non-dominant eye use?

[brandnew]

Hey guys. Earlier I posted a thread asking how often people shot with their off hand, and how often they shoot one-handed versus two.

So as I've been getting more comfortable manipulating the pistol in my left hand (my non-dominant), I've come up to another problem. When holding left handed with no support, the natural position for me to hold the pistol aligns the sights with my left eye, which is my non-dominant eye. In order to get a proper sight picture, I have to either close my right eye, or align my sights to my right eye.

My question is, should I train to always use my dominant eye, or train to switch over to my left eye when going lefty?

 

[thorazine]

People use sights when shooting pistols?

 

[mete]

Yes they do use sights !!
Normally you should be shooting with both eyes open .The dominant eye will automatically take over.

 

[YaNi]

Normally you should be shooting with both eyes open .The dominant eye will automatically take over.

Not always. I have to close one eye to get a sight picture.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Tilt your pistol to the left about 45-degrees so the sights line up with your dominant eye.

Use yor dominant eye whenever possible.

 

[Sam1911]

Dominant eye. If you can train yourself to shoot with both eyes open, that's best for a number of reasons, but always shoot with the dominant eye.

-Sam

 

[9mmepiphany]

the trick to shooting with both eyes open is to let your body "take over" rather than force it to do what you want.

you look with both eyes, but you only see the sights with your dominate eye. sometimes it helps to visualize this by covering the non-dominate eye with opaque tape on your shooting glasses

 

[brandnew]

I have no problem obtaining a good sight picture with both eyes open, and I figured there wouldn't be a good reason to switch eyes but wanted to confirm before heavily training my left hand. I've trained my right hand grip to bring my pistols right on target without consciously aligning the sights, and I'd like to do the same with my left.

Thanks guys!

 

[mustang_steve]

I've practiced with whatever eye matches with the hand I'm using as the trigger hand. For double-handed form I do the same as well.

I find that to be far more natural than trying to use one eye or to cant the pistol when shooting one-handed.

9mm, I have the problem of seeing the sights in both eyes....my answer for that was coloring the front sight's dot bright orange....this makes it very easy to lock onto...I found it cut my both eyes open raise and fire times in half. I realized so long as I get the dots lined up correctly in one eye, I will hit what's behind the orange dot....so that's how I go.

 

[NWCP]

I'm a natural lefty with right eye dominance. I had always shot using my left hand with my left eye keeping my right eye closed. Boot Camp taught me to shoot right handed with my right eye. I now practice using both L and R with rifle and pistol. I prefer to use my right hand/eye ever since the service taught me the err of my ways. I keep both eyes open and alternate between my dominant right eye and left. It's something you can practice using an unloaded weapon at home.

 

[sheepdog]

With both eyes open...

...point at a light switch across the room...then close your "weak" eye...your eyes should automatically line your finger(and your pistol) up with the switch...I'm lefty but right eye dominant...shoot a rifle/shotgun/swing a bat off the right shoulder...my point automatically lines up my pistol with the right eye...I can't change it willfully....I see others have...

 

[Sunray]

"...should I train to always use my dominant eye..." Practice to be accurate with your first shots. Using the non-dominant hand is a shooting game thing. If you're wounded, you won't be able to do much of anything. Despite what you see in movies. Getting shot hurts.

 

[CombatArmsUSAF]

Do both, primarily train using your dominant eye, but you do want to be at least familiar with utilizing your non-dominant eye.

In the event your dominant eye is disabled, you'll be thankful that you at least familiarized yourself shooting with your weak eye.

Oh, and do try to keep both eyes open, it takes some getting used to but it does provide the best tactical advantage.

 

[Sam1911]

Practice to be accurate with your first shots.

Of course...

Using the non-dominant hand is a shooting game thing. If you're wounded, you won't be able to do much of anything. Despite what you see in movies.

Wow. That does fly in the face of the advice and instruction of the very best self-defense instructors. Every one of the trainers I've met, spoken to, or read have espoused some version of the idea that, if you find yourself in a knife fight, you WILL get cut. If you find yourself in a gun fight, you WILL get shot. How you handle that will determine whether you survive or not.

Getting shot hurts.

But, until and unless you lose consciousness, it's not "end game." Over 80% of gunshot victims survive. So, less than 20% of those who get shot have a legitimate excuse for giving up. If someday you find yourself facing an attacker, and for some reason your strong arm doesn't appear to be working anymore, I will promise you that you'll find yourself at least attempting to continue the fight using what faculties you still have left. For my part, I'd like to have practiced that once or twice before.

-Sam