Shot with a friend shooting a rifle, ar15, for his first time today. He was really contorting himself to see the sites--says he is right handed and left eye dominant. Very awkward looking...do others have that condition? Can it be trained out.
eye dominance question
- Thread starter ned
- Start date
contender
Ruger Guru
Not an uncommon problem.
Often the fix can be done in a few different ways.
Probably the easiest would be to have him place a piece of scotch tape over the lens of the left side of his safety glasses. That allows him to use both eyes somewhat, yet it forces the right eye to do the work.
Another option is for him to learn to shoot left handed. (My wonderful Miss Penny chose to do that.)
Often the fix can be done in a few different ways.
Probably the easiest would be to have him place a piece of scotch tape over the lens of the left side of his safety glasses. That allows him to use both eyes somewhat, yet it forces the right eye to do the work.
Another option is for him to learn to shoot left handed. (My wonderful Miss Penny chose to do that.)
With a handgun, a cross dominate shooter can sometimes cross over easily & shoot with the dominate eye & hand.
A rifle, & shotgun nearly forces the shooter to shoot from the side of the dominate eye. Closing one eye is an option, of course giving up your peripheral vision. Although, I have known a very successful trap shooter that shot with her left eye & off her right shoulder.... with a custom, & very odd looking stock.
Left handed, right eye dominate here, I know the dilemma.
A rifle, & shotgun nearly forces the shooter to shoot from the side of the dominate eye. Closing one eye is an option, of course giving up your peripheral vision. Although, I have known a very successful trap shooter that shot with her left eye & off her right shoulder.... with a custom, & very odd looking stock.
Left handed, right eye dominate here, I know the dilemma.
OP
Thanks, good advice both....we'll work with it...Ned
Many don't seem to know the problem exists. Years ago while operating the rifle range for our yearly qualification I noticed a friend having serious problems with his M-16. I climbed out of the tower and went down the line to check his troubles. he was all over the targets. I asked what his dominate eye was. He just looked at me like I had three heads. I explained to him what it indicated. He was left eye dominant. I got him shooting left handed. Took a while but before the day was over he had at least qualified as a marksman. From then on he fired left handed and became much better.
I am very left eye dominant to the point my right eye vision only
corrects to about 20/150 and I'm right handed.
I got my first BB gun at about 6 years old and couldn't hit
anything. School eye test found the problem and eye doctors
tried all kinds of crap....didn't work.
I call tell you at 7 years old it was real easy to learn to shoot
left handed and over the years it's actually and advantage
with a handgun. I shoot almost as well left handed as right.
Shooting on the left side of barricades ...no problem.
I'd switch hands at the local bowling pin matches just
to mess with people.
That said, I think it would take work to learn it as
an adult. If they are new to shooting it'll help as
they don't have to "unlearn" muscle memory.
Dave
corrects to about 20/150 and I'm right handed.
I got my first BB gun at about 6 years old and couldn't hit
anything. School eye test found the problem and eye doctors
tried all kinds of crap....didn't work.
I call tell you at 7 years old it was real easy to learn to shoot
left handed and over the years it's actually and advantage
with a handgun. I shoot almost as well left handed as right.
Shooting on the left side of barricades ...no problem.
I'd switch hands at the local bowling pin matches just
to mess with people.
That said, I think it would take work to learn it as
an adult. If they are new to shooting it'll help as
they don't have to "unlearn" muscle memory.
Dave
What many don’t know is eye dominance can change. I was right eye dominant up to almost 50. Now i am roughly neutral in dominance. My right eye is mostly in control but it takes very little for my left to take over.
I have a friend that can actually select which eye he wants to use.
I have a friend that can actually select which eye he wants to use.
Bob Wright
Hawkeye
Many years ago my son-in-law had a friend who was a photography buff also. One thing he like to do was get a photo from muzzle-on view. This after very carefully checking the gun. He photographed me while I shot left eye dominant and right handed. Getting the photos back, and looked at my photograph and said, "Geez Bob, you're using the wrong eye! No wonder you can't shoot any better than you do!"
After cataract surgery some years ago, I now shoot with the right eye. (Wright eye?)
And, I'll tell you from experience, shooting right handed and left eye dominant will make considerable difference when shooting heavy recoiling handguns! I shot a .45-70 this way and a photograph showed my shooting had had rotated nearly 90 degrees to my left and my wrist had swung up until the muzzle was near vertical.
Bob Wright
After cataract surgery some years ago, I now shoot with the right eye. (Wright eye?)
And, I'll tell you from experience, shooting right handed and left eye dominant will make considerable difference when shooting heavy recoiling handguns! I shot a .45-70 this way and a photograph showed my shooting had had rotated nearly 90 degrees to my left and my wrist had swung up until the muzzle was near vertical.
Bob Wright
SAJohn
Hunter
I am left handed and right eyed. I have never had any problems shooting even .44 magnums holding left handed and crossing over to use my right eye. With rifles I hold left handed and use my left eye.
In boot camp, shooting an M-1, I did have a problem in that I was forced to shoot right handed.
In boot camp, shooting an M-1, I did have a problem in that I was forced to shoot right handed.
Colonialgirl
Hawkeye
Learned finally some years ago that I am right Handed and left eye dominate; wish I had learned that a LOT sooner !!
Wanna find out about your eyes ?
With BOTH eyes open, point at a target or spot a distance away, then close First the left eye and then open the left and close the right; WHICH had the finger SPOT ON ??
Wanna find out about your eyes ?
With BOTH eyes open, point at a target or spot a distance away, then close First the left eye and then open the left and close the right; WHICH had the finger SPOT ON ??
I'm left eye dominant when shooting a pistol but use my right eye when shooting a rifle.
ptypegreen
Single-Sixer
I discovered I was left eye dominant while being right handed years ago when I tried to find out why I could never hit anything with a shotgun. I now shoot rifles right handed, closing left eye. Handguns right handed but usually line up on left eye. Shotguns I shoot left handed both eyes open. Cross dominance is a pain but can be mitigated, just need to find what works for you.
This "problem" is easy to correct when shooting a rifle. Just tape the dominant eye lens of the shooting glasses. It usually also works for shotgun but reaction time may suffer as the shooter struggles to input what the less dominant eye is seeing. Handguns are relatively simple as there's plenty of allowance to use the most dominant eye/hand combination.
I have worked with cross dominant shooters for decades and at one time was shooting my handguns left eye/right hand. In the case of this new shooter, don't allow him to do that any more. Give him solid advice and show him it works.
I have worked with cross dominant shooters for decades and at one time was shooting my handguns left eye/right hand. In the case of this new shooter, don't allow him to do that any more. Give him solid advice and show him it works.
I'm right handed, I do everything right handed including shooting handguns and bows and use my right eye. Strangely enough I shoot long guns left handed using my left eye. I've been doing this my whole life and have had no problems at all, it feels natural to me. I've done the eye dominance test that Colonialgirl mentioned. When I point with my right finger my right eye lines up with the spot and when I point with my left finger my left eye lines up with it. :?
IKE
Single-Sixer
I'm right handed left eye dominate.....I shoot a rifle on my left shoulder, fire a shotgun off my right shoulder and if looking at me when firing a handgun right handed you can see my head canted slightly to the right.
I am right handed,but blind in my right eye.
My older brother made me start shooting a rifle left handed,but I shoot a handgun right handed.
As an aside,my first bow was a right hand model,and I actually got pretty good with it ,but when I got an actual left hand model,I got a lot better.
My older brother made me start shooting a rifle left handed,but I shoot a handgun right handed.
As an aside,my first bow was a right hand model,and I actually got pretty good with it ,but when I got an actual left hand model,I got a lot better.
A 45-70 handgun? Who builds that monster?Bob Wright said:
I know a guy who is right-handed and left-eyed. He shot competitive smallbore rifle as a teenager and his father, an NRA rifle instructor and smallbore team coach, switched him to left-handed shooting and got him an expensive left-handed Anschutz rifle.
Today, as an adult, he shoots NRA High Power and DCM and is on a military team. He shoots right handed and closes his left eye. :wink:
I'm right-handed and -eyed. My left eye has slightly better vision but my right eye is strongly dominant. Only time I've ever shot a long gun left handed is shooting from left barricade position, when mandated to. I've done quite a bit of work shooting a handgun left-handed and have gotten fairly good at it. I CAN shoot left-eyed (if I close my right eye), but find it very "unnatural" feeling and usually just cant the pistol 20-30 degrees to the right and use my right eye.
Today, as an adult, he shoots NRA High Power and DCM and is on a military team. He shoots right handed and closes his left eye. :wink:
I'm right-handed and -eyed. My left eye has slightly better vision but my right eye is strongly dominant. Only time I've ever shot a long gun left handed is shooting from left barricade position, when mandated to. I've done quite a bit of work shooting a handgun left-handed and have gotten fairly good at it. I CAN shoot left-eyed (if I close my right eye), but find it very "unnatural" feeling and usually just cant the pistol 20-30 degrees to the right and use my right eye.
From reading this thread and the different posts, it sounds like whatever hand eye coordination you learned to shoot with is the best one for that person.
I’m very much a left handed person, but my right eye has better focus. I wear glasses. Sometimes I catch myself shooting with both eyes open, mostly when using a red dot. I’ve tried using my right eye to aim with open sights, it’s ok, just not as comfortable as the left eye. And when holding a pistol, if the front sight is at most 5 feet away from my left eye, that is still close enough to focus.
This has been very interesting.
I’m very much a left handed person, but my right eye has better focus. I wear glasses. Sometimes I catch myself shooting with both eyes open, mostly when using a red dot. I’ve tried using my right eye to aim with open sights, it’s ok, just not as comfortable as the left eye. And when holding a pistol, if the front sight is at most 5 feet away from my left eye, that is still close enough to focus.
This has been very interesting.
Well, perhaps 3 1/2 feet. :D
toysoldier
Hunter
I taught beginning archery to cub/boy/girl scouts, and always started each class by determining dominate eye.
Rick Courtright
Hawkeye
Dave P. said:
Hi,
Yes, relearning as an adult is work, but it can be done. I've known a number of trapshooters who've made the switch after trying the taped lens trick with less than great results.
Most notably, a fellow I shot with years ago developed a problem with his right eye which forced him to choose between giving up trapshooting, or learning to shoot left-handed. His name's on the list of shooters with 500,000 or more registered targets shot at. So there was some serious muscle memory there. It took about a year before he was comfortable and proficient shooting left handed, but he learned, AND is the only person I know of to break 100 x 100 both right-handed and left-handed, as well. The problem with his eye was corrected, and he's back to right-handed shooting, but I think he could make the switch back and forth relatively easily today.
Rick C
I am left eye dominant and right handed. I can barely pick a rifle up and shoot it right handed. Very awkward. But, is no problem as it seems to me most bolt action rifles were built more for lefties than rightys. Really. When I pick up a 77 and go to a shooting position, my thumb falls on the safety more easily than any right handed can work it with his index finger. Try it and you will see what I mean. Also, considering that about 99% of my shooting is casual target shooting off a bench, I like the fact that when I open the bolt, the empty is right there in front of my face for easy picking. Wouldn't have a lefty 77 for anything. Only issue I have is with right handed guns that have a cheek piece. Can't stand knowing the thing is there and I am not using it. Now, if Ruger whats to get serious and build a lefty that lefties really NEED, they will offer a 10/22 with left side ejection. Even the owners manual instructs you to shoot from the right shoulder only.
toysoldier
Hunter
wolfee said:
There's a good reason for that instruction. In the event of a catastrophic failure, right-handed rifles are designed to "safely" expel gas and particles to the right---directly into the face of someone firing from the left shoulder. You could probably shoot all your life and never have something happen, but....
Even .22's can be hazardous, which is why my only .22 autoloaders are a Norinco copy of the Browning and a Franchi Centennial, both bottom-ejecting.
The way I've been shooting lately I think I am "no eye dominant". But I think that maybe my problem is really in my shoulders and I just can't hold the handgun as steady as I used to be able to go. All my life I have been right handed, and left eye dominant.
I am right handed, left eye dominant. When my Dad taught me how to shoot a BB gun he had me shoot right handed & move my head over so I could shoot with my right eye. I think this is may be what my Grandfather did as he had an eye put out by a BB when he was a kid. I did that for a long time. When I was in my 30's a female friends husband got me into deer hunting. When shooting one day he saw me doing this & kind of freaked. He said if I shot that way I might get jacked up by a heavy recoiling rifle so I started just shooting right handed, right eye. It is how I've shot ever since. I wouldn't want to go through the hassle of changing now. I do check my kids & start them on long guns using the side of their dominant eye.
I shoot handguns right handed, left eyed.
I shoot handguns right handed, left eyed.
buckeyeshooter
Blackhawk
left handed and right eye dominant..... easy fix. I shoot right handed.
mistermills357
Blackhawk
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2012
- Messages
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I shoot long guns left handed, and pistols right handed, which is my strong side. It was a major problem to learn to do that though.
Like buckeyeshooter, I choose to shoot right handed with my dominant right eye. It's the only thing I do right handed. Otherwise I am a hopeless southpaw. But I have an increasingly limited range of motion in my right shoulder. I am considering switching my carry to lefty. I haven't tried this yet at the range. But I'm concerned at some point not being able to get to my pistol on my "strong side" position. Any thoughts?
