Need input- right handed /left eye dominant

[luv2rapala]

Need some input:

My 19 yr old son is starting to get into shooting/bird hunting and I would like to encourage this with a gun (he was shooting his granddads old 20ga bolt)My problem is he is right handed but left eye dominant so he shoots left handed. I am not sure a left handed gun will be easy for him to operate or to find for that matter but obviousley much easier on the eyes without the shell coming across his face. I can't spend a big wad as tution payments come first.

Any thoughts on best fit for this situation?

Pheasant/Grouse/clays

Thanks in advance,

luv2rapala

[Ufatz]

Find a nice used Model 37 Ithaca in 12 or 20 gauge. Bottom ejection, smooth pump action. It'll take him a bit to get used to it but then I'm betting he loves it!!

[bogwalker]

He should train himself to become right eye dominant. Use an eye patch while practicing or cover the left lens on a pair of shooting glasses. It is much cheaper and easier to find right hand firearms than left. I was a firearms instructor for years and with a little practice he can change. The empty shell crossing in front of his right eye as you mention could cause him to develop a flinching reflex that can be very hard to break.

[kentuck_ike]

My daughter is the same way. She shoots a Moseberg 20 gauge. The shell ejects below her sight line and the safety is a rear thumb. It also not a very expensive gun, but they are very dependable

[reddog]

Ive been left eye dominant, shooting left handed with right handed guns my whole life. I started shooting about 9 years old and am 53 now. I shot right handed guns my whole life, Model 12, Model 1100, Model 70 and 700 rifles. Truthfully, its never been an issue. About all I do remember that was negative, was when I was shooting trap competitvely through my teen years (and reloading my own shells) I remember getting a little unburned powder that would blow back into my face occasionally. Only recently have I moved to a O/U 20 ga., not because of right/left hand reasons though.

[gspman]

I'm left handed and shoot a right handed shotgun. I'm not sure who made it up but the shell ejection across the face thing is an absolute myth. The ejected hull won't hit you in the face and it won't distract you. If the shell flying across your face bothers you then you are not focused on the target like you should be. I never see the ejected shell. The only thing I might recommend is a pair of safety glasses (I always wear them when shooting/hunting) just in case a bit of debris might get in the right eye. I've never noticed any debris on my face or glasses after shooting either.

Eye dominance can vary or change over time and it's not always right or left but I wouldn't fight it or recommend trying to change it. It's easier to work with what he has and let it go. He's doing the right thing by shooting left handed and the more he practices the better he'll get.

Get him a right handed gun, switch the safety to work from the left, and get him a pair of cheap shooting glasses. He'll be all set.

ps. There is nothing special about a true left handed gun (I've had those too) that would make it harder to operate than a right handed gun.

[IcecoldMN]

as a youth instructor in firearms and archery I suggest to follow your Eye dominance. Yes you can train yourself to do just about whatever you want. My reasoning is in the fact that the youths success rate will be greater following his eyes and not trying to overpower what is natural. As far as guns go, there are several options and I would talk to a gunsmith as they know the most about them. ALso I do know some puch button safeties can be reversed which might help the selection also.

[varmithtr]

My suggestion would be a used browning bps. Top safety and bottom eject. Very reliable pump gun.

[bogwalker]

Since this is a new shooter I would try to change dominant eyes. My son went through this and he can now use any of my firearms and he does not have to look for special guns when he wants to buy a new one. It really is not a big deal to change. Just cover the left eye when target or trap shooting for a while.

[SmilinBob]

teach him to shoot with both eyes open, as long as the barrel and sights (bead and eye in this case) are aligned it will hit where he is looking. It will take some practice, not just a few shells and pigeons, more like a couple weeks at a range. Also try a sight like the Tom Knapp Easy hit by Champion, he won't get a sight picture with the fiber optic bead until it's lined up, and which eye doesn't matter.

[reddog]

I'm left handed and shoot a right handed shotgun. I'm not sure who made it up but the shell ejection across the face thing is an absolute myth. The ejected hull won't hit you in the face and it won't distract you. If the shell flying across your face bothers you then you are not focused on the target like you should be. I never see the ejected shell. The only thing I might recommend is a pair of safety glasses (I always wear them when shooting/hunting) just in case a bit of debris might get in the right eye. I've never noticed any debris on my face or glasses after shooting either.

Eye dominance can vary or change over time and it's not always right or left but I wouldn't fight it or recommend trying to change it. It's easier to work with what he has and let it go. He's doing the right thing by shooting left handed and the more he practices the better he'll get.

Get him a right handed gun, switch the safety to work from the left, and get him a pair of cheap shooting glasses. He'll be all set.

ps. There is nothing special about a true left handed gun (I've had those too) that would make it harder to operate than a right handed gun.

+100. Everything is spot on in this post.

I actualy love the way my safety works on right handed shotguns fired left handed. My trigger finger stays in the trigger guard and my second finger wraps around the trigger guard and rests on the safety, ready to push it over to fire as the gun is coming up.

Right handed Auto and Pump shotguns shoot fine left handed with no detriment to the shooter.

Right handed bolt action rifles (and my Marlin slug rifle) are cumbersome to shoot left handed handed because you have to cycle the bolt with the hand that is supporting the end of the gun. Its not a big deal for me, because I hope that I only need 1 well placed shot and if I get that, the need for a fast second or third shot diminishes.

[pureinsanity]

I am right handed but kick with my left foot. Just saying, and yes I know it irrelevant.

Growing up in high school my friends and I use to shoot trap on my parents land. Me, myself more often would be the one shooting trap solo. I had a throwing, but being impatient or lazy to set up the thrower, I would just use the hand thrower.

I became pretty good that when my friends would come shoot. I could throw the clays, raise my gun and shoot the clay before they even had a lock on the clay.

To make it fair, I started to shoot left handed with a right handed gun. I trained myself to shoot that way, it was awkward and I wasn't as fast pumping the shotgun but it worked. I never had a problem with the shells coming across your face..

Like people said above if you see the shell or worry about it, your not concentrating on the target. Same goes for feeling the kick of the shotgun. When you think about it, it kicks, when you think about the target, the kick feels like a .22....

Why not teach him how to shoot with both eyes open? Than there is no problem.

[pureinsanity]

I am right eye dominate but the vision in my right eye is shot, so I use both eyes to aim.

I was wondering why I couldn't hit a few years back. I couldn't see out of my right eye well enough

[Acemac]

I shoot left handed becasue i only have site in one eye not sure i see the issue with it.

It does suck sometimes having shells eject over your right arm but other then that I see no need for special guns. just find guns that have the working parts in a more comfortable posistion.

[gunmunky]

Hopefully he is wearing glasses while hunting. Have him shoulder the gun and you can place a piece of translucent scotch tape in front of his left eye (just a small square piece) this way he can still see with both eyes while walking the fields. I've seen this method used before and it works really good.

[FLnick87]

I am left eye dominant. and shoot right handed with my left eye closed...is that weird? shoot just as good as the average anyone

[luv2rapala]

Wow- amazing input all thanks so much

Being in school for a few more years he won't get to shoot alot in the near future. I want him to enjoy the few times he does get to go. I am leaning towards the Ithaca or a O/U just to take the left eye/ right hand thing out of the equation and just let him enjoy shooting. I am LH and shoot a BPS but I think that thing is too heavy and spendy for him to enjoy. (I like mine)

I am finding it hard to find a decent Ithaca or O/U at a reasonable price- guess I need to just keep watching. I agree on the both eyes open thing with a shotgun- we will need to work on that.

[Esox_Magnum]

Also a righty that shoots lefty with a firearm, bows I can shoot either way. All my guns are right handed and would mess me up switching to a left handed gun for the saftys. All my shotguns are remingtons and I have no issues with a right handed safty but been doing it over 38 years. My youngest daughters also the same way, was a fair shot righty but once we figured out about age 9 she was left eye doninate shes deadly now.

[Pinusbanksiana]

What about the stock cast on OU or SS shotguns? My son has these problems too, we only shoot break action shotguns, but they are all cast for right handed shooters. I found a 20 OU with very little cast that works. Also the lever looks odd to use when opening with left hands.

[PurpleFloyd]

I am left eye dominant and shoot right handed. I tried different things to change the vision but in the end I just decided that a miss here and there was just good evasive maneuver training for the birds and learned to chuckle at myself when they happen.

[bogwalker]

One shot, one kill.

[Ebiz]

If you do have the push button safety switched around I would make sure that anyone else who shoots that gun would be aware of it.

[NELS-BELLS]

I am LH and shoot a BPS but I think that thing is too heavy

I thought you said he was 19 years old. A Browning BPS isn't heavy, at least for a 19 year old. A BPS is actually a perfect gun for him to shoot because of the bottom eject and thumb safety. And I would recomend him shooting from his left side.

My son is 12 years old, left eye dominant, shoots left handed and uses a right handed Remington 1100, with no problems and he is very accurate.

Nels

[luv2rapala]

I have gone all the way around I think on this. I am back to looking for a BPS 28" or a reasonable O/U. The ithacas I am finding all seem to be 2 3/4" only and I would like to be able to shoot some 3"s with this gun. My BPS is the big one 30" with 3 1/2" and it is heavy.

[pureinsanity]

I have gone all the way around I think on this. I am back to looking for a BPS 28" or a reasonable O/U. The ithacas I am finding all seem to be 2 3/4" only and I would like to be able to shoot some 3"s with this gun. My BPS is the big one 30" with 3 1/2" and it is heavy.

Why do you want 3 1/2" shells?

I can see for maybe goose hunting or something. But I doubt youd be using an O/U for goose.

I have a couple guns with 3 1/2" capacity but I still only use 2 3/4" shells.

[CodyDawg]

i am left eye dominant and shoot right handed. i used to squint the left eye a little. now, after many years, i dont know what i do, i just shoot it.

hasnt affected me at all and no way would i switch to shooting left handed. but take that as only my story.

[lawdog]

I'm right hand left eye dominant too. Not all that uncommon. I have always just shut my left eye and don't have a problem... Even when I used to shoot 100-200 shells a day trapshooting it didn't bother me.

[luv2rapala]

Pure- your right maybe overkill with 3 1/2"s- (no pun intended) we do some late season pheasant in ND and between the wind and snow and very skiddish birds its takes a good poke to hit em.

I think I have settled into a BPS 28" 3" for him- now just gotta find a decent one at a reasonable price. If anyone is looking for used 870's mags for $150-$160 there have been several on gunbroker over the last couple of days that looked pretty decent.

[luv2rapala]

Wow after 6 weeks of research and shopping - it came to end tonight

Browning BPS 28" 2 3/4"-3" syn. Stalker

Used- never fired from G/M Great price and good service and brought my dad along to gain the extra 5% discount for Veterans day (thanks for serving Dad!)

I can't wait to take my son out! thanks all for your input!

[Kyhl]

Glad you found a solution.

Do not all shotguns have a rake on the stock? I train my dog with someone that is left handed and he has a left handed over under. The stock on his over under rakes out to the left. The stock on my 1100 rakes out to the right (from the front of the stock to the butt).

I would imagine that would cause problems for people shooting right handed guns off their left shoulder.

I've been wrestling with this issue also. Right handed, left eye dominant and not coordinated enough to change. Used to close my left eye but was constantly missing under and behind. Took some lessons and the instructor (standing behind me) knew exactly what I was doing after two shots, closing my left eye. He had me break the habbit of closing my left eye and things improved but I still have a long way to go.

I started trying to train my brain but it's difficult. I get nauseous after about 15 mintues with my left eye partially covered.