My daughter turned 5 in July, and I have promised her over the past several years that I would take her shooting with me once she was 5. She writes with her left hand, but the only gun I have that I would want her to shoot is a right-handed bolt action 22LR. Unfortunately it is scoped, as I would really want her to learn on a gun with open sights. Maybe for Christmas, if I can convince the wife.

Anyway, there would be no problem having her shoot it left handed (bolt operation would just be awkward), but I really want her to learn to shoot right handed for several reasons. First, I won’t have to buy left-handed guns! I’m a righty and my 2-yo son appears to be as well. Obviously it’s better if they can share youth-sized firearms (or pass down from her to him). Also, for many guns there just isn’t a left-handed option (I would hate for her not to be able to fire the M1A without getting hot brass in the face).

Should I try to coach her in to right-handed shooting or just let nature take its course?

IMO you should not coach her to do either. I shoot left handed. But I am ambidextrous. I can just as easily(but not as accurately) shoot right handed. I bat right handed. I do different things different ways.

But the bottom line to good accurate shooting is the dominant eye. You need to determine which of her eyes is dominant. Then you want her to learn how to shoot with that dominat eye. It is a mistake to teach her to shoot with the non-dominant eye. Yes she will be able to do it. But if you really want her to learn the proper way then let her use her dominant eye, and just accept it.

Let her shoulder a properly fitted firearm on her left side, and her right side then watch her eyes. You will easily be able to tell which is dominant.

My best friend has been trying to force his left handed son to shoot right handed for close to two years. In 30 minutes a couple of weeks ago I had him shooting better than he ever has shot only by using my left handed rifle, and teaching him to shoot properly with his dominant eye. Tom.

I would say no.
My daughter is right-handed but left eye-dominant, in other words she has to aim with het left eye. I then taught her to shoot left-handed and she's really accurate with a rifle.
It's better to start teaching them young and lay the correct fondament, if they struggle at a older stage its easy to loose their love for the sport.
BTW, my daughter also started shooting at 5, she is now 7 and still love shooting her dad's rifles.

Yes, I was going to have her identify her dominant eye before she even shouldered a rifle. I think that is key. Hopefully it's her right!

What HEAD0001 said.

Let the young lady shoot the way she wants too.

I don't think that will work for you. You will not know what her dominant eye is until she shoulders the rifle.

Teach her how to properly shoulder a properly fitted rifle both right and left handed. Then watch nothing but her eyes. By the amount of squinting and frustration she shows in her face you will soon know whether her right or her left eye is dominant.

You can not tell for sure until you have put her vision to the test. Then it willl soon become apparent to you.

You can't go by how she does anything else. Shooting and focusing her eye is totally different than any other endeavor. Tom.

Don't fight Mother Nature. As others have said, eye dominance is the key.

HEAD001 - Identifying the dominant eye is extremely simple. Make an “O” with your thumb and index finger, hold it out at least 12” away from your eyes (centered), and, with both eyes open, “target” something through the O. Now close one eye. Do you still see your target through the O? If so, then your open eye is your dominant eye. If not, then the eye you just closed is your dominant eye.

7.62:

At what point did you decide it was time to teach your daughter to shoot? Was it that she turned 5 or was there something else that told you she was ready?

I have a 4 year and 6 month old daughter. I have been thinking about when it would be a good time to begin teaching her as well. I am going to wait another year. At this time she does not seem to be able to stay focused on the task at hand. Not saying this is a character flaw just not mature enough yet. Was there something that told you your daughter was ready?

Best wishes to you and your daughter.

/Sorry for the thread hijack

All of my kids started with BB guns. I recommend it highly.