Left eye dominant dilemma

[Safari Dave]

Unless the vision in your right eye is terrible, just shoot right-handed and close your left eye with a rifle.



Shotguns and pistols may be another story...

 

[sgt_zim]

Unless the vision in your right eye is terrible, just shoot right-handed and close your left eye with a rifle.



Shotguns and pistols may be another story...

Closing my left eye with a rifle seems like it would be painful.

 

[HUNTROMANIA]

I would suggest to take a true left handed gun because you are shooting from left side. Advantages? Same like you are driving a right side car!

 

[Tanks]

Thanks for all the input. Just to clarify, I own all RH rifles and shotguns. I mount them on my left shoulder and shoot. No closing eyes or any similar trick. I’m not sure I’ll be comfortable mounting on the right shoulder and do one of the tricks. I may try next time I’m at the range.
I’ve been shooting this way for a while. I’m 53

I’ll go see where I can find a LH and try cycling the bolt and such

All my rifles are left handed. Though for shotguns and double rifles I prefer a RH lever to break the action. For pistols I use my index finger to eject the magazine.
one easy option is a Blaser with a LH bolt.

 

[Philip Glass]

Hi,

I'm left eye dominant but all my rifles are right handed. I'm thinking on buying 375 for maybe a future buffalo hunt or maybe a Nilgai here in TX.
I was wondering if I should go with a LH or continue with my RH rifles. A lot more options on RH.
I've never shot a LH rifle before, so I don't know what advantages it has for a left handed shooter, other than ejection port on the wrong side.
I can cycle RH riles just fine, but never been DG hunting. What do you guys think?

You owe it to yourself to buy a LH rifle and spend some time at the range. My youngest is same as you and I started him in LH guns early. The Blaser R8 is a unique rifle in that the bolt can be changed and it becomes a left handed rifle. Many option out there so just see what works best for you. Everyone's eyes are different.

 

[Boyd Brooks]

I am not the extreme minority that I thought I was. Also left eye dominant but shoot right with left eye closed, as that is how I was taught. The only sight I have been able to use with both eyes open is a red dot on my Ruger 44 carbine. I did take one deer once, shooting left handed only out of necessity. After that I kept trying to shoulder a rifle on the left side, but it feels weird. If my shoulder replacement surgery is a bust, I might be forced into being a left handed shot.

 

[Brickman301]

Thanks for all the input. Just to clarify, I own all RH rifles and shotguns. I mount them on my left shoulder and shoot. No closing eyes or any similar trick. I’m not sure I’ll be comfortable mounting on the right shoulder and do one of the tricks. I may try next time I’m at the range.
I’ve been shooting this way for a while. I’m 53

I’ll go see where I can find a LH and try cycling the bolt and such

You and I are the same. I’m left eye dominant, but right handed. I’ve always shot rifles and shotguns from my left shoulder. Until very recently all of my long guns have been right handed. The only time I can see a slight advantage of a left handed bolt rifle is when shooting free handed.
The reason I say a slight advantage(left handed bolt action) is, most of time, I’m shooting the gun supported, either from the bench, off sticks, or propping the gun against something in the field.
When shooting this way, my left hand never leaves the wrist of the gun. I work the bolt with my right hand, since the firearm is supported.
With semiautomatic, and pump shotguns, I see no advantage to a left handed action. Again, holding the shotgun with my left hand at the wrist, I can turn the gun to the see the action, drop in shells, or load the tube mag with my right hand. I can see the action easily, to make sure there are no jams/malfunctions.

As I said earlier, until recently I’ve only owned right handed bolt action rifles. I now have 2 left handed bolt rifles.
The one thing that I’ve noticed is with the action on the left side, and shooting from the left side is I can’t see the cartridge going into the action. I’ve always been able to do so when shooting a right handed action from my left shoulder. This is something right handed people shooting right handed actions, won’t miss as they’ve never seen it. It’s something that throws me off, as I like to see that I’ve picked up a round, and everything is going smoothly.

Now, because of being left eye dominant, I’m a big fan of lever actions. I can get off another shot quickly when shooting free handed. I hunt with lever actions a lot if I know my shots are going to be close. With all this being stated, most of the time when shooting at game with a rifle, only one shot is needed, so all of these issues aren’t really issues.

Long post, but I hope it was clear and helpful

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Thanks for all the input. Just to clarify, I own all RH rifles and shotguns. I mount them on my left shoulder and shoot. No closing eyes or any similar trick. I’m not sure I’ll be comfortable mounting on the right shoulder and do one of the tricks. I may try next time I’m at the range.
I’ve been shooting this way for a while. I’m 53

I’ll go see where I can find a LH and try cycling the bolt and such

My left eye was damaged by retina detachments and does not line up with right dominant eye. If I shoot moving targets (clays) both eyes open, I will miss up and to right. I taught myself to close left eye when mounting the gun by doing a hundred repetitions a night for almost a year. Now it's natural. But in poor light my brain sometimes tells that eye to stay open as it's in overdrive trying to see the target. Then I miss.

I can always tell when I'm too tired to drive. I pick up a "shadow" double vision. Left eye sees phantom center line coming at me from up and to the right. Sometimes I just have to keep going. Then the eye patch comes out of glove box ... and thermos gets refilled with black coffee.

 

[migrabill]

I am right handed and left eye dominant as well. If you use a scope, that totally takes eye dominance out of play. I shoot all my scoped rifles right handed using my right eye. My unscoped shotguns are a different story entirely...

 

[jomw10]

You and I are the same. I’m left eye dominant, but right handed. I’ve always shot rifles and shotguns from my left shoulder. Until very recently all of my long guns have been right handed. The only time I can see a slight advantage of a left handed bolt rifle is when shooting free handed.
The reason I say a slight advantage(left handed bolt action) is, most of time, I’m shooting the gun supported, either from the bench, off sticks, or propping the gun against something in the field.
When shooting this way, my left hand never leaves the wrist of the gun. I work the bolt with my right hand, since the firearm is supported.
With semiautomatic, and pump shotguns, I see no advantage to a left handed action. Again, holding the shotgun with my left hand at the wrist, I can turn the gun to the see the action, drop in shells, or load the tube mag with my right hand. I can see the action easily, to make sure there are no jams/malfunctions.

As I said earlier, until recently I’ve only owned right handed bolt action rifles. I now have 2 left handed bolt rifles.
The one thing that I’ve noticed is with the action on the left side, and shooting from the left side is I can’t see the cartridge going into the action. I’ve always been able to do so when shooting a right handed action from my left shoulder. This is something right handed people shooting right handed actions, won’t miss as they’ve never seen it. It’s something that throws me off, as I like to see that I’ve picked up a round, and everything is going smoothly.

Now, because of being left eye dominant, I’m a big fan of lever actions. I can get off another shot quickly when shooting free handed. I hunt with lever actions a lot if I know my shots are going to be close. With all this being stated, most of the time when shooting at game with a rifle, only one shot is needed, so all of these issues aren’t really issues.

Long post, but I hope it was clear and helpful

This is my case. I cycle with my right handed, always with support.
My dilemma is on needing a fast follow up shot on a DG. I cannot mount rifles on my right hands, it feels odd.

 

[thriller]

I am right handed and left eye dominant as well. If you use a scope, that totally takes eye dominance out of play. I shoot all my scoped rifles right handed using my right eye. My unscoped shotguns are a different story entirely...

Left handed right eye dominant here I shoot everything right handed. I find having my dominant hand out front helps for free hand shots. (I shoot left handed on limited occasions when the situation requires)

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

I "was" left eye dominant, till I lost the use of that eye ( can’t recommend that as a cure to your problem ) but was of the generation that was forced to be right handed, so shoot rifle right handed and used to shoot handgun left handed. Took quite a while to learn how to use the right hand to hold the handgun correctly and hit what I was pointing it at, when I can hit what I’m pointing it at. I’d go with left hand firearms if you can, try one and see if it helps
Gumpy