So for those of you who are right handed and left eye dominant or left handed right eye dominant how do you shoot rifles? Do you close your strong eye or do you shoot in your weak hand? For pistols I just use my left eye and right hand shoot, for rifles I end up having to close my left eye but I'm thinking about training to shoot left handed instead.

My 7 yr old son is right handed as far as baseball and normal day to day events except for writing which he uses his left hand. He can use his left almost as well. I figured out that he was left eye dominant at 4 from shooting a bb gun right, but using his left eye. I had him switch to shooting left and now it is natural for him.

I've been trying to train myself for the last week or so to use my right eye and it's slowly working...if I close my left eye just barely I get a clean front sight picture. Not sure if people can actually switch eye "dominance" but I may as well try.

I'm righthanded, left eye dominant. I shoot rifle, shotgun and bow lefthanded and handgun righthanded but with left eye. It works for me. YMMV

I'm left handed pistol shooter, right eye dominant. I shoot rifles with the weak hand, and I actually like shooting rifles/shotguns better with the weak hand.

I'm right handed.  I figured out I was LE dominant when I was a kid trying to take up archery.  I gave in to nature and have shot everything left handed ever since.  It wasn't difficult to make the transition.  I gather it's a lot easier than trying to force change your dominant eye.  YMMV.

Most people who are right handed/ left eye dominant have the best results when they shoot handguns right handed and long guns left handed

We recently had a student who could only see out of one eye (left) but shot right handed. He had a lot of difficulty getting good hits on paper. We had him try the Center Axis Relock technique and it completely solved his problem. In the CAR method, for example, a right handed shooter uses his left eye to focus on the target/front sight, and vice versa. While this is a new technique and maybe more than you were looking for (no pun intended), I just thought I would throw it out there.

I shot for 20 years till I realized I was left eye dominant, but right handed. I started shooting left handed when I broke my right arm 27 years ago and realized I could throw darts and do just about anything else I wanted to do right or left handed. I normally practice shooting both long guns and handguns with both hands and have shot a couple deer and a turkey left handed when a right handed shot was impossible. Its good to develop ambidexterity.

This is very true in my case.

I shoot everything right handed.  Pistol using left eye, rifle w/ irons right w/ left eye closed, rifle with red dot both eyes open aquire dot with right eye.

Hi all, I am left handed, but right eye dominate. I used to shoot a rifle right handed and a pistol left handed using my right eye to line up the sights as my left hand was stronger and able to control the pistol better, or so I thought. Over the years, I retrained myself to shoot right handed using my right eye which was dominant. There were a couple reasons for this. The likely hood of switching your eye dominancy is very seldom. I would not recommend it as it takes i would guess years of training that eye, and wearing an eye patch over your normal dominant eye (this is how doctors get weak eyes stronger by wearing patches over the strong eye).
I find it is easier and faster to learn  (or teach) how to hold the pistol on the same side of the body as your dominant eye. Now, dry fires are key to everyone getting faster, and manipulating the weapons better. It also becomes muscle memory after thousands of dry fire draws and sight acquisition, but you can do it anywhere at any time as long as you remember the four basic safety rule!!!!!

Additionally, for the tactical application, placing the pistol and the rifle on the same side actually speeds you up and makes you more accurate. Why do I say this..... economy of motion. In a tactical standpoint, when in a good firing position with your rifle, you can quickly transition, PLACING your rifle to the non-firing side, while maintaining your stance, and draw your pistol at the same time, no structural change to your stance or position. The long gun is then out of your way for a smooth transition. Additionally you do not have to take a step forward and change your stance, you do not have to turn your head (or cant the head as a lot of people do rather than just a turn of the head). You maintain focus on your target and everything lines right up.

I will say, it is going to feel acqward at first, but after 3000 dry fires, and then live fires, it will be natural. Another important thing to also think of is you dont have to close any eyes to try and get the correct sight picture. You wouldn't go into a fist fight with one eye closed would you? Then why would you go into a gun fight with one eye closed?????

I hope this makes sense.  If anyone needs free lessons, just im me and I can help you out.

I'm righthanded, left eye dominant. I shoot rifle and shotgun  lefthanded and handgun righthanded but with both eyes open  and can shoot handguns just as well lefthanded.

I'm left handed right eye dominant.

Rifle with optics - both eyes open or right eye closed.
Open sites and shotguns a quick blink of my right eye transfers vision to the correct plane.
Pistol - I just turn my head a little and use my right eye.

This is how I shoot too.

 

Shoot to whatever side your dominate eye is. Left eye dominate than train being a left handed shooter. Right eye then train to be a right handed shooter. It will make life much easier when you start practicing perfect form and such

Learning to shoot left eye, left handed is the way to go, also if your into tactical shooting you will find shooting a rifle left handed and a pistol right handed is great, transitions between rifle and pistol is very smooth, setting up your belt rig is natural. think about having pistol on the right and pistol mags on the left,then rifle mags on the right front or kidney. I've worked this way for years and is extremely smooth

Rgrey

Me too. For years, I didn't know I was left dom. Once I figured it out, my pistol shooting improved significantly.

Same here. I have yet to figure out my pistol shooting, I need a lot more practice using my left eye. I still see two sights, frustrating as hell, I guess I need to find a coach.

What worked for me: Taught myself to pay attention to my nose. For several solid weeks, as an adult, I forced myself to start looking for my nose to be a blur in the left lower quadrant of my field of view. Literally coached my right eye to gain some degree of dominance. (I'm a righty whose dad used to always bitch at him  for leaning over the pellet gun/.22 rifle, in order to see iron/scope through my (dominant) left eye).  FWIW my dove hunting improved dramatically when I did this. And, as a bonus, I can totally kick ass at using the Bindon principle with my left eye (when I have been shooting enough to stop "flinching" tendencies).

I promise, it's mind over matter.  Just have to be patient/ consistent. It WILL come, as long as you have equivalent vision in your right eye (ie. No worse corrective lenses in the non-dominant eye).  Also learned that I've always, accidentally, cocked the brim of my ball cap to the right. (looked straight to my left eye..... Damn it!) hehe

Just my $0.02...

For myself I am right handed and left eye dominate. I shoot long guns left handed and bows/handguns right handed. Took a while to learn safety manipulation with the left hand but learned it. Handguns I shoot with th dominate hand but aim with the left eye.

its easier to close your left eye than to retrain your body to shoot support side.

Right handed left eye dominant here.  For years I shot everything right handed and always adjusted / held to the right, not knowing why my rounds impacted left.  I almost failed qualifying once and did not understand why.  Once I learned about eye dominance I decided to always shoot long guns left handed.  First time it felt awkward, but just get into the habit if you pick up a long gun, grab it with your left hand.  

Only wish someone explained it to me 25 years ago instead of having to figure it out myself.

Irons I close my strong eye.



Red dot I shoot both eyes open.



Pistols I close my strong eye.
 

Pistol right handed left eye. For the rifle I use a contact lens and shoot right handed or no contact and shoot lefty.

I am the same way.  I figured out that anything which requires precision, I use left.  Strength I go right.  Writing, shooting guns, basketballs, and darts ; all left handed.  Baseball, football, bowling; right hand.  So I shoot left handed, left eyed.  However, I recently started going left hand right eyed.  I can still do it though it takes me a little bit longer to focus my right eye.  Once focused I have no problems aiming or shooting.

I have recently been trying to shoot with both eyes open, but focusing with my right eye.  Much harder to do, but I can shoot with both eyes using my true dominant eye which is left.  I have a feeling your son is a lot like me.  Left handed, but has the ability to use the right side at a somewhat slower speed but nearly as well as his left.  I can shoot a rifle right handed with a lot more concentration and at a slower speed.  Handguns, no way.  The grip just feels too strange using my right.  Shooting a pistol completely ONE HANDED, I am nearly equal with either hand.  Though I am better at pulling the trigger with my left.  If I put some work into I think I could get the hang of it with my right.

Ask your son if he has trouble choosing which hand to use.  I find that some things like horsehoes, cornhole, and golfing put me though some trial and error as I can't decide which hand to use.  He may be in the same boat with the precision and strength thing I have.

Just happened past this thread.  I did the same thing with my son.  He naturally shoulders a rifle to his left side now.

I started out Right handed and Right Eye dominate.  Over time my Right eye has gotten worse off than my left and then my left is the new dominate.  I've tried shooting lefty and just can't do it.  It feels alien and I can hardly get the stock in the right place.  So I just have to squint a little till my right eye takes over.

Pistols shot righty with left eye.

If you are right eye dominated and shoot left-handed, keep both eyes open, and tilt the handgun roughly 30 degrees toward the center of your body, it will force the sights to line up perfectly with your right eye. It makes up the 2 inch difference between your two eyes. Do the opposite if you are left eye dominate and shoot right-handed. Works great if you shoot defensively, ie Target-focused. I've been doing this for 15 years. Let me know what you think.

I use my left eye when shooting pistol left handed and my right eye when shooting my pistol right handed.  Took a little practice at home but it was just a matter of looking at the target while bringing the pistol up and pointing it in.  

placing a layer of frosted tape over the lens of glasses (shooting, prescription, etc) helps too.  leave the side you want to be dominate clear.

I am right handed left eye dominate and i shoot guns and bows left handed. For some reason i can only close my right eye or both eyes, i cannot shut my left eye alone. I only run into problems in C&R bolt actions because of the lack of left handed ones available

Same here.

There's a related thread in General Training Discussions

Thread

We have had quite a few boy scouts through the years that have that. Best thing we found, and have made up is a pair of safety glasses with the LEFT lens covered in clear scotch tape. It still lets light through but is blurry enough to make the right eye dominant. It works for them and it's cheap.