Right handed and left eye dominant- HELP!

[Marissa]

Ok- so here's my deal- I am right handed but left eye dominant.
~If I shoot a handgun right handed with my right eye I can't even hit paper.
~ If I shoot left handed and left eye I shoot pretty well but I am not a leftie so it is akward for me to handle the gun as a leftie.

I was at a gun shop today looking for a new "toy" and I was having no luck finding anything that I liked with an ambi slide release. The guy there told me that he is right handed and left eye dominant and he shoots right handed and just brings the sight picture over to his left side. I need to get to the range soon and try this out because it sounds like a perfect solution.

Do any of you have experience with this or any pearls of wisdom for me?

[wolfhunter]

I am a rightie who is left-eye dominant. When shooting a handgun, I shift my stance and allow the left eye to do the sighting. When shooting a rifle, I've learned to allow the left eye to loose focus and concentrate on what the right eye sees.

Shifting your stance and using your left eye isn't that difficult, but there are "tricks" to help if you need them. The most common is to cover the right lens of your shooting glasses.

[Glock Fan]

Your avatar shows you shooting a rifle. Looks like you're shooting with your right hand. You should train to shoot with the hand that corresponds to your dominant eye. Over time you will be able to develop skills to shoot with either hand, but in high stress situations, you will find yourself reverting to your dominant eye. Over the years I've trained many students who are "cross eye dominant". Most people tend to do better shooting as I previously explained.

With handguns, it is possible to shift your body position and use your dominant eye to shoot, but with rifles, you will need to use the same hand as your dominant eye. It's nearly impossible to adjust your body to look over the barrel and line up the sights.

For simplicity sake and in your best interest, I strongly recommend finding a gun you like that you can shoot with your left hand. It will feel odd at first, but with practice, you will get the hang of it. As you already experienced, you shot better with your left hand. When shooting long guns, shooting left handed is critical.

Good luck in finding a gun that you like. There are many production arms on the market that are easily adapted to left and shooters. I recommend you shoot as many handguns as possible to find out what will work best for you.



gf

[Ange]

I'm the opposite, left hand/right eye. That's pretty much what I do, shift over and sight with my right eye.
Ange

[handgonnetoter]

I am fortunate, I'm a righty all the way. My daughter is right handed, but left eye dominate. She seems to do fine holding the hand gun with the right hand and sighting with her left eye, but I had to work a little with her shooting the rifle. She shoots well with her right eye, but complains that it does not seem natural. Tough when things don't line up the way they are supposed to - I feel for ya.

[ramrunnr]

I am the sorta the same way. I believe I should have been a lefty, but as a child in kindergarten the teacher made me write with my right hand. Her reasoning was that my Mom and Dad are are both right handed so I am right handed too. Go fig. Once I figured that out, after a conversation with my Mom several years ago, I have been working more with my left hand and now I am pretty much ambidextrous. I can shoot handguns with either hand and shift to the left to sight with my left eye when I am shooting right handed. Rifles and Shotguns, I shoot left handed.

I usually carry one of my Glocks on my right side and my BUG (P-3at or my Glock 26) goes on my left. That way if one hand is injured, then I will have a firearm for the good hand, no matter which one it is.

[Marissa]

Your avatar shows you shooting a rifle. Looks like you're shooting with your right hand. You should train to shoot with the hand that corresponds to your dominant eye. Over time you will be able to develop skills to shoot with either hand, but in high stress situations, you will find yourself reverting to your dominant eye. Over the years I've trained many students who are "cross eye dominant". Most people tend to do better shooting as I previously explained.

With handguns, it is possible to shift your body position and use your dominant eye to shoot, but with rifles, you will need to use the same hand as your dominant eye. It's nearly impossible to adjust your body to look over the barrel and line up the sights.

For simplicity sake and in your best interest, I strongly recommend finding a gun you like that you can shoot with your left hand. It will feel odd at first, but with practice, you will get the hang of it. As you already experienced, you shot better with your left hand. When shooting long guns, shooting left handed is critical.

Good luck in finding a gun that you like. There are many production arms on the market that are easily adapted to left and shooters. I recommend you shoot as many handguns as possible to find out what will work best for you.



gf

Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it. I am shooting a rifle, right handed in my avatar. In truth, I can't stand rifles and I avoid them like the plague but I don't have a decent picture of me shooting a handgun! In fact, this is my brother-in-law's rifle I was shooting and I shot horribly with it as a righty!!

[kn1080]

Ok- so here's my deal- I am right handed but left eye dominant.
~If I shoot a handgun right handed with my right eye I can't even hit paper.
~ If I shoot left handed and left eye I shoot pretty well but I am not a leftie so it is akward for me to handle the gun as a leftie.

I was at a gun shop today looking for a new "toy" and I was having no luck finding anything that I liked with an ambi slide release. The guy there told me that he is right handed and left eye dominant and he shoots right handed and just brings the sight picture over to his left side. I need to get to the range soon and try this out because it sounds like a perfect solution.

Do any of you have experience with this or any pearls of wisdom for me?

Check out the M&P 9c. It has an ambidextrous slide release. Its in the fingerprint safe, loaded.

[Glock Fan]

Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it. I am shooting a rifle, right handed in my avatar. In truth, I can't stand rifles and I avoid them like the plague but I don't have a decent picture of me shooting a handgun! In fact, this is my brother-in-law's rifle I was shooting and I shot horribly with it as a righty!!

Most left eye dominant folks do, as they have a difficult time lining up the sights with the target. I've trained many, young, old and anywhere in between. When I have a student that can't hit the biggest of targets with a rifle, I double check their eye dominance. Many times it's the student that wasn't paying attention in class and had that "yeah, yeah, my daddy always takes me shooting" attitude. After a few minor adjustments and some range time, they're able to hit the target, and at least shoot their first group.

There are a few manufacturers that make left handed rifles. Hopefully you'll find one to your liking. Happy shooting!



gf

[Marissa]

Check out the M&P 9c. It has an ambidextrous slide release. Its in the fingerprint safe, loaded.

Thank you dear, you're very cute. As you know, I want MY OWN handgun! You know I love your M&P!