can you shoot with either hand ?

[Chris Phelps]

Actually, you don't have to bring your hands to your face. Form the triangle as you described at arm's length and look at an object with both eyes open. Then close one eye. If the open eye shows the object in the center of the triangle, that's your dominant eye. You won't even see the object if it's the other eye.

OK, just tried that. It all depends on where my hands come up if I select the target. I can move my hands back and fourth, and nothing seems to change. I have no idea.

[Capt. Charlie]

Don't move either your hands or your head, Chris. At first, make sure you're looking through the triange with both eyes open, at arms length. Now, without moving either, close your right eye. If your left eye shows the object, it's dominant. Now switch eyes, and the non-dominant eye will not see the object. It won't be in the field of view.

[Chris Phelps]

ok that works.... I am left eye dominant.

[HuntAndFish]

Chris,

Try this. Take a blank piece of paper and write "dominant" in the middle of it. Set in your favorite reading position and read the word on the paper over and over while quickly pulling the paper to about 1 inch of your nose.

Then shut one of your eyes. Which eye is focused on the word?

[model 25]

At the club I make people miserable by adding a weak hand to some of the events. I do it to give a little challenge and that little bit of work to shoot weak handed makes it fun. I am not great but if your close in real life I can make your really nervouse

Think about it, if you are pinned down so cover only allows you to shoot weak handed without being exsposed what are you going to do? You will get killed if you lean out with the wrong side.

True story, the Britts came up with a bullpup design rifle (SA80)that the empties came out close to the face on the opposite side. Well as they patroled the streets they found when they went to cover on one side of the street they couldn't shoot without hot brass hitting them in the face or having to exspose their body to fire. They used to fight over which side of the street they would patrol

25

[74_sharps]

Many times while on horseback I've had to shoot with my off hand rather than bringing the weapon across my chest where my horse can't see it and I'm off ballance. It also puts the muzzle blast farther away from both of us.

If you find that your off hand is a bit weak here's an ideal. Get one of those hand exerciser--the type that you grip and squeeze. This will improve your grip. As for wrist strength, it seem that nothing can beat weights. Try placing them in your hand with you arm horizonal and flexing at the wrist. Turn your arm the other way (palm down) and flex it that way. The good thing about this is that you can do it while watching T.V. Don't do it til you "feel the burn" your just trying to tone first.

Anyhow, I hope this is of some help to you. And yes, you brain does'nt know what hand your shooting with.

God's Blessings,
Ken

[stevelyn]

Being a left-handed firearms instructor in a world of right-handed students I had to adapt to my students to better effectively teach. I'm not as good a shot right handed as I am left handed, but I can manipulate the guns nearly as well right-handed as I can left. However, I do have to put a little more conscieous effort into doing so.
I'm also fortunate that years of shooting firearms left-handed and archery right-handed has conditioned me to switch eye dominance when needed.

[Mikeyboy]

My range drill is usually to shoot mostly right handed weaver stance, then take a few shots one handed right and one handed left. I shoot OK right handed but I shoot bad left. I usually do better left handed with lighter handguns and worse with heavier guns. I don't get it, I can curl a 30lb dumbbell all day, or scoop up and hold my 40lb kid with my left arm, but I can't hold a handgun over 20oz steady with my left hand.

[springmom]

...because Capt Charlie's eye dominance test doesn't work for me. The object stays in my field of vision either way. When I close my left eye, it "shifts" to the right, but still in the triangle, and vice versa.

Oh, well, y'all knew I was weird anyway....

Springmom

[pax]

Spring ~

When you close your dominant eye, the image will shift. How far it shifts (and whether it jumps completely out of sight) is a function of how big and how far away the object is.

My eye dominance changes daily, sometimes several times during the day. All of the eye dominance tests I've ever used give me different results depending on a whole lot of different variables -- up to and including which hand is on top when I make the triangle. Never have done things the easy way.

pax

[riverkeeper]

I'm right hand, foot and eye dominant and so mostly shoot that way. I've intentionally learned to switch hit in tennis, baseball, permanently set a left hand mouse and other skills.

So left handed in the Iscoceles can shoot just a little slower and a little less accurate -- but not terrible.

The Center Axis Relock 'system' is supposed to make off hand shooting better.

[KNJoe]

Sorry for th late response...


Jibjab, you're saying that you only ever use one finger as a trigger finger? What about using your middle finger, and keeping the index finger flush against the pistol when you fire? Assuming you aren't shooting some short-ass barreled handgun, and thus shoot your finger off, you'll be fine. The United State military did that for years.
It's kind of fun, too.

Not much else I have to say, I guess...

[joneb]

Thanks KnJoe, I tried holding my Tarus 85 boot grip with my middle finger on the trigger, my index finger rubbed the cylinder and put the end of my splinted finger next to the end of the cylinder and forceing cone Then I held my 9x18 makarov the same way, my index finger was in front of the ejector port thanks for the response, I will turn this into a positive practice now as a lefty and later with both. One never knows what can happen in a altercation, it's wise to be prepared.

[Onebum]

I can shoot amphibiously, and my accuracy is great in both fresh and saltwater. It doesn't matter, my harpoons always hit the mark.

[Optical Serenity]

Great post. I think its very important to learn not only how to shoot with non-dominent hand, but also how to reload, pick up gun, resecure it...get cell phone, etc...

[Rob P.]

I have always been ambidexterous. Bows, guns, baseballs, whatever and whenever, I can do it just as easily with either hand. Always. That's not to say it's perfect or matched in accuracy or abilty. It's just that I can switch sides back and forth with no problems. I do have preferences though. I prefer to eat, drink and write with my left hand as my wrist is more flexible on that side and I prefer to throw with my right arm as it's more muscular in that aspect.

As I was growing up I had a hard time understanding why some people couldn't do something one handed or with their left hand. My wife can't do ANYTHING lefty and this totally stumps me.

I also don't have a dominant eye that I can discover. Good to know I"m not alone in this.

[joneb]

And how does this help jibjab ROB .......................

[Barr]

I am not proficient with both hands, but in a pinch my left hand can do. I have practiced so that I can at least have 75% or better accuracy in my left hand as I do in with right hand.

[Rob P.]

jibjab, It helps because in order to continue to BE ambi, I have to practice my penmanship with my right hand as well as fludity/economy of movement with my left side for those tasks I normally perform righty.

Thus, the answer to your dilemma is the same as the answer on how to get to Broadway - Practice, practice, practice.

[Mr. James]

Right handed, right eye dominant. Except for hockey, where I shoot left-handed (I guess that is not at all uncommon).

I make a point of practicing left handed, usually at the end of my range sessions. I'm fair-to-middlin' passable off the weak hand.