Would you switch?

[DuckMan]

Hi, my name is Jeff and I am left eye dominant. But I shoot right handed. :bash:

I've tried a few techniques to compensate for this issue.....most notably:

closing my left eye while swinging
tape/sticker on shooting glasses
chapstick on shooting glasses


These techniques work some days, but not always. I would get frustrated sometimes and just want to pitch the glasses in the drink. The problem with the glasses technique is it wasn't always 100% since I would be twisting at weird angles sometimes thanks to the wonderful flying abilities of BWT and Woodies. That might be the worst times because of those early season outings.

I practiced a lot with and without using the techniques and was very consistent. I would get confident that "this year" I fixed things for good only to have Nature humble me again. This past season was one of my worst shooting years ever. Which is a good thing I suppose since it is forcing me to take action. I fear this is just a serious flaw I won't be able to fix until I switch hands.

So my question is: Would you switch to your left hand to correct this once and for all?

After 25 years of hunting and 30 years of shooting a gun right handed......it is going to be tough to train my instincts to throw the gun up the other way. I fear it's either do this or start duck hunting with my bow since I shoot my bow left handed. ;) That is another point to probably make here.....I am pretty ambidextrous in other endeavors. I do a lot of things with my left hand already. A lot of my family is left handed and it was natural to me to do things with both hands from an early age.

Your thoughts?

[stacemo]

Duckman, I have this issue too. Left eye dominance that is. But I have to say it appears that getting a gun that fits me better has helped get my cheek on the stock. I discovered this by accident when my old uncle gave his old 870. Never shot a pump before and I started hitting a lot more. The gun was longer and shouldered nicely for me.

How much do you shoot in the off season? I never did until people here started me going. I like it and that has improved my right handed shooting a lot.

I say if you want to, get out to the range and try left handed and see how you like it.
Stacemo

[Branta]

the disclaimer would be... seek professional advise. You might consider going to a pro for a quick shooting lesson. there, you'll get their advise on your situation after actually seeing you shoot some clay. plus, they'll begin to fix a number of other issues you might have, such as gun mount, form, proper lead and read of targets, etc., etc. might just be the best money you spend in the long run. isn't there some pros out your way, like at those clay ranges in Metamora? (is it hunters creek?)


Ok, that was the disclaimer. my opinion (since you asked) is switch. by your comments, you're already doing the things most pros would recommend to start.

also by your post, you sound alot like my uncle who does certain things right handed (like golf, writing, etc) and others left handed (baseball, pulling a bow and shooting). problem is... he's a horrible shot, so I'm not sure he's a good example! :lol:

seriously though, I'd get some trigger time shooting left handed. it'll feel uncomfortable at first, but struggle through it. after a while, you'll be building on your experience and know your proper lead, shot picture and just as importantly, building muscle memory so it won't feel foreign anymore.

you might even find some hidden advantages of shooting a right handed gun left handed. I do! (I'm chronically challenged! I can't do anything right handed!) If I get a dud shell or hang a hull in the receiver, I can clear an action without ever dismounting the gun from the shooting position. just move the right hand back, work the action and you're back in business.

[goosebustr79]

One of the best guy's you can go see would be Larry Woo at Bald Mountain recreation area. He charges $100 an hour, trust me it is worth it. He is a world champion many times over in all gauges in trap, skeet and sporting clays. I trained with all those guy's out there. They can come off a little irrogant, they know their stuff. There is another guy out there too, his last name is Moses his first name is Jim I believe. They will teach you alot about proper shooting tactics, everything they teach you on the skeet field will help you in killing more birds as well. Good luck!!

[Big Nic]

Duckman ,

This situation is alot more common than you might think. If you are truly left eye dominant the only REAL cure is to learn to shoot left handed. I know this is probally not what you want to hear but the reality of the situation is that a left eye dominant shooter will never realize his full potential shooting right handed.

I am the caretaker at North Macomb Sportsmens Club and a very active competitive clay shooter. Living at a gun club has given me the opportunity to teach alot of , and I do mean a bunch of people to shoot skeet and trap.
While I am no expert or certified instructor I do shoot somewhere in betwwen
7000 and 10,000 targets a year so I have my share of practical experience.
I have run into this cross eye dominance issue many times and I will tell you from real experience that all the steps you have listed may help but will not solve the problem once and for all.

If you want to absolutely clear up this problem there is no short cut or quick fix to it. The cold hard fact is that you need to start shooting left handed as
soon as you can and stay with it for as long as it takes to becime proficient left handed. Normally this takes a guy that is dedicated to working out his eye dominace problem about 2 years before they are comfortable going left handed.

If you are going to seriously tackle this problem do youself a favor and buy a left handed shotgun. This does a couple of things #1 it encourages you to shoot left handed and not fall back on old bad habits (right handed shooting)
#2 it will help you build up the muscle memory and familiarity with the weapon to do things left handed. #3 a left handed shotgun will have the proper
buttstock cast (slight bend in buttstock) for eye alignment of a left handed shooter.

Sorry for the long post but this is not an easy problem to cure and the best advice I can give you is to , shoot leftie , shoot alot as much as you can
and do not , I repeat DO NOT get discouraged and go back to right handed
it will only hurt you in the long run!!
Good Luck , Big Nic

[DuckMan]

This is all good stuff guys. I really appreciate it. I know my only true choice is to go lefty. It will be tough but ultimately worth it.

I do shoot during the off season but nothing major unless I am working on this problem. I hear the words from American Shooter host Jim Scoutten "Shoot more. Shoot more often. And keep em in the 10 ring." and I get motivated to try and correct the problem again. My problem is that practicing is not an issue.....at least not while shooting right handed. I was breaking clays without a problem most of the time but of course they were under the ideal circumstances. I've never shot sporting clays which I realize is something I MUST do to recreate the actual conditions. Just haven't done it. :( When I then get into the duck blind, all bets are off. You don't have the same stance in the boat as you do on land. Birds flying at funny angles you didn't practice. Twisting your body at funny angles you didn't practice. Add in all the extra adrenaline and my shooting goes downhill fast.

People suggesting I seek professional help in a common occurance, although this is the first time for my shooting issues. ;) I was thinking that would be the need for this summer. I live 10 minutes from Williams Gun site in Davison, but I haven't talked to them about it at all. First thing they will want to do is sell me a left handed gun which I can't afford right now. Yet another dilemma facing me.

[bvd7]

If you do follow the advice of these posts and decide to shoot lefty, then buy a lefty gun, can I have first dibs at your old right handed weapons?:lol: :lol:

I know your reply.....:rant: :rant:

[Branta]

Nic makes some fine points. especially about shooting alot, repetitive movements and muscle memory. whole heartedly agree.

but one item that might need some clarity is "casting" of a stock. For competitive shooters, this is one more variable that goes into their , let's call it their shooting system. like porting of barrels, extending their forcing cones, etc. etc. to shooting glass color. it's one more thing that they concern themselves with.... for good reasons. that one more thing can mean the difference in breaking one more bird of a 200 bird tourney. and that can mean you're in the money or you're not.

again, I can't disagree with it's validity... but it might not be a real concern in your situation because if I remember correctly, most "field" shotgun pieces have no cast to them at all - either way. meaning, a butt stock on a right handed 11-87 in the box is the same piece part as a left handed 11-87 right out of the box. especially in the synthetics - But I could be wrong.

what am I saying? I wouldn't consider "casting" as a determining factor in purchasing a left handed gun. if you want cast, take your current piece to a gun smith and have them fit you properly with the casted butt plate (the trademark name escapes me right now)

c'mon over to the dark side (shooting lefty)! you'll be in good company.

[LilyDuck]

I dont know if this has to do with it but do you guys shoot with both eyes open. I do, I was taught this way by my college marksmin club, extremely effective in the field you never lose sight of what you shoot or what your going to shoot next.

getting a new gun is always fun but if you like yours, I imagine that they could set up the safety on the other side of the trigger for you as well to.

[duckmeister]

Duckman,

Switching to "lefty" will take some work, but it is not as bad as you would imagine. I had a similar situation when I was a kid. I am right handed, but I have had a weak right eye since birth, so I am left eye dominant. While plinking with a pellet gun with open sights at long distance, I had a hard time focusing on the target. After doing the "dominant eye test," my dad suggested I try it left handed. Within 15 minutes, I was shooting nearly as well as I did from the right side simply because I could clearly focus on the target. I haven't shot from the right side for 25+ years. My case might be an extreme example because of a vision problem in my right eye, but you might be surprised at how quickly you adjust to the other side simply because you see beter.

With regards to Lilyduck's comments, yes I too was always taught to shoot a shotgun with both eyes open. But in my case, the vision in my right eye actually makes this worse than shooting with just my left eye open. If your left eye dominance is due to a vision problem in your right eye, you might want to experiment both ways. Lilyduck is also right about getting your safeties reversed. For most guns, this is a trivial and inexpensive exercise. Just warn your buddies about it if they ever borrow you guns!!

Good luck,
Duckmeister

[DuckMan]

I am shooting Mossberg right now so it is a thumb safety. No switching there. I agree with Branta on the casting aspect now that I think about it. I have shot the shotgun left handed at tree rats when they presented a poor shot for my right hand and that wasn't a problem. My only concern with not purchasing a left handed shotgun is the ejected shell.

Branta: Don't you get popped in the face with the shell? I don't want my Ithicas in the swamp, but they do have the bottom ejection.

LilyDuck: Shooting with both eyes open is the problem. Yes, you should shoot with both eyes open as it helps the tracking of the bird, but when backasswards folks like myself look down the barrel it is crooked. Instead of this: | the barrel looks like this: \ because my left eye takes over.

bvd7: I own a custom made springfield 30-06 that my mother had custom fit for my father in 1962 before I was born. Military action. Fits my father like a glove and he shoots it like it was an extension of his hands. In case of fire in the house, after the kids, wife and dogs....that is the FIRST thing I will rescue. Lot of sentimental value there. It is a right handed gun and I will not miss opening day of deer rifle season without it. There is no way I could ever shoot it left handed (although I almost tried this past season), so I will have to continue shooting it right handed. The rest of my arsenal is either switchable to left handed or just investments so sorry.....you were right......you know the answer already.

[Huntsman27]

Nic makes some fine points. especially about shooting alot, repetitive movements and muscle memory. whole heartedly agree.

but one item that might need some clarity is "casting" of a stock. For competitive shooters, this is one more variable that goes into their , let's call it their shooting system. like porting of barrels, extending their forcing cones, etc. etc. to shooting glass color. it's one more thing that they concern themselves with.... for good reasons. that one more thing can mean the difference in breaking one more bird of a 200 bird tourney. and that can mean you're in the money or you're not.

again, I can't disagree with it's validity... but it might not be a real concern in your situation because if I remember correctly, most "field" shotgun pieces have no cast to them at all - either way. meaning, a butt stock on a right handed 11-87 in the box is the same piece part as a left handed 11-87 right out of the box. especially in the synthetics - But I could be wrong.

what am I saying? I wouldn't consider "casting" as a determining factor in purchasing a left handed gun. if you want cast, take your current piece to a gun smith and have them fit you properly with the casted butt plate (the trademark name escapes me right now)

c'mon over to the dark side (shooting lefty)! you'll be in good company.
pads are nice if you want to have one installed. It allows a good amount of adjustment if you need it. I used a few back in the trap shooting days [as one whose shot 200x200 I know about the cash payouts missing a bird] proper fit is most important. Brings back some good memories at the state shoots. 99s and 100s paid out........98s didnt get a handshake!

[Branta]

Duckman - it'd be virtually impossible to get a shell in the face... if you're mounting the gun properly. they'll fly right over your right forearm. the guy next to you might get one though.

And besides, most autos throw them slightly forward and away.

[Big Nic]

Gentlemen ,

The recoil pad that Branta is refering to is the Morgan recoil pad and it is infinetly adjustable both up and down and side to side> They are not to awfully expensive and a very good value for the money. You can find them in any shotgun magazine and I know I have seen them advertised in a recent issue of Sporting Clays (the Magazine) Well worth the investment.

One last comment , in shotgun shooting , barring any kind of eye problems
the only way to become a really good shot is to learn to shoot with both eyes open PERIOD!! I can speak from personal experience on this one as in my youth and early twenties I struggled for years to become a better wingshot.
Not until mid twenties and some excellent coaching and a true commitment
to shoot with both eyes open did it start to come together for me.

[bvd7]

I am shooting Mossberg right now so it is a thumb safety. No switching there. I agree with Branta on the casting aspect now that I think about it. I have shot the shotgun left handed at tree rats when they presented a poor shot for my right hand and that wasn't a problem. My only concern with not purchasing a left handed shotgun is the ejected shell.

Branta: Don't you get popped in the face with the shell? I don't want my Ithicas in the swamp, but they do have the bottom ejection.

LilyDuck: Shooting with both eyes open is the problem. Yes, you should shoot with both eyes open as it helps the tracking of the bird, but when backasswards folks like myself look down the barrel it is crooked. Instead of this: | the barrel looks like this: \ because my left eye takes over.

bvd7: I own a custom made springfield 30-06 that my mother had custom fit for my father in 1962 before I was born. Military action. Fits my father like a glove and he shoots it like it was an extension of his hands. In case of fire in the house, after the kids, wife and dogs....that is the FIRST thing I will rescue. Lot of sentimental value there. It is a right handed gun and I will not miss opening day of deer rifle season without it. There is no way I could ever shoot it left handed (although I almost tried this past season), so I will have to continue shooting it right handed. The rest of my arsenal is either switchable to left handed or just investments so sorry.....you were right......you know the answer already.
Duckman
That Springfield is one of those guns you never sell. Even if your only choice to put food on the table is to use it. One of those things you hope your kid is right handed and has your father's exact build.

I was just trying to add a little humor to the thread I hope no offense was taken.

[AllFowledUp]

As a firearms instructor, (handgun, rifle and shotgun) I have to agree with Big Nic. Sighting the shotgun with one eye on a passing bird will incoprorate tracking your intended target, which influences follow through by stopping the swing as the trigger is "slapped". Rifle sighting principles, (sight alignment, sight picture, trigger control) do not come into play when shooting clays, birds, rabbits etc. where a snap shot may be required, unlike shooting at stationary targets.
There is a drill that you can practice that will help with your instictive shooting. First off, make sure your shotgun is completely safe (chamber and magazine empty, safety on. You should not practice this indoors!!! Find an object that you can point your shotgun at (a clay pigeon works well) and hang it in a safe direction (no homes, cars etc. down range) on the side of a tree, 3D target or fence post 10-15 yards from your position. Keeping your finger out of the trigger guard, mount the shotgun as if you were going to shoot it keeping both eyes open. Once you figure you have the front sight on the target, close your non-shooting eye and see where your front sight is on the target (usually low). Practice this 25-50 times a day for a week and you will see a dramatic improvement in your instinctive shooting.
Changing sides after 30 years worth of shooting will be a difficult task, however, with practice it can be accomplished. A shotgun with out an ambidextrious safety is hard to master when switching sides. Stay with it and dont get frustrated. Good luck.

[DuckMan]

Duckman
That Springfield is one of those guns you never sell. Even if your only choice to put food on the table is to use it. One of those things you hope your kid is right handed and has your father's exact build.

I was just trying to add a little humor to the thread I hope no offense was taken.


Absolutely no offense taken. I make jokes too. No worries bvd7. :D