I need some help with my son

[Larrys1911]

Ive got a problem I have not seen before and I really dont know what to do other than putting a cheek rest on a Red Ryder

My 7yr old has finally expressed an interest in shooting. (for any of you that have kids and are big into shooting Im sure you know how I feel. Two Girls that couldnt care less and a son that FINALLY comes around YA WHO)

he seem to have the really basics down and seems to hit with the BB gun pretty well up close freestyle. I put him on a bench with a 22 and everything went to hell.

Ive noticed he seems to be holding the rifle right handed and sighting with his left eye. I tried to get him to try it left handed and he said "that just feels really weird dad"

I thought about putting tape over his shooting glasses and I tried to do it at the range with the 22 but I caught him looking between the lens and his nose.

has anyone run into this and if so what did you do?

Thanks

Larry

 

[ArmaHeavy]

Re: I need some help with my son

Eye patch.

 

[gadbmw]

Re: I need some help with my son

pm inbound

 

[Nebraskaboy]

Re: I need some help with my son

My son is also right handed and left eye dominant, I just had to keep reminding him to close the left eye and he has been able to trine himself, I also let him shoot left handed and he has been able to train himself to do that. In your case I agree wit Armaheavy or you could just totally black out the left lens with paint. Let us know how it goes and good luck.

 

[ArmaHeavy]

Re: I need some help with my son

You could always tell him why, but a kid is a kid. He'll ask more questions.

Not like it's a bad thing to be interested in target shooting.

 

[navajo1018]

Re: I need some help with my son

If he is truly left eye dominant there is nothing you can do about it. A left eye, right handed person will always shoot better if they can train themselves to shoot left handed which is possible. Being only 7 yrs old makes it tough. Maybe just stick with the air rile till he can be coaxed into trying it left handed?

Like Arma said, try to explain why even tho shooting lefty is weird at first over time he will shoot better, but then again you dont want to scare him off like his sisters

Hope that helps, Keep us updated.

 

[Larrys1911]

Re: I need some help with my son

Well dear old dad has a lot of experience with LED right handed

But I just naturally started shooting left handed. after years of running and gunning Im completely ambi with a long gun.

I have however never seen anyone try to shoot right handed left eyed with a long gun so that threw me for a loop.

I appreciate all the advice, Ill try everything thats been offered. He wants to deer hunt this fall but Ive told him he has to show me he can hit what he is aiming at first so he will be open to trying whatever I ask.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Larry

 

[LongArm]

Re: I need some help with my son

Train him how to shoot properly and it will not feel weird when he is done. Its a lot easier to train them right in the beginning then for him to have to compensate his whole life. The best thing is that you know and now you can address it. Shooting right handed and being left eye dominate will only slow him down later.

If I were in the same spot I would take the time and show him how to do it correctly (which it seems you did) and then make him do it correctly (left handed) or no hunting (not humane to wound animals or not get a quick kill). You are a good father or you would not be worried about it. I am left handed (and quasi ambidextrous) but prefer right handed rifles.

What ever you train him to do he will do well, left or right handed (weapons and shooting). Help him out and start him out correctly. Get him shooting correctly and he will be way better off.

I have helped shooters who learned how to shoot incorrectly (left eye dominate and shooting right handed etc..)with pistols and rifles and it is a very daunting task.

If anything you'll get to spend more time with him at the range and hunting which is never bad. I have always wished I could get time back with my kids when they were younger anyway. Like I said I can tell you are a good father and I am not trying to tell you how to raise your child, just trying to help out a fellow lefty.

So take it for what it is worth, its easier to learn it correctly in the beginning than to have to unlearn it in the end.

 

[dar1246]

Re: I need some help with my son

My son is right handed but is left eye dom. Switch him to a lefty on the rifle and bow. Why fight it. It will be more natural for him.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: I need some help with my son

In the long run, L/H shooters will find the bulk of shooting matters is skewed heavily in favor of R/H shooters.

I would make a 'due diligence' effort to acclimate the new shooter to right-handed, right eyed shooting. It will benefit the shooter to be able to use this approach, even if only as a functional alternative.

The least painful technique is to place frosted clear (Magic) tape across the L/H lens of the shooting glasses. It achieves the desired effect with a minimum of complexity. Given enough repetition, the lessons should stick.

I would not discourage learning other approches, I would simply favor postponing them until the preferred approach is solidly ingrained.

Nothing wrong with having no 'weak' side.

Yes, it's sorta like a Jedi Mind Trick, but if it works, no harm done.

Greg

 

[EXTREMEPREJUDICE]

Re: I need some help with my son

At 7 yrs. of age just tell him to close his left eye when shooting and he'll do just fine. In fact, if he sees you do it will be easier for him to follow your lead. When he's older you can try the more complex approaches for what they're worth. At 7, keep it simple.

 

[N20]

Re: I need some help with my son

Larry, my good friend is the same way, left eye dominant but right handed. He shoots pistols right handed, sighting with his left eye. However he shoots rifles left handed, and again sighting with his left eye.
He said his dad tried to make him shoot with his right eye when young, and he did for a while, it just never felt normal. shooting lefty on a rifle doesn't either, but it is better feeling option for him. now all his rifles are lefty so he doesn't have much choice...

feel free to PM me if you would like me to ask him a question for you.

 

[Taken Out Slak]

Re: I need some help with my son

As an experienced firearms instructor if you want success in the end and not just a quick fix then you'll consider the advise previously posted by LongArm. I would recommend the same thing but no need to repeat when so eloquently stated.

 

[T2CH]

Re: I need some help with my son

I have battled with this scenario my whole life. Taught to shoot right handed but my left eye was the one my brain wanted to use. The long guns were no problem as I just closed the left eye. The shorty's were the real pain.
When my Bro-in-law came along he taught me how to train myself (he was Navy Seal). I trained while sitting around at night and watching tv. I used an airsoft pistol with decent sights and dry fired using both eyes open until I could point and shoot with both eyes open and th right eye dominating the sight picture.

Now I am a better shooter for it and have started using both eyes open for scoped rifles. Now to just get it done with the shotgun while skeet shooting.

My son is also truely ambi. He can shoot either hand and never complains about it. Does well too.

 

[former naval person]

Re: I need some help with my son

The shotty is the big problem. You can build a "crossover stock" that will allow him to lay his head far enough over to use the left eye...but, IMHO, train him to shoot left eye, left shoulder. The reflexes will come in at the age he is, and the instinct shooting with shotguns, etc., will be much to his advantage.

 

[Coloradocop]

Re: I need some help with my son

I'm left eye dominant and right handed. I grew up shooting, and didn't know any better for the first 15 years or so that I used a gun. Over time I taught myself to compensate for the eye dominance issue, but when I was younger I typically just closed my left eye.

Today I can comfortably shoot rifle and pistol right handed, using my right eye.

The only time I've felt the eye dominance issue affecting me lately has been in low-light pistol shooting situations, usually beyond 15 yards. In those instances I can usually bring the right eye back on the sights by blinking my left eye, or closing it if needed.

Cross dominance isn't ideal, but we deal with what we get, I suppose. My girlfriend is rather new to shooting, and she also has the right handed, left dominance issue. For her, she has thus far found that she can comfortably shoot pistol right handed, but prefers to shoot rifles as a lefty.

Taping the lens of your son's glasses seems like a good idea to me, but if the glasses are a poor fit he's going to look around them like you described.

You might try telling him to close his left eye. It isn't as ideal as being able to comfortably shoot with both eyes open, but it also isn't ideal to try to shoot lefty in a right-handed world when you're right handed. Personally, I think every cross-eye-dominant shooter tackles this situation in their own way, so you may just need to watch him to see what works best for him in the long run.

I will say that I'm glad I grew up shooting right handed, despite a dominant left eye. It sure is a whole lot easier to find right-handed shooting equipment out there! Could I have been a better shooter if I had learned to shoot lefty with my left eye being dominant? Perhaps. But, I don't feel the least bit handicapped by that issue when I shoot these days.

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Re: I need some help with my son

The time is now for the youngster to shoot from the left shoulder. Proper shooting is not age dependent. In addition, when shooting from any but the bench position what's natural for the youngster may not be correct. Therefore, to get the youngster off to a good start, with picture and motor memory development, consider getting the youngster into a marksmanship program. With some proper training, and some reward for shooting well, such as those found in the NRA's Qualification Programs, even the highly intelligent youngster will continue to be interested in it all.

 

[Muskett]

Re: I need some help with my son

You are not going to beat the dominate eye so you have to work with it.

At his age you might get him to be able to shoot left handed. This is the easier switch. He has to be told to do everything as a left hander when doing anything gun wise. Regular Air rifle work helps and try it for several months. Ball throwing too and any other games. No switching about just stick with it; a year would be better. He will either end up as a left hand shooter or not. If there is a left hand shooter naturally within him then all will be well.

If not then its back to basics. He will be a right hand shooter with closed/patch left eye for rifle and a crossover stock on his shot gun. Less than ideal and the funny stocks limit what is available, but thats just life. Gone are the "average person" fit and the costs go up. But it doesn't mean he can't be a great shot though he will struggle with borrowed guns as he will have a very personal zero.

All the best.

 

[doc76251]

Re: I need some help with my son

Having lived that dream since I began shooting I can give you "what worked for me" stuff.

1. close the left eye, not perfect but it works unless his right eye is in serious need.

2. Take some time w/ a pair of scissors and a milk jug to make a "cover" for the left lens of his shooting glasses.

There is quite a bit of science that states if there is "some light" but not a true picture that the right eye will effect dominance over the left, hence the milk jug (plastic type). When I was doing highpower I tried everything under the sun and this was the correct answer for me.

3. Use the crossover for pistol (chin/cheek on right shoulder)

After 20 some years I can finally drop down and "focus" enough to drive a rifle w/ both eyes open, it is preferred, but even after all that when I'm tired I still close my left eye to get the job done. Not long, just enough to make the shot.

If he's right handed it will be hell for you AND him to figure it out and may cause more frustration than either of you are willing to gut through.

I teach Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts at summer camp and run across this frequently, the fastest solution is the translucent covering or to tell them to close the left eye. Changing hands for 1 hour is fruitless at best.

The best thing that you can do is explain it to him as best you can so he understands what you are trying to do.

Cheers,

Doc

 

[Muskett]

Re: I need some help with my son

As doc says talk it through with him and see what might work. Its a lot more frustrating for the little chap than it is for you, so go easy on him. It pretty common too.

If he is completely right handed then you are not going to get him to switch. If he shows signs of being ambidextrous then you have a chance to go left handed with practice.

He is young so keep it fun and not too much to the point he gets frustrated. Given time and some encouragement he will find a way. Don't hurry it all as you can put them off just as easily; I waited until my son started nagging me properly which was 9 years old though he had the odd pop earlier. Now he can nearly out shoot me (well he thinks he can until proved wrong).

Have fun, be safe.