Learning to Use Scope With Cross Dominant Eye

Joined
Jan 5, 2022
Messages
762
Another left eye dominate, right hander here. I've shot left handed since childhood.

Like others have stated, do yourself a service and get a LH rifle.

For current production lefty bolt action rifles I like Tikkas and Browning X bolts for cartridges that are too long for Tikkas. I like a safety that locks the bolt down on safe and I like lower degree bolt throws for scope mounting.
 
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7mm-08

WKR
Joined
Oct 31, 2016
Messages
858
Location
Idaho
Awkward as it may be to retrain yourself to shoot left handed as an adult, that is, IMHO, by far the best solution to your issue. I recognized early on that my son was right handed and left eye dominant. We hunted a lot of chuckars over pointing dogs at that time in our lives and I resorted to not carrying a shotgun to message to him that either he killed birds or we went home emptyhanded. He shot right handed a few days never killing a bird over many points. He finally capitulated and agreed to try shoot left handed. He was about 14 at the time. He killed he first pointed bird, a left to right shot, perfectly. The look of surprise on his face when he dumped that bird was precious. Then he went on to kill another five birds in a row over points later that day all shooting left handed. Suffice it to say I never had to encourage him to shoot left handed again.

What I will say is that a guy can shoot a rifle cross dominant, because my wolf hinting partner does just that - accurately as hell. When target movement is introduced into the equation (such as in shooting flying game), accuracy goes to hell in a handbasket.
 

Swamp Fox

WKR
Joined
Oct 20, 2022
Messages
872
Cross-eye dominant here.

Leaving out vision problems with the right eye that cause clarity problems with the scope, and leaving out the "need" or desire to shoot with both eyes open, there's not a great reason to learn to shoot a scoped rifle lefty (and try to find the right lefty rifle!)

I echo what @ODB said above--You should should focus on a scope that will let you dial your rear lens to the vision of your right eye.

You CAN train or manipulate your non-dominant eye to take over if you want to shoot both-eyes-open, but it takes a LOT of practice, or closing or patching the dominant eye. I have a lot better luck shooting a bow with both eyes open than with a no-optics pistol or shotgun, and I think it's because the practice and muscle-memory level is so much higher with the bow. I am much more concerned about cross-eye dominance with a pistol or shotgun than I am with a bow. Zero concern with scoped rifle.

I think a consult with a good opthamologist is worth any shooter's time.
 
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Joined
Dec 25, 2020
Messages
365
I am right handed left eye dominant. Around 50, I decided to take up hunting and started shooting left handed. The switch is easy. Not even worth debating about. Once you start shooting, dry firing, and shouldering a rifle on the left, you will hardly remember what it’s like to shoot a rifle right handed. Go left and never look back.
 
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