no doubt I could quickly adapt to shooting left handed if I had to. 

Thats interesting, because I have a friend, who works for BlackWater.  While in Iraq, his vehicle hit an IED, fortunately it did not explode, but did come through the vehicle taking off, I believe the drivers right leg and arm and destroying the right half of my friends face.  Obviously his lost his right eye, his shooting eye and was very disappointed.  But, BlackWater is a stand up company and have allowed him to train and subsequently certify in both rifle and pistol, shooting with his left eye, in the standard left eye dominant position.  For what rifles I am not sure.  His position now, is primarily in training, at the headquaters on the outer banks of North Carolina.  So rifledude's point is very well taken.  Anything can be done, if you put your mind to it.

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ahuebel View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ahuebel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/09/2007 at 09:17
Well I agree with those statements and thank God it is not out of necessecity that I am considering a switch. It is more difficult for me to close my left eye while keeping my right open. I'll probably just stick to shooting left handed and practice shooting right handed periodically. Hopefully I'll get to practice some this weekend!
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RifleDude View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/09/2007 at 09:46

ahuebel,

You might try using an eye patch on your left eye.  That's the method I've heard people use when they don't want competition for dominance from the opposite eye.  This will cause less strain on your eye and allow your facial muscles to relax since the patch means you don't have to keep the left eye closed.  Practice with the patch until the new shooting position becomes second nature.

Ted


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ahuebel View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ahuebel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August/09/2007 at 13:49
My girls would get a kick out of that. They like to play pirates sometimes. I read things about using patches or putting tape over one eye of your shooting glasses (which I don't use). I'm just chomping at the bit waiting for my rifle to come in....at this point I don't care which way I shoot it so long as I dont get one of these...
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