Learning to shoot left handed?

[23 Blast]

So, I have struggled with poor eyesight my whole life. Started wearing glasses as a toddler. As a shooter, I'm right handed, and right-eye dominant.

My problem is that my right eye has deteriorated to the point where, even with corrective lenses, I won't be able to see 20/20. Looking down the sights of my guns (even with magnified optic) produces a blurry image. My left eye is still able to focus clearly with the help of corrective lenses. When I look down the sights with my left eye, I can much more clearly make out the sights and target.

My question is, how difficult would it be to learn lefty shooting, when my entire time.ahooting guns, I've been right handed and right-eyed?

I do have some functionality with left, as that is the hand I typically use for tasks involving finer motor control (writing, eating with utensils, brushing teeth, etc.)

[Unforgiven]

We shoot off hand all the time in competition. It’s really ackward at first, but with practice it gets easier. I will never be as good as my strong hand, but I can scare a target now.

[Starslinger]

I'm right handed and left eye dominant. I shoot pistol right handed and long guns left handed. But my right eye vision has never been good, so I've always shot that way. I don't exactly know the answer to your question, but I'm thinking that it will be easier relearning how to shoot a long gun than it would be a handgun. Do you shoot long range or do close quarters competition training? I think if I could see clearly with my right eye, I would be able to shoot a long gun right handed. If you practice tactical reloading and such it may be a more difficult transition for you. Have you tried a clear glass, high quality red dot sight (no magnification) like the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro?

[CWL]

Try this compromise position taught for wrong-eye dominant shooting:

Turn your head towards the right and touch your jaw to your shoulder, now your left eye should be in-line with your gun sight for right hand shooting. The jaw-shoulder touching is to give you instant and consistent positioning every time you shoot and correct left eye sight picture.

Thhis works for handguns as well as long guns, tactical and aimed shots.

Of course you should always practice shooting with your weak hand, but that's a separate issue.

[Romeo_alpha01]

I’m the opposite — strong side left, right dominant. The above post is exactly what I’ve been doing in the beginning as a shooter. I am slowly transitioning to shoot right handed, and it takes a ton of practice. Tucking your chin and aligning your good eye to align with the sight is perfect.

Some systems that are designed for right handed shooters actually work favorably for lefties. For instance:

Handguns - I use my trigger finger to manipulate the magazine release and slide stop during reloads.

AR pattern rifle - I use my right hand to drop/strip the mag, and load/secure a new mag. It’s slower this way but your left hand can easily and consistently hit the bolt catch to make up for this.

AK pattern rifle - right hand “beer cans” a new mag, use mag to slap the release, insert fresh mag, charge the rifle with right hand. Left hand never changes grip or position

Bolt rifles - just like the AK, left never changes position. Depending on bolt throw, of course you’ll have to move your face out of the way.

Again, practice what works best for you. Being southpaw does force you to be a bit creative, but that works for me from my experience.

[Fjold]

It's all a matter of practice. It will feel unusual for awhile but the more you do it the easier it will get.

[Barang]

It's all a matter of practice. It will feel unusual for awhile but the more you do it the easier it will get.

for handgun, it will be easier transition than rifle.

^^^ i'm right handed but left eye dominant. it's very uncomfortable and unnatural at first but the more you do it, the more you get comfortable with it. i'm not there yet but the inclination of putting the stock on my right side is almost gone.

on your second range trip, laugh at yourself when your inclination put the rifle stock to your left and you left eye is looking through the scope or rear sight.

good luck!

[IVC]

Handguns are shot with the strong hand regardless of the eye dominance.

If you are cross-dominant, you still use your strong hand, just align the gun slightly differently. The head is still fully erect and shoulders square - it's almost imperceptible when observing from the side.

When you have to shoot weak hand in competition (or tactical training), you actually use the above technique - you aim with your dominant eye even if you shoot with your weak hand. You never aim with your non-dominant eye.

Long guns are different because you cannot effectively use your cross-dominant eye if you try to shoot with your strong hand. You have to learn how to shoot with the hand that is on the side of your dominant eye, so you'll see "righties" shooting left handed because they are cross-dominant.

You don't specify which guns you shoot ("magnified optics" is found on handguns, too; I have at least a few), so just remember that you don't have to change your hand for handguns even if you do for long guns.

[Garv]

I am a lefty mostly, but right-handed for some things.

When I started pistol shooting a few years back, it took some time to figure out I was a lefty.

If you practice right-handed, you will get better.

I can barely shoot a rifle right-handed, just feels too awkward.
I should try some more just in case. Good excuse for a trip to Angeles.

Good luck.

[Robert1234]

You're gonna suck for two years.

You'll never get the split times you'd get with the trigger finger of your natural strong hand.

Reloads are easier; you're using your strong hand. That's the only plus other than being able to see the sights.

A better solution is to cant the gun so your good eye is looking down the sights.

[tuna quesadilla]

I'm a righty, but I didn't learn I was left-eye dominant until my 20s. I'd been shooting since my teens, so that's about a decade of muscle memory I had to re-train. It probably took me a solid year or two before I actually felt 100% natural shooting left-handed, but I got there eventually. If I can do it, you can.

[tanks]

An easy way is to still shoot right handed but bring the gun over to your left eye.

Of course that is with handgun only, with a rifle you have to go full on to the left side.

[hambam105]

A WW2 British Fighter Pilot lost both legs a few years prior to the War. With tin legs the man was one of Britain's Top Aces.

Some other Olympic Pistol shooter during the same time period lost his entire dominate shooting hand. A few years
later the man wins Olympic Gold shooting left handed.

I am not insensitive to the OPs failing eyesight.

Now if the OP wants to argue for his limited eyesight then that is up to him. Or, with a development of a professional attitude,
he can argue for over coming the unfortunate circumstances and enjoy shooting up to his capabilities.

[Rez805]

I'll think learning to pull the trigger consistently with your non-dominant hand isn't going to be as hard as learning to reload and clear malfunctions with your right hand. I actually dry-fired left eye and left hand just to try it and started to get the hang of it after a few minutes. It definitely felt weird for me, but I think you have a bit of an upper-hand here since you noted that you use your left hand for a lot of other things.

That being said, you've built up a lot of experience shooting with your right hand so I would encourage you to try sticking with your right hand for firing/manipulation and use you left eye for aiming--as mention by many in this thread.

With respect to rifles, there's a gentleman named Mike Pannone who lost his right eye in an explosion. His solution was to mount his optic on a riser. This allows him to use the eye that he has (his left eye) while letting his right pull the trigger. I bet that it would feel weird at first, but you'll eventually get the hang of it.

Edit: reference picture of Mike Pannone's setup / mounting the rifle to accommodate his left eye while shooting with his right hand.

[hermosabeach]

Many of us shoot right and left

If you have never taken a 4 day class, I would suggest taking a 4 day class left handed.


You get formal coaching and 4 days to build muscle memory shooting as a lefty.


Tons of people here sell a 4 day class to front sight for $50 or a life membership for $100

Sure the class will cost you
Drive there
4 days hotel
400-600 rounds of ammo
$50 Front Sight background check fee.