I plan to take the wife shooting soon. She has never fired or held a gun, real or toy. My question is how do you determine which hand she should shoot with? Does it matter what hand you throw or write with? Myself for example being a very new shooter, only about 600 rounds lifetime, I throw left-handed and write right-handed. I feel like I have better feel and aim holding left-handed but my right hand is not that far off. Should I use this to my advantage and practice with both early on or stick to one hand only and perfect that hand? My goals for shooting are strictly recreational once or twice a week and hopefully never needed home defense.

 

Also does the same go for long guns?

You're trigger hand should be the hand you write with. Eye dominance is a completely different animal. I'm right handed and left eye dominant.

http://www.wikihow.c...e-Eye-Dominance

 

That should help you with determining dominance.

 

My advice is to use your dominant eye to aim your handguns but learn how to shoot righty with long guns no matter what. It will be way easier on yourselves if you can shoot righty rifles.

 

(in your case if you feel better with the left hand go for it but I would definitely train with both sides since youre already a leg up)

some use this method:

 

Have her make a triangle with her thumbs and forefingers at arms length looking at something in the distance, you go to that in the distance and see which eye she's using... That's her dominant eye.

I am left handed and shoot left handed with handgun and righty rifle. It's no biggie.

I shoot right eye...left eye...both eyes...right hand...left hand. Sight picture remains the same.

some use this method:

 

Have her make a triangle with her thumbs and forefingers at arms length looking at something in the distance, you go to that in the distance and see which eye she's using...  That's her dominant eye.

 

According to my 1970s bowhunting book, you make the triangle at arms length and look through it at something in the distance.  Then you close your hands to make the triangle as small as possible while still being able to see the object through the hole.  Then you pull your hands a few inches closer to you, and close the hole further.  Continue until until your hands are on your face.  Your hands are now covering your entire face except for your dominant eye, which you have been continuously using to observe the distant target during the entire exercise,

 

 

According to my 1970s bowhunting book, you make the triangle at arms length and look through it at something in the distance.  Then you close your hands to make the triangle as small as possible while still being able to see the object through the hole.  Then you pull your hands a few inches closer to you, and close the hole further.  Continue until until your hands are on your face.  Your hands are now covering your entire face except for your dominant eye, which you have been continuously using to observe the distant target during the entire exercise,

 

Right

we used to use the thumbs up method. hold yer thumb up at arms length, focus on the thumb with both eyes, train it on something in the distance, a flagpole, a tree, etc. close one eye and then the other. the thumb will appear to move to one side with the non-dominant eye.