Where to buy an eye patch for a left eye dominate shooter?

[Milkmaster]

My son had a great day at the trap range today. Lately we discovered he was left eye dominate. I put scotch tape over the left lens on his shooting glasses to blurr his left eye vision for a test. He went from an average of 5-6 hits per round before to hitting 20 on his first try today. He would like an eye patch to try rather than having the bright blurred light through his left lens. He thinks blocking the light will make it easier for him to keep his right eye open, and not inadvertently try to look over the glasses etc. If it will help then I am willing to find one for him. It can't be that expensive I would think.

So... where do I buy an eye patch for a left eye? I don't want some cheap piece of cardboard etc. I would like to buy something that can be used over and over again and is comfortable. I checked at MIDWAY and did not get any hits on my searches. I found several in a google search. What I am looking for is a recommenadation from someone who uses an eye patch and can tell me what to look for as well as where they buy their's.

Any help is appreciated

 

[Arkie]

Try a pharmacy. That's where I would start.

Or you could just wait for halloween




ohhhhh,,, I found a site where you can make your own!!!

Click here

 

[aubie515]

Go to any WalMart or CVS...they sell the eye patches. Honestly, I think the eyepatch was a good idea, so I tried it. It didn't work very well because I wear glasses and the eyepatch does not work underneath my glasses or overtop of my glasses. I too am right handed and left eye dominate. Just practice more and your eyes will become adjusted.

 

[Oldnamvet]

I had to wear an eye patch after surgery for awhile. Although some said it makes you look "quite dashing", it is a PITA. I ended up putting some blue painters tape over a pair of glasses to blank out most of the light on one side. The painters tape comes off without leaving a residue. I'd try that first, just for the comfort factor. Your eye lid can sweat under a patch and run into your eye. That is irritating.

 

[stormspotter]

Eye patch

I used a piece of electrical tape instead of scotch tape. This was just put where the non-dominate eye looked at the bird. I wanted to be able to be able to look "outside" the area of the bird but not be able to see the bird. Less strain on the other eye, better depth perception were just a couple of reasons.

 

[Robert Hairless]

Wahlgreens, CVS, or any good pharmacy should have eye patches. I agree that the "usual" ones are going to be unwieldy and uncomfortable when worn under eyeglasses.

If the eyepatch idea doesn't work out, you might try phoning an optometrist or optician for suggestions.

 

[bensdad]

If it were my son, and I was teaching him to shoot, I would encourage him to try and get used to the tape.

The peripheral vision that you maintain by using a small piece of tape is of more use than he might realize. It provides depth perception. It helps guarantee faster aquisition. In real hunting situations it makes for greater safety (can see what's to the left, move vision to collect more visual "data" about what's down-field). It allows the shooter to see that second bird flush off to the left right after the first one goes down.

I use a small piece of scotch tape (about the size of my pinky finger-nail). I put it just above my strait-ahead line of sight, and a little to the left. When I'm looking strait ahead, it's not in my line of sight. When I tip my head slightly forward and slightly to the right, it blocks my left from seeing the sight or the target. I have it on all my shooting glasses. I tip my head the same way for shotgun, rifle and handgun.

 

[Spiggy]

dark sunglasses, paint the inside of the one lense black

 

[Rollin Oswald]

A dot, not a patch

Your son does not need a patch. A small dot placed on the left lens to block only the view of the muzzle is what he needs. You don't want to destroy his binocular vision, only his ability to see the muzzle with his left eye.

Getting the dot in the right place will take some experimentation. I suggest you first stick a dot on cloth to reduce the effect of the adhesive so you can remove and reposition it a few times. When you determine the ideal position, then use a fresh dot that will remain in place.

http://www.stockfitting.com

Rollin

 

[Robert Hairless]

Aha! I found it. I dimly remembered coming across this quite while ago but wondered where. Here is the clip-on shooters eye patch that will solve all your problems for only $9:

And it comes in your choice of black or white.

 

[spankaveli]

have him throw the gun on his left shoulder

 

[ArmedBear]

The following is my opinion. It is based on my experience and my observation at the trap range: everyone who wears a patch gets messed up by it. And for anything more complex than trap, forget it.

This is what I recommend, from personal experience as a left-eye-dominant shooter who took up shotgunning:

Get a .22 autoloading pistol.

Have him shoot a few bricks while keeping both eyes open and consciously using the right eye on the sights. Then focus on the target, sighting right eye and keeping both eyes open.

Then move back to the shotgun and have him use his eyes the same way. Go back and forth, shotgun to pistol a few times.

It worked for me. And I became a better shot with a pistol, as well as a rifle, since I can shoot eyes-open now.

No more patches, tape, or any of that garbage. And I was pretty strongly left-eye dominant.

Like every unnatural crutch, an eyepatch just messes you up, in the long run. And what is he going to do, hunt with an eyepatch? I'll take 3D vision in the field, thanks.

 

[wcordle]

use the leftmost barrel

You may want to try using the leftmost barrel. I hope I am not the only one that sees two barrels when shooting a single-barreled shotgun with both eyes open. 8^) I am left eye dominant and right-handed. I find if I use the leftmost barrel, my alignment is spot on every time. If you ask your son to point right of target, bring the first barrel on target by swinging left, and then wink the left eye, you'll find he'll be right on target.

I am not recommending that the "aim right swing left to target" exercise be incorporated into every day shooting, that would really foul him up on moving targets. Rather as a very clear way to denote that the leftmost barrel is the one to point with. With some practice I think he will do quite well and will need to rely less on obscuring the vision with the left eye to get the job done.

Good luck
Will

 

[stevehaun]

First, let me tell you I am not an expert.
But, I slept at a Holiday Inn Express last night ;-)
Seriously, I am right handed and left eye dominant. For years I shot right handed and could not hit the broad side of a barn. At the age of 45, I switched to shooting left handed and it made a huge difference - immediately. After about 2 years of shooting left, I found it very awkward to mount a gun to my right shoulder. The gun now naturally comes to my dominant eye.
If your son is young (< 30 years), I would have him switch to shooting left handed. It is far easier to learn to mount the gun left handed than to retrain the way your vision and brain is hardwired. Binocular vision is a big advantage. Sounds like your son is a good shot but I bet he would do even better shooting left handed.

 

[yongxingfreesty]

walmart has some in stock.

 

[4fingermick]

I find the best thing is a small opaque dot. That way your dominant eye will not be able to overide the weak one, but you still retain binocular vision. I use a black stick on target patch. They work well, cost nothing and work for ages and are easily replaced. Mick.

I'm right handed/right eye dominate, but as I get older the right eye seems to be losing ground to the left eye.

 

[Blackfork]

Champions Choice.

Champions Shooters Supply

Creedmore Sports

 

[benedict1]

Tape or a dot. An eye patch is annoying and distracting and also cuts out the peripheral vision. I shoot left-handed and am left-eye dominant, but am very prone to cross-firing with both eyes open--so tape is it.

The problem with the patch--let's say you go bird shooting--with a patch he'll e stumbling around all day and liable to fall down and hurt himself until he gets real used to being one-eyed in the field. What I do out hunting is just smear a little Vaseline on the top of the right lens of my field glasses--that's enough to stop the cross-firing. It would also stop wrong eye from taking over the sight picture.

I base this advice on 40+ years of competitive skeet and trap shooting and a like amount of upland bird shooting, under all conditions. Forget the eye patch.

 

[Chilean]

he must learn to shoot left handed

 

[ArmedBear]

Another thing to try, is a little device for the purpose. It's sort of like a protected front sight, but it's lower and longer. With a fiberoptic bead that only one eye can see, you can leave both eyes open and forget about all the annoying eye-dot tricks -- which don't work well anyway if your glasses shift on your face, etc.

Furthermore, after using that for a while, he might not need it.

I forget what it's called, but try MPC Sports, Shotgun Sports Magazine, etc.

 

[benedict1]

The thing you're talking about really only works for trap shooting--skeet, clays or field shooting is a no-go.

As to switching to left-handed; maybe, but it depends on his coordination and the already-learned patterns at his age. You do not have to shoot the gun off the shoulder of the dominant eye--the tape/dot/vaseline trick works very well--well enough for me to shoot AA in all guns at skeet for 25 years.--Not bragging, just pointing out that it is totally possible to learn to shoot that way in a very short period of time. At major skeet shoots across the country you will see more than one guy/gal with a piece of tape across the off-eye lens of their Decot, etc shooting glasses. It is a common problem.

 

[ArmedBear]

It's a common problem and a common "solution". I know that. People do all sorts of wierd things at the range, though.

Never worked for me. I've tried it. Training worked better for me, and it's a lot better in the field. Much more convenient, too, and if my glasses move on my face, I don't miss because of it.

Maybe you can learn to shoot well that way, but why not learn to shoot without the thing?

I did. That's the point. It is possible. People don't try. See above for how I trained myself.

I mean, do whatever you want, but I don't think that starting a young shooter out with a crutch of any sort is a good idea unless absolutely necessary. That would mean he gave it his best shot without the crutch. Why build bad habits and dependencies when you have a blank slate to work with?

 

[cwmcgu2]

at the pirate store, arrgh