right handed left eye dominant?

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  • Morgan88

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    Hello
    Let me start out by saying I am and have always been right handed. The only thing I do left handed is shoot a rifle. I can't get a rifle up to my face right handed.
    When I take my time and aim my snubbie at the far right swinging target I hit the one in the middle. If I am for the one in the middle I hit the one on the far left. Is it possible I am shooting right handed left eye dominant? If this is the case is it uncommon? I hope I have made this question understandable. I always hit left of the target I am aiming at. Are there any good options to correct/improve this ?

    Morgan
     

    kawtech87

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    A good way to check eye dominance is to hold the gun out and with both eyes open line up the sights on the target. Then close your left eye and focus on the sights without moving the gun. If you are right eye dominant the sights will be aligned perfectly. If they are not then open your left eye and close your right. Then refocus on the sights if they are aligned then you are left eye dominant.

    Or you could just be a really bad shot lol. Jk. Hopefully this helps.
     

    Hopper

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    I had a similar challenge when I got into shooting several years ago, in that I am right-handed, but left-eye dominant. I found that with practice, while I will likely always be left-eye dominant, I slowly taught myself to use my right eye. Now I keep both eyes open, and use my right eye to line up the sight with the target. All this was an easier path for me than learning to shoot left-handed. I can shoot as a southpaw, but my trigger control is much better with my right hand.

    I got a "Laser Target" for dry fire practice in the basement, and it continues to make a huge difference in my marksmanship. Learning sight/trigger control was a big part of that for me, but getting my eyes sorted out to the point of shooting with both eyes open helped a lot as well. And IMO, it makes a ton of practical sense should a self-defense situation ever arise.
     

    gregkl

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    Yup, determine your dominance before you try to fix things.

    I am left eye dominant, but right handed(cross dominant). I am too old to learn how to shoot left handed. There are several threads on cross dominance. Make sure you take advice from people who actually are cross dominant. Some people will just say switch sides or practice and you can change your dominance. One is impossible and the other can be extremely difficult, if possible at all depending on your physiology.

    I do different things for different firearms. For pistol, it's pretty easy to "cheat" and take a somewhat modified Weaver stance and line up your dominant eye. For shotgun, I wear shooting glasses with a piece of opaque cellophane tape over the left lens forcing my right eye down the barrel. For scoped rifles, I just close my left eye. I may try the cellophane tape on rifles though as my eyes get really fatigued if I am shooting for awhile.

    But, if you can switch sides that would be the best. Being cross dominant is a handicap of sorts for anything involving hand/eye coordination.
     

    Morgan88

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    kawtech
    I tried your suggestion. I hold the gun out with both eyes sighting the target. I close my RIGHT eye and nothing changes. Back to both eyes sighting the target and close my left eye and whoa nelley! I am aimed off to the left. I think I just proved your theory. I am left eye dominant even though very right handed.
    Hopper I am there I think. Thanks guys very much for the help.
    Morgan
     

    kawtech87

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    kawtech
    I tried your suggestion. I hold the gun out with both eyes sighting the target. I close my RIGHT eye and nothing changes. Back to both eyes sighting the target and close my left eye and whoa nelley! I am aimed off to the left. I think I just proved your theory. I am left eye dominant even though very right handed.
    Hopper I am there I think. Thanks guys very much for the help.
    Morgan

    Yep sounds like you are right handed, left eye dominant.

    Well now you know at least glad I could help you out at least with that much but as Gregkl said since I'm am right handed right eye dominant there isn't much else I can do for you. Hope you get it sorted out.
     

    HamYankee

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    I am left eye dominant, but do everything right-handed, except for bow and arrow. I have always shot with both eyes open. I think if someone is new to shooting, then maybe try shooting on the same side as eye dominance, but I think with practice, you can make anything work. Practice and concentrating worked for me.
     

    RND

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    RH and LE dominant myself. I immediately slam the right side of my face to my right arm when aiming and firing strong hand (both eyes open, of course).
     

    AngryRooster

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    Also cross dominant but have another issue as well. I can close my right eye only if I want to but not my left one. Never have been able to. I shoot pistols right hand but long guns and bows I shoot left handed. Over the years I just got used to it.
     

    JollyMon

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    Im cross eye dominant as well. I can get by with just squinting my dominant eye and everything works out fine. If I could I want to learn to shoot rifles with my dominant hand. With pistols I think its just as easy to line up with your dominant eye (turn your head a bit more) or just squint.... Rifles I can do either hand, but with pistols I have a very hard time going lefty.
     

    Thegeek

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    Do what works. How many professional athelets do you see doing what your coaches say were bad from.

    I'm left eye dominant and only write and use a mouse right handed. I've been shooting everything left handed since I was 8. A gun in my right hand, while comfortable, just feels wrong.
     

    AngryRooster

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    I've been told many times when shooting a rifle to just close my dominant left eye and shoot right handed. Yeah, can't do that. I think I was about 12 when my dad took me to the archery center in Muncie because I wanted to try it out. They gave me a right handed bow since I was right handed. It was very awkward and I couldn't hit anything, not even close. The instructor watched me for a few minutes then took the bow away. He came back with a different one and said try this one. It was a left handed bow. I shot that one very well and we bought it. It was many years later that dad told me that from about the time I was 2 I was always picking things up with my left hand. He would take them out and put them in my right hand. Today I do almost everything with my right hand except shoot a bow and long guns.
     

    gregkl

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    I've been told many times when shooting a rifle to just close my dominant left eye and shoot right handed. Yeah, can't do that. I think I was about 12 when my dad took me to the archery center in Muncie because I wanted to try it out. They gave me a right handed bow since I was right handed. It was very awkward and I couldn't hit anything, not even close. The instructor watched me for a few minutes then took the bow away. He came back with a different one and said try this one. It was a left handed bow. I shot that one very well and we bought it. It was many years later that dad told me that from about the time I was 2 I was always picking things up with my left hand. He would take them out and put them in my right hand. Today I do almost everything with my right hand except shoot a bow and long guns.

    If I could go back in time, I would have asked my dad to teach me to shoot left handed. I don't think very many people were familiar with cross dominance. I remember my dad used to give me heck because I just naturally leaned my head over the stock to line up my left eye with the scope/sights. Everyone thought it was odd. If only we had known, I could have made the swap to left hand shooting and probably been okay.

    I also remember my brother saying that I would probably have a difficult time shooting my recurve instinctively because of my cross dominance. He was correct. I never got very proficient.
     

    Grelber

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    Brian Enos has the same issue. I think in his book "Practical Shooting Beyonf Fundamentals" (or something like that) he wrote that he somehow clouded his left lens. I don't know that he competes anymore but maybe it is encouraging to know that someone who did extremely well as a competitive shooter had the same issue.
     

    gregkl

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    Brian Enos has the same issue. I think in his book "Practical Shooting Beyonf Fundamentals" (or something like that) he wrote that he somehow clouded his left lens. I don't know that he competes anymore but maybe it is encouraging to know that someone who did extremely well as a competitive shooter had the same issue.

    This is what I do for shotgun. It works great. I should probably try it for other firearms. I am a little concerned about loss of my peripheral vision in something like IDPA though. Can any offer any opinions on "clouding" a lens for action pistol/rifle?

    I bet there are people who are blind in one eye and still shoot action events. So I'm not trying to justify my subpar shooting abilities or trying to find reasons to not pursue it. I just want to figure out how to work around my shortcomings and be the best that I can be
     
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    Kutnupe14

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    A good way to check eye dominance is to hold the gun out and with both eyes open line up the sights on the target. Then close your left eye and focus on the sights without moving the gun. If you are right eye dominant the sights will be aligned perfectly. If they are not then open your left eye and close your right. Then refocus on the sights if they are aligned then you are left eye dominant.

    Or you could just be a really bad shot lol. Jk. Hopefully this helps.

    Or, keeping both eyes open raise your thumb to cover something. Now without moving your thumb close each eye independently. The eye that shows coverage or is nearest to the object you are attempting to cover is your dominant eye. Trippy the first time you do it.
     

    Kutnupe14

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    I've been told many times when shooting a rifle to just close my dominant left eye and shoot right handed. Yeah, can't do that. I think I was about 12 when my dad took me to the archery center in Muncie because I wanted to try it out. They gave me a right handed bow since I was right handed. It was very awkward and I couldn't hit anything, not even close. The instructor watched me for a few minutes then took the bow away. He came back with a different one and said try this one. It was a left handed bow. I shot that one very well and we bought it. It was many years later that dad told me that from about the time I was 2 I was always picking things up with my left hand. He would take them out and put them in my right hand. Today I do almost everything with my right hand except shoot a bow and long guns.

    Don't you know being left-handed is a sign if the devil??? Lol.
     
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