Eye Dominance

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

I have a friend who is a new gun owner / shooter and he has just discovered that he is right-handed but left eye dominant. Which leads me to ask these questions.

I know that theoretically, with iron sights on a handgun, you are supposed to sight with both eyes open (I've never been able to do that - but let's assume that he can). If both eyes are open, does it matter which eye is dominant regardless of which hand is dominant.

With an optic, long gun or handgun, does it matter if you are sighting with your dominant eye if the optic was sighted in using your non-dominant eye. IOW - right handed bolt-action rifle with a scope that was sighted using the non-dominant eye (right in this case).

Never had to deal with these issues as I'm right/right. When I shot IPSC in the 80's, the club president was right handed, left eye dominant and was a double A shooter.

Thanks for any input from those in the know.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[CMJeepster 2,777]

17 minutes ago, Pizza Bob said:

I have a friend who is a new gun owner / shooter and he has just discovered that he is right-handed but left eye dominant. Which leads me to ask these questions.

I know that theoretically, with iron sights on a handgun, you are supposed to sight with both eyes open.... If both eyes are open, does it matter which eye is dominant regardless of which hand is dominant.

That's my predicament.  When I actually get out to practice, I try hard to keep both eyes open. 

[EdF 323]

Surprisingly . . . You can get your non-dominant eye to see through pretty much any set of sights.  It takes some practice but can be done even without a weapon and sights. 

I'm left/left naturally.  Due to some temporary problems with my left eye, I was forced to learn to be right eye dominant.  I'm a photographer and NEEDED to make this change but it was pretty easy.  Now that I've gone back to shooting, I've actually switched to shooting right handed.  That was pretty easy with a handgun but it's been a little slow with rifles.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

I'm right/right, and still have issues getting the focus with both eyes open. I can only imagine the trouble with the left eye always trying to focus more. Its definitely an issue as you will be focusing down the side of the gun vs over the top of it. 

My brother who is a righty, learned how to shoot a bow lefty because of this. 

This can simply be negated by closing the eye you don't want to use, there is no dominance issue there. Both eyes open really only serves to open your field of view. But if its more of a distraction trying to focus the answer is clear. The other thing, its not set in stone which eye is dominant. There is a chance that by using the right eye over and over again by squinting the left, you will eventually train the brain, but will take an enormous amount if time and effort to achieve. 

[Shepherd9 215]

Keeping both eyes open would be key with iron sights on a pistol.  He could easily adjust his posture so that he is sighting with his left eye even with right handed grip.  Not an issue.

Optics on a rifle.... no choice but to use his right eye if he is shooting right handed.  With an optic it may not be much of an indue to use his non-dominant eye but perhaps others could chime in.  Eye dominance is just one, usually minor, of the physiological components to shooting.  Pretty sure he could adapt and shoot well either way with enough repetition.

[10X 3,296]

I'm cross dominant.   For me, visual acuity is the same in both eyes.  I'm right handed, so with a rifle or shotgun I'm shooting with the non-dominant eye and it works fine--it's not like I can get the dominant eye lined up with the barrel.  I do have to squint (not fully close) the dominant eye when I shoot trap so that it doesn't line up on the front bead, but with a rifle that's not an issue since the dominant eye can't line up with the rear sight, or with the optic.

I did spend three long years trying to shoot trap left handed, since it is beneficial to keep both eyes fully open and that only works if your dominant eye is aligned with the barrel.   I never quite got the hang of it, and want back to shooting trap right handed two years ago.

Pistol, my main event by far, is a mix of techniques.  When shooting action events, freestyle (two hands), I keep both eyes open and the gun aligns with my dominant left eye. But if I have to shoot strong or weak hand only, I'll squint the opposite eye and sight with the eye that aligns with the arm holding the gun.   For precision events, always strong hand only, I shoot with my non-dominant eye since that is the one behind the sights, and I put a piece of cellophane tape over the other lense of my shooting glasses.  That lets light through and allows me to keep both eyes relaxed and open, but since I can't see a clear picture with my dominant eye, the non-dominant eye takes over.

It's best not to completely close an eye that you aren't using to aim.  The eyes are used to working together, and if the closed eye starts to dilate in the dark, the open eye tends to dilate as well, which reduces visual acuity, since that eye was already getting enough light.   That's why blinders on competition shooting glasses are usually translucent, rather than opaque. 

[GRIZ 3,369]

I'm right/right.  I notice when shooting slow fire I'll shut my left eye.  Shooting combat I keep both open and my right eye seems to take over sighting.

I've encountered right hand/left eye dominant shooters.  For the most part they shot handgun right hand turning their head slightly to use the left eye for sighting.  They shot long guns left handed.

[brucin 923]

My wife is right/left. She never had any issues with handguns but long guns were a different story. She tried using her non dominant eye but grew so frustrated at her inability to hit anything she switched to shooting long guns left handed. There was a learning curve for her as well as she is not the most coordinated person but after a few hours was able to hit her target most of the time with a rifle and some of the time with a shotgun shooting clay birds and would probably do much better with more practice.

It's really up to the individual to see which way they are more comfortable learning.

[GramGun79 226]

I'm right handed left eye dominant... Hand guns are no problem shooting either with non dominant eye open or shut. Long guns is a different story. I learned fairly quickly that if i wanted to shoot rifles and shot gun well i needed to do it left handed. I can dust clays with the best of them so id say if you practice eventually you get the hang of it.