# Left or Right?



## Copperhead (Mar 24, 2010)

New guy here…I recently completed the required hand gun course in CT and am awaiting my permit…Haven’t decided on a gun yet, but would like some advice on another matter…I’m left-handed..but right eye dominate…

I consider my left hand to be my "primary" hand…And while I'm not ambidextrous...I do mix things up…I bat right handed..I play the guitar right handed…I cut my food with my right hand…you get the picture..

My only experience in firing a hand gun consists of firing aprox. 50 rounds during the live fire portion of my course...I was perfectly comfortable handing the gun and pulling the trigger with either hand..but on the recommendation of the instructor I shot only left handed...

While waiting for my permit, I purchased a CO2 BB pistol just to practice with…When shooting it I don’t see much of a difference in my accuracy using either hand and neither way seems more "comfortable" than the other…

Sooo…I assume I should pick one way or the other..But given the other numerous problems a beginner experiences with either hand ..trigger squeeze, etc.. Should I be able to tell at this early stage which way would be best for me?…Is it always "better" to shoot with the same hand as the dominate eye? My fear in experimenting both ways for a period of time will hinder my development and possibly lead to bad habits in the future…

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated


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## Hollander (Feb 2, 2009)

I am just the opposite. My range instructor told me to put my left foot slightly forward and perhaps turn my head slightly to the right - keeping both eyes open. That process has helped immensely. You would have to do just the opposite. You might try it with your practice gun. Good luck.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

The real controlling factor is not which _hand_ is the master one, but which _*eye*_ is.

If you are truly ambidextrous, the first thing to do is to discover which eye is the master. Then you learn to shoot using the hand on the master-eye side as your "strong-side" hand.
Even if you are not truly ambidextrous, you may well find that, once well practiced, you shoot better from the master-eye side, even if it is your "weak-side" hand.

Do you know how to find your master eye?


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## rccola712 (Aug 26, 2008)

I don't have much experience shooting with my left hand (I'm right handed) but I would assume that if either hand is just as comfortable to shoot with, and there's no significant difference in accuracy, you should be fine to pick either hand, just make sure you stick with whatever choice you make. Or you could develop both hands and get to shoot twice as much! :mrgreen:

If you pick one, I would suggest picking using your right hand as your 'shooting hand' simply because there are more right handed options out there. Don't less sway your decision entirely though, the number of holsters one can buy pales in comparison to accuracy, comfort, and in the end weapon control.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

Everything would be much simpler for you if you can learn to shoot right-handed, but I see pretty good pistol shooters all the time who do everything wrong and have the most horrible mechanics, but still somehow manage to keep their sights on the target until the firing pin strikes the primer...which is really what determines whether you can hit a target.

Still, the smart thing is to start off with good mechanics, and this is the right time to make a decision on which hand to use. In the end, you will probably feel more comfortable with one way or the other, and that's what you will settle on.


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## cougartex (Jan 2, 2010)

Hollander said:


> I am just the opposite. My range instructor told me to put my left foot slightly forward and perhaps turn my head slightly to the right - keeping both eyes open. That process has helped immensely. You would have to do just the opposite. You might try it with your practice gun. Good luck.


Same here, right handed left eye dominate.


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## von buck (Oct 12, 2009)

I'm left-hand/right-eyed dominant. I'm new tl shooting, and understand using my right hand with a dominant right eye.
My trouble is my right hand is weaker than my left, so I have trouble getting a firm gri with my right. So I shoot left.
Have no idea how this helps, just wanted to add to the conversation 

Andy


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## recoilguy (Apr 30, 2009)

I am right handed and left eye dominant. Due to an injury when I was younger I have no feeling in my left thumb fore finger middle finger and the inside of my ring finger. So I shot with my right hand. Steve is correct the key to shooting is not in the hand it is in the eye. I have had to learn to shot weak side hand strong side eye. It is second nature to me now and not meaning to boast but I am a pretty average shooter I would say. I would pick one and stay with it as the main hand. We all shoot off hand once in a while, but to become proficent pick one.

RCG


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## Sully2 (Mar 9, 2010)

Shoot dominate hand..and you will learn to shoot even or actually using your dominate EYE.

My father spent 28 years in the military...shot right handed..and had blindness of the corner in his right eye...couldnt barely see "SH**"

I wouldnt have wanted to have him shooting at me.

As suggested you can "develop"..??..a stance..left foot fwd...right hand firing the weapon ..left hand supporting it..and actually aiming with the left eye...IF...IF your left eye vison is MUCH greater than the right eye. If they are close...you will have to work at it because they will want to switch back and forth.

I had to work at such a thing because my left eye WAS 20/35. Right eye was 20/200 ( yep..you read that right!!) Had 2 cataract operations and now am 20/12 1/2 with both eyes open


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## dondavis3 (Aug 2, 2009)

Welcome to the forum from North Central Texas.

:smt1099


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## Copperhead (Mar 24, 2010)

Thanks for the replies...and the welcome...

I think I may have caused some confusion as to how I shot in my class....I shot left-thanded but used my dominant right eye....which was how the instructor recommended I try shooting... He told me if he thought it was effecting my aim, he'd have me make some adjustments&#8230;which he didn't&#8230; In fact he said I did pretty well&#8230;'Course they may tell everybody that&#8230; I only have the first 2 of the targets I shot..I doubt there's anything to be gleaned from them..but here they are anyway&#8230;10 yards - The first is 10 rounds (5 each) with a 22 and 9mm semi.. the second is 11 rounds(6, 5) with a 22 and 38 revolver&#8230;



















I guess I'll try shooting both ways for awhile and see how things work out&#8230; I'm sure I'll be back here again looking for more advice...Thanks again for your comments


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## bruce333 (Sep 1, 2006)

Copperhead said:


> I guess I'll try shooting both ways for awhile and see how things work out&#8230;


That is what my Sister did. She is right handed and left eye dominant. She would switch hands every range trip. When she thought she was shooting equally with each hand, she had a shoot off where she switched hands on the same range trip and compared targets. Left hand won. The good part about this is that she can shoot as well or better with her "off" hand as a lot of people can with their strong hand.


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## flieger67 (Dec 15, 2009)

Copperhead said:


> I consider my left hand to be my "primary" hand&#8230;And while I'm not ambidextrous...I do mix things up&#8230;I bat right handed..I play the guitar right handed&#8230;I cut my food with my right hand&#8230;you get the picture..


Too funny - I'm in the same boat as you (and I'm sure glad that I learned to play guitar right-handed).

As for shooting, a previous poster made a good observation about learning which eye is your dominant eye.

But I would suggest learning to shoot two-handed and one-handed with both hands. If you want to shoot certain competitions, you may likely have to shoot one-handed with your left and right hands. I'm going to shoot in a Glock competition next month and I found out that I'll have to shoot one-handed with both hands so I'm working on that quickly.

And if you are planning to use the weapon for self-defense, you may well be in a situation where you'd have to shoot one-handed and be using your strong hand to protect a love one or for some other reason.

So bottom line, I'd recommend practicing two-handed, left-handed and right-handed.

Enjoy and have fun. And welcome to the forum! :smt023


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## Copperhead (Mar 24, 2010)

flieger67 said:


> Too funny - I'm in the same boat as you (and I'm sure glad that I learned to play guitar right-handed).


Good to know I'm not the only strange one out there...

I'm positive that my right eye is the dominant one&#8230; And thanks for mentioning holding the gun with both hands&#8230; I didn't mean to give the impression I was holding it with only one hand&#8230; I'm way to new at this to even consider shooting without both hands on the gun&#8230; regardless of which one I use to pull the trigger&#8230;. Appreciate the tips and the welcome.... Good luck at your competition


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## flieger67 (Dec 15, 2009)

Copperhead said:


> Good to know I'm not the only strange one out there...
> 
> I'm positive that my right eye is the dominant one&#8230; And thanks for mentioning holding the gun with both hands&#8230; I didn't mean to give the impression I was holding it with only one hand&#8230; I'm way to new at this to even consider shooting without both hands on the gun&#8230; regardless of which one I use to pull the trigger&#8230;. Appreciate the tips and the welcome.... Good luck at your competition


No, you're not the only one out there. Strength in numbers, I do suppose.

It's definitely a good idea to get comfortable shooting two-handed before proceeding carefully to using only one hand. Funnily enough, though, I just started reading a book called, "The Automatic Pistol" which was originally published in 1919 and was written by a British army officer. In that book, the author states that the pistol is a defensive weapon and therefore should only be fired one-handed. I thought that was interesting viewpoint.

Given that you are right-eye dominant, when you do start to shoot using only your left hand, try this little suggestion that I got from a magazine and also from one of the range safety officers where I shoot. When firing with your left hand, tilt the gun slightly inwards, toward your chest. They aren't suggesting going "gangsta", just going about 10 degrees from vertical. It's a strange sight picture at first but I'll admit that it does really seem to work. I'm left eye dominant and my right hand is a bit weaker than my left hand and this slight tilt of the pistol did a lot to improve my accuracy when using just my right hand.

Try it and see if you have similar results once you start shooting one-handed.


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## Fred40 (Jan 7, 2008)

I'm left handed and right eye dominant. I shoot right handed. Actually seems natural for me since my right eye is so dominant. Even though I do almost everything else left handed:

Left - Eat, write, throw, bowl, golf, bat,....etc...

Right - Cut & Shoot (bows & guns)


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## Brydawg (Mar 9, 2010)

I too am right eye dominant, but shoot both handguns and shotguns with both eyes open, weather shooting right handed, left handed, or two handed. It doesn't really seem to make a difference.


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