I am right handed, but left eye dominant...

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Or retrain your eyes for shooting with a patch.

I'm highly left-eye dominant, because my vision is better in that eye (and so the pair work independently). I generally just 'switch eyes' for shooting, but I'm going to start using a patch in order to make it easier.
 
What are you shooting?

I'm left eye dominant and shoot right handed. I use a small piece of tape on my left lens when shooting shotguns to block vision in that eye. I shoot rifles using my right eye. I shoot handguns using my left eye. Find what works and stick with it.
 
You will be surprized on how well you can do if you switch to the other side. Don't rule it out but give it a try. I did it and thousands of others. Matter of fact the military used to train everyone to shoot right handed. I now shoot either. (switch hitter).
 
I have been left eye dominant for years, and have never shot lefty. I was ORDERED to do so in the academy, and challenged my Sgt, that if I turned in a score less than expert, I'd redo it his way. I graduated wearing an expert pin.
 
My wife is the opposite: left-handed, right-eye dominant. Shoots her shotgun right-handed, and yet, seems to prefera hangun in her left.

I gotta get her into Three Gun!
 
Get the gun under your dominate eye....

Folks,
From someone who does this for a living......to reach your full potential, you need to get any longgun, especially a shotgun for airborne targets, under your dominate eye. Anything else is not going to enable you to achieve your best.

I have been working with some specialist on a program to retrain eye dominace, but so far, it doesn't look practical.

Best advice, if you are left eye dominate, but right handed.....get a cheap Red Rider BB gun, and start shooting left handed.....it will seem very awkward at first.....but it will quickly seem much more natural. You eyes will love it!
 
Sorry, I should've specified this. I'll be using a handgun. So should I keep it in my right hand and just use my left eye to aim?
 
I just watched a DVD on shooting that covered this today. What the guy said was take your regular grip and stance. Then just move your gun over an inch or so. So you can use your left eye to aim. I hope you can understand that if not let me know.
 
I am right handed and left eye dominant. I shoot long guns on my left shoulder, but I shoot pistols with my right hand, but I still use my left eye. I dont know if that is a bad habit, but I'm a pretty good shot with my pistols.
 
Mr. Fennell is very wise.

As one who was ordered to shoot right handed, it wasn't until I was able to shoot lefty before I started shooting very well. Shooting is a visual acuity and fine muscle control activity, not a brute strength one (unless we're talking about that 458 Lott safari rifle I've been droooling over...).
 
I just watched a DVD on shooting that covered this today. What the guy said was take your regular grip and stance. Then just move your gun over an inch or so. So you can use your left eye to aim. I hope you can understand that if not let me know.
Click to expand...


do I need to close my right eye?
 
do I need to close my right eye?
Click to expand...

I would say its always best to keep both eyes open...Especially if you are definately left eye dominant, you'll always focus with your left eye...

In my case, my left eye is better than my right, so I had to train myself to use my left eye with my right hand stance.
 
I'm right-handed, left-eye dominant. I've actually found that I'm more accurate when I shoot with my left hand (with right hand support). However, it feels awkward and my left arm gets tired quickly (and soon begin to limp-wrist).
 
I am left eye dominant but right handed. I didn't know exactly what that mean't until a friend commented when I was surfing, that I was surfing "goofy foot" [Right foot forward] I can do most things with both hands and didn't realize until this was posted that it is comfortable to shoot either way, Right handed or left. Go figure.
 
OK maybe I am a little slow when it comes to deciphering all this but here goes.

I know I am left eye dominant cause all the tests tell me so.

My natural shooting stance is right handed, left eye close, right eye open, weaver stance.

When i bring the gun up to sight in and I keep both eyes open and I focus on the target in the distance I see two sets of sights and can line up the front sight correctly with the rear sight with either set of sights.

But if I try and focus on the front sight, I can not in any way bring the front and rear sights to align. I was under the impression that you want to focus on the front sight when shooting. So do I have to give up focusing on the front sight to keep both eyes open?

one way to keep both eyes open is to actually turn, not tilt my head to the right until I can only see the sight with my left eye because the bridge of my nose actually blocks all vision with my less dominant right eye. I looked in the mirror with this head turn and it just doesn't look right.

I want to shoot the best I can because I plan on shooting competetively some time in the future (spelled right?). switching to shooting with the left hand is not something I want to do because I am very dominantly right handed, I am downright retarted with the left hand. I dont have a problem wearing an eye patch, But I feel like I should have a flintlock and have gold buried somewhere.

what do you all suggest.
 
I am also right handed and left eye dominant. I try getting around this by shooting with both eyes open. As a beginner it isn't the most natural way to shoot but it becomes easier if I always remind myself to focus on the front sight instead of the target. My left thumb was injured and the nerve damage prevents me from handling a firearm well even though it still has around 90% function. The thumb is weak and lacks feeling, and also gets very cold, making it real mess whenever I try shooting left handed.

The usual dry fire routine helped a little with my alternate hand but switching sides showed most interesting because I never need to change my focus. Your shooting stance could change how easily your eyes will focus on the gun but it was a natural transition for everything except the hand pulling the trigger.
 
Same boat here. After a trainer spent 5 minutes with me, it made all the difference in the world.

Weaver stance, right leg back. Turn your head towards your right shoulder, and eyeball the front sight with your left eye. This aligns the gun centered to your body. What a world of difference this made for me!!

If you try to shot with both legs forward, you will be bringing the gun over towards the left and not centered to your body.

I can not keep both eyes open when shooting.

Rifle shooting....,whole 'nother thing. Very difficult for me, unless there's a bench to put it on and I can shot it left handed.
 
I shoot right-handed with the left eye open (right-eye closed) most of the time, if I don’t have both open. I can shoot left handed as well. Shooting magnums though, I have more power in my right arm, when shooting one handed.
For left handed shooters, there is a company that puts out revolvers just for left handed shooters... The cylinder opens to the right (thumb screw on the right side of the frame). Their limited in quantity and models, though, like left handed bolt actions.
 
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