which eye is my dominant one?

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Vincent Price

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Hi Guys,
this may sound a little weird but I honestly can't tell whether I'm left or right dominant.
I do most things with my left hand but a lot of things (throwing, playing tennis) I can only do with my right hand.
Shotguns I can only shoot right-handed, too. I'm not sure though whether that is because I only have had training with a right handed shotgun.
Handguns I sometimes shoot left handed and sometimes right handed, I honestly can't tell which I prefer.
Rifles I usually shoot right handed but again I don't know whether that is because I have more practise with right-handed rifles as they are more readily available.
Working the bolt of a bolt action rifle with my left hand feels weird but with a rifle with a break down action again I can't tell wether I prefer left or right.

It possibly doesn't matter if it's so close that I can't figure it out on my own. But are there ways to test that?
Is there such a thing as "ambidextrosity" of the eyes?

Edit: Wrong forum sorry, please put in general gun discussions.
 
Focus on something across the room. Stick out your arm and aline your finger with that object. Now close one eye and then open and close the other. Whichever eye that closes makes your finger "move" is your dominant eye.
 
Some people have a "wandering" dominant eye or very little degree of dominance of one over the other. Try a scoped rifle on left and right shoulders with both eyes open. If you are left eye dominant you will not be able to see through the scope with your right eye unless you close the other.
 
Hold both hands in front of you with arms extended, palms facing away from you, bring your hands together & make a small triangular "peep hole" with thumbs overlapped on the bottom.
With both eyes open, look through the peep hole at a smallish object 15 or 20 feet away & center it in the hole. Bring your hands back toward your face about halfway, keeping the object centered in the hole. Now close one eye, then the other. Your dominant eye is the one that keeps the object centered.
 
Some people have a "wandering" dominant eye or very little degree of dominance of one over the other.
Click to expand...
That's me. I shoot both eyes open, and it's a real issue for me when shooting shotguns but surprisingly not an issue when shooting handguns or rifles (iron or optic sights).
 
Don't be surprised if your dominant eye is different from your dominant hand, it's very common. Like right handed but left eye dominant. In that situation, many find it easier to shoot long guns left-handed since they can sight them better. My grandson is like that.
 
Some people have a "wandering" dominant eye...
Click to expand...
I guess I'd be one of those - I'm cross-dominant, but have varying pressure on my left / dominant eye. When the pressure changes, my dominant eye changes (vision in my right eye is then slightly better / sharper than my normally dominant left eye).

Nothing I have to think about - ye olde body knows which eye is today's dominant eye and automatically selects the eye with the best vision as "today's" dominant eye.

The doc has monitored the pressure over the years and says it's nothing to worry about as long as it doesn't get worse.

It did take a little work to learn how to shoot with both eyes open with this condition.
 
GJSchulze said:
Focus on something across the room. Stick out your arm and aline your finger with that object. Now close one eye and then open and close the other. Whichever eye that closes makes your finger "move" is your dominant eye.
Click to expand...
I think you have that backwards, or I misunderstand, does not move = dominate, no?

Russellc
 
C.F. Plinker said:
Which eye do you put the camera up to? This, of course, assumes that your camera has a viewfinder rather than only a screen on the back.
Click to expand...
That does not work for me, but I am cross dominate, right handed but Left dominant eye.
Pistol, aim with left eye, rifle, cameras, microscope, etc. I use right eye,
 
I can shoot both eyes open, but it did take some getting used to. At distance, it can make double vision, which I can sort of adjust it by partially shutting the right. Dominate eye has nothing to do with which eye has better vision, it is just how your brain/eye is wired.

Russellc
 
Newbe223: Some do, if closing one eye, I aim with my left, whether gun is in right, left or both hands.
No one answer, you have to find what works for you.

I am cross dominate, left eye dom,. right handed.

Russellc
 
The technique of pointing at a distant object with both index fingers does work. The eye you look with where your finger DOES NOT move is your dominant.

Just so you are all aware, it is possible to retrain your brain to use the other eye. I have done it.

I used to shoot right handed, but left eyed. I have a semiauto that has a habit of tossing brass just barely over my right shoulder. When I shot left eyed, but right handed, it caused the brass to hit me squarely on top of my head, it even smacked me right between the eyes one time. Once it managed to land a casing that got wedged on my coat collar and neck, and burn me, I did something about it.

What did I do, I dry fired all of my guns until I couldn't stand it anymore, making a very deliberate effort to aim right eyed. After about 6 months of doing this every evening, I did the finger check. My dominance had in fact shifted totally to my right eye. My finger didn't move anymore when looking through my right eye, and prior to doing this, it didn't move when looking with my left eye. I have in fact changed the dominance completely.

It takes time and patience, but if the OP is ambidextrous and ambi-ocular, it shouldn't be that hard to switch.

Good luck.
 
I think you have that backwards, or I misunderstand, does not move = dominate, no?
Click to expand...

That's because I said it differently. I said whichever eye closes and makes your finger move is dominate. IOW, you closed your dominant eye, so the finger moved. If you close your non-dominate eye, your finger does not move.
 
Regarless of which eye is dominant, consider practicing shooting with either eye. Develop techniques that work for either eye and practice them. No one says we get to keep our dominant eye in a fight, or our glasses. When would you rather learn to shoot with less than perfect vision, before or during a fight?
 
thanks for the input, guys. Seems like I have a wandering dominant eye which is probably why I couldn't figure it out before.

That is probably why I really like shooting with red dot sights.

I will practise some more rifle shooting with my left hand and eye though. That can always come in handy while out hunting.
 
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