Blind in one eye

[JasonM_PA]

New guy here. I'm 34. I've been wanting to become involved with firearms for awhile for self defense and just as a hobby. I shot a revolver for the first time a few weeks ago, when my uncle was visiting and let some of us do some target shooting. The problem is, I'm blind in my right eye(I'm right handed, and my left eye is 20/20.). It didn't seem to affect me too much with the revolver, but with shotguns and rifles I think this could be a problem. Anyone here in the same situation or know of anyone in the same situation, and if/how they were able to adapt?

 

[robmkivseries70]

Jason,
Welcome to THR I shoot pistols and revolvers right handed. Rifles I do left handed.
Best,
Rob

 

[TxState101]

I'm blind in my right eye as well. Had a dermoid, cataract, and later developed glaucoma by the time I was 4.

I've been hunting since I was 5, and I shoot rifles and shotguns left handed, pistols right handed, since I'm right handed.

You're going to find reloading to be a lot faster once you get proficient with use, as your main hand will be working any of the actions/reload while your shooting hand remains in the same spot.

Just make sure you wear some eye protection.

 

[BBA]

My 22 yr old son is blind in one eye and is a really good shot. He uses a peep sight on several guns and does very well. Distances over 100yds get tough but he practices. Takes alot of extra work, but you can do it. He does best at trap shooting. I wouldn't try to outshoot him with a .22, but he's worked hard to be good at it.

 

[NC Dave]

I have extremely poor vision in my right eye and am right handed. I shoot handguns right handed and rifles and shotguns left handed. You adapt and adjust to what God gave you and make it work.

 

[siglite]

It's all about sight picture, and that front post. There's a technique for defensive shooting that's more commonly used for folks who are left eye dominant, but right handed. I'd say you certainly qualify as "left eye dominant," and this technique will work just fine for you.

Observe proper sight picture for a right handed, right eye dominant person.

There's a little bit of right-leaning cant to the pistol there. I chalk that up to wrestling with the camera while taking the shot. Good focus on the front post. Just put a blurry target behind that front post, and that's about perfect sight picture.

Now, a lot of people in your position think they need to move their whole head around, and keep the gun vertical to get good sight picture. This is a mistake. At combat ranges, a little cant applied to the pistol is not going to significantly affect your POI. So drill this, cant the pistol towards your dominant (good) eye. As illustrated below:

It does not take much practice for this to start to feel really natural. Give it a whirl. Put a few hundred down range like that. Practice draw-fire dry fire drills at home. You'll be amazed how quickly you begin to pick up that front post and get on target.

 

[Mark K. C.]

Welcome aboard Jason. Lazer grips have come a long way in a relitively short time. You can go to Crimson Trace web site and order a free CD that is about an hour long that I think you will be encouraged by. Veridian, LazerMax are a couple of more to check out.Have fun.

 

[neviander]

siglite, nice pics

 

[Shung]

I have nearly the same problem as you. im right handed and left dominant eye.

The problem is that I can't just blink my left eye (im woring at it)

Most of the time, I than shoot my rifle with the left hand. I got used to it.

when using a scope or a eotech, I can shoot my rifles right handed, and I get the same results.

as for pistol, I move my head a little and use siglite technic as well. (shooting right hand)

 

[HammerBite]

siglite . . .

Those are about the nicest photos of a sight picture that I have ever seen. I am curious how you set up for those shots. Did you use a special lens to get a suitable depth of field, or lack thereof?

 

[Old Grump]

Learn to shoot with both hands

Pistol on the non-dominant side isn't all that big a problem as you already learned from previous posters but as a matter of course you should dedicate a percentage of time to shooting your handgun with, strong hand, off hand and with both hands till all 3 feel natural to you. When you decide to try a long arm shooting on your weak hand side won't be as awkward and will pay off in the sight/trigger discipline learned by shooting off the weak hand. I had a friend, since passed away who not only had one eye he was legally blind in that eye because of no peripheral vision. I watched him put (3) 250 gr 45 colt bullets from an old revolver in a one hole group at 25 yards. (Most people call them long colts but there is no such thing) Just takes time and a willingness to learn the discipline.

 

[siglite]

Those are about the nicest photos of a sight picture that I have ever seen. I am curious how you set up for those shots. Did you use a special lens to get a suitable depth of field, or lack thereof?

I put the camera on a tripod and used the timer. I looked through the lens to get a sort of "triple sight picture." Sight centered in the frame, front post centered between the rears. I was literally looking through the camera lens with my arms wrapped around the whole apparatus.

ETA: Nothing special as far as lenses go. I shot it at F8, but it was fairly close to the lens, so the shallow depth of field is natural.

 

[JasonM_PA]

Thanks for the very informative responses guys. The pictures were very helpful siglite. Its nice to know that, with some adapting, I'll be able to participate in the shooting hobby.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

i'm right handed and right eye dominant and have had several temporary losses of myright eye vision to different degrees. when the right eye is abd i have used a patch over it. otherwise my brain has a hard time adjusting i do it for shooting and work

 

[Tyrannosaurus]

I took a friend of mine out to an indoor range yesterday, he is blind in one eye.

After a lengthy safety session, we fired about 700 rounds. I was very impressed by his accuracy once he understood some of the basic principles. He really enjoyed it, and if we had brought more ammo, he would have stayed there all day.

He had a lot of fun, and he'll be purchasing his first handgun this week.