Scout Scopes and Eye Dominance Question

[the scot]

I shoot left handed but am right eye dominant. I cannot shoot with both eyes open or sights and the target do not line up at all. Shooting left handed, I absolutely must close my right eye in order for my left eye to pick up the sights.

I thought that perhaps maybe a scout scope on a rifle might allow me to aim with both eyes open because, being further from the eyes, the angle difference between my two eyes would not be as great.

For those of you with scout scopes-- if you're right eye dominant, can you shoulder the gun on your left and still use your scope with both eyes open?

Scot

 

[chevrofreak]

I do not have a dominant eye which makes shooting with both eyes open fairly difficult, especially with a scope that has magnification. However, red dot scopes that have no magnification allow me to shoot with both eyes open.

 

[shoobe01]

Try a new eye doctor if you wear glasses. I had this same horrible problem for years; if I shot left handed (just for fun to try it) my point of impact was significantly different.

Anyway, got better glasses, which adjust for things I'd never heard of (spherical distortion, etc.) and now I can shoot both eyes open. Over irons even.

Anyway, to the question, no it doesn't help. Your brain still gets two pictures, and can't make sense of the two if the (in your case) left eye is trying to take over. I tried scopes for that sort of thing w/o glasses, and needed to get the scope near my head, and over about 6x to get enough difference to push it thru. Still was slower than just closing one eye.

 

[Slingster]

The trick is to keep both eyes open to track the animal as you mount the rifle. Use your binocular vision until the butt hits your shoulder and your cheek hits the stock. Then dim your right eye and use your left to aim and shoot with the scope. After the shot, leave your rifle in your shoulder with your cheek on the stock, but open both eyes again to track the animal as you work the bolt. When you slam the bolt home, dim your right eye again to return to the scope. If you've been tracking the animal in the meantime, the scope should be close to being aimed at the animal by the time your finger touches the trigger again, and you're immediately ready for a follow-up shot if needed.

 

[Sunray]

You'd be better served by one of the electronic red dot sights. The eye relief on those so called 'scout' scopes is very long and won't help you. You'd still have to close one eye. The red dot will give you adequate hunting sighting at reasonable ranges.