Ambidextrous shooters?

[airgunutty]

I've recently started trying something new. I started trying get my left side comfortable with shooting. I'm only trying right now from bench rest but want to progress to being able to do off hand as well. I've been having some success in getting the mechanics worked out except for my eye. Left eye seems to lose focus even though I don't have problems with my eyes. I suspect that the problem will fix itself the more I work on it.

I decided to take on this challenge because you just never know when you might encounter a left leaning squirrel and I want to be prepared.

 

[DeanB]

have you tried covering your right eye with something, should help left eye focus. I can shoot left or right handed even shoot trap both ways. Better right handed but respectable left handed. I shoot both eyes open.

 

[RossK]

The day I must look down a barrel with my right eye will be the day I hang up my iron...

 

[Moog]

I've recently started trying something new. I started trying get my left side comfortable with shooting. I'm only trying right now from bench rest but want to progress to being able to do off hand as well. I've been having some success in getting the mechanics worked out except for my eye. Left eye seems to lose focus even though I don't have problems with my eyes. I suspect that the problem will fix itself the more I work on it.

I decided to take on this challenge because you just never know when you might encounter a left leaning squirrel and I want to be prepared.

Are you shooting with both eyes open? If I shoot with both eyes open some times the target will get fuzzy.

Are you shooting with an optic or iron sights? Try both types, sometimes you will do better with one or the other.

 

[airgunutty]

have you tried covering your right eye with something, should help left eye focus. I can shoot left or right handed even shoot trap both ways. Better right handed but respectable left handed. I shoot both eyes open.

So are you ambidextrous with other things as well? Such as can you throw a ball or write with both hands?

As for the shooting with both eyes open, I've been trying to train myself to do that as well on targets. I don't do it when I'm trying to hunt for fear of not getting the best shot placement.

 

[airgunutty]

Are you shooting with both eyes open? If I shoot with both eyes open some times the target will get fuzzy.

Are you shooting with an optic or iron sights? Try both types, sometimes you will do better with one or the other.

Trying to learn how to keep both open. I'm new but old and developing tiny little muscles that have never been utilized.

I use a scope because my prey is small brown and can hide from my eyes at 30yds. But with my scope I can get into their hiding place with them.

 

[DeanB]

So are you ambidextrous with other things as well? Such as can you throw a ball or write with both hands?

As for the shooting with both eyes open, I've been trying to train myself to do that as well on targets. I don't do it when I'm trying to hunt for fear of not getting the best shot placement.

Heres a weird thing, Im right handed but kick a football left footed, also I can bowl left or right handed. But I can not bat left handed or throw a baseball left handed. My Dad could bat left or right handed and shoot both left or right.
I can write left or right but horrible left handed.

 

[dgeesaman]

I switched over to shooting lefty a couple years ago. I don't think it hurt my right handed shooting at all and I think it's better because my left eye is both dominant and more acute and my right arm is stronger and steadier.

It's definitely more difficult to get into a good position lefty, esp with a high mag scope with a tight eyebox. My trigger control with the left hand is not as good and I've dialed in a bit more 2nd stage weight to offset that.

I'd like to claim I can shoot with both eyes open but that's not my reality and the side I'm shooting from has no effect on that.

I wouldn't call myself ambidextrous but there are some things I've learned both ways or lefty that suggest I'm not severely right-hand-only.

 

[DaMitch]

I would suggest you are right eye dominate.

 

[airgunutty]

I would suggest you are right eye dominate.

Probably so

 

[c_m_shooter]

I've recently started trying something new. I started trying get my left side comfortable with shooting. I'm only trying right now from bench rest but want to progress to being able to do off hand as well. I've been having some success in getting the mechanics worked out except for my eye. Left eye seems to lose focus even though I don't have problems with my eyes. I suspect that the problem will fix itself the more I work on it.

I decided to take on this challenge because you just never know when you might encounter a left leaning squirrel and I want to be prepared.

Hold a finger out at arms length and let your eyes relax til you see double. Once you get that happening, you can hold up a pistol in each hand. Always use the set of sights closer to the center when in double vision. Left sights for the right hand and right sights for the left hand. Dry fire a lot until it gets comfortable. This is how we would learn to draw 2 revolvers and shoot them alternating in the Gunfighter division of SASS.

 

[airgunutty]

I switched over to shooting lefty a couple years ago. I don't think it hurt my right handed shooting at all and I think it's better because my left eye is both dominant and more acute and my right arm is stronger and steadier.

It's definitely more difficult to get into a good position lefty, esp with a high mag scope with a tight eyebox. My trigger control with the left hand is not as good and I've dialed in a bit more 2nd stage weight to offset that.

I'd like to claim I can shoot with both eyes open but that's not my reality and the side I'm shooting from has no effect on that.

I wouldn't call myself ambidextrous but there are some things I've learned both ways or lefty that suggest I'm not severely right-hand-only.

Thank you that's what I was hoping for. Someone who tried it and their unbiased results. A lot of what you said applies to my experience.

Thanks for your comments

 

[Moog]

Trying to learn how to keep both open. I'm new but old and developing tiny little muscles that have never been utilized.

I use a scope because my prey is small brown and can hide from my eyes at 30yds. But with my scope I can get into their hiding place with them.

For a couple of years I shot with both eyes open (mostly with pistols) but I always felt like I was straining.

I went back to shooting with one eye closed. For me I'm just more comfortable doing it that way.

 

[airgunutty]

For a couple of years I shot with both eyes open (mostly with pistols) but I always felt like I was straining.

I went back to shooting with one eye closed. For me I'm just more comfortable doing it that way.

Nice, thanks for the feedback. I'm new to a lot of this. I am finding out that while looking for the 'way to do it 'sometimes just boils down to preference.

Thanks again

 

[graycrait]

Don't worry too much about eye dominance and just shoot a lot LH with both eyes open. I was a budding competitive combat shooter when I had a serious accident with my right hand that left my trigger finger nonop for over a year. SO I started to shoot LH. What I found is that I needed to cant the pistol a bit to the right, even with both eyes open, so that my dominant right eye was well in play. I'm not talking canting like some gangsta, just 20-30 degrees. I don't carry RH any longer at all.

 

[Bedrock Bob]

Hold a finger out at arms length and let your eyes relax til you see double. Once you get that happening, you can hold up a pistol in each hand. Always use the set of sights closer to the center when in double vision. Left sights for the right hand and right sights for the left hand. Dry fire a lot until it gets comfortable. This is how we would learn to draw 2 revolvers and shoot them alternating in the Gunfighter division of SASS.

Yup. Both eyes open, focus them both on the front sight and go crosseyed. The sight picture sorts itself out as you come across the target. If you are focusing on the post with both eyes crossed the whole world drops away and it's only the sight picture with your target beyond.

Eye dominance is a big deal. But if you force yourself to focus with the other eye it works. It's just cumbersome. I'm sure if you did it enough it would become natural.

 

[Vana2]

Eye dominance is going to play a big role in aiming even if you are used to shooting with both eyes open. You mentally go with the dominant image and use the other for depth estimation and situational awareness.

Think that you would need to cover the dominant eye to force the use of the other eye.

As far as right/left hand usage it's (mostly) a matter of practice. I can use most tools ambidextrously though I do favor my right for fine work. Comes in handy when the screw or nail is on the "wrong" side.

Just practice day to day stuff to improve your off-hand skills. Stir your coffee, shave, cut your food, etc, etc, with the other hand. Won't take long to develop the motor skills that are lacking.

Cheers!

 

[airgunutty]

Eye dominance is going to play a big role in aiming even if you are used to shooting with both eyes open. You mentally go with the dominant image and use the other for depth estimation and situational awareness.

Think that you would need to cover the dominant eye to force the use of the other eye.

As far as right/left hand usage it's (mostly) a matter of practice. I can use most tools ambidextrously though I do favor my right for fine work. Comes in handy when the screw or nail is on the "wrong" side.

Just practice day to day stuff to improve your off-hand skills. Stir your coffee, shave, cut your food, etc, etc, with the other hand. Won't take long to develop the motor skills that are lacking.

Cheers!

Thanks

 

[Xun]

I started shooting from the right-hand side since I’m right-handed, and that seemed like the “standard” way to shoot. However, my dominant eye is the left one, as my right eye has poor vision. This cross-dominance wasn’t a problem when shooting pistols using the isosceles stance, but it was a real pain with rifles. I had to remember to bring my glasses, or else I couldn’t see the front sight clearly—or I had to shoulder the rifle on the left side in a really awkward way.

Eventually, I decided to practice shooting left-handed, and it turned out to be not that difficult at all! Once you get comfortable with the stances, it’s basically the same as shooting from the right side. When shooting right-handed without a scope, I use an eye blinder on my left eye to help focus with the right.

 

[airgunutty]

I started shooting from the right-hand side since I’m right-handed, and that seemed like the “standard” way to shoot. However, my dominant eye is the left one, as my right eye has poor vision. This cross-dominance wasn’t a problem when shooting pistols using the isosceles stance, but it was a real pain with rifles. I had to remember to bring my glasses, or else I couldn’t see the front sight clearly—or I had to shoulder the rifle on the left side in a really awkward way.

Eventually, I decided to practice shooting left-handed, and it turned out to be not that difficult at all! Once you get comfortable with the stances, it’s basically the same as shooting from the right side. When shooting right-handed without a scope, I use an eye blinder on my left eye to help focus with the right.

Thanks for the response. I'm finding out that repetition is the only way to make it work. Most things are awkward the first few times. Then one day things will start to click.

I really don't have a need to do it other than the challenge of getting proficient at being able to shoot either way.