This summer I bought a single shot CZ youth model 22 to teach my 2 sons to shoot. My older son has taken to it well and I'm very proud of how well he can do. My younger son, however, struggles. He seems to want to really crank his head around the stock and sight with his left eye. When he does that, he has a hard time hitting a target. Although he is generally right handed, I think he is left eye dominant. How should I teach him? Do I just let him shoot the right handed bolt action left handed (on a single shot gun and with me only giving out one round at a time it shouldn't make too much difference) and worry about left handed guns when he gets older, or are there any training aids or techniques that will help get him comfortable sighting with the right? I'd appreciate any thoughts because I don't want him to get frustrated with the sport. He is 7.
Hooper,
If he is left eye dominant he needs to learn to shoot left handed. As for left handed rifles I owned one and hated it. To me right handed rifles feel more natural for this southpaw.
definently teach him to shoot left handed! even with a right handed gun...it wil be a bit hard to work a bolt action but he can do it...a sniper in "saving private ryan" did it amazingly well...other than that right hand guns shouldnt bother him....spent shells may fly across his sight in autos and pumps but thats nothing major i dont think...
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Hooper, I feel your pain! I am in the same situation. My oldest is about to turn 8 in 3 weeks and is getting a single shot 22 for his b-day. He has done some shooting with BB guns and has a rather odd way of laying his cheek over onto the stock. I am going to let him decide whether to shoot right or left handed. I think he may also be right handed/left eye dominant. If he can learn to shoot right handed great. If not he will shoot left handed. Get your son to try shooting left handed regardless of what gun he is shooting. He will shoot best the way he is most comfortable. There was a guy in my platoon when I was in the Army that shot left handed and was one of the best and fastest in the entire unit.
I also am right handed, left eye dominant, I shoot mostly LH bolts or levers, pumps, and semi's. Had some nice right handed bolts but they always felt awkward. The day I shot my first LH bolt I was hooked. Let your son learn to shoot left if he is left eye dominant, if so get him a lever or pump, or semi. When he grows up he'll get what he wants then.
RR
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Thanks for the feedback. I think the next trip to the range I'll work with him both left handed and right handed with a left eye patch and see what feels comfortable/produces better results for him and then go with it.
My brother was the same way (RH shooter/Left eye dominant). He would shoot our pellet gun by putting his cheek on the stock way back at the butt so he could sight with his left eye. Looked silly and he still couldn't hit anything. He tried shooting left handed but just couldn't get the feel for it so he want back and taught himself to shoot with his right eye. He eventually became a decent shot, but I don't think he'll ever be really good.
The way to check eye dominance (that I've always used) is this:
1.) Form a triangle with your thumbs and index fingers.
2.) Holding your hands out in front of you at arms length, center a distant object in the triangle with both eyes open.
3.) Close one eye and see if the object moves more than 1/4-1/2 inch (a little movement seems to be normal).
4.) Open both eyes and recenter the object. Then close the other eye and see how much it moves.
5.) The eye that sees the least movement when left open is the dominant eye.
For me, the object moves about 1/4" with my right eye open, and moves out of the triangle when my left eye is open, meaning I'm right eye dominant. I am also naturally right handed, so I'm blessed that way.
Good luck,
Mike
Gun control means putting the second bullet through the same hole as the first- Ted Nugent
NRA Member
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -Ben Franklin
Have him try closing his left eye while shooting. It works well for me. I am left-eye dominant but right handed, and shooting a rifle (or shotgun) right handed feels absolutely natural to me. I just have a problem if I keep both eyes open.
My dad and my hunting partner were both right handed and shot left handed . My partner uses a bolt action and prefers a right hand gun to a left hand gun . Its not because that is all he has its just what he likes to shoot and he has quite a few guns .
As for your son let him shoot however he is comfortable and let him make the decision .
Advice on teaching my son
