Cross eye dominance and ARs

Billy- I don't even fully understand the anomaly of cross eye dominance, lefties, etc. and probably never will since I'm not one of those or an optometrist. I'm just reporting what I have observed as a sniper instructor (rifles) or in the case of the LE officer what he told me, regarding the handgun. The end result is that his proficiency has improved. Another person I served with in the mil fires long guns right handed (dominant eye) and handguns left handed. He's a very competent/capable operator and graduated from some of the most advanced shooting courses available, like SOTIC and a few others I can't post.

Geno, I don't know where you went to school but I attended kindergarten in 1963 and was never harassed to switch from my left handedness, I'm still left handed today.

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned keeping both eyes open. I spent more than 20 years in the Marine Corps and normally shot a high expert with both pistols and rifles. I will admit that I shoot a slightly better bullseye score with one eye closed and sighting with my dominant eye but as far as tactical shooting goes, keeping both eyes open is the only way I shoot. I guess it takes practice for some people but it's always been natural for me to use both eyes. Keeping both eyes open improves your situational awareness and reaction time.

I shoot pistols with either hand and use the correct eye for this task. I can shoot rifles either side but lefty doesn't feel quite right. My POI will be off shooting left handed on rifles. Pistols are fine either way.

I grew up shooting right-handed using my right eye, but was told a few years ago that I'm left eye dominant. It has never been an issue that I've noticed. Turned out a couple of years back that my right eye is about 20% weaker than the left, I'm guessing it's from years of looking through theodolites and levels while working as a surveyor. After getting a PSL, which has the scope off-set to the left, I had to learn to use my left eye with that rifle. It didn't take long to get used to going to that eye when using that rifle. I still use my right eye when using a centered scope or shooting a hand-gun. My AR has a Leupold optical sight and I have been using both eyes with that gun at closer ranges under a 100 yards. If I'm trying for a tight shot, or something beyond 100 with the AR, my left eye is closed...I think it kind of depends on what comes comfortable for you.

My Screen name self identifies me!

The reason to shoot from your dominate eye side is that you can shoot with both eyes open.

There a couple or three of very good reasons to shoot with both eyes open
1. depth perception. humans require to eye open to do this.
2. both eyes open provides the brain with 100% more light and optical detail than one.
3 better field of view and there for situation awareness.

Shoot your strong eye side and the rest of the muscle memory will catch up in short order.

All my life I have been regarded as a "tack driver" with rifles and pistols, and learned at the age of 50 that I am right eye dominant. But it never seemed to make a difference if I closed my left eye. But I did hate shotguns - and I think this had an effect. Recently I bought an old 20 ga Rem 1100 and went clay shooting (my first time at clays) with some friends, all whom were experienced clay shooters - and I outscored them all even though several were shooting 12 ga. I just closed my left eye (against advice). It works fine for me and at age 71 I probably won't change now.

I guess it depends to some extent how dominant your dominant eye is.

For me, I'm right handed / left eye dominant. I shoot well enough right handed, but once I switched to left handed it was easier to shoot better.
But, as an example I'm strongly left eye dominant. I can't reliably shoot a red dot sight right handed with both eyes open. My left eye takes over and the dot goes away unless I really concentrate and focus on it. So for me switching works best by far.

left eyed? shoot left handed.

I'm in the same boat, this is the only say that works for me.