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Posted: 3/24/2020 3:46:59 PM EDT
So have a son who is right-handed but left eye dominant. He has been upset because the past two years at camp he did not qual in a rifle for the Boy Scouts.

I want to help him get a leg up he wants his Eagle Scout! So I'm thinking of ways that he can relearn how to shoot left-handed since we don't have a range near us. Well, we do but only special people who know someone can get in.

So what ideas do you all have? I know there are several instructors out there who had to deal with this so I'm asking for the professional'sss help!

I thought about Nerf pistols and making him hit targets I set up around the home. I'd still like to hear what you all have to say!

Last year when I went camping with him he asked me to come to all his courses but one. The rifle he knows I'm a Marine infantry and he has seen how well I can shoot. I respect his wishes and did not go.

It was then one instructor found that he was left eye dominant. I want him to get this badge!!! So any help would be greatly appreciated!

He just needs time behind the trigger and I can't do it without a range! So I need another option!
Link Posted: 3/24/2020 4:02:28 PM EDT
[#1]
Dry firing left handed and left eye dominant is a really good start.
Link Posted: 3/24/2020 4:26:33 PM EDT
[#2]
Dry firing and going through the motions of loading, racking, chambering, etc.  Become proficient at running the rifle left-handed.  

And did I mention dry firing?
Link Posted: 3/24/2020 4:37:06 PM EDT
[#3]
I might mention dry firing
~using snap caps, so reloads/ malfunction clearing drills are more accurate

Keep all real ammo in a completely different part of the house.
Link Posted: 3/24/2020 4:38:21 PM EDT
[#4]
I dryfire 10 hours for every hour I shoot live-fire.

Trust me. It works.
Link Posted: 3/24/2020 5:34:52 PM EDT
[#5]
Drills with rubber bullets/snap caps in the house work well also. I am amazed at how much my kids forget but realize they don't have a passion for it like I do nor do they shoot a lot. We ran drills the other night and my whole house forgot how to use all the weapons so building on the basic foundation helps the muscle memory for when you can have some range time.
Link Posted: 3/24/2020 5:54:57 PM EDT
[#6]
Put scotch tape over the left Lens of his glasses.  Continue shooting right handed.  This will force him to use his non-dominant eye and it’s easier than trying to relearn shooting left-handed.  Both of my daughters are right handed and left eye dominant. Good luck!
Link Posted: 3/25/2020 8:45:15 PM EDT
[#7]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Put scotch tape over the left Lens of his glasses.  Continue shooting right handed.  This will force him to use his non-dominant eye and it’s easier than trying to relearn shooting left-handed.  Both of my daughters are right handed and left eye dominant. Good luck!
View Quote


He is left eye dominant because he has astigmatism really bad in his right eye.
Link Posted: 3/31/2020 7:28:57 PM EDT
[#8]
Cross eye dominate here.  It has changed over the years, and I have heard from others they have experienced the same thing.

I know with practice he (anyone) can overcome this.  

Link below will help, Front Sight is charging $1 for their dry practice handgun class.  I have not done this through the link, but sure I have gotten in their classes.

$1 At Home Training
Link Posted: 4/2/2020 3:23:20 AM EDT
[#9]
Link Posted: 4/2/2020 9:17:00 AM EDT
[#10]
PM sent.

But still, I'm gonna echo (no pun intended) what a couple others here have said. In my experience, it's always been easier to train a trigger finger than an eye. I'd help him run through dry-fire every day (the post referencing the 10:1, dry to live fire is a great idea) until he's got a pretty good grasp on trigger control. Once he's good with that, maybe make a the trip out of finding the nearest range.
Link Posted: 4/2/2020 12:00:35 PM EDT
[#11]
Link Posted: 4/26/2020 10:40:35 PM EDT
[#12]
Does your son wear collective lenses? If so, does that alleviate his astigmatism? I would still have him shoot right-handed and incorporate eye exercises utilizing an eye light bar. That helps strength the eye’s ability to gain focal dominance and strength to negotiate challenges resulting with deviation from spherical curvature associated with astigmatisms. I’ve been a competitive shooter for over 20 years and I’ve had to incorporate many techniques to keep my eye strength and stamina up to par as I get older (53 years old). I’ve still got 20/10 vision and my focus has slowed down but my ability to incorporate eye exercises has greatly increased my ability to still perform at the highest levels. The goal is to build your son’s ability and mental capabilities to overcome and strengthen the neural muscular connectivity between his focus and his trigger finger. Remember what you learned during grass week (snapping in week) during PMI. That mental focus and confidence that you built up is the building block for precision success! Best of luck!

Link Posted: 6/6/2020 5:46:28 PM EDT
[#13]
Dry firing.  In my first police academy, one of instructors was a past national champion marksman.   I still remember him saying that he thinks he probably has practice dry fired a 1000 times for every real round he has fired in practice.

We were issued red handle (non-firing guns) and dry fire was highly encourage during off hours for practice.

Link Posted: 6/7/2020 12:46:21 AM EDT
[#14]
As everyone else has said, dry fire and train.  Take a look at LaserX by Shooter Technology Group to make the dry fire fun for yourself and your son.  It uses a laser cartridge and your phone to create targets to practice one.  I posted the link below as well as a video of me playing around with it in my garage.  The video is a mock up of a stage I shoot at a run n gun info.  You could probably set up the Boy Scout Qualifying Stage to give your son more confidence shooting it.

https://lasrapp.com

https://youtu.be/GWS2LPpoFHk
Link Posted: 6/19/2020 9:51:52 AM EDT
[#15]
Brother, as a former scout myself, shoot me a PM, I'll send you a license for the training software that we're developing, for free. I truly believe we have the best at home training solution, and I really want to see parents use it to help their kids learn in a safe environment before moving on to live fire. The important difference here is that our software allows you to use your real firearm with a laser ammo cartridge or any laser training pistol in practical training scenarios. I don't think there's a better way to learn outside of the real range time.

Here's some videos of our products:

CRACKSHOT : Home Augmented Reality Range
CRACKSHOT : Laser Range Trainer Dryfire Simulator
Link Posted: 6/28/2020 2:45:02 PM EDT
[#16]
check for local private shooting clubs.
Link Posted: 6/28/2020 2:56:01 PM EDT
[#17]
When I was a kid my dad setup a BB gun range for me in our attic. It was maybe only 15 yards but as I got better the targets got smaller and smaller. A box with a target drawn on it and filled with phone books/magazines. I spent countless hours. Its really how I learned to shoot and it was all done prone. When I was old enough for a 22 all the skills transitioned. I cant help with the eye dominance thing but something to consider if you have a home that will accomodate that.
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