Dominant Eye

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Larry Mack

New member
Greetings all- I am left eye dominant, but feel more comfortable using my right hand as strong hand. Is this a big mistake? Anyone else do this? Can you compensate to make up for this? Thanks for any help. Also, what a goldmine of info this site is! It's great to feel a part of a shooting community.

Larry Mack
 
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Pahoo

New member
While teaching at the M/L station a couple of years ago, had a young female student who mentioned that she had never shot one. That may be so but right off, did not have to assist her in her stance and gun handling. Shot the 10X at 35 yards, offhand. I also noticed that she was cross-eyed dominant when she was at the line. I was impressed and had to ask her how she overcomes the problem. She stated that she had just got back from Irag and that the Army had taught her but did not state just how. Perhaps others reading this can tell us. I often get students with this problem and to overcome it, I put a piece of transparent scotch tape over the dominant lense of the safety glasses. Not black, but transparent so they can still see but forces them to focus more with the weak eye and seems to work.


Be Safe !!!
 
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Threefeathers

Moderator
Larry at LFI Mas Ayoob teaches a technique that really works. My son is the same as you and he carries a Taurus PT140.
Simply cant the gun at about a 30 degree angle and the dominant eye will take over the sight pic. It is so simple it is funny. Try, it is fast and you can then use your strongest hand.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
"...Is this a big mistake?..." Nope. It's just how you are. I'm the same. Left eye dominate, but shoot a handgun right handed. Shoot a rifle left. Shoot a bow, right.
Teach yourself to shoot with both eyes open and concentrate on the front sight only.
Mind you, a lot depends on what kind of shooting you're doing. When shooting, manly, one handed bullseye with iron sights, your stance matters. Move your hind leg to bring the sights over. Head up and don't cant the pistol.
 
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alloy

New member
larry mack, i dot know if its correct but thats how i am. i used to shoot with both eyes but my vision isnt clear as it was, and now the dominant left eye has taken over the job. doesnt seem to cause me problems.
 
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alloy

New member
ill add that the problem i see with it is that what most call a proper stance, doesnt work that well, but i still poke holes in paper.
 
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wuluf

New member
Right handed, left eyed here. I keep both eyes open and slightly tilt my head to the left when i aim.
 
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Sigma 40 Blaster

New member
Same here. I was right dominant before having LASIK, now I'm left as a result of complications from the surgery. I can see OK out of my right eye but it's not as clear (my right eye was always stronger even before).

I use a modified isosceles stance, close my right eye, and tilt my head. I am working on keeping both eyes open and remembering that the left picture is the one that's "real".

I'm not a bullseye shooter by any means but I do OK in IDPA (sharpshooter).
 
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Threefeathers

Moderator
Guys, tilt the fracking gun 30 degrees and stop tilting your heads, it is fast, effective, and requires much fewer motor skills.
 
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KLRANGL

New member
Guys, tilt the fracking gun 30 degrees and stop tilting your heads, it is fast, effective, and requires much fewer motor skills.
Click to expand...
Just tried this out for the first time today at the range (off hand shooting), and boy are you right... But its a totally different feeling with the recoil going somewhere other than up. Had to get used to it.
 
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vranasaurus

New member
I have the same issue. I may try canting the gun next time I go to the range.

My stance feels much more natural when I shoot left handed but I don't feel comfortable firing a pistol with my left hand. Since I shoot rifles left handed I may try to get used to shooting pistols left handed.
 
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Jermtheory

New member
im the same,left eye/right hand dominant.

are we talking about pistol shooting?

just use your left eye and right hand...

no need to tilt anything,just move the pistol over the slightest ammount.try switching back and forth from eye to eye...the movement needed is almost nil.

...now,a rifle without a illuminated optic can be a real pain for me.i just shoot lefty in that case(rifle with irons or non-illuminated optic).

but its never been an issue with pistols.
 
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mega twin

New member
Well,I'm blind in my right eye. I shoot a handgun right handed and rifle left handed. I never felt the need to tilt my head or my gun,but maybe thats because I have no need to force my dominate eye to focus over a weak eye?
 
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ADM Knives

New member
When I got licensed as an ArmedGuard 10 years ago, I thought I was screwed. I am left eye dominant. Found out doing the triangle with your hands (looking through and closing each eye to see which moves the triangle). I was continually missing the target. I changed my rear sights on my glock (knocked them over to the right a little bit). I spent a long time at the range, shot 1000's of rounds through my glock and suddenly, I was incredibly accurate. But, now it's been 10 years and I rarely get to the range (no longer doing armed guard work). I just bought a pm-9 and was continually shooting left. Driving home, I remembered about the eye. I'm going back in a week or so (after adjusting the sight a little). I think if I can shoot with both eyes open, it won't be a problem.
 
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Threefeathers

Moderator
Holy herkimer, just try what Mas teaches and see how it works. Cant the pistol just enough so the dominant eye picks it up immediately.

In LFI qualification he makes every one shoot a bunch with their non-dominant hand and we all got good. Use it, or not, I don't care, I don't give a damn if you put your head through your legs and shoot backwards. Mas does so I'm passing it on.
 
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FireForged

New member
For years while twohanded shooting I would bring my pistol (left) arm across and line it up with my (right) dominant eye. Finally I decided to just close my dominant eye and use a correct shooting stance. I would prefer to keep both eyes open but I discovered that I shot alot better with the domiant eye closed.
 
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gustav129

New member
When I was in JROTC doing my marksman qualifications, we used an eye patch. That kept both of our eyes open so you don't squint and tire the open eye.

I'm left eye dominant, but I shoot right, because all of my guns are right handed. I did shoot left handed to get my small bore expert qualification in JROTC, but it's a pain in the ass to reach over with your left hand to work a bolt action.

I still use the eye patch method to an extent, the bill of my ballcap has a deep curve in it, so it blocks my left eye when I'm shooting. Works just fine for me.
 
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