Right hand or left hand shooter? 🤔

[mikesto44]

I'm left eye dominant but all my life shot right or left handed. Until I had to pick because of a pass maker implant. So I picked to stay with my right side for shooting guns. Never noticed any problem with accuracy or when wing shooting. BUT I shoot some kind of weapon everyday... But to each their own

 

[Doug Fay]

Just out of curiosity, if you're shooting a flintlock, say, left-handed, wouldn't you want the pan to be on the left to lessen sparks / fire in or near your eye? Or is that not a problem?

 

[mikesto44]

Doesn't seem to bother me. But I do shoot with safety glasses. The late Hershel House shot right handed flintlocks left handed. Never seemed to bother him.

 

[LANEY REECE]

Not very good right hand shooter,but trying to get better.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Look at some of the latest videos from @B P Maniac Shooter. He is shooting his right handed guns left handed. Many left handed or left eye dominate shooters fire the right hand configured gun off the left shoulder. Concentrate on the front sight and the flash is not a distraction.

 

[mushka]

I shot long guns right handed for many years until I lost vision in my right eye. Now I shoot them left handed. Being all that, I have always shot with both eyes open regardless of which side I shot or shoot.

 

[Snooterpup]

Just out of curiosity, if you're shooting a flintlock, say, left-handed, wouldn't you want the pan to be on the left to lessen sparks / fire in or near your eye? Or is that not a problem?

Precisely why left hand flintlocks but with recommend eye and ear protection for any muzzleloader sparks are not an huge issue.

 

[Tony Rothrock]

1. You gotta lose that caring if they look at ya. 2. LOTS of competition shooters use blinders of one type or another, so it ain't nothin' strange. 3. Go ahead and work on shooting "Left Eyed", you may become an ambidextrous shooter! Something I could never do with the weirdness of how my left eye works. And try it with your right handed gun and see if it bothers ya. Might not have to get a left handed gun (although..... wouldn't want to limit myself and it IS a good reason to get another gun...) I have seen the "Maniac" shoot a right handed flintlock left handed many times on his vids.

 

[LonestarShootR]

Just out of curiosity, if you're shooting a flintlock, say, left-handed, wouldn't you want the pan to be on the left to lessen sparks / fire in or near your eye? Or is that not a problem?

It bothers me some as I keep both eyes open and see this crossing over my face when the rifle fires.

 

[Tsalagi]

My left eye is dominant and I shoot most guns left handed although I’m right handed. Pistols are shot right handed with the left eye.
Not an issue at all. Left hand shooting with a right handed flintlock.
IMG_0365 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

Ditto…been shooting that way for fifty years without issue.

 

[Shortfingers]

Look at some of the latest videos from @B P Maniac Shooter. He is shooting his right handed guns left handed. Many left handed or left eye dominate shooters fire the right hand configured gun off the left shoulder. Concentrate on the front sight and the flash is not a distraction.

 

[Shortfingers]

So I've always had this issue and I'm curious of what you all think. I'll throw it out there for discussion. I have a physical affliction my whole life where I can't independently close my left eye. Right eye, no problem. I can only close my left when I close both. I assume it's a muscle thing. And for the record, I'm right handed. When I shoot, I can't sight a right handed musket unless I wear an eye patch which looks weird. At least I think it is because when I'm done, I take it off and then people look at me like I'm crazy. I've often thought about purchasing a left handed musket but I'm not sure if I want to commit to that. I do everything else right handed. I suppose I could get used to left handed shooting eventually.
What do you all think?

Having lost my right arm just below the elbow as a young child I grew up left handed. I never owned a left handed rifle until I figured out that right handed flint locks (because of the position of my right arm when holding a rifle) would spark to the point that they burned holes in my shirt sleeves. I am fortunate that I am also left eye dominate and was probably naturally left handed to begin with. I don’t have the eye problem that some of you are talking about but we do have a member in our club that puts electrical tape with a hole on his glasses. He says as he has gotten older it helps him to see his sights and target better. I’m getting older too and my eyesight certainly isn’t what it used to be, maybe I’ll have to give it a try. Long and short is that shooting left handed with a right handed rifle really shouldn’t be a problem but getting the mechanics switched from right to left may take some time and a lot of practice. Rats! You’ll have to do a lot of shooting……oh well……

 

[Mad L]

I am right handed but left eye dominate.
However at the eye doctor I found I can read the bottom line with my right eye but I can only barely read down to the center line with my left...so, my dominate eye is Not my 'strong' eye - now that sucks!

Some time back I began self training with some Navy Seal programs I came across; namely I learned to keep Both eyes open, focus on the Front sight and learned to ignore the 'ghost' image on the right.

I don’t do any competition shooting but I can hit a swinging tea cup out to 50 yards so it's good enough for me.

 

[earlwb]

Well I have the same problem as I can’t close my left eye either. But I also use an eye patch for precision shooting when shooting right handed. I am semi- ambidextrous though. My right eye is dominant but I can shoot with both eyes open for the most part. When I was a little kid the teacher made me write right handed as in that era they considered it bad to be a lefty. But I still have to bat left handed for baseball/softball and playing golf left handed too. I can shoot left handed fairly well though. I now have to shoot left handed anyway. As I had an arterial bypass graft from my right shoulder down to my legs this nothing more powerful than a .22 rimfire rifle right handed.

So anyway you are not alone there are lots of us like you out there.

 

[mortarman]

Well I have the same problem as I can’t close my left eye either. But I also use an eye patch for precision shooting when shooting right handed. I am semi- ambidextrous though. My right eye is dominant but I can shoot with both eyes open for the most part. When I was a little kid the teacher made me write right handed as in that era they considered it bad to be a lefty. But I still have to bat left handed for baseball/softball and playing golf left handed too. I can shoot left handed fairly well though. I now have to shoot left handed anyway. As I had an arterial bypass graft from my right shoulder down to my legs this nothing more powerful than a .22 rimfire rifle right handed.

So anyway you are not alone there are lots of us like you out there.

I'm seeing that. I had no idea.

 

[Johnn Davis]

Looks like my dominant eye is my left one. Go figure.

Great, then learn to shoot off of your left shoulder. A rifle built for left handed shooters can be had and it really improves shooting because it will fit you better.

 

[Sun City]

Your Master eye determines which shoulder you should shoot from! I shoot from my left shoulder but I don't desire a left hand flinter; rather a right like I have because the cock pan and frizzen are right there where you can work on without turning the friggin rifle over. I wear glasses and if shooting off a bench I wear a long sleeved cotton sweatshirt.