dragongoddess
member
Do I need to worry about eye dominance when using a scope. I ask as I'm left eye dominant and right handed?
Question on eye dominance w/scoped rifle
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Art Eatman
Moderator In Memoriam
It probably wouldn't be any big deal to work into the habit of closing your left eye and look through the scope with your right eye. A lot easier than learning to shoot left-handed...
I keep both eyes open when shooting pistols, but I've never seen it as important in hunting with a rifle...
Art
I keep both eyes open when shooting pistols, but I've never seen it as important in hunting with a rifle...
Art
Phantom Warrior
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I'll be the contrarian in this thread. I'm also am left eye dominant and right handed. I've simply shot long guns left handed my whole life. It's never been a problem. If you are comfortable shooting a scope with your left eye, go for it.
That said, I do wish I was more comfortable shooting right handed because the controls on my M-16 are right handed. *shrug* It's up to you.
That said, I do wish I was more comfortable shooting right handed because the controls on my M-16 are right handed. *shrug* It's up to you.
rangerruck
Member
this could be a case where learning to do both, would be a good thing. i would def shoot which way is more natural, at first. then train both eyes.
Jim March
Member
I'm interested in this topic because my next gun will be a rifle (my first) and I'm another cross-dominant.
Somewhere I read that low-power long eye relief scopes ("scout scopes") are a reasonable solution? They allow both-eyes-open shooting and can be done right handed with the "weak eye" (which in my case isn't all THAT much weaker). Comments on this welcome.
I'm strongly considering a Marlin in 357 to match my 38 and 357 wheelguns. XS has scout scope mounts for these:
http://www.xssights.com/store/scope.html
Somewhere I read that low-power long eye relief scopes ("scout scopes") are a reasonable solution? They allow both-eyes-open shooting and can be done right handed with the "weak eye" (which in my case isn't all THAT much weaker). Comments on this welcome.
I'm strongly considering a Marlin in 357 to match my 38 and 357 wheelguns. XS has scout scope mounts for these:
http://www.xssights.com/store/scope.html
JNewell
Member
I works for me, but it does need some brain-training and concentration. Sometimes I need to squint the left eye a little, which seems to kick the brain over to relying on the right eye.
In answer to Jim's question, by far the easiest to use optical setup I've got is an Aimpoint on a Colt AR. The zero magnification means it is really easy to keep both eyes open and the red dot really seems to draw the brain's focus to the right. I'm not sure that that's really what's going on, but whatever is happening works really well. (It's probably more complicated than that, because one of the tricks you can do quite well with these things is leave the cap on the Aimpoint and leave both eyes open...you'll see the red dot superimposed by your brain on the image the left eye is seeing, which is cool and/or wierd.)
In answer to Jim's question, by far the easiest to use optical setup I've got is an Aimpoint on a Colt AR. The zero magnification means it is really easy to keep both eyes open and the red dot really seems to draw the brain's focus to the right. I'm not sure that that's really what's going on, but whatever is happening works really well. (It's probably more complicated than that, because one of the tricks you can do quite well with these things is leave the cap on the Aimpoint and leave both eyes open...you'll see the red dot superimposed by your brain on the image the left eye is seeing, which is cool and/or wierd.)
goalie
Member
I am big-time cross-dominant. When it really matters, I shoot a scoped rifle left-handed so I can use my "good" eye. I notice very little loss in accuracy by shooting righty (I'm right handed) and closing my left eye.
If you are just starting out, then learn to shoot whichever side your dominant eye is. If you already shoot one way, try shooting with your dominant eye sometime. It may make very little difference, but it may make a LOT of difference, and, the ability to shoot ambidexterously is never a bad thing.
If you are just starting out, then learn to shoot whichever side your dominant eye is. If you already shoot one way, try shooting with your dominant eye sometime. It may make very little difference, but it may make a LOT of difference, and, the ability to shoot ambidexterously is never a bad thing.
Zach S
Member
Not as hard as one would think. I actually got a lot better when I started using the wrong shoulder. Control manipulation is gonna take some practice, but the hand up front contols the muzzle and where its pointing.
JNewell
Member
You're right. I am always amused when I take a rifle class and the COF calls for LH shooting...I find it much easier than most of the class... 
BoySetsTheFire
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I'm right handed and right eye dominant. And my right eye gets tired. Probably a good idea to try both ways, maybe even wind up using both ways.
Dragon;
My daughter is also right-handed left eye dominant. Her accuracy improved about a solid 10% when she began shooting off the left shoulder. She changed about 6 years ago.
Because of my eyes, all of my guns are scoped, and I'm left/left. We noticed the improvement in her accuracy primarily with scoped guns. Her gun is a very tricked out 10/22 with a good scope also. She was a good shot with it, but just couldn't get on the level of either myself or her older brother. As soon as she switched & got used to shooting from the left, which didn't take long, the results spoke for themselves.
Phantom; Check out Stag Arms for a dedicated left AR15 platform lower.
900F
My daughter is also right-handed left eye dominant. Her accuracy improved about a solid 10% when she began shooting off the left shoulder. She changed about 6 years ago.
Because of my eyes, all of my guns are scoped, and I'm left/left. We noticed the improvement in her accuracy primarily with scoped guns. Her gun is a very tricked out 10/22 with a good scope also. She was a good shot with it, but just couldn't get on the level of either myself or her older brother. As soon as she switched & got used to shooting from the left, which didn't take long, the results spoke for themselves.
Phantom; Check out Stag Arms for a dedicated left AR15 platform lower.
900F
Matt Dillon
Member
I too am left eye dominant and right handed. I have always shot long guns left handed, and it doesn't seem to hurt things. I'd say, that however it is that you decide on training, stay with it consistently.
Sunray
Member
"...worry about eye dominance..." Nope. Shoot the way that's comfortable for you. Try shooting left, but don't worry about it if it feels wrong.
I'm left eye dominant, but use a long gun left and handgun right handed and adjust my stance accordingly. Usually with both eyes open. Mind you, I tend to use both hands for most things, but shooting a long gun right doesn't feel right.
I'm left eye dominant, but use a long gun left and handgun right handed and adjust my stance accordingly. Usually with both eyes open. Mind you, I tend to use both hands for most things, but shooting a long gun right doesn't feel right.
I sent my entire youth being serious "confused" as I'm ambidextrous. Some things I did right handed, and others left handed. When I started shooting (both a bow and a gun) I wanted to shoot left handed. But, there weren't many bows/guns made for lefties, so I eventually switched to right handed, ever since. I am, however, left eye dominant. So I shoot right handed, with my left eye closed. Maybe not ideal, but it works for me.
Father Knows Best
Member
I'm cross-dominant, also. I grew up shooting right handed, and never had a problem with rifles and pistols. Apparently, that's because I learned to close my left eye while sighting.
Then I took up the shotgun sports, and had a real problem. You can NOT be successful at trap or skeet unless you keep both eyes open. With a dominant left eye and the gun on the right, however, it is almost impossible to shoot with both eyes open.
There are only two solutions. The best solution is, as others have pointed out, learning to shoot from the side of your dominant eye. It isn't hard, but it does take practice -- LOTS of practice. You need to practice daily for weeks, if not months. It doesn't have to be live fire every day, though. Dry fire practice helps, too. I had a shotgun coach who advised me to keep my shotgun in the living room, and every time I walked by it I was to stop and practice some mounts and swings on the left side. By doing that every day, dozens of times a day, it became 2nd nature fairly quickly.
The other solution is to trick your mind into switching dominance to the right eye. You can do that by closing the left eye, obviously, but that has the disadvantage of eliminating a lot of peripheral vision and destroying depth perception. That's why you can't do that in shotgunning.
The old shotgunners trick is to smear a tiny amount of vaseline on the left lens of your shooting glasses, right in the line of the left eyes sight when the shotgun is mounted and you are looking down the barrel. The small amount of vaseline in that spot blurs the left eye's picture just enough that the brain switches dominance temporarily to the right side. That way, a left-eye-dominant individual can shoot from the right side with both eyes open. Of course, it only works when you are wearing those glasses, and looking too far in any direction other than straight ahead for too long will cause dominance to switch back to the left. Thus, it's a stop-gap measure, and not a permanent fix.
Then I took up the shotgun sports, and had a real problem. You can NOT be successful at trap or skeet unless you keep both eyes open. With a dominant left eye and the gun on the right, however, it is almost impossible to shoot with both eyes open.
There are only two solutions. The best solution is, as others have pointed out, learning to shoot from the side of your dominant eye. It isn't hard, but it does take practice -- LOTS of practice. You need to practice daily for weeks, if not months. It doesn't have to be live fire every day, though. Dry fire practice helps, too. I had a shotgun coach who advised me to keep my shotgun in the living room, and every time I walked by it I was to stop and practice some mounts and swings on the left side. By doing that every day, dozens of times a day, it became 2nd nature fairly quickly.
The other solution is to trick your mind into switching dominance to the right eye. You can do that by closing the left eye, obviously, but that has the disadvantage of eliminating a lot of peripheral vision and destroying depth perception. That's why you can't do that in shotgunning.
The old shotgunners trick is to smear a tiny amount of vaseline on the left lens of your shooting glasses, right in the line of the left eyes sight when the shotgun is mounted and you are looking down the barrel. The small amount of vaseline in that spot blurs the left eye's picture just enough that the brain switches dominance temporarily to the right side. That way, a left-eye-dominant individual can shoot from the right side with both eyes open. Of course, it only works when you are wearing those glasses, and looking too far in any direction other than straight ahead for too long will cause dominance to switch back to the left. Thus, it's a stop-gap measure, and not a permanent fix.
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