Which handedness bolt action should I buy?

[VuduDoc]

Long story short, I'm right eye dominant but shoot left-handed. I've owned 1 left-handed and 1 right-handed action but shot them both left-handed.

Would it be worth my while to practice shooting a bolt gun right handed being right eye dominant?

I shoot a lot of trap, ARs, and handguns, not much bolt gun but looking to do more.

Maybe it's just a silly question and I should stick to what I'm used to and commit to a left-handed action.

Brief caveat: I'm new to Rockslide and this is my first post. Looking forward to learning from everyone. Thanks in advance.

 

[roadrunner]

If you're right eye dominant, you should be shooting right handed.

 

[go4thegusto]

Yep, always shoot your dominant eye. I am right handed and left eye dominant. I shoot long guns and bows left handed.

 

[1jeds]

I'm the opposite, right handed and left eye dominant. I know the recommendation is to shoot your eye dominance, I still shoot right handed.

For rifles with a scope, no issue closing my left eye although it reduces field of view and light into the eye. I do the same with my bow.

With shotguns I have a piece of scotch tape on my glasses over my left eye which still lets light in but forces the other eye to take dominance.

Realistically I should probably learn to shoot lefty, but I thought I may be limited with reselling or purchasing used gear. A lame reason now that I think about it, maybe I should get another bow for "research purposes"!

 

[VuduDoc]

I'm the opposite, right handed and left eye dominant. I know the recommendation is to shoot your eye dominance, I still shoot right handed.

For rifles with a scope, no issue closing my left eye although it reduces field of view and light into the eye. I do the same with my bow.

With shotguns I have a piece of scotch tape on my glasses over my left eye which still lets light in but forces the other eye to take dominance.

Realistically I should probably learn to shoot lefty, but I thought I may be limited with reselling or purchasing used gear. A lame reason now that I think about it, maybe I should get another bow for "research purposes"!

Yeah I've thought the same about just getting a right-handed gun because of availability, cost, and re-sale. To get even more into the weeds, I'm right-handed but slightly ambidextrous. I shoot my bow right-handed, but all firearms left-handed. Since I've put less than 100 rounds down the tube of a bolt gun in my life, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to teach myself bolt guns right handed. Idk haha

 

[Traveler]

I’m right handed and left eye dominant. I shoot left handed but with a right handed bolt.

If you are right handed and right eye dominant and shoot a bow right handed and are only slightly ambidextrous…shoot a right handed bolt right handed.

 

[JohnnyB]

As a lefty with right eye dominance, I shoot bow, rifle, pistol and shotgun left handed. Not a problem once you recognize it and make some of the minor adjustments mentioned before.

I have some right handed rifles, but going forward I will only purchase left handed equipment when possible. We have been neglected for far too long. Thank God that Tikka makes lefty models.

 

[Jpsmith1]

I’m right handed and left eye dominant. I shoot left handed but with a right handed bolt.

If you are right handed and right eye dominant and shoot a bow right handed and are only slightly ambidextrous…shoot a right handed bolt right handed.

Same on the handedness/eye dominance.

Switched to a lefty rifle a couple years back. Was like coming home.

 

[kota]

How well do you shoot the shotgun, and are you shooting it righty or lefty?

To me that is the driving factor since most shoot a shotgun with both eyes open and that is where the biggest issues arise. If you are shooting well, get a bolt gun to shoot the same way as your shotgun. If it could use some improvement, switch both.

FWIW, my brother is right handed and left eye dominant. We didn’t find out until later, and shooting right handed was too ingrained to change. He’s way better with a rifle than with a shotgun because he can concentrate and close 1 eye with the rifle. My daughter is the same, and we started her shooting left handed from the beginning.

 

[lhbackcountry]

Long story short, I'm right eye dominant but shoot left-handed. I've owned 1 left-handed and 1 right-handed action but shot them both left-handed.

Would it be worth my while to practice shooting a bolt gun right handed being right eye dominant?

I shoot a lot of trap, ARs, and handguns, not much bolt gun but looking to do more.

Maybe it's just a silly question and I should stick to what I'm used to and commit to a left-handed action.

Brief caveat: I'm new to Rockslide and this is my first post. Looking forward to learning from everyone. Thanks in advance.

I grew up shooting everything righty. I didn’t know I was left eye dominant til I got into bow hunting. I went and got a bottom eject shotgun as soon as I could. I still shoot my grandads righty rifle as it was given to me and will never leave. But my first rifle I bought was lefty. I also played lacrosse in college so being ambidextrous has helped in multiple facets. One advantage is I shoot offhand almost as good since I have spent half my life shooting the “wrong side”

 

[hereinaz]

Depends on how “dominant”. Some cannot even use the non dominant eye.

I can “flip flop” my eye dominance to look through the scope with both eyes open and look through the scope with my right eye then flip to focus the left eye on the turrets and level.

If you can flip it dominance sufficiently to shoot shotgun and other left handed, I don’t see a compelling reason to change.

You apparently didn’t see a reason to change with a righty bolt and shotgun.

 

[VuduDoc]

How well do you shoot the shotgun, and are you shooting it righty or lefty?

To me that is the driving factor since most shoot a shotgun with both eyes open and that is where the biggest issues arise. If you are shooting well, get a bolt gun to shoot the same way as your shotgun. If it could use some improvement, switch both.

FWIW, my brother is right handed and left eye dominant. We didn’t find out until later, and shooting right handed was too ingrained to change. He’s way better with a rifle than with a shotgun because he can concentrate and close 1 eye with the rifle. My daughter is the same, and we started her shooting left handed from the beginning.

I’m consistently a 23/25 on my trap runs and have been doing it for over half my life so shooting a long gun left-handed is deeply engrained I’d say. All my ARs I shoot lefty. Handguns lefty. More details to make things more confusing, although I’m right eye dominant, the vision in my left eye is better. Oh boy…

 

[VuduDoc]

Depends on how “dominant”. Some cannot even use the non dominant eye.

I can “flip flop” my eye dominance to look through the scope with both eyes open and look through the scope with my right eye then flip to focus the left eye on the turrets and level.

If you can flip it dominance sufficiently to shoot shotgun and other left handed, I don’t see a compelling reason to change.

You apparently didn’t see a reason to change with a righty bolt and shotgun.

True. Then it becomes mostly a matter of efficiency on the rig. If I want to do some local “PRS”-style matches after I build the fundamentals, running a left bolt will be much more practical I suppose.

 

[Jackal66]

My son is cross - eye dominant.
We never noticed it until he started playing golf.
He has always shot guns right handed.

A lot of things he is ambidextrous.
It seems whatever you get used to applies.
It is worth trying left handed guns, etc.
You never know how you'll do.

 

[Rich M]

Try shooting right handed w your right handed gun, never bad to be ambidexterous. If that dont work get a lefty.