Cross dominating eyes.

[esmith]

I have a rather annoying problem. When i am shooting several times i become confused of which eye to shoot with, that is, which eye is dominate. I have done several tests with which say both my eyes are dominate. Whenever i shoot with my right eye im good for the most part, however it feels awkward. Suggestions?

 

[heron]

Man, if your brain can't figure out which eye to aim with, you shouldn't be shooting. Send me all your guns and look for a different hobby. ;-)

Seriously, I've never heard of such a thing as both eyes being dominant, although there are lots of things I've never heard of.

The test is extremely easy. With both eyes open, stretch your arm out in front of you and raise a finger and line it up with some object in the background, and focus on the distant object. Now close one eye at a time. What should happen is that the image of your finger should appear to move against the background for one eye but not the other. The eye that sees the finger move is your non-dominant eye. Don't use that one to aim with.

Maybe it would help if you could explain further what feels awkward about aiming with your right eye -- for instance, is it your vision, or the feel of the gun in your grip? I can shoot handguns equally comfortably from either side, but it feels wrong to me to shoulder a longarm righthanded (I have dominant left eye).

 

[CWL]

Close your weak side eye when using iron sights. Probably only really needed for precision aimed shots, not if shooting COM.

You can keep both open if using holoscope or red dot system. Glass optics shouldn't be a problem unless you can get both eyeballs onto a scope aperture.

 

[armedandsafe]

Non-dominance (eyes equally strong/sharp) is not terribly unusual. Cross dominance (weak-hand side has dominant eye) is fairly common. Most non-dominants tend to be hand-dominant, where the hand with the gun alerts the eye on that side to take precedence.

All than means is that you are not alone in this world. Practice will work out the problems, but I would teach you to shoot with only strong-hand side for long enough for that to become comfortable and accurate, before starting to work on your weak-hand side. Then, when you are fairly comfortable with whichever hand has the gun, practice with only one side per trip to the range.

I am non-dominant and whichever hand has the gun (or pointing finger) determines which eye lines up the sight. It took me a long time to learn to shoot pistol with both eyes open, because I grew up in the days of one eyed shooters. If I can learn it at my age, you can.

Pops

 

[Two Cold Soakers]

I have this. Made me nuts for years. I tried everything.

Wasn't much of a problem with rifles and pistols, just closed one eye (left, because I shoot right handed) BUT SHOTGUNS????

After about three years of club shooting and ocasional sporting clays, a "noted expert" was traveling to a nearby clays course for two days and would be available for lessons at a houly rate that would pay the rent of my first apartment. What the heck, I was a DINK, and was at a plateu.

Anyhow, this guy stood about 5 feet away from me and instructed me to mount the gun, pulling up on his head, pointing my muzzle at his nose. Close one eye, close the other eye, both eyes open, get that piece of tape off your glasses, take one contact lens out...

After 10 minutes of this he said "You have central vision, I've seen it before. keep both eyes open until the gun hits your shoulder and slam the left eye shut as you pull the trigger (I shoot Churchill style), and NEVER GIVE IT ANOTHER THOUGHT" (emphasis his).

We went on to shoot for a while, he gave me some pointers and I hit some birds that amazed me.

My shooting became much more consistant and I was able to enjoy it more, knowing that 99% of the population has a dominant eye, and I had a "noted expert" tell me that I was among the 1% (or less) and I'd never have to wonder what to do again.

Money well spent.

Good luck, and don't become overly worried. Just keep shooting and try things (read, videos, etc) until you get a handle on something that works.

 

[Molon Labe]

You first need to determine which eye is dominant. There are various procedures for doing this. Go to this page for more info.

Once you're 100% certain which eye is dominant, you'll know whether you should shoot left-handed or right-handed. If you are right eye dominant, you should shoot right-handed. If you are left eye dominant, you should shoot left-handed.

 

[Axctal]

I have same thing. Turned it into advantage with training.
Right hand - aim right eye.
Left hand - aim left eye.
Easy motor memory.
If hard to control eye and you switch eyes, switch hand at the same time
untill you make hand controlling you eyes, not other way around.

Now with ability to choose eye makes shooting with either hand quite equivalent.

 

[Molon Labe]

Right hand - aim right eye.
Left hand - aim left eye.

Correct, but you have the time sequence wrong. The correct sequence is:

Right eye dominant → shoot right-handed.
Left eye dominant → shoot left-handed.

In other words, you first need to determine if you're right or left eye dominant. This will dictate if you should shoot right or left handed.

 

[Two Cold Soakers]

I read the original post as an inability to establish eye dominance. This has been referred to as non-dominance or central vision.

It's a maddening condition to the few of us who try to determine eye using dominance traditional methods when there is no dominant eye.

The point is not to force one eye to become dominant (I tried that for fifteen years), but to learn to shoot accurately with central vision.

Hard row to hoe, but very obtainable. My success laid in bypassing all those huge hearted, dominant eyed, self appointed helpers and find an instructor who had experience in such matters.

 

[Joe the Redneck]

My eyes are very screwed up. I only "use" one eye at a time. The other one just "drifts off" and my brain ignores th infor from the drifting eye. Naturally, I walk into a lot of doorways and I can't catch anythng but a cold. I am also cross dominate.

I jst close my left eye when I shoot. Works fine. OK, so I don't shoot by the book, Col. Cooper is spinning in his grave, fine with me. It lets me enjoy a hobby I wouldn't be able to otherwise.

Joe

 

[esmith]

Thanks for all the replies. Im glad to have found out that im not the only one.

 

[Axctal]

What i ment to say is this:
nowdays when i am shooting with right hand, i am aiming with right eye.
When shooting with left hand - aiming with left eye.
In both cases - both eyes open, focus on the target.

 

[Phaetos]

Ok, I just tried that little eye test there and found out something disturbing. When I point my finger at a distant object, when trying to line up my finger at said object, I see two fingers when both eyes are open. If I close my left eye, my finger shifts off way right. If i close the right eye, the finger shifts off way left. Neither finger will center on the object. Does this mean I have central vision? Or should I just go see a doctor and let them tell me I am am crazy?

 

[Two Cold Soakers]

Does this mean I have central vision? Or should I just go see a doctor and let them tell me I am am crazy?

THIS ALONE does not mean you're crazy, but that's what happens when I try.

I've found it analagous to my ability to be equally logical and creative. Also echos my ability (curse) of being able to place equal weight to both sides of an arguement.

All I know is shooting 1- 5/8 oz duck loads out of a 6.75 lb double hurts a lot more left handed.

Soakers, centrally located.