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Something I learned at the range the other day - I’m right handed and left eye dominant

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August 22, 2024, 11:59 PM
Beancooker
Something I learned at the range the other day - I’m right handed and left eye dominant
So I was practicing some different drills and I came to the realization that I am left eye dominant. If I use my left eye on the sights, I can keep both eyes open and see everything. If I use the right eye on the sights, I have to close the left eye.
I tried shooting left handed. Might as well have been using a three handed football bat.

So are any of you right handed and left eye dominant?

I guess it doesn’t really matter. I can see better and shoot better if I use my left on the sights.



quote:
Originally posted by sigmonkey:
I'd fly to Turks and Caicos with live ammo falling out of my pockets before getting within spitting distance of NJ with a firearm.
August 23, 2024, 12:04 AM
Skull Leader
I'm the same. I know it's bad form, but I close one eye when I shoot my pistol.
August 23, 2024, 12:18 AM
V-Tail
I'm a right hand shooter, left eye dominant. I just tilt my head to the right, so my left eye lines up with the sights, kind of like David Caruso.



Works fine with a hand gun, not so much with a rifle.



הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים
August 23, 2024, 12:22 AM
djinco
Same here.


Cheers, Doug in Colorado

NRA Patriot Life Benefactor Member
August 23, 2024, 12:34 AM
Rawny
Same here. Works fine with pistols. When I picked up a long gun for the first time, I instinctively hold it with my left hand. I also throw left-handed, so it didn't feel awkward to me.
August 23, 2024, 03:34 AM
mttaylor1066
Welcome to the club!


___________________

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August 23, 2024, 04:13 AM
Steve in PA
My wife is also right handed and left eye dominant. She shoots her handguns quite well. Has some issues when she tries to shoot a rifle, which is not too often.


Steve
"The Marines I have seen around the world have, the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps." Eleanor Roosevelt, 1945
August 23, 2024, 05:09 AM
Harleysbluff
Optometrist here - couple of comments ….

1. I’m always surprised how many “shooters” don’t know which eye is dominant - these are guys 50 years old or older

2. We were taught 1/3 of people are cross dominant - with men that may be true or even a little less but with women, it seems like 1/2 are cross dominant

3. The key is to know what you are and then make adjustments - for shotguns you could shoot off handed or close the dominant eye and shoot on your strong side. I know trap shooters that are cross dominant - they’ll put a little piece of tape on their shooting glasses dead center on the dominant eye, which will “force” the non dominant eye to take over

4. I’ll do eye dominance testing with woman who want monovision contacts - over the years I’ve had a bunch ask me ( it’s like a light went off ) - “Is this why I can’t shoot a gun when I go with my husband ?” They instantly get it

Happy shooting.

MDS
August 23, 2024, 05:20 AM
Lucnik
I’m right handed and left eye dominant. When I was younger I couldn’t shoot worth a crap until I read an article about it. Now I shoot pistols by just turning my head to the right and looking down the sights with my left eye. With long guns I trained myself to shoot left handed. Been doing this so long I don’t even think about it anymore.
August 23, 2024, 05:28 AM
PHPaul
quote:
I tried shooting left handed. Might as well have been using a three handed football bat.


That is SO stolen!

I'm left handed and left eye dominant. My right eye is there mostly so people won't make fun of me.




Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
August 23, 2024, 07:06 AM
Beancooker
Damn, feels good to know I’m not alone. I was actually shocked, and I mean completely shocked when I started shooting with my left eye on the sights and all the rounds were hitting the target.

I’m not going to lie, I’ve been a shitty shot with a pistol all my life. I realized it when every time I would look at the sights, I would see them from an angle with my left eye.
I switched over and all of a sudden everything just fell into place.

As far as rifle, I’ve always just closed my left eye. I’ll have to do some experimenting with how I hold my rifle, check weld, ability to see through the optic… we shall see. Big Grin



quote:
Originally posted by sigmonkey:
I'd fly to Turks and Caicos with live ammo falling out of my pockets before getting within spitting distance of NJ with a firearm.
August 23, 2024, 07:14 AM
sigspecops
I'm right eye dominant and left handed, but I've always shot a pistol with my right hand. It's funny, I've never thought of using my left hand.


No one's life, liberty or property is safe while the legislature is in session.- Mark Twain
August 23, 2024, 08:05 AM
sigfreund
In my experience the methods mentioned for shooting a handgun work just fine. Before my cataract correction surgery last year I would use my left eye for precision handgun shooting because it allowed me to focus on the sights better, but my (dominant) right eye for speed and less precise shooting.

Long gun shooting, though, is another matter. Many authorities recommend learning to shoot from one’s dominant eye side shoulder, and I know one woman LEO who has done that successfully, and even with an AR that doesn’t have ambidextrous controls.




6.0/94.0

To operate serious weapons in a serious manner.
August 23, 2024, 09:09 AM
kyoung
I am also Left eye, right handed and have struggled with it for years. I was trying to shoot PRS a few years back and had ben thinking on trying to shoot left handed but it really feels awkward.


Sig 556
Sig M400
P226 Tacops
P229 Legion
P320 X compact
August 23, 2024, 09:24 AM
KMitch200
quote:
Originally posted by mttaylor1066:
Welcome to the club!

Yep.
If only I could close my left eye and keep the right open —> I can’t.
That’s why I shoot *all* guns with both eyes open, long guns lefty and handguns with my R cheek almost buried in my R bicep. (Left foot forward, bladed to the target)
With an optic I can use either shoulder, it’s just easier using my L shoulder…unless I’m shooting someone’s suppressed semiauto, then due to the blowback, I change to the R side.


--------
After the game, the King and the pawn go into the same box.
August 23, 2024, 09:31 AM
p226gsd
I’m right there too.
August 23, 2024, 09:38 AM
ZSMICHAEL
Same here. I wondered why I could not hit a baseball in little league. Born with amblyopia and strabismus.
August 23, 2024, 10:15 AM
mark60
I'm right handed and left eye dominant but taught my brain to use my right eye. Back when shooting both eyes open hit archery I spent many hours learning to do it and carried it over to handgun shooting. If I don't get to shoot for a while I might have to close my left eye, then acuire the sights and reopen my left eye. After a few shots it's all good again.
August 23, 2024, 10:35 AM
konata88
Right handed, left eye dominant as well.

I think for handguns, I acclimated with irons over time. But no problems with RDS (this was well after acclimation with irons though).

For rifle, again, no issues with RDS from the beginning. However, when using irons, moving the rail mounted front iron sight closer towards me from the front of the barrel helped me. I don't think this affects efficacy for quick and close.
It may affect accuracy for longer distance but generally will use a scope / RDS. And just make do w/ the closer iron if necessary. I don't have a rifle w/ barrel mounted front iron. Well, except for my 10/22 but on that I still use a scope or RDS.




"Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it." L.Tolstoy
"A government is just a body of people, usually, notably, ungoverned." Shepherd Book
August 23, 2024, 10:55 AM
Milliron
Yes, I too am cross-dominant. (right handed/left eye). I'm very right hand dominant so no shifting to the left hand. It's why I spent a lot of time learning point shooting with a handgun.


_________________________

"Age does not bring wisdom. Often it merely changes simple stupidity into arrogant conceit. It's only advantage, so far as I have been able to see, is that it spans change. A young person sees the world as a still picture, immutable. An old person has had his nose rubbed in changes and more changes and still more changes so many times that that he knows it is a moving picture, forever changing. He may not like it--probably doesn't; I don't--but he knows it's so, and knowing is the first step in coping with it."

Robert Heinlein