Eyes First?

[Brisco 130]

So, I was at the range last week and a kind fellow next to me let me try his CX-4 Storm. Fun to shoot, but I think I may have a problem.

 

Question first: Can a right handed person sight in on a rifle with the left eye?

 

I think I know the answer, and it might lead to Lasix, or maybe glasses.

 

Unfortunately, I might have to postpone my AR build/purchase until I find an answer. EngineerJet's Stag was looking pretty good to me.

[mikeyboyeee 66]

Altho I am REALLY new to shooting, I am right handed, left eye dom and have terrible vision in my right eye (and not a candidate for Lasik).

That being said, if I get into rifle shooting, I will have to shoot lefty.

 

Have done it with shoitgun and Wolfy's M1 and it is the only way I can do it.

[matt6669 71]

Correct Mikey

 

I would prefer to shoot left handed but I am practically blind in my left eye so that makes me shoot righty instead. Because of this, I now shoot EVERYTHING righty for a common among all guns. It seems to be working fairly well for me.

 

M

[bbk 188]

As stated, it you are right handed but left eye dominate it would probably be most comfortable to learn how to shoot lefty. Just note that there is a difference between bad vision and eye dominance. Just because you might have bad vision is different from messing up your perception. I do know of people who have learned how to shoot with their non dominant eye, but it's easier with a pistol- I could imagine it would be significantly harder with long guns

[Caine 147]

As others have stated, if you're right handed, but left eye dominant, it would be a good thing to give shooting left handed a shoot when it comes to rifles. I'm cross dominant - right handed/left eye dominant. I'm VERY VERY right handed and the idea of shooting left handed seemed almost impossible in my mind till I tried it. But when I gave it a shot, I was surprised at how quickly I was able to adjust. This is only with rifles, mind you.

 

The other option, which I think a lot of people discount too quickly, is to just close your left eye. My eyesight is pretty jacked up, and as a result, if I keep both eyes open I generally see two front sight posts and two targets. Maybe that's normal.. i dunno.. but it confuses me. So, for certain things (i.e. shooting shotguns at clays) I just close my left eye.

 

But, reading the wording of the original post, it sounds almost like you were trying to shoot the CX right handed while using your left eye to sight. That won't comfortably work with any rifle.. the CX.. the AR.. etc.. If that wasn't what you were saying, then ignore this paragraph

[Brisco 130]

Well it is nice to know that I am not the only one with this problem.

I am VERY right handed, left eye dominant. When I shot the CX, after I shot the ceiling of Shore Shot, I sighted in with my right eye and was able to get a decent group at 15 yards (but the target is not clear from 10 yards out with my right eye).

 

As a very new shooter, I did not even consider trying to shoot lefty.

 

I believe I will make an appointment with the eye doctor. It's funny how a new hobby will make you do something you should have done years ago. I did have a contact in my right eye some 20 years ago, but with my trade, contacts are not very wise.

 

When shooting the pistol, I close my right eye, and I can see almost 20 yards (but not very clear).

 

Thank you all very much

[tbtrout 141]

My wife has this issue and she shoots pistols right handed both eyes open, rifles left handed both eyes open and shotgun right handed both eyes open. She can not close one eye at a time

[Caine 147]

I have a question for the both eyes open shooters. Do you guys see one clear front sight and one fuzzy target? As I mentioned in my post above, when i shoot with both eyes open, I see 2 front sights and two targets. If I concentrate enough I can tell which is the correct sight picture, but I feel like it just slows me down. Does anyone else have this problem?

[matty 810]

I am right eye dominant, rechecked and even asked my eye doc for sure last was in there, so I have no excuse. The vision in my left eye (uncorrected) is 10x worse than my right. When I use sights I close my left eye to line them up and will sometimes open both eyes, but I do get that sort of double sight picture on handguns, at least

[tbtrout 141]

I have a question for the both eyes open shooters. Do you guys see one clear front sight and one fuzzy target? As I mentioned in my post above, when i shoot with both eyes open, I see 2 front sights and two targets. If I concentrate enough I can tell which is the correct sight picture, but I feel like it just slows me down. Does anyone else have this problem?

Pete it takes some getting use to, but your dominant eye will be the one lined up with the rear sight, front sight and target, The one that is on an angle is your non dominant eye. Concentrate on the front sight.

 

Your target should always be blurry and your front sight clear.

[Caine 147]

That's the problem I guess. As far as I can tell, my left eye is in the correct spot with everything lined up correctly. For clarification, I should mention that I'm mostly referring to pistols here. I turn my head just slightly to the right (my chin is almost touching my right bicep) so my left eye ends up behind the sight. But, my right (weak) eye seems to be picking up the sight as well. So I see relatively clear front sight with my left eye between the rear sights, and then just off to the right, I see a second front sight!

But you're right. I just need more time to get used to it and stop second guessing myself. I keep forgetting I've only been shooting 6-7 months and have a long way to go

[DaveWaters 0]

I have a question for the both eyes open shooters. Do you guys see one clear front sight and one fuzzy target?

 

Yes. (Handgun)

[Caine 147]

So, while I was at the range today, I forced myself to shoot with both eyes open, and surprisingly, I wasn't really seeing the double front sight. Either that or I was just ignoring the "second" one. I shot as well as I do with one eye closed (which for me isn't that good to begin with ). I just kept thinking to myself "front sight front sight front sight" and it seems to have worked.

[PK90 3,573]

My vision has been constantly changing over the last 10 years. My right eye has been advancing toward near-sightedness and the left toward far-sightedness. Sort of a balancing act. The front sight on a pistol is clearer with my left eye even though I am right eye dominate and right handed. It doesn't really matter though, as I shoot with both eyes closed anyway.

[Caine 147]

It doesn't really matter though, as I shoot with both eyes closed anyway.

If you saw some of my groups, you'd think I was too!