# learning to shoot question



## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

My husband was teaching me to shoot a 22 for the first time yesterday
(first time I have shot anything)

It has a scope and he says I need to rest the butt of the gun near my right armpit and close my left eye and view the scope through my right eye.

I tried and tried this and it would make a funny video..It is like I am learning 
to wink for the first time ...I just can't seem to use my right eye & shut my left...

I have read about how everyone has a dominant eye and how for some it is the right & some the left. 

Is it possible I have a left dominant eye and need to use that to look through the scope or does everyone use the right eye????


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

I've shot right-handed and used my left eye to aim with a scope on a high-powered rifle. It was when I was trying to get a buck walking up behind me when I was in a deer stand. At any rate, I got the buck....and a big ol' black eye.

I'd suggest putting a patch over your left eye and see if that doesn;t help.


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

Hubby was irritated with me yesterday because I was having trouble seeing through the scope with my right eye.
I tried to tell him today what I read about being righthanded/left eye dominate .
I can't exactly help it if I have a different dominant eye than him... 

He cannot get past this is how my great grandaddy,granddaddy,daddy & I shot.


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## megafatcat (Jun 30, 2009)

Keep BOTH eyes open.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

I am right handed and left eye dominant and have no problem closing my left eye. Shooting with both eyes open will not work for me with a rifle and a shotgun but is no problem with a pistol. I have closed my left eye since I started shooting at age 7 and today I dont even think about it. Shooting with both eyes open is the proper method but will not work with cross doninance. To be honest it is no big deal for me. I think the biggest problem you have is not being comfortable shooting. I teach hunter training and we have shooting as part of the class. Some of the students have never fired a gun in their lives and are very nervous. Tell your husband to lighten up. Shooting is fun so keep it that way. just relax, get comfortable, and shoot. After awhile it all falls into place. I work with a lot with new trap shooters and always tell them that after the first 5,000 birds it starts to get easy. The same goes with a rifle. Position, stance and breathing are very important in shooting but they develope over time.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

I forgot. Some people will tell you to lern to shoot lefthanded. I have mixed feelings on that. It might work. the key word is might. Go on line and check into finding out if you are left eye doninant. Its really simple but I would have to illustrate how its done and my computer skills are lacking.


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## makete (Aug 4, 2010)

Pick out an object on the wall or just about anywhere that is a few feet away from you. Keeping both eyes open, point at the object with one finger. Dont move your finger, but close one eye and see if the finger moves to the side of the object. Then close the other eye and see which eye will leave the finger "on" the object. This should help in finding out which eye is dominate.

Hope this is explained well enough and hope it helps.


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

the majority of cross dominate people are female. target shooters should learn to shoot using their dominate eye, no matter what handed they are. you can "handicap" your dominate eye by a small amount of scotch frosted package tape....it does not take much handicapping to make the brain switch over to the non dominate eye. 

my nine year old right handed, left eye dominate daughter shoots left handed and wins at air rifle, rimfire, muzzle loading, and highpower matches on a regular basis. the only reason not to go lefthanded is the cost of the firearms.....

let me also say and this from coaching rifle teams for the past 8 years....its hard to learn and hard to coach someone within your own family......

for good info go to www.odcmp.com go to the left under coaching resources good reading and instruction.


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## jross (Sep 3, 2006)

makete said:


> Pick out an object on the wall or just about anywhere that is a few feet away from you. Keeping both eyes open, point at the object with one finger. Dont move your finger, but close one eye and see if the finger moves to the side of the object. Then close the other eye and see which eye will leave the finger "on" the object. This should help in finding out which eye is dominate.
> 
> Hope this is explained well enough and hope it helps.


If a single finger doesn't work, make an oval with both fingers and thumbs, then look through. Works the same as above, but for some reason, it works better for others at times.


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

If you are left-eye dominant I would suggest learning to shoot left-handed. My dad and three of his brothers are (were, one died) right-handed, and left-eye dominant. They all shot left-handed, and were good shots.

My wife is also right-handed and left-eye dominant. She is learning to shoot both handguns and long guns left-handed. It felt a little awkward to her at first, but her marksmanship improved dramatically from the first time she shot left-handed.


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

I did all the different test that I found online and I am definitely
left eye dominate & right handed.


It explains why I was having trouble closing my left eye and seeing through the scope with my right eye. 

Hubby is pretty sure if I quit being so stubborn and just do it the way he says I will be fine .. sigh.. 

Maybe I don't need to be in the woods with him with a gun in my hand:hysterical: Just kidding...

From what I read if I need to shoot left handed the Henry 22 rifle we just bought should be fine either way. Hope so anyway.


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## gwhilikerz (Aug 7, 2006)

Keep both eyes open - put the crosshairs on the target and squeeze - check the results - repeat . If that isn't working for you then learn to wink left eyed.
p.s. Don't put the stock in your armpit but higher on the shoulder. Relax, it should be fun.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Well, you could tell hubby that you want your own rifle with an off-set scope mount.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

Easiest way to determine eye dominance is-hold hands flat out in front of you,thumbs and trigger fingers touching to leave a diamond like opening,hold up hands,center in front of your eyes,and look at opening as you bring hands to eyes.Invariably(95%),you will end up with hands in front of dominant sighting eye....And learn with iron sights first,it's a better foundation...hold rifle loosely and comfortably,pull stock into shoulder,snug up and get good cheek weld and enjoy...welcome to the culture...


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

nancy237 said:


> I did all the different test that I found online and I am definitely
> left eye dominate & right handed.
> 
> 
> ...


Nancey, what part of NC are you from....some of the the best shooters in the nation (its in the records) are around the Butner/Creedmoore/raleigh/Durham area and one of the best female coaches is in the creedmoore area..


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

Actually, besides being left eye dominant I also bat and swing a golf club left handed. As far as learning to shoot left handed Ive been shooting right handed for 48 years so changing now would be a waste of time. I do close my left eye when I shoot and I shoot pretty good. In an Annie Oakley I may not always win but frequently Im one of the last three shooters. Just out of curiousity Nancy 237 why do you have trouble closing your left eye and looking through a rifle scope? How do you use a telescope or microscope? It's pretty much the same.


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## CrashTestRanch (Jul 14, 2010)

tape up your shooting glasses on the eye you don't scope with ... use scotch tape ...


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

JJ Grandits said:


> Just out of curiousity Nancy 237 why do you have trouble closing your left eye and looking through a rifle scope? How do you use a telescope or microscope? It's pretty much the same.


I can't explain it..I just kept seeing a small area or black in the scope.
I may just need to get used to it.

I just picked up a pool cue to see what I do (never really thought about it)
I close the right eye and use my left. When I switched I could close my 
left but it kept wanting to peek open.


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

Ace ..that is our area exactly..
We live in North Raleigh but I was in Creedmoor today at my grandsons soccer game .
It only takes us about 15 minutes to get there.

Cabin Fever ..I like that scope...


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

ok then Get up with sir walter gun club just out of Creedmoor. Female coach is Huddock, she is a great coach, her son and another NC shooter won Nra team match last year at perry. her son is on the Olympic team training now. she can have you outshooting your hubby in a couple of weekends.


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

Ace ... I'll do that & then I can get the raccoon that killed my favorite rabbit and started this urge to learn to shoot.


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

Ace ...I went to their website and they have a ladies day clinic for beginners in Oct. That will be perfect so I am going to sign up for it. Thanks for telling about this place.


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

i'm pretty sure she runs that clinic...when you're through with that, come out to Butner and shoot high power with us....Sir Walter, Durham rifle club, North State or one of us will have a service rifle to lend for the day. the season is kinda closing down but still a place within 1 hours drive of you about twice a month until the weather is way too cold for anyone with good brains......when that happens, wake county has an excellent indoor range with 200 yard longest shot.

here's the challenge, the national CMP Eastern Games and national Matches are held in Butner. last year the only females in the rimfire match were my daughter and one other junior from my club.....no adult females.....how would you like to bust the door down? again go to www.odcmp.com for training info and matches. be glad to help you with info....but i am in southern virginia.


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## Wylie Kyote (Dec 1, 2009)

I would try using open sights first then progress to a scope. Not only will you get used to using both eyes for sighting, right or left hand shooting, but it will give you a chance to get a "feel" of the rifle.

Wylie


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## Sully (Feb 29, 2008)

I'm left handed and learned to shoot right hand actions most my life. Reaching over the top of the rifle to work the bolt. It was wonderful when I got my first left handed bolt action rifle.

I don't want to get in the middle of something here, but most instructors will tell a husband is the last person who should teach a woman to shoot.

I taught my wife to shoot and put two pair of kid gloves on. She is right handed and left eye dominant. I had her hitting charcoal briquettes at 50 yrds with "her" .22 and thrown clay birds with "her" 20 guage the second time out. She shot left handed.

Watch the movie "Saving Private Ryan". The squad sniper shoots his scoped 1903 Springfield left handed.

Good luck.


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## Dutch 106 (Feb 12, 2008)

Hey,
Good for you to be willing to learn new stuff! 
Uhmmm well some people can have someone close to them teach complex new things, you know like driving. and shooting like driving looks like its easy especially if you have been doing it at a instinctive level for years.
Find someone you trust who teachs shooting most advanced shooters enjoy teaching some really don't. Your Hubby might do great teaching the neigbors kids and not be able to teach you.
I hear a lot of jumping above you may or may not have problems with a reverse dominate eye. thats not the first thing I would look at. its easy to just put a 22 to the other shoulder if that cures the problem good enough, particularly if its a bolt action, if its a semi auto you may well need to be carful of the spent brass, getting burned in the cleavage sucks those freshly shot 22 cases are hot! And they sneak around the neck of a t shirt too you don't have to be wearing your make there eyes bug out low cut shirt to have this happen, particularly for left handed shooters working with right handed guns.
If you are just learning to shoot using a right handed gun left handed is just as easy to learn if and when, you move to more powerful cartiges you may need to get a left handed rifle/shotgun. Not an imediate problem.
good luck and don't be suprised when Racoons are tough to kill with a 22 till you can really precisly hit them.
Dutch
Remember there are no dumb questions, fi your teacher tells you differant, you have the wrong teacher.


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## Frenchy (Sep 28, 2005)

my exwife was learning to shoot an she was all over the place with placing her shots could not figure it out she was right handed also ........ so I tried the pointing the finger thing an she said it was best with her left eye so we switched her to shooting left handed an .......... dang if she didn't start hitting just about every shot an ended up after practicing as a fairly good shot better than me with a pistol hahahahaha course that ain't saying much hahahahahaha but give it a try shooting left handed if it is what you do best with then I suggest in the future maybe getting a left handed rifle to be safe with while shooting ............good luck an keep trying


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

Thanks for all the ideas...
I will try covering my left eye & also using my left hand .

Ace..thanks..I'll let you know how I am progressing.

We just bought land in Va about 10 minutes above Chase City.
That is where I'll do most of my target practicing. 

Sully... I agree about what you said..also true for teaching a 
wife to back a boat trailer.. He would be patient all day long with anyone else but frustrated with me after 5 minutes.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> I can't explain it..I just kept seeing a small area or black in the scope.


That means you're either too close or too far away from the scope.

A good way to check for proper mounting is to close your eyes and bring the gun up into a comfortable shooting position
Open your eyes and you should have a full view in the scope.

If not, move it forward or back until your eye is around 3 inches from the rear of the scope.

The proper spacing is what's known as "*eye relief*". The farthest distance from your eye that allows a full view in the scope is the best setting. That way, on a gun with high recoil, there is less chance of it hitting your face


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

It just occurred to me that I can practice holding the gun and looking through the scope without actually being where I can shoot.
I don't know why I kept thinking that I needed to wait til we are on our land again to try out covering my eye or holding it left handed.


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

all target shooters practice inside, called "dry firing" or when you use a lot of equipment (like shooting coats) its called "snapping in" 

start using your left hand tomarrow to do everyday things more....


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

It's not a good ideas to dry fire 22's without a *spent *shell loaded because the firing pin can hit the edge of the chamber

It's fine with centerfires though


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

My vocabulary words this week.... :cowboy:


dry firing
shooting coats
snapping in
spent shell
firing pin
chamber
centerfires


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## CrashTestRanch (Jul 14, 2010)

Bearfootfarm said:


> It's not a good ideas to dry fire 22's without a *spent *shell loaded because the firing pin can hit the edge of the chamber
> 
> It's fine with centerfires though


we use snap caps for practice, everything from 12GA to .22, it's a good idea ...


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

I think on most modern rimfire rifles, the pin will not hit the chamber face, if so the pin should be shortened until it just clears...if dry firing is to be practiced anyway...we dry fire thousands of times a week with no harm...but snap caps never hurt for the cheaper rifles that may have clearance problems.


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

nancy237 said:


> My husband was teaching me to shoot a 22 for the first time yesterday
> (first time I have shot anything)
> 
> It has a scope and he says I need to rest the butt of the gun near my right armpit and close my left eye and view the scope through my right eye.
> ...


You could be cross dominant.

As in most righties are right eye dominant. Most lefties are left eye dominant.

Some folks are cross dominant. Righties that are left eye dominant are usually better at many things like shooting pool and such.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

In teaching kids to shoot we use light weight patches often just white masking tape on the left eye of the shooting glasses.
letting light in is important because a dominate eye can cause the other to dialate if it is in the dark 
but the brain is fairly quick to adjust so you then see out the right , this kind of eye dominacy can be taught for many people , just keep wereing the shooting glasses that have the patch over your left eye around for the day reading and such as much as you can 

my wife couldn't close one eye without the other either , she is slowly getting more control over it it is a motor control skill like making a fist by closing one finger at a time then opening one finger at a time , you have to teach your muscles to do it but once the muscle and brain work it out you can do it with relative ease


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

So how is it going? Did you get up with Mrs. Hudock at Sir walter gun club....

by the way, her son just won the CMP Nation Service Pistol match at Camp Perry


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