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SHOTGUNNERS

3K views 33 replies 22 participants last post by  daddyeaux 
#1 ·
I looking for some advice. I am new to shotgunning and have realized I am a right-hand shooter that is left eye dominant. Anyone have advice on how to deal with this? Right now, I am not interested in trying to learn a left-hand shooting stance. I have been practicing with skeet and trap before I try an actual bird hunt. If I shoot with only the right eye open during a skeet session, the clays coming from the high house while I am on the 2nd and 3rd station tend to pass up my line of sight and it causes me to have to catch up to the target. When I have both eyes open, the left eye is dominating the image of the gun barrel which throws my shot off.
 
#2 ·
I have the same problem. I have just learned to close my left eye and shoot with only my right eye open. It does cause some problems, but I can't do anything left handed. I can't even pick my nose left handed, much less shoot a gun left handed. I have shot quite a bit of skeet and it is awkward, but I just made it work.

Professor Jones
 
#3 ·
You have three choices. Continue with both eyes open and severely limit your ability to ever become a good shotgun shot. Switch to shooting left handed. Or wear glasses and "black out" the left eye glass- I know this sounds radical, but you'd be amazed at how many competitive shooters actually do this.

Last week I was helping one of my son's friends to learn how to shoot a shotgun- first time. I saw that he was lining up way off where I was asking him to- way off. I then did a quick check for his dominant eye- yep left eye dominant shooting right handed.

Best of luck,

THE "RIGHT EYE DOMINANT AND GLAD OF IT" JAMMER
 
#4 ·
I have the same problem as well, but i have learned to shot a shotgun left handed. Ever since i figured it out i have seen a big increase in the number of birds killed. I tried closing one eye and shooting right handed just didnt feel right. After taking a class the intructor said you need to have both eyes open when shooting is when i started to shoot left handed, I was around 17 when i started shooting left handed. When it comes to deer hunting i shoot right handed and have had no problems. same shooting pistols. Pretty crazy
 
#5 ·
There are a lot of work arounds, but I'd recommend (if you can afford it) lessons from Gil or Vickie Ashe, OSP shooting schools. Eye dominance issues are non-issues if you do not consciously try to align the gun with the target. They teach total concentration on the target - the gun barrel may not as well be there.

Another trick is to put vaseline jelly in on your shooting glasses. Just a little smear in the center. This will force your right eye to take over.

Since you'r new to the game I'd HIGHLY recommend trying a few rounds left handed. My son who has the same problem, had no trouble with it. He has always done everything right handed.
 
#6 ·
Try putting clear vinyl tape ( or scotch tape) on the left lens of your shooting glasses. It can blur your left eye vision enough to let the right eye dominate.

It's too late for me I am right handed but left eye dominant and shoot left handed. To shoot right handed I would have to try the tape over my left eye.

If this doesn't work try another layer of tape or a small black dot of electric tape. Tape just the center point of view not the entire lens.
 
#12 ·
JAMMER-
I understand it is wrong to "aim" a shotgun, but if he is closing one eye, what is the difference between that and the blacked out lens trick. Is depth perception not affected as much?

I'm NOT trying to start an argument, just curious and always trying to learn something! I have shot with guys with tape / vasaline on the left lens.
 
#17 ·
You're correct. Closing the left eye would have the same effect, but If you have it taped up, that eye will be taken out of the equation every time. Can you ever really be sure that you are closing that left eye in the "heat of battle?" Plus there might be a fatigue element. Have you ever closed one eye while looking through a spotting scope for a long time, vs looking through binoculars?? It gets very fatiguing. As a matter of fact, I used to hang a glove or something covering my left eye when using a spotting scope for a long time so I could leave that eye open, while scoping hillsides for long periods of time for deer. SAme concept when shooting a shotgun I think.

THE JAMMER

JAMMER-
I understand it is wrong to "aim" a shotgun, but if he is closing one eye, what is the difference between that and the blacked out lens trick. Is depth perception not affected as much?

I'm NOT trying to start an argument, just curious and always trying to learn something! I have shot with guys with tape / vasaline on the left lens.
 
#13 ·
New to shotgunning = learn to shoot left handed if you're left eye dominant. I am left eye dominant and shoot right handed and have been for over 20 years. I am at the point where I am good, but would be so much better if I shot left handed. My professional friends all want me to switch to shooting left, but it would take me thousands, tens of thousands of rounds to feel comfortable.

Trust me, if you are new to shotgunning, you need to shoot left handed.
 
#14 ·
Thanks For All the Advice

First off, thank you for all the advice and comments on what works best for you all. I think I will start with the various sunglasses tricks (just out of curiosity). I will also start looking around for a cheap/used left-hand shot gun to start the learning process.

Friendswoodmatt: You are correct about pointing and not aiming. The problem I am having is that I am pointing the barrel exactly where I think it needs to be. The distance in between my eyes is pretty much how far to the left (left eye dominance) my barrel is from where it needs to be. That small difference at the barrel equals about 1.5 to 2 feet in the air. This problem mostly affects me at stations 2,3,5 and 6 while shooting skeet.
 
#15 ·
I encounter this a lot with kids and women shooters that I teach. I am right handed and right eye dominate but if I shoot a lot of long incoming birds my left eye wants to take over. This is due to age mostly.

The easiest thing to do is to use a small (about the size of a nickel) piece of scotch tape over the left eye. Learn to shoot like this and never change. This keeps the right eye always on the target while not interfering with your perferial vision or depth perception.
 
#16 ·
Thanks Lezz Go,

I read your PM before I read your thread response. I got a hundred rounds ready to shoot this Saturday while trying the taped lense method. I will PM you again to let you know how things turn out.

Jason C
Friendswood, TX
 
#18 ·
Looks like several people answered with similar suggestions at the same time.

Jammer, I think think some others like myself were suggesting reducing the left eyes center of focus not masking it off entirely. I have tried the two different colored sun glass thing too. It worked and is a more elegant way to do the same thing.

Best advice given.
Get a shooting coach and see what they say.
Shoot left handed
Try the reduced dominate eye tricks keeping in mind that if you are going to switch to the sinister side (left handed) the sooner you do it the better.
 
#19 ·
My left eye is dominant and I'm right-handed, as well.

I, though, have never had a problem shooting birds. I just close my left eye and automatically make whatever corrections are necessary. Lots and lots of practice probably haven't hurt, either.

That's a good thing, too, because I really can't do anything left-handed.
 
#20 ·
If you want to see how graphic this problem is, go to a patterning board, or just put up a 2'X2' piece of cardboard about 20 yards away, and draw a 2" dot in the center of it. Go back, and hold your gun at your waist. Then in one quick, non aimed/but pointed movement, mount your gun and shoot the dot, and see where your pattern is. Do it with the left eye blocked out, however you like, and then do it with both eyes open. It's graphic, and that's only at 20 yards.

THE JAMMER
 
#22 ·
I am right handed and left eye dominant. I found this out when I was very young, when I would shoot my bb gun with my face all the way over the stock shooting right handed but with my left eye. I soon found out that if you shoot something that kicks it will hurt to shoot that way. I learned to close my left eye and shoot that way. I have been shooting with my left eye closed for years and I like to think that I am pretty handy with a shotgun. We shoot alot of skeet and in the larger group that I shoot with I am one of the best. Now I am not trying to say that this is the right way and maybe I will never get any better than I am now but I feel very confident in my ability.
 
#24 ·
I shot with Mr. Brister many years ago, and I can't remember if he used the tape, but that guy could put tape over both eyes, and still beat most of us. He was fantastic.

THE JAMMER
I used to see the right hand dominant shooters put a piece of scotch tape on their shooting glasses on the left lens. If I remeber correct I think Bob Brister may have shot this way but I am not 100% certain.
 
#26 ·
If you go to Champions Choice shooters supply, they make a flip down clip on transluscent shade that will clip to your glasses and block an eye. But, it is transluscent, so it won't totally cut light to that eye so that the muscles in each eye are not fighting each other due to different brightness levels. Completely blacking out an eye will lead to eyestrain and headaches after a few hours. They make these specifically for shooters, and they are only a couple of bucks. I use them for bullseye pistol shooting and it helps me a lot.
 
#28 ·
I learned to shoot left handed when I was a kid and cant imagine shooting a shotgun right handed. When I first shot a gun my friends father used to make me shoot BB guns right handed and I knew that something wasnt right.....

I am about as messed up as it gets with the whole eye dominance thing, I shoot long guns left handed, pistols right handed but using the left eye, shoot pool left handed, baseball and football right handed, ext....
I know it might not feel right but I would try shooting left handed for a while and see if you can get used to it and you will be a better shot. You dont half to have a left hand gun to shoot left handed, I shot right handed guns all my life until I finally broke down and got a left hand Benelli 3 years ago. Good luck
 
#30 ·
Follow Up To My Question

I took the advice of the 2coolers that suggested the Scotch Tape on the left-hand lens. I went from only hitting a minimum amount 8-9 (stations 1,7 and 8) to now hitting about 15-16 (stations 1,2,3,5,6,7 and 8). Mind you, I am new to the sport. Now that I can see the clays much better, it is time to start working on my leads. With the left eye closed, I had a hell of a time hitting the high house clay on station two. I nailed 3 in a row yesterday. I plan on continuing the use of the tape. With that out of the equation, now I can work on my shooting stance and target leads. Thanks for all the replies and help.

Jason C
Friendswood, TX
 
#31 ·
You need to shoot lefthanded...what part of that don't you understand. If you cover one eye, remove lens or whatever, all you are doing is working around your handicap but the bottom line is your still handicapped. You need to swap over to the left and doing this you remove your handicap totally. I've converted a few over but its been while using a bow. you just have to realize, your gonna be frustrated to say the least but you will enjoy the end result. Get you a >>>left-handed auto as one of the hardest thing for my son was trying to pump a right handed gun using it from the left side. You can teach a old dog new tricks...WW
 
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