Right handed shooter, left eye dominant

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Prouzy

Prouzy

Member
May 7, 2015
199
22
NH, United States
I struggled with this a bit when younger shooting PB, but then on to shotgun upland and waterfowl and target shooting with both eyes open. Now on to airguns and shooting througn scopes much more often and really looking to improve. I have used high mounts, various head positions etc, which forces me some to be consistent but I dont think Im getting full use of an optic and possibly influencing POI more so. Just looking for some thoughts, people with this experience personally, etc. Thanks! Chris
 
I know what you mean John, i can shoot opposite pretty well, however I have improved dexterity on my right and do better. Wondered of special mounts, etc for head position without having the height to great from the bore. Trade off may be offset on the horizontal but now having to possibly compensate on the horizontal as well. Majority of my rifles are ambi, but some are right handed, which makes shooting left handed uncomfortable. Thanks for the input!
 
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I shoot right handed (mostly), and am left eye dominant. Only "problem" my eye dominance gives me when using an optic is it makes it more difficult to shoot both eyes open. I often just start out with my left eye closed. My right eye still "centers-on" any optic I use, I just sometimes have to close the left to avoid "losing" the cross hair. Just takes a little practice to shoot both eyes open with a scope, and have little to no problem. Try not to mess with the scope mounting position in an attempt to compensate. In my opinion that'll just cause more problems.
 
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"Mentolio"I shoot right handed (mostly), and am left eye dominant. Only "problem" my eye dominance gives me when using an optic is it makes it more difficult to shoot both eyes open. I often just start out with my left eye closed. My right eye still "centers-on" any optic I use, I just sometimes have to close the left to avoid "losing" the cross hair. Just takes a little practice to shoot both eyes open with a scope, and have little to no problem. Try not to mess with the scope mounting position in an attempt to compensate. In my opinion that'll just cause more problems.
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I think I need to try that. Ive read many people shoot through optics both eyes open. 

RL- I concur, its a good alibi :)
 
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A kid I went to high school with was blinded in his dominant eye in an accident. He continued shooting on the varsity rifle team using a prism that brought the sight picture to his non-dominant eye. I don't know where you'd get something like that, probably custom, and I don't know if it would be legal under competition rules. But you might consider it if nothing else works.
 
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I am left handed and right eye dominant. I asked Ray Arpelles, two time National Springer FT champion, about this and he said "always shoot with you dominant eye looking in the scope. You can train your muscles to shoot opposite hand but shooting opposite eye is damn near impossible". His brother Hans agreed. I shoot right handed. 
 
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When we taught firearms classes years ago, the first thing (after the safety rules) was to determine eye dominance. We then taught to shoot using the dominant eye. We found this much easier than trying to correct a preconceived notion that if you were right handed, you had to shoot with your right hand, even if you were left eye dominant.

When determined early enough, it was much easier to both learn and become proficient if you did not have any previous experience shooting.

Something to give some serious thought about.

Mark
 
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I actually did shoot for several years left handed, then many years with shotguns both eyes open and right handed. With airguns, back to right handed shooting, partly for right handed stocks. I dont mind shooting left handed on an ambi stock, but even quick follow-ups with an ambi stock but ribht handed action is awkward. Ove tried to keep the scope as close to the bore as possible, but just recently ordered some extra high mounts to allow me to position normal on the cheek weld. Will see how how difference in POI and hold. Great input! Chris
 
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I am also a right-handed person who's left-eye dominant. I shoot rifles left handed as a result. It actually feels comfortable for me; trying to shoot right handed is what's awkward. Yet I go through life otherwise being right handed, and even play hockey right handed. Go figure that out! I have not found need for special scope mounting as a result, but maybe am missing out on something I'm unaware of. Whenever possible, I use ambi stocks and switched the bolt of my Marauder to left handed as well.

Ironically, I find shooting my Marlin 336 30/30 left handed to be an advantage. The ejection port is on the right side of the receiver, where my head already is, so I can see a spent cartridge get ejected and a new one get chambered as the lever is worked.

Ken
 
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I lnow what you mean Ken, I play golf righty, hockey lefty, bat righty..........so most I can do ambi. I can shoot lefty as well, but dont have all ambi stocks, so trying to be consistentent. I actually shot today with a riser on my mounts, and could position head normal with straight view through eyepiece. Was a very consistent session but scope rides real high, for whatever detriment that will result. 

Chris
 
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I'm a left eye dominant and right handed too. I can shoot left handed both eyes open without any problems, It's always been like that. Lately I've been doing a lot of shooting and chronoing to trying to develope my regulated .25 marauder. I started to practise shooting right handed both eyes open and now about a 1000 pellets later it's going pretty good. It's not as good as shooting left handed yet but I'd say about 80-90%. So it seems to be definetly possible to learn to use your weaker eye for aiming with some practising. 
 
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I think if I want precision, I will need to shoot left handed or practice woth non dominant. Added high rings to a riser and could see straight through, shooting righty with left eye. Started at 30yd and did quite well. Then out tp 40 and 50yd, zeroing each time. Again, seemed to go quite well. Out to 75yd, keeping zero at 50yd and did well when holdover was good, but with such a high scope mount about the bore, really seems to excentuate mistakes. Zeroed at 75yd and improved some, but certainly the further out, more room for error with such high mounts. Im guess it would make holdover/under more difficult in any situation?
 
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So I have been walking around, some reading and television viewing by practicing winking with my left eye to view through my right. I also reduced the risers on my scope so I could get it closer to the bore and reduce trajectory variation. I was already set up so I stayed with the 75yd shooting distance. I shot 7 groups before it got too hot, but seemed to be coming together, posted are the last 3 groups. Not the best, but this was my first session working on non-dominant eye through the scope. After the first group, I found it was easier to actually keep both eyes open, as I would tend to squint some. Still getting some creep over to the dominant eye, double vision, etc but I think it will be well worth it. I can now actually use my adjustable stock and seem to repeat my position much more, making it more consistent. In hindsight, probably more cost effective to practice this with .25 or even better, .22 but working with the .30 has just been very enjoyable. Thanks for all of the input! Chris

Group 5
 
Group 6
 
Group 7
 
 
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