Help-right handed, left eye dominate

[Flyingfool]

I am 51 years old, so switching and learning how to shoot handgun left handed is NOT going to happen.

So how can I help improve accuracy. I find I shoot to the left. I believe that this is due to slightly holding in my right hand and the pistol being more parellel with my right arm, rather than perpendicular to my body and this straight away towards the target. Thus resulting in hitting consistently to the left.

A co-worker and friend also has the exact same problem. He too is right handed and left eye dominate. Also consistently shoots left of target.

Is there some little technique we can try to hold, to correct this situation, or should we adjust the sites to allow our hold to get the bullets to hit the target?

I have heard to slightly tilt (cant) the pistol to the left a few degrees (not "gangsta style sideways). And this helps shift the sites to better align to the left eye.

What say you marksmen (and women)?

 

[lrrifleman]

Hi. Ages ago, I vaguely remember Champions Choice offering a clip on or suction cupped "blinder" to black out an eye that affected the aim. I have also seen competitors using a paster on the lens to block an eye, for one handed/one eyed shooting. I have also seen shooters (especially dedicated bullseye shooters) that wear prescription glasses having had a set of glasses made, and "blacking out" their non-shooting eye.

These are the best suggestions that I can advance.

 

[Bkreutz]

Canting the pistol introduces more variables into the sight alignment equation, not recommended. If you're sure the rest of your mechanics are correct (not pulling the pistol to the left) then there are a couple of things you can do. First, adjust the sights (like you already mentioned) or.... go with a red dot sight and shoot with both eyes open. This eliminates the sight alignment problem, the dot "magically" appears on the target (and in focus). When the dot is on the target, the bullet hits there (after you zero it in, which is the same as adjusting your iron sights to POI)

 

[OKFC05]

I am left eye dominant and right handed. There is no problem with this that can't be cured with proper training and practice, for shooting a handgun. Don't tilt the gun. Make up your mind which eye you are going to use for the shot and position the sights in front of it. The hand movement is slight and, with practice, becomes automatic. I use my left eye shooting around the left of barricades and right eye shooting around the right.
My experience teaching people with this "problem" is to get them to stop dithering and work on effective techniques. Shooting right handed and left eye does not cause consistently shooting to the left, but improper grip and trigger control do.
Competition requires learning to shoot freestyle, strong hand, and weak hand, so one of the things you would learn to do in my class is shoot left handed, and I suspect you would find your accuracy problem is NOT caused by using your left eye.

 

[jculloden]

Same situation (not a problem) just learn to shoot with both eyes open

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

I don't believe that your problem is that you are a left-eye-dominant righthander. If you need to adjust the sights, do it.

If you've lined up the sights, you've lined up the sights. Doesn't natter which eye you did it with.

How you hold the pistol affects how the pistol recoils. So what? Keep it consistent.

Sounds like you haven't really learned yet what adjustable sights are for. Get your groups small by sight picture and trigger control, and then adjust them onto the target.

By the way, I am left-eyed and right-handed.

 

[richardw]

Generalizations drive me crazy. Any particular shooting engagement could call for different sighting. If you shoot Isosceles you are using a traditional target shooting stance. That makes eye to dominant hand matching a problem if it is not the same. As others have mentioned you can train to deal with it. Same thing if you shoot classic Weaver stance which
both target and gunfight stance.

But are you training to shoot targets or fluid targets or to gunfight? Those questions are not judgemental. They are consciousness raising. If shooting static targets in non dynamic situations is what you train for then learn to shoot using your left eye with a right hand hold. You can be sure you will not be the first person who learned that as it is a more common problem than some think.

When I target shoot I use a modified Weaver stance since I find it most comfortable and stable at longs distance to target than any gunfight is likely to involve. I never shoot Isosceles because I have two unrepairable rotator cuff injuries and I cannot stabilize the gun for good accuracy.

But I have a gun for self defense only. I did thirty years of target shooting in mandatory qualification rounds in the Corps. When I practice, even at an indoor range, I employ the Center Axis Relock system. It is more than a stance. It is gunfighting system. It is designed for the reality of most self defense situations, which occur at short distances from face to face to thirty feet.

In that system some using the eye opposite the dominant hand to aim is a standard as is chanting the gun slightly. I'd have to write an essay to explain it, and there is neither space or time for that. The system was developed by Paul Castle who had decades of real eaxperience to build on. He died a few years ago but he and now his friend followers are training law enforcement agencies around the world.

Do a search on Center Axis Relock System and take the time to read about it and understand it through the writings and videos, and you might find that your perceived liability is actually an asset in a gunfight.

 

[scooter123]

First, you can train yourself to use either eye as dominate. If you don't believe that consider all those who have lost the use of one eye due to injury or disease.

Personally for over 40 years I used an SLR camera using my left eye because that is vastly more convenient than using the right eye. As a result this normally right eye dominate person became left eye dominate. When I became a re-entry shooter after becoming rather bored with digital photography I found that using my left eye as dominate wasn't as convenient for right handed shooting as it was when using an SLR. So, I simply started closing my left eye while shooting. Only took about 3 months to re-train myself to be right eye dominate. In addition one positive to doing this is that I can now use either eye as dominate depending on which hand I am shooting with.

BTW, while it's purely a stunt I can also aim two pistols at the same target and hit center with both hands firing at the same time. BTW, if I haven't practiced doing this for a while it does take a bit of left/right eye winking to get my brain to sync up so it's not something I would recommend for Defensive shooting and it's also something that would get you asked to leave at most public ranges. However it does illustrate just how flexible the Human Brain is and that with some effort on your part you can retrain yourself to use a different eye as dominate.

I'll also point out that it's rather typical for a right hander to shoot left and this is most likely caused by "pulling" the gun left at the release point. An issue that is usually a matter of experimenting with finger placement on the trigger to correct.

 

[R*E]

I'm another left-eye dominant, right handed shooter. I shoot with both eyes open, even if I'm using a scope.

 

[sw282]

l have ONE eye--My RIGHT... l am LEFT HANDED. Lost my left eye in another life...

Years after recovery and several surgeries. Good Army DRs, I was ready to shoot again...

l was fortunate to meet an 0ld Veteran from the Great War one day on Post @ Skeet Range

He was also a former Drill lnstructor, Range 0ficer, & NRA lnstructor..

A Camp Perry shooter too... He took pity on me and TAUGHT me to

shoot properly... Most lmportant statement he said, "Eyes are DOMINANT. Hands aren't"

Thru his teaching l learned to shoot right handed... Got GOOD. Real good.

Twice as good from shooting left hand My skeet scores from 11-12 up to 18-20..

Aint NO prairie dog safe from me inside 500 yards with a rifle.. Benchrest l'm pretty good too..

Sad to say, we never made it to the pistol range. 0nly rifle/shotgun.

Pistol/Handgun wise, l am mediocre... Still cross-shooting.. right eye/left hand

Guess l need to heed my old friends' advice... ''Follow the eye. Not the hand''

 

[sturtyboy]

I have mono vision...My right eye is for close-up and my left eye is for distance.
I'm also left handed for writing and many things. But have trained myself to shoot dominate right handed with a pistol and left-handed with a rifle.

I know this can be confusing, but I also shoot a pistol either hand as accurate as the other. Actually, very well with both. When I begin a pistol shooting session, I start out with my right hand. When and if I get tired, I switch to my left hand. It works very well with me.

Also for your right handed shoots hitting too the left. In my experience and also for many others, that's a natural occurrence. A shooter tends to shoot to their weak side. Right-handed shooting to the left and left-handed shooting to the right.

I've not experienced a problem with which eye I'm using. Both eyes are always open (defensive training over the years) and I use the eye that compliments the distance I'm shooting from automatically. It's just natural for me.

The human body is amazing to make these adjustments most of the time without our knowing it.

Proper holding and trigger technique and training along with lots of practice will most likely bring your group to center and not fall to the weak side. Try your opposite hand and notice the correction. It can be very revealing to find out the results.

 

[gwpercle]

I was right handed and right eye dominate until I lost the sight in my right eye. By default I am now left eye dominate and right handed.
I never had much trouble shooting handguns, played around with grip , slightly tilting my head over to the right, stance is important also, moved feet around to help line things up , then adjusted the sights to hit the target where I was aiming and just carried on.
After 60 I was having trouble seeing the sights...a little red dot (Burris Fast Fire) mounted on the handgun put me back in the sport.
The most trouble I have is with long guns, shooting left handed is no problem...carrying the gun is. I still want to carry it in my right hand. Once I remember to mount it on the left shoulder and stand correctly I can shoot just as well as right handed.I never was a great shot anyway.
Don't give up , just keep playing around with grip , stance (that can make a difference) and a little head tilt. Don't go the gangsta sideways hold ...that's just movie baloney.
Good Luck,
Gary

 

[RobertJ.]

I'm right handed and left eye dominant.

50 years ago, when my dad was teaching me how to shoot, he noticed it.

He told me to close my left eye when shooting, which I didn't learn quickly, but it became a habit. That served me well for many years.

Now I can shoot with both eyes open, and the right seems to naturally take the sights.

 

[Wise_A]

Canting the pistol introduces more variables into the sight alignment equation, not recommended.

There's really nothing mechanically wrong with a slight cant in precision pistol, so long as it's consistent with the rest of your stance. You might sometimes hear competitors or coaches talking about "throwing a punch" vs "grabbing a throat". In the former, your arm is naturally extended, and it introduces a slight cant. In the latter, you're artificially twisting your arm out of where it naturally wants to be.

Generalizations drive me crazy. Any particular shooting engagement could call for different sighting.

This is correct (although I'm not a fan of CAR). I naturally-occlude my non-dominant eye when shooting one-handed most of the time. I'm starting to experiment with both-eyes open, but I experience severe double-vision. For other things, I shoot with both eyes, both Weaver and Isosceles.

So how can I help improve accuracy. I find I shoot to the left. I believe that this is due to slightly holding in my right hand and the pistol being more parellel with my right arm, rather than perpendicular to my body and this straight away towards the target. Thus resulting in hitting consistently to the left.

What precise stance are you using--a Weaver or Isosceles, or one-handed? It's difficult to diagnose without actually watching you shoot.

Two-handed, one method is to put your right cheek to your right bicep. This lines up your left eye with the sights naturally. Then you simply shoot with both eyes open. You can pair this with a cant, or not (ideally not).

(Side Note: Closing or using a dark occlusion on one eye is one of my pet peeves. By putting one eye in the dark, your brain's auto-shutter gets a mixed signal--one eye says it's pitch-black, the other says it's bright out. So it averages out the two messages and tells your still-open eye to dilate its pupil, reducing visual acuity. If you're going to occlude, either turn your head and use the bridge of your nose--only practical when shooting one-handed--or use an opaque or white blinder.)

One-handed, same deal--cheek to bicep, but with some tradeoffs and a bit of a procedure to discover what works:

--Start with a 45-degree stance.
--Turn and look at the target with your left eye.
--Raise the pistol to bring the sights up to your eye, and check the following:
(1) Sights aligned with eye?
(2) Sights aligned with target?
(3) Comfortable--no strain, no tension, no sensation of a muscle or tendon being stretched?

The goal, which you more or less understand, is that you're trying to make a straight line between eye and target, and then place the gun in the middle. So the trick is to find a stance that allows you to look at the target, and then naturally bring the gun up to that line.

What you don't want to do--especially with the cheek-bicep thing--is bring the gun up, and then move your head to align the sight. Ever see someone at the range raise their pistol up, and then duck their head to start shooting? That's the mistake they're making.

 

[Flyingfool]

Original poster here. Sorry for delay in getting back.

My intent is self defense and comcealed carry. A few months back i took a 10 week course for CC shooting. And am signed up to take it again starting oct 9th. Class includes drawing from concealed holster, teo hand, strong hand, weak hand, malfunctions and reloads, night/flashlight, single hand (both strong and weak) shooting and reloading. Typical class will shoot around 60 to 100 rounds.

The stance taught in the class was primarily, feet shoulder width apart and shoulders perpendicular to target. So I guess that woild be isosceles.

My current technique (primary) is to draw and hold both hands. (Right hand dominate) I then try to consistently place my head/chin towards my right shoulder. This shifts my head to the right and better aligns my left eye (dominated eye) with the sites/target. Or at least that is my attempt to get repeatable/consistent head placement.

I will see if I can find a known accurate marksman to shoot my gun (Shield 9mm) just to rule out the possibility that the sites need to be adjusted. But Given my experience, I would place my money on the lack of accuracy to be attributed to me, not the sites.

I am using the factory stock shield trigger and factory night sites.

I might consider an apex duty carry kit, but for an EDC and SD gun, I'm not sure that should be necessary.

I bought the shield used, but the manf date was less than a year old when i purchased it. It was definitely shot before I bought it, how much I do not know. S&W has no record of the gun having any warranty work or return to the factory for any work.

I have shot around 700 rounds through it. And cycled the slide and trigger with dummy rounds many, many times. So I suspect the gun and trigger are "broken in" to the extent that smoothing out is concerned.

 

[Rpg]

A trick from the shotgunner tool bag might help: for right handed shooting for left eye dominant shooters try winking your left eye as you bring the sights on target. Be sure not to twist your head to line up with the left eye. Don't cant the hand gun.

Takes a little practice to find the correct moment to wink.

 

[OKFC05]

"My current technique (primary) is to draw and hold both hands. (Right hand dominate) I then try to consistently place my head/chin towards my right shoulder. This shifts my head to the right and better aligns my left eye (dominated eye) with the sites/target. Or at least that is my attempt to get repeatable/consistent head placement."


Suggest you watch Miculek video on shooting a pistol.
What you are doing is a huge mistake and will prevent you ever being fast and accurate. You don't have time in defense or action shooting to get your feet in a certain place, or turn your body or head. Stand naturally, draw (most beginners have no clue how to draw) and bring the gun up in front of the eye you are going to use. Repeat 1,000 times until it comes up in the right place each time. Most people practice until they do it right once, experts practice until they never do it wrong. I still practice in front of a mirror with my eyes closed, then open to check sight alignment.
Leanr to shoot around left and right barricades, freestyle, strong hand, weak hand.
Here's a drill I use to see if my sights need alignment, or I do.
At 10 yds, shoot a magazine freestyle and mark the hits. Shoot a magazine strong hand and mark in a different color. Shoot a mag weak hand and mark in a third color.
Analyze: Do you have one group or multiple? If you have multiple groups, you need more work on grip and trigger control.
If you have one group, but it is off center. adjust your sights.
As several have said, if YOU are consistent, then adjust the gun to YOU.


By the way, IDPA is good structured practice for carry, with some simulated stress. Forget the gamers and "Enhanced" guns, just use yours and work on your gun handling and smoothness.

 

[damascusdave]

I think I figured out where your problem lies.
"Learning to shoot a handgun left handed is NOT going to happen".

 

[Lee's Landing Billy]

I have shot this way my whole life and have been successful in every discipline of hand gun shooting but "2700". I wasn't even aware I was doing it for a long time. You'll work it out. Keep plugging away. It'll come to you.

 

[keith44spl]

I'm right eye dominate, and can shoot with either hand.

I shoot a handgun with both eyes open.

.