# Experiences Switching to Shooting with Non-Dominant Hand



## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

Hello,
I am looking for some info, experiences, tips, ect on switching to shooting gun and bow with your non-dominant hand. My brother is LH, but right eye dominant, so this causes some headaches when shooting a bow. It is also a big pain in the butt when rifle shopping...... I've been trying to pursade him to switch over to shooting RH. Just curious if any of you have attempted this, and how it turned out for you.

Thanks!


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## Jiffy. (Dec 3, 2009)

He will ultimately be a better shooter by switching over. However, habits are hard to break.

It's just like any other "shooting problem", snapping in and muscle memory are key. The good thing is he can do a lot of the ground work without even firing a shot. It will take some time and practice but it will pay off in the end. IMO it's impossible to have proper form doing what he has been doing.


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## xdeano (Jan 14, 2005)

another thing that you can do is train your dominant eye. I know his problem. I am right hand dominant, left eye dominant. But I can shoot with both eyes open, or either eye open or closed and with either arm, just a bit slower with the left hand shooting. I can also look down a scope with my right eye on a target and look down the lane with my left eye at the same time. It's kind of neat. Anyhow.

Here is how you can train your eye to switch. I use to shoot a lot of shotgun so they made me wear a pair of shooting glasses with a bit of chap stick smeared right in the center of the glass of the eye you want to switch from. So say for me with the dom. left eye, i wanted it to switch to my right eye while shooting with my right hand. For open sights have the gun unloaded and have a partner stand in front of the shooter like he is shooting, wearing the glasses have the partner dab a bit of chap stick on the shooting glasses where the pupal is. The spot should be large enough not to be able to see the sights but enough to pick up peripheral vision. Now go out and shoot or use a snap cap in the house to get use to looking down the non-dom eye.

If that made any sense at all, that's great. If not practice makes perfect.

xdeano


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

Its easier to train your hands than your eyes.

There are varying degrees of eye "dominance". For example, my right eye is extremely dominant over my left. Trying to shoot left handed for me is extremely difficult (while using my left eye) because of this. In fact, I cant do it without completely closing my right eye. An eye patch, squinting, or any of the other methods are not enough to overcome the dominance of my right eye. (If I wear an eye patch over the right eye, all ill see is black). My eyelids have to be shut for it to work.

Some people however, have more of a "shared dominance", one eye will be a bit stronger than the other, but not to to an extreme. In some cases, trying to determine what eye is dominant using the standard dominance tests is near impossible. In these cases, the individual, with some training, may be able to shoot with either side (even though they should use the more dominant eye).

Like xdeano said, it is possible, in some cases to re-train your eyes. Depending on the strength of the dominance, this could take a loooooong time though, and may not work at all (like in my case). In most cases, training oneself to switch hands, is the shorter, easier route.


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## BKeith (Oct 25, 2009)

I'm left handed and left eyed but can shoot either handed with a rifle or pistol and keep both eyes open but have to close my left eye for the first few minutes. The only problem is after shooting right handed, I takes a little time for my left eye to become dominate again, both eyes want to focus equal, causing some double vision. I think this is because all my life I've had to do almost as much with my right hand as my left because of this righthanded world. The only things I can't do right handed is shoot a shotgun or throw a ball. Shooting with a shotgun almost demands going with the dominate eye. I've had a couple of friends that were right handed but left eyed. While they got along ok closing the left eye when shooting a rifle, and shooting right handed, they could not hit the broad side of a barn with a shotgun. I worked with one of them all spring and summer one year on a skeet and trap range teaching him to shoot left handed. By October when quail season came in, he was actually able to drop two/three birds on the rise and seldom missed a single bird. Before that, he would be lucky to drop five birds out of a box.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I shoot left or right handed. The first Baker climbing tree stand I had was small and hard to turn on for a shot. I started practicing right and left hand with a bow. My bows are all right hand, but I can shoot left hand/left eye with them. The longbow is a little tough because I like to cant when shooting it.


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## redlabel (Mar 7, 2002)

Well, I'm right handed and left eye dominant. I didn't realize this until buying a bow about 35 years ago when the salesperson showed me. Purchased a left handed bow from him and it was difficult learning to shoot it. The first night I tried shooting, it felt so awkward I don't think I even shot an arrow. Couldn't keep it on the rest. After a week of shooting 30 - 40 arrows a night I was surprised how quickly the accuracy came. It takes time to develop shooting that was as a habit but sure was an improvement over right handed.

Shotguns were always ok because I figured it was God's way of telling me I should only shoot double barrels. Rifles were a bugger because there just weren't that many out there. My first was a Weatherby 270 and then Remington stated making a few. Several years ago I had a 338 custom made off a remington 300 action and took it to British Columbia for Elk and Moose, and an Alaskan trip for bear.


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## hogcaller (Dec 13, 2007)

I am right handed and left eye dominant. I didn't figure this out until I started shoot clays......couldn't hit them. The instructor told me to start shooting left handed and I hardly missed. With bows I have to shoot left handed.....just takes a little practice and then you will do it second nature. Rifles are a different story. If they are open sights then I have to shoot left handed. I have found that I can shoot scoped rifles right handed if they are the medium height rings, but I just shoot left handed to save a headache. It is not fun shooting a hot reload in 45-70 with your head pressed hard against the stock.....TRUST ME! You will find that it's just easier to just teach yourself to shoot left handed.......at least I did!


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## duckp (Mar 13, 2008)

Its doable with work.I've been back and forth a number of times due to retina detachments(At least one recoil related-another issue).Most of the 'work' can be done without live firing.He may be surprised-and come out a better shot both ways.Now in a tree stand-or on a yote set up-I can do either hand if necessary depending on what direction they come from.
For me the 'work' and techniques were different for rifle,shotgun and hand gun.
I'd be happy to chat with him if he wishes.


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## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

Well, he's working on selling his LH 250 so he can get a RH ordered. Looks like he's serious about attempting to change anyways. Thanks for the input. He reads on here but doesn't post up at all. I'm sure he appreciates reading some of you guys have gone through this with success.


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