Right handed but shoots with left eye.

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My wife has a problem with her right eye that makes it hard for her to use it. She basically only has one good eye, her left one. She is right handed though so is she forced to shoot left handed to accomodate this?

That is how she shot today. It was her first time shooting a shotgun so I didn't know what to tell her. I don't have any problem like this so I am not sure what to do.

Does she any other option other than just learning to shoot shotguns and rifles left handed?

 

[Dave McCracken]

It's easier to train the hand than the eye. Let her shoot southpaw.

Mike Bittman, Champ Veteran class SC competitor is right handed and left eyed. He trained himself to shoot from the left side and maintains a 90%+ average now.

 

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Okay. I was just wondering if there was an easy fix that I was overlooking. I couldn't think of anything but it never hurts to ask.

She shot clays for the first time. It was her first time shooting a shotugn of any kind. She was upset because she only got 3 out of 25. I told her that was not bad at all considering she was shooting left handed and has never shot a shotgun before. She missed a bunch of them by only a little. I could see the wadding in the air.

She actually has very good hand/eye co-ordination so I think she will be good at skeet. That is the reason I suggested she try it. She has a lot to learn but I think it will come easily to her. She was dissapointed but every time she does it, I think she will see improvment. It is a good thing that she was great right off the bat in a way. This way, everytime she goes shooting, she will be rewarded by improvment. At least until she levels off.

Also, I tried her 20ga Rem 870 to bust a few clays and I really liked that gun. I am an 870 guy anyway but that 20ga really put a smile on my face because it was such a light and lively shotgun. I was surprised at how much I liked it. Never gave 20ga time of day because my Dad always said "anything a 20ga can do, a 12ga can do better". Well after 20 years of shooting 12ga shotguns, I have learned that this is not true. Sometimes, less is more. For skeet, I think 20ga is a joy to shoot. I am not going to give up my 12ga guns but I am looking to add a 20ga to the stable for sure.

 

[RNB65]

There are some custom stockmakers than can make a crossover stock which will mount on the right shoulder and line up with the left eye (or vice versa). Fred Wenig is one of them --

http://www.wenig.com/

Custom made stocks are quite expensive. Just learning how to shoot southpaw may be the best bet.

 

[CuzinMike]

I can relate. I've been blind in my right eye since birth, and I'm right-handed. I shoot handguns righty, but rifles and shotguns southpaw. I guess it doesn't feel strange to do since I've shot them that way since birth. You just get used to it. However, I have to shoot pistol-gripped shotguns righty. Kind of forces you to become ambidextrous!

 

[et45]

Same here Mike.I had an eye disease when I was young that makes my vision a fuzzy blur in my right eye.However I shoot pistol grip long guns left hand.I never really realized I was shooting long guns left hand until my step dad mentioned it.

 

[PJR]

There are three options:

1) Learn to shoot left. Not always easy particularly if the gun fits on the right hand side.

2) Occlude the dominant eye. This means either shooting one-eyed or blocking the dominant eye with grease or clear tape placed on the shooting glasses.

3) A crossover stock. Expensive and hard to find because it requires a custom stock.

My choice is #2. A little tape on the shooting glasses and forcing the weaker eye to pick up the slack is often the best remedy for cross dominant shooters.

Incidentally, having instructed many women students cross dominance is much more common among women than men. It's rare that a class of women doesn't have at least one shooter who is cross dominant.

 

[RNB65]

PJR, read the original post. The lady has a bad right eye, so occluding the left eye isn't the answer. She has to shoot with her left eye even though her right eye is probably her naturally dominant eye.

I've seens pics of crossover stocks, but I've never seen one in action. It sounds like shooting lefty is her best choice.

 

[Zach S]

Shooting lefty is weird, for a little while, but I got over it pretty quick when I switched shoulders.

 

[rich636]

I grew up shooting my bb guns that way and then at about 13 had to switch the eye I used. Just get a bb gun to practice on and the other eye learns quick, at least in my case.

 

[Stover954rr]

I am left handed by shoot righty because that is my dominate eye

Works fine

 

[MCgunner]

I taught myself to shoot left handed at about age 8 with my pellet rifle. quite impaired in my right eye, something my grandpa and Uncle didn't really realize when they were teaching me and I didn't really know any better until I got to about 8 and figured it out.

Now, I feel WEIRD picking a gun up right handed, just feels funny, even though I'm a natural right hander.

 

[gp911]

As a kid I shot long guns lefty due to cross-dominance, but eventually switched to righty. Why, I have no idea. Now shooting lefty feels weird, like shooting righty did the first few times I did it. If she can grow accustomed to shooting lefty it will eventually feel quite natural, especially if she has not been shooting long.

I'm having LASIK on friday though, so we'll see how that screws things up for me.


gp911

 

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I have the same problem. I am right handed but left eye dominant. When pistol shooting, I automatically line the pistol up with my left eye, with the gun in my right hand, it is second nature for me. When shooting long guns, I have to concentrate to use my right eye on the sights. I have tried to shoot lefty, and did not have good success. It felt more natural for me to use my right side. If I had tried and stayed with lefty, I could have stuck with it.

3 out of 25 is not bad for a first timer. As the others have said, if she will stay with it and practice, she should be fine.

 

[aquapong]

I'm right handed and left eye dominant. I shoot pistols righty and longguns lefty. I sucked with rifles until I figured out that I was left eye dominant. I switched hands and now shooting long guns right handed feels weird. Have her try it for a while.

 

[Big Az Al]

One other option

In shooting ATA I have seen shooters with

Anti aircraft sights, so called because they stick out the left side like sights on anti-aircraft guns.

These have been to types, Two seperate blocks for for front and mid rib beads, and a full length rib bridge worked off the left side.

A gadget handi person could get a pacmayer glue on rib, and work something for a hundred dollars or so.

Looks odd, but if it makes it possible to have fun shooting, and makes wife happy.......

Hppy wife.......... PRICELESS!

 

[kellyj00]

i'm left handed and right-eyed. I shoot pistols with my right, and rifles...well, I shoot rifles very very badly using my left. ;-) Hard to keep that eye focused through a scope.

 

[10X]

I have much the same problem. As with any habit it takes about 3 weeks before a habit become comfortable. I suggest you don't frustrate your wife by having her shoot moving targets while getting used to shooting left handed. She needs to build up to this. Get out the 22 and have her practice on still targets. Then still targets with the shotgun, then slow moving targets like hand thrown bottles and later hand thrown clay and then move to the sporting clay.

 

[ilmonster]

I was new to shotgunning/skeet 3 years ago, and am a lefty. I got a lesson or two when I first got into skeet, and found out I am right eye dominant. I was told in the long run I would be more effective if I learned to shoot right handed, so I tried. After only a number of times shooting, it didn't feel so wierd, and today 3 years later I am glad I did. No messing around with tape on glasses, sights you can only see with one eye, etc. It's easier to train your body than your eyes. Good luck!

 

[benEzra]

She may already be doing this, but for her, good eye protection when shooting is even more important for her than for the average person, in the event of a case head rupture of something. Wiley-X makes a very good product, and they look good.

http://www.wileyx.com/index.aspx