Left Eye Dominate / Right Handed Shooter - Shotgun?

[Cabin Fever]

Took my daugher out shooting her shotgun a couple of weeks ago, in preparation for the upcoming youth turkey season. Had her shooting ~20 yards. The gun was secured in a gun vice, so she had a steady rest. She shot 3x and the pattern of every shot was ~6" to the left of the turkey head/neck target. We went through her aiming again and she said she was doing everything I was telling her, which I believe, as she is deadly accurate with a scoped .22. I took a shot with her gun and shells and the pattern was perfectly centered on the turkey head/neck target, so I know it was NOT the gun or shells, but something she was doing. She shot ~12 more times, each time putting the shot pattern in the exact same spot, ~6" to the left (perfect up and down)! I was puzzled as all hell and was at a loss!!

 

I ran into a guy today, that gave my daughter her hunters safety course. I told him the problem that she/we were having. He said it sounds like she must be left eye dominate, but is right handed. After listening to him, I came home and did some research. My daughter isn't home from school yet for me to test her, but from what I've read, it sure as hell sounds like that's the case! It sounds like the ~6" that she is off is common for right handed shooters with left eye dominance. 

 

I've read to use a patch over the left eye, while keeping the left eye open, but aiming with the right eye. Not sure how that would work out in the heat of the moment, when a gobbler is approaching, as I think putting a patch over the eye is about the last thing she will be thinking about! Then I also read to start shooting left handed, but of course, I just bought her a beauty of a custom Remington 870 for a right handed shooter! I would rather not put a red dot scope on the gun either, but....

 

Would like to hear how those with this problem have overcome it, specifically for shooting open sights on a shotgun?

[mmkay]

^{I'm right handed, but shoot lefty.  Teach her to shoot left handed.  I think she'll be happier in the long run if she starts to shoot left handed...}

 

^{here's a simple test you can have her do...http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-Eye-Dominance}

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Go with either a quick point type of a site or do what I do when trap or skeet shooting ( and in the same boat as here) Put safety glasses on her and either use a small piece of tape or something to just take out the pupil line of site while aiming. This allows you to see all around fine and still have depth perception and you don't lose the peripherial sight but it makes you right eye register when in the aiming position becasue the bead is blocked out by the tape. I used to have these small static sticker dots I used when I was wearing prescription glasses a lot.

Edited April 12, 2013 by Culvercreek hunt club

[SplitG2]

all she needes to do is extend her hands out making a triangle and with both eyes open look through the triangle fixed on a object and slowly bring her hands to her face while looking through the triangle.  Her hands will go to the dominant eye.

 

[growalot]

Culver I shoot left hand with the gun and rt with the bow....if she is just starting out simply have her hold the gun lft handed to shoot......my guns ...with the exception of my rifle are right handed...but I choose guns with thumb safeties...the shell ejection has never been a problem...but they bottom eject

 

We had go with the lft handed rifle because I wanted a Montecarlo(sp) stock and the shell ejection bothered me...I tend to lift my cheek a bit and that stops it...If she lifts her cheek that will tend to have her shots go to the left...shooting rt handed and rt shooting left....so if she changes and the gun is still being pulled check  her head position....

 

(sp)

Edited April 12, 2013 by growalot

[Cabin Fever]

Been doing a lot of reading. What is recommended and the easiest thing to do is to start shooting from the dominate eye side. Damn!!

 

I think I'm being punished...Since my left handed son was ~5 years old, I selfishly raised him to shoot right handed, since all of my guns are right handed and many will someday be his! He shoots all guns and even his bow, right handed! NOW, my right handed daughter comes along, and I find out she's left eye dominant, so now I gotta start buying her left handed guns! Oh great.... 

[jesse.james]

Been doing a lot of reading. What is recommended and the easiest thing to do is to start shooting from the dominate eye side. Damn!!

I think I'm being punished...Since my left handed son was ~5 years old, I selfishly raised him to shoot right handed, since all of my guns are right handed and many will someday be his! He shoots all guns and even his bow, right handed! NOW, my right handed daughter comes along, and I find out she's left eye dominant, so now I gotta start buying her left handed guns! Oh great....

Yeah my wife is right handed but left eye dominant. Before i buy anything for my daughter ill be testing that.

[Cabin Fever]

Has anyone ever heard of or used the Sight Blinder Crossfire Reducer? http://www.meadowindustries.com/sights_sb-1.html  Read some reviews from guys that have the left eye dominance issue that use this product over on the shotgunworld site and they say how great it is and how much it has improved their shooting. This just might help my daughter! Think I'll order one...

Edited April 12, 2013 by Cabin Fever

[G-Man]

i shoot many right handed gun left handed, who has money for custom guns, safeys are easy switch a good gun smith can do in 20 min or you can do yourself with most crossbar sefetys. top tang sefetys like browning bps, mossberg and a lot of savages have tang safetys. the marlin i use is rt handed and it works fine for me.  i had a great friend who has since passed that had a browing a-5 safety reversed because he was left handed. i remember walking into camp and him saying any gun on the rack is fair game to use i picked up his a -5 he laughed and said good luck its left handed!! i smiled zipped up my coat and said good so am I and waalked out he door with it ! we ended being the only 2 guys in camp left handed... i was 16 and he was 55... great teacher and friend....

[growalot]

Ooppps sorry Cabin....for the name switch....good luck to her...

[Pygmy]

She could just close her left eye...Somewhat of a disadvantage when wingshooting, but no big deal when shooting deliberately, as in turkey hunting or rifle shooting.

OR as several people said, get her shooting from her left shoulder..Left handed guns are OK, but she can learn to use right handed guns when shooting from her left shoulder also..I know a number of lefties who have no problem with right hand ejection or empties ejecting across is front of thier face.

[thphm]

I am right handed with everything,bow and pistol But shoot a Rifle Left handed,same eye problem.Why try to force someone to shoot in a position they are not comfortable in.I have had and have both Right handed and Left handed Bolt action rifles and belive it or not t the Right handed bolt action rifles are easier for me to re load then the Left handed. 

[Cabin Fever]

OK, I'm REALLY confused now... My daughter got home from her lacrosse game and I had her do the eye dominance test. http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-Eye-Dominance I didn't mention anything to her about why we were doing it, just making it a game or something. She did it 3x and all 3x, she drew her hands back to her right eye! WTH?? Man, now I'm really confused, as to what could be making her consistantly shoot 6" to the left!!

 

I started wondering, why it would matter which eye was dominant, if she closed her left eye while aiming, which she does? 

[growalot]

I tend to lift my cheek a bit and that stops it...If she lifts her cheek that will tend to have her shots go to the left...shooting rt handed and rt shooting left....so if she changes and the gun is still being pulled check  her head position....

 

[Cabin Fever]

Thanks. I'll certainly keep that in mind. We'll be doing a lot of shooting over the weekend to try to figure this out!

[tuckersdaddy]

lets see...im a lefty, do everything left handed but play golf. all of my firearms are right handed never been a problem. is she shy of the bigger gun? perhaps closing her eyes or wincing at the trigger pull? just a couple of ideas to check.

[apoallo]

Been doing a lot of reading. What is recommended and the easiest thing to do is to start shooting from the dominate eye side. Damn!!

 

I think I'm being punished...Since my left handed son was ~5 years old, I selfishly raised him to shoot right handed, since all of my guns are right handed and many will someday be his! He shoots all guns and even his bow, right handed! NOW, my right handed daughter comes along, and I find out she's left eye dominant, so now I gotta start buying her left handed guns! Oh great.... 

I am right handed and left eye dominant I shoot shotguns and rifles with any type of sight on them as a lefty. . its not a big deal really just have her practice shooting lefty. even if the gun is for a righty.

[dirt_a_KISS]

I had the same thing when i was little. I use to shoot right handed all the time, but always close my right eye. Then while shooting my uncle told me to try your left hand instead. I noticed a difference in accuracy, but it just felt awkard though. So after constant training my body to get use to the feeling and now shooting right handed feels very awkard. Lol. With the left and right handed.gun, i cant tell the difference just have to configure my hand a little bit.and.thats it.