I thought I am weird because I've always shot right-handed using my left eye for sighting the target when shooting handguns...for 40 years or so. Asking around the other day, I found several shooters do this as well. If the left eye is dominant and you shoot right-handed, you would think that it would have an impact on accuracy, but I shoot well.
Left eye, right hand shooting.
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I thought I am weird because I've always shot right-handed using my left eye for sighting the target when shooting handguns...for 40 years or so. Asking around the other day, I found several shooters do this as well. If the left eye is dominant and you shoot right-handed, you would think that it would have an impact on accuracy, but I shoot well.
dlstewart01
US Veteran
I am right handed and have a dominant left eye. This happened in 1980 after radial keratotomy eye surgery. I was right eyed before this. It messes me up shooting a shot gun. I do better with a side beside double. I guess the sight plane is much wider. I have a nice Browning 20 ga BSS with an english stock.
Doesn't bother me with a hand gun??
Don
Doesn't bother me with a hand gun??
Don
My wife is right-handed, left-eye dominant and shoots just like you do without any problem.
On the other hand, one time at the range a guy handed her a tricked-out left hand Browning Buckmark which she shot left-handed and had no problem nailing the bulls-eye.
On the other hand, one time at the range a guy handed her a tricked-out left hand Browning Buckmark which she shot left-handed and had no problem nailing the bulls-eye.
mtb1bkr
US Veteran
Can you close your left eye independant of your right eye? When I went to boot camp years ago I was left eye dominant and I couldn't close my left eye. I sat around the range holding my left eye closed while paying attention to the classes. By the end of the first week on the range I could close my left eye without affecting my right. Now, I shoot rifle right handed with no problems. I'm still left eye dominant. I'm a multiple award expert with the rifle. As for pistol, I shoot most of the time with both eyes open but if I can't make out the target or I'm having trouble hitting the target sometimes I will close my left eye. It took me a couple of days of practice to get used to shooting with both eyes open, but it really is easier once you have gotten used to it. The sites fall into place much quicker for followup shots.
Bill
Marine Rifle and Pistol coach
Bill
Marine Rifle and Pistol coach
GoGators
Member
I'm left-eyed and right-handed. I have always shot long guns left-handed, since I was 5 or 6 years old. I started shooting pistols when I was about 20 years old, but it never occurred to me to shoot them left-handed too. I just tilt my head over to the right a little to line up the sight picture.
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I had this same situation, except I lost a tendon in my right index finger at 22 YO. After therapy, I could move my index about 45 degrees, and was still able to pull the trigger. It was like having your finger covered by 6" of garden hose, but it worked.
After my wife passed, I quit shooting for several years. A few years ago, I decided to start shooting again, and celebrated by buying a new pistol. I always dry fire my new weapons, but found I couldn't pull the trigger! I tried my Mod.60 J-frame, and it wouldn't work!
I started shooting left handed, and found that I shot better than I have ever done in over 40 years.
m657
Member
I was blessed with "Non-dominant" hand/eye designation, but always shot R/R.
A few years back, I was having marked problems with my R eye going gunneybag.
After years of strong side draw and then a cross-draw using R hand R eye, I started practicing my SASS matches drawing 2 strong sides, and using whichever eye I'm shooting with. Seems to work out fine after a bit.
Someone told me there was a knob of some kind on the front end of the barrel, but my R eye has real trouble making it out except with special specs now.
I do better L/L now than R/R.
A few years back, I was having marked problems with my R eye going gunneybag.
After years of strong side draw and then a cross-draw using R hand R eye, I started practicing my SASS matches drawing 2 strong sides, and using whichever eye I'm shooting with. Seems to work out fine after a bit.
Someone told me there was a knob of some kind on the front end of the barrel, but my R eye has real trouble making it out except with special specs now.
I do better L/L now than R/R.
I'm right handed,,left eye dominant.
I shoot all right handed.
The left eye dominant/right handed situation seems to have come along in last ten years or so. Maybe a Golden Years thing...
I shoot rifles and handguns with my left eye closed and have always done so. It's just an automatic reflex. That's the way I was taught.
But, when shooting a shotgun for some reason, I want to shoot with both eyes open and my left eye takes over of course.
I'm then looking along side the left side of the shotgun & shotgun barrel. That makes me take extremely poor leads at crossing shots especially.
I can 'make' myself close the left eye just prior to pointing and shooting and after a while it naturally takes over and I don't have to think about doing it. But later on it comes back again.
A patch or blinder on the left side would work but I tried those and didn't like 'em. So I'll suffer with the consequences of a few missed targets and call it a decent day
Recently I was seeing double, so it really didn't matter too much about the dominant eye thing
I shoot all right handed.
The left eye dominant/right handed situation seems to have come along in last ten years or so. Maybe a Golden Years thing...
I shoot rifles and handguns with my left eye closed and have always done so. It's just an automatic reflex. That's the way I was taught.
But, when shooting a shotgun for some reason, I want to shoot with both eyes open and my left eye takes over of course.
I'm then looking along side the left side of the shotgun & shotgun barrel. That makes me take extremely poor leads at crossing shots especially.
I can 'make' myself close the left eye just prior to pointing and shooting and after a while it naturally takes over and I don't have to think about doing it. But later on it comes back again.
A patch or blinder on the left side would work but I tried those and didn't like 'em. So I'll suffer with the consequences of a few missed targets and call it a decent day
Recently I was seeing double, so it really didn't matter too much about the dominant eye thing
Exactly the same here, and both of my brothers (one twelve years older and one six years younger) are both the same way. I never saw my dad shoot enough to remember if he did the same thing.
I remember one time when I was a kid realizing that other people shot with a rifle or shotgun up to their right shoulder, instead of the left like I did. I tried it and couldn't figure out how they could possibly get their head far enough down on the stock to aim - I was still trying to use my left eye! I didn't figure out what I was doing wrong until years later.
So even though both of my hands have an index finger acclimated to pulling a trigger, it still feels weird if I try to shoot long guns right-handed, or handguns left-handed.
billhud
US Veteran
I'm cross dominant. Left handed but with a dominant right eye. Long ago I "relearned" shooting (rifle and pistol) right handed because of my dominant eye. You really should retrain to shoot as your strong side the side of your dominant eye. It isn't that difficult to do, but does take discipline to consistently do it until it becomes natural.
When I was a kid, I always shot rifles and shotgun left-handed, not knowing I was left eye dominant. My dad, the SGTMaj, said to me one day,"boy you better learn how to shoot right-handed before you get in the service." I don't know where he got the idea I was going to be a "lifer" as he was, But I learned how to shoot right-handed and with my right eye. When I got into competing with handguns in my twenties, I realized that I shot my pistols better, right handed but with my left eye. A few years back I taught myself how to shoot pistols/revolvers with both eyes open. Acquiring the front site was a task but now I have three options for siting my handguns. Going back to my bullseye days, I always practice shooting one-handed while at the range, you never know when you may be in a situation where you don't have both hands.
