Swapping right handed to left

[OregonJim]

I am sorry if this has been discussed before.
I was wondering if anyone has switched draws R to L or L to R.

A few years ago I discovered that I really should have been shooting left handed all along.
It only took about 12 years of bow hunting and a fair number of filled tags to realize it.
It happened when a range instructor saw me using my rather unconventional handgun stance.
I am strongly left eye dominant so my strong hand unsupported has me sighting with my left eye while holding the weapon with my right hand.

The range instructor asked me if I bow hunted and if I used a right-handed bow.
Long story short…… I switched over to a left handed bow and after a year my groups at 40 were about half the size as before. I think the bigger difference was sight picture. During hunting situations I could keep both eyes open and had a much more natural sight picture.
It felt like I was throwing a baseball left handed at first.

Just wondering if anyone else has made this change as a mature hunter ???

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Most instructors will tell a person to start or change your shooting and use the side of your dominant eye when using a gun and it should be the same way with a bow. Normally if you don't you end up literally fighting with your body because it naturally wants to use that dominant eye and to do it your form will not be correct. I'm not at all surprised to hear that your groups have really tightened up if your form is correct and I'b bet after doing it a while that you became a lot more comfortable shooting from the correct side using that dominant eye the way God intended.

 

[RUTTIN]

I am left handed, but right eye dominant, and shoot my bow right handed. I like you didn't have to switch at an older age I have always shot that way, so I bet it was a struggle at first for you. Good luck to you, it sounds as though you are enjoying your shooting more now.

 

[2 Full Curls]

Jim, I had the same exact experience as you.... Almost to a T. The only difference being it happened to me sooner in my archery career. I am right handed but left eye dominant. I am a much better archer now that I shoot lefty. It's a lot tough to be accurate when I pick up my Dads right handed bow and shoot

 

[Wild Country]

Right handed and left eye dominant shooting right handed with fingers for 18 years switched to a left handed bow and release 7 years ago and I have never been a better shot than I am right now. I try and put 20 - 30 arrows through my bow a day now and enjoy shooting rather than struggling to shoot with good from but being left eye dominant. My confidence has gone through the roof since switching to a left handed bow!

 

[OregonJim]

Thanks Two Full and W.C.
Good to see I'm not the only one.
I have blown several shots right handed over the years (made some too) but a year ago I made my longest shot ever, with perfect placement, on a nice big cow. I don't think I would have even tried the shot right handed.

 

[Wild Country]

We'll come on Jim....let's us know the distance of the shot! It's not as if we will make fun of you....I just want to know if you hunt better than I do....cuz I know why I put 20 to 30 arrows threw my bow a day! if I could get as close as I want I could use my kids bow!

 

[D.Turvey Jr]

Good on ya OregonJim! I can't stress enough shooting with with the dominant eye. I've run into gentlemen such as yourself before that are extremely stubborn to make the switch but soon realized what they were missing once they gave it a try. For me, I always keep both eyes open no matter what I am going from glassing, to rifles to shooting a bow. It's very natural for me and I find it advantageous in most dynamic hunting situations to have both eyes open as it keeps your field of view open and makes it easier to see critters ghosting in from the periphery.

 

[OregonJim]

WC.... needless to say it was longer than I should have shot.
I will not shoot that distance again (at least I tell myself that)
View attachment 8605View attachment 8604

 

[win264]

I'm also am left eye dominate but, I am right handed at everything, I have thought about learning to shoot left handed but it doesn't seem to effect my shooting with a bow or firearm but I could see where it would probably give me a better sight picture especially with a bow because I have to close my left eye to aim or I see double, I keep both eyes open when shooting a shotgun and it doesn't seem to make a difference.....for me.

On another note my youngest son is left eye dominate also and does everything right handed except shoot, when he was young and just starting out shooting I made him shoot right handed because of the availability of firearms. well when he got older he went back to shooting left handed but, now he can shoot right or left handed and he can break 50 out of 50 in trap. we go to the trap range and have a friendly competition between us, each one will pick a spot at the trap range range and shoot 1 shot whoever wins get to pick the next location he goes back past the 27 yd mark and shoots right handed then left looks at me and says there you go pops beat that! LOL

He can bowl left or right and can roll 300 games with either hand on occasion.

 

[OregonJim]

Win
I definitely couldn't shoot with both eyes open before switching.
I really think that my dominate eye was creating a parallax and changing my sight picture.
Unfortunately I could overcome it at the archery range but in the heat of the moment I sometimes would forget to close my left eye.

I certainly wouldn't run out and buy a left-handed bow just because I had been using the wrong one, but If I were in the market for a new bow (as I was when I swapped to left) then it wouldn't hurt to toy around with it.

 

[win264]

It has definitely crossed my mind even more lately, I'm certainly not opposed to it and I agree I think I would shoot better.....it makes perfect sense. If I were to find a decent bow set up, at a relatively inexpensive price just to practice with.... It doesn't have to be a top line bow to practice getting the hang of it. Then upgrade later, it still might happen for me.......then I could challenge my son with a bow.
LOL!

 

[OregonJim]

Gonna feel weird at first..... I guarantee it