Right handed shooter using left eye

[JRuby]

I guess my diabtes is changing the way I shoot. I used to be right eye dominant. I am now left eye dominant and vision in my right eye has decreased to the point I am not using it. Supposedly I have a bad cataract in my right eye but even after surgery it mat not return my sight. I had an optometrist appt. earlier this week and am expecting to schedule an appt with an eye specialist, soon I hope. My question is this - how should I go about learning to shoot with my left eye? What are the things I need to consider? Just trying to figure this out.

Thanks

James

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[WAYNO]

With a handgun, it's easy to switch eyes. I've done it and didn't even know I was doing so.

With a rifle it's not so easy, and could be easier to learn to shoot from the left shoulder, or otherwise left handed. I know, easier said than done.

 

[Starslinger]

I am right handed but left eye dominant, and I have been this way since childhood. So I don't know anything about the process of switching from right to left handed shooting. I generally shoot a pistol right handed, sometimes with a slight leftward tilt of the pistol to help align my left eye. I shoot a rifle or shotgun left handed. My rifles are all semi automatic but for a bolt action I guess there will be some issues running the bolt, or you could use this as a reason to buy a semi auto. Not sure if my comments are helpful, but I hope you get things worked out. Consider wearing shooting glasses at all times when training - you don't want to injure your only remaining good eye.

 

[JRuby]

I am fortunate to have several rifle to use that will work left handed, a BAR and a few single shots so I am good there. I am guessing I am not the first to have this problem for one reason or another just trying to figure it out. I have a little less than a year to go til deer season. Fortunately I have some time.

 

[ORhutner]

Noramally I would say to do a google search on solutions for cross eye dominance shooting but with the loss of vision in your right eye I doubt those options and exercises will be of benefit.

 

[Oro]

With a handgun, it's easy to switch eyes. I've done it and didn't even know I was doing so.

With a rifle it's not so easy, and could be easier to learn to shoot from the left shoulder, or otherwise left handed. I know, easier said than done.

This really is the thing for serious shooting. You have to "shoot from the eye" and not the hand.

ETA: good luck with it! It sure doesn't sound super easy.

 

[clanhanson]

I'm cross dominant. With rifle I've found that an eye patch forces my dominant eye to perform decently behind a scope.

However, I can usually use a scope with both eyes open to good effect unless it's at the higher end of the magnification range.

 

[JRuby]

I'm cross dominant. With rifle I've found that an eye patch forces my dominant eye to perform decently behind a scope.

I will give that a try

 

[WillametteWill]

I'm cross dominant and to me it is a non-issue with a handgun. Some will say to tilt your head to get the proper sight picture. I would highly discourage this as eyes are made to work with the brain best when they are on the same plane. I shoot in kinda a modified Chapman (which is already a modification of sorts) where my right arm tends to be fairly straight to move over to the left side of my body.

The rifle/shotgun use will be different for you compared to how I shoot (right handed). Looks like you will be shooting from the left shoulder (which my cross dominant dad did, while still shooting handguns right handed). It works, just something new to learn...so more range time, Yaaaa!!!

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Here's an option from The Wayback Machine
Paris Theodore was a 100% mad OG

https://imgur.com/a/ENqH6

 

[Dungannon]

Take inspiration from the late Adam Brown. A member of Seal Team 6, his right hand was crushed in a roll-over in Afghanistan but he re-qualified as a left handed right eye dominate SEAL and returned to duty. He later had his right eye damaged in training, and again re-qualified and returned to duty. I've heard a movie is in the works based on the book about his life.

Amazon.com

 

[TTSX]

You could always make yourself left hand dominant to compensate

 

[JRuby]

You could always make yourself left hand dominant to compensate

Got to learn to crawl first.

 

[elsie]

My dad was cross dominant. He just got a left handed Weatherby.

elsie

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Got to learn to crawl first.

Any chance you know any nuns with rulers? I hear that helps

 

[TTSX]

Got to learn to crawl first.

Jokes aside, I've been a cross dominant shooter my whole life and it took me about 30 years to figure it out. Never seemed to be an issue, I just move the gun a few inches further across my face than others do...

 

[JRuby]

I figured I would leave the heavy kickers alone for a while til I got this figured out. No 375's or 338's for now

 

[Member 53328]

I'm left eye dominant but right handed. I used to shoot rifles left handed and pistols right handed (just over corrected to use my left eye).

Now I shoot both rifles and pistols left handed. Being right handed but shooting left handed has some major perks.

It takes some time and a lot of reps but I would suggest shooting left handed if you are left eye dominant.

 

[joken]

I have a friend who lost most of his vision in his right eye, and his rifles were all right-hand. He had some really high scope rings made and shoots right-handed using his left eye. He killed a few hundred Sage Rats and an Antelope last year. You wouldn't need to do this, but I thought I'd mention it should it help someone in the future.

 

[Snip]

Check out this guy's channel for another cross-eyed dominate shooter: https://www.youtube.com/@hickok45
He seems to shoot pretty well.