Lefty models/ left eye dominance

tackleberry45

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Apr 15, 2013
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I am blessed with being right handed but left eye dominant. Not a big deal when it comes to hand gunning. Is it worth learning totally lefty with a left hand bolt? There is a much larger selection of right handed rifles. Is it that big of deal to shoot left eye and cycle the bolt right handed?
 
For your personal situation I would try to practice a little with both eyes open and see how it goes. I teach shooting skills and I have had good luck with this on young shooters.

Jeff
 
Try both ways and see what's comfortable to you. I'm lefty and left eye dominant and use both right and left handed rifles left handed. I'd rather have a lh rifle, but a righty will suffice and I've actually made some of my best shots with a right handed rifle. As long as the rifle is light enough to hold it at the wrist you can cycle the bolt with your forward hand. You can also get a lh action and have it re-barreled to the caliber of your choice as has been done with my 7stw.
 
My dad is RH but left eye dominant. He prefers to shoot LH with a LH rifle.

My wife is RH but left eye dominant. She prefers to shoot LH with a RH rifle.
 
I am blessed with being right handed but left eye dominant. Not a big deal when it comes to hand gunning. Is it worth learning totally lefty with a left hand bolt? There is a much larger selection of right handed rifles. Is it that big of deal to shoot left eye and cycle the bolt right handed?

Though a scope it aint much of a handicap being left eye dominant, putting a piece of tap over the left eye will help with trap shooting and a little practice will help for jump shooting game with open sights....
I've got a couple of left handed guns but shoot them right handed from a bench or ground, lets you stay in the scope right handed and reload with the left handlightbulb
Long way around the barn but if you throw a ball like a girl left handed your not likely to have better luck trying to shoot left handed?
 
There are apparently many of us who are rt handed and left eye dominant. I shoot handgun and bow righty but rifle and shotgun lefty. It sounds odd but is the best solution IMO.

When shooting from the bench or prone (slow fire) using a rt hand bolt rifle while shooting lefty is actually convenient because the action opens on the side you can see and facilitates loading.
 
Yesterday I experienced something new.

As most of you know, I'm left side dominant everything, eye, ear, hand, leg etc. If I can't do it left handed, I don't do it.


I was working with a new 300WM I had build for an employee, RH/LA Defiance Action in an AX stock. Usually, working a RH bolt from the LH shooting position is little more than an inconvenience.....

Welll, while running this rig through it's paces, I decided to cycle the bolt as fast as I could to see how the mag system would handle it...

Well, however it works.... with my body position, bolt handle style, length of pull etc. Cycling the bolt quickly resulted in me smacking myself directly in the nose with my thumb hard enough to send a tear down my leg :cool: .

I won't be doing that anymore, If it's a long action the bolt stays on the left side where it belongs :D

Just food for thought.


t
 
I too am right handed but left eye dominant. I have always shot lefty. I write right handed, golf right handed, swing an axe or bat right handed, but shoot lefty (including pool). All I have ever owned was right hand guns, including bolts. I have no trouble cycling the bold right handed, it even seems convenient while on the bench because I can cycle the bolt after the shot and my left hand never leaves its shooting position. I went to buy a new rifle and had always wanted a left handed bolt. It felt so unnatural that I purchased a right handed bolt instead. Its all in what you are used to and what you want. You should try before you buy, see what feels natural and good to you and develop your shooting style to that.
 
I think that there are degrees of dominance. For me, I am a huge left eyed dominant guy. My strong arm is my right arm and about 5 years ago, I switched from all my right handed bows and went left handed. Should have done it 20 years ago. (had about 5 grand in right handed long bows) Don't fight it, go with your dominant eye.

Randy
 
That's a hard question. Personally, I'm left eye dominant and I write and eat left handed, but I throw righty (I'm also right leg dominant). I think you have a few options:

1. You can learn to shoot righty, but if you're like me and your right eye is significantly worse than your left (I have an astigmatism on my right), then that's not really an option.

2. Try a right handed rifle and see how it feels. My 'tactical' rifle is right handed, since I acquired it before I gave in and embraced my inner southpaw, and it's really not a big deal to cycle righty when you're supported. If it's going to be your primary hunting rifle and you may have to shoot offhand, then get a lefty.

3. Suck it up and get one with the bolt on the comfortable side. If this is going to be your hunting rifle and you may need the unlikely, but still possible follow-up shot, then you need the proper equipment. If you're a Savage or Tikka fan then you're in luck, I think the Ruger M77 is a decent option too. If not, then your choices become slim, and you should scour internet forums and Gunbroker and race us other southpaws to the good deals.

B.W.
 
IT's a tough call. I'm left-handed, but right-eye dominant and so I shoot right-handed.

Unfortunately, my son is right-handed but left-eye dominant. It's gonna be a bit more difficult for him.

Most left-handed folks have an easier time adapting to right-handed stuff than right-handed folk adjusting to left-handed stuff.
 
Long way around the barn but if you throw a ball like a girl left handed your not likely to have better luck trying to shoot left handed?

Easy now there's at least one fast pitch dad out here thinking "you wish". When they got the chance at baseball the most common remark we heard from the girls was; "that little ball sure flies good"! :D
 
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