Eye Dominance

[kriggo15]

I just picked up a shotgun a couple of days ago and when trying to look down the barrel the bead shifts back and forth. Using the miles test, I have determined myself as right eye dominant. I have trouble closing my left eye and usually end up squinting my right one and it gets hard to focus so I tried shooting with both eyes open but it took a while to focus.

When watching Top Shot season 1 I noticed one of the guys with tape over one side of his glasses. Would this help me or was this for something else?

Any suggestions?

 

[JetGirl]

Yep...that's what it was for. Works for some people... give it a try and see if it's for you.

 

[Sylvain]

Aim with a shotgun?
I thought people use this because there is no need to aim.
Joke aside ... are you right or left-handed?

Im just curious because im right-handed and left eye dominant.
I heard that its unusual for shooters.
Well I guess that doesnt answer your question ...

Maybe the glasses with tape on one side could help but I dont know if its the best solution especially if you will use your shotgun for home defense.
If you are a new shooter just train with or without glasses.It's not a natural thing to do to keep one eye open and the other closed for a few seconds while you aim.
You just need to practice.

 

[kriggo15]

I was thinkin' about using the word aim but i was thinkin' about slugs so, heck why not. I read the point/aim thread a while back I am right handed and it feels more natural shooting right handed. Just need more practice...

 

[JJ1977]

My daughter is a right handed left eye dominant shooter. It takes practice but eventually you will get the hang of it. She just had to have more range time to halp with her sighting but now she could out shoot me on alot of occasions. Trying the tape is one way, another way is just trying to keep both eyes open and focusing. This is what works best for my daughter. Wish you the best- just means you get more range time huh...

 

[Z71Gunner]

I'm a right handed shooter and am left-eye dominant. I've been trying to train my right eye for sometime now. I use a couple of pieces of electrical tape over my right eye on my shooting glasses.

The problem is that I don't think that I've had enough time at the range this past year or so to do any good. Good luck!

 

[singlesix]

OP what is your intent for the shotgun? Home Defense, Trap, Hunting, Skeet ....
I assume you are saying your are left-handed and right eye dominant? Depending on the shoot you are shooting there are a few tricks. I know some for Trap. Let us know.

 

[kriggo15]

Singlesix, I am right handed and right eye dominant but sometimes my left eye focuses instead of the right and it takes a bit to get the right eye re-focused. I am trying to figure out how to get the right eye to focus all the time. The gun will be used for trap, deer/turkey and home defense. I am not as worried for home defense because most of my rooms are less that 15-20ft in diameter.

 

[singlesix]

Maybe the best thing: go to a local Trap Club and ask for some help (Trap shooters are a friendly bunch). Barring that:
When is the last time you had an eye exam. Wondering if one eye is weaker. OK enough, I'll stop. Some tips .. your mileage my vary.
- In Trap you need to focus on the bird and not the bead. Maybe you are shifting focus back to the bead. Try this: at home focus on a picture or object about 10 feet away. Keep your focus on the object and bring you thumb up to the object. Notice how your focus is on the object, but you can see your thumb. This is called back-sighting.
- Wink method. Keep both eyes open focusing on the bird; right before you pull the trigger close your left eye. The advantage is the you are not stress your left eye by keeping it close the whole time, you get a better field of view, and right before you shoot you are only using your dominate eye. Disadvantage - takes a lot of practice. A friend shoots this way and he smokes bird.

Another issue might be gun fit, but nothing I can do over the Internet. Best Bet is find a Trap club. Good luck.

 

[kriggo15]

Thanks for all the input. Going out tomorrow to practice some in the field. After I get used to the gun and get some practice I'll be sure to hit up the trap club.

 

[Squib]

Rather than tape across your lense, may I suggest a small card with the tape holding it to the frame? Some mastics can actually etch the glass. You will also see shooters that attach a wire frame to the the stem of their glasses. The frame has a clip that holds a card.

I'm right handed with a dominate left eye, and you can learn to compensate. Some folks do it rather quickly and others need more time. While I shoot with my right eye, I still use my left eye for a camera, telescope, sextant, and so on.

I was born left handed, but my dad actually tied my hand down and forced me to use the right hand. I guess that explains the nervous tick.

 

[MrSmitty]

Right handed and left eye dominant, shoot my flintlocks right handed, most rifles lefty, pistols right hand left eye...but what really sucks is that most camera's are set up for righties!....I know now a days with the digital cameras you can use both, but I'm getting older and I need to use reading glasses for that!!

 

[Mr. Habib]

Right handed and left eye dominant, shoot my flintlocks right handed, most rifles lefty, pistols right hand left eye...but what really sucks is that most camera's are set up for righties!....I know now a days with the digital cameras you can use both, but I'm getting older and I need to use reading glasses for that!!

I'm in the same boat. I started shooting that way as a kid, before I had ever heard of eye dominance. Fun to watch people's reactions at the range when I switch hands with different guns. Some people think being cross dominant is a handicap when shooting, but I believe it helps develop weak hand pistol skills.

 

[vzdude]

Just setting back and reading on this one, but signing on to keep tabs. I have the same issues........Rifles lefty, pistols righty........I confuse myself most days! Let alone anyone else trying to watch me!

 

[HICKMAN]

Use Scotch tape instead of electric tape. It allows you too let all the light in both eyes and just blurs the vision of the dominate eye.

I'm also right handed and left-eye dominate and I use the little Post-It flags to cover the middle of the lens, but lets me focus correctly on reloads.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

I'm left-handed and left eye dominant, but l've just begun to realize that my right eye lets me see the front sight more clearly than the left eye. This may require some experimentation...

 

[CindyE]

Add me to the right hand/left eye dominant. As if i don't already have enough issues with my shooting! oh wait...this can be my new excuse! I've been strongly left eye dominant ever since i can remember, before i even knew there was such a thing. i remember being a kid and laying on my back in bed or on the ground, opening and closing eyes and watching my finger move. I never even knew what it was until i started shooting again this year! I've always used my right hand for most things, especially writing, but there have been some things over the years that i've done better left handed. i have handguns and also have started practicing trap shooting. i can't decide what to do about it at this point.

 

[rhino]

I'm left-handed and left eye dominant, but l've just begun to realize that my right eye lets me see the front sight more clearly than the left eye. This may require some experimentation...

I'm one of the weird people that does not have a strongly dominant eye, but my vision in my right eye is poor compared to my left. Because of that, I taught myself to shoot pistols using my left eye primarily, regardless of which hand I use. It may not have been a great idea, but it seemed good at the time.

 

[CindyE]

i think i might try the dot thing on my glasses over the dominant eye. tonight at trap practice i closed my left eye and i did a lot better with my new/used Browning than i did yesterday!

 

[dross]

Question: I've never gotten a completely satisfactory answer to this: Why use tape? Why not just close the dominant eye?

BTW, being cross eye dominant myself, I just squint my left eye until my right eye takes over its duties, then I can open it back up a little. Got it down now so it's almost automatic.