16ga.com ~ View topic - Right handed, left-eye dominant

After years of shooting a shotgun like a rifle (i.e., "aiming" at the target and shooting with only one eye open), I'm trying to get serious about shooting a shotgun the right way--with both eyes open. But now I'm learning that I'm left-eye dominant. My friend at work who shoots on the Army skeet team tells me that I can either (1) put a small patch on the left side of my shooting glasses (thus allowing me to have a right-eye sight picture when I shoulder my gun) or (2) switch to shooting left-handed. There's no way I'm switching, so I've shot a little bit lately with the patch and it definitely solves the mixed-up sight picture that I get when I try to shoot with both eyes open without a patch. And it's small enough so that it allows me a full field of view when I'm walking and looking for game.

Are any of you guys right-handed with a dominant left eye? What is your solution, both for clays and for hunting?

Thanks.

I'm co-dominant and used the 'blink' technique for several years. Keep both eyes open until right before taking the shot Shocked

and then shut the left eye Wink

. Pretty easy to pick up with a few rounds of skeet, and you'll still have the advantage of binocular vision and shooting from the right shoulder.

Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 1 Location: Wisconsin

I too have what I guess you could call co-dominate eyes. They both have a big ego and the balance of power will switch back and forth. I would be shooting just fine and then all of a sudden start missing, and realize I was looking at the side of the barrels of the O/U. That got me to thinking, and I tried a SxS. The wide visual plane gave my right eye the edge in the power struggle and the sighting problem went away.

When shooting a O/U I used a dot over the off eye and it served well, but I gradually moved completely to SxSs.

Glenn

Member Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Posts: 989 Location: Las Vegas

I'm a righty whose left eye dominant. I tried to shoot lefty, and, if you stay with it I think you'd get the hang of it on clays. Hunting is another matter. I can't imagine trying to mount the gun on the left shoulder as a cackling pheasant is getting up! Like the Rev, I also mount the gun, pick up the target and then find myself closing the left eye as I squeeze the trigger. Works for me YMMV.

Matt

I'm a left handed shooter, and left eye dominant, out to about 15-20 yards. Then I switch over to my right eye.

My only choice is to either close 1 eye, or use a tape over the right lens of my glasses.

Guest

The real problem with this eye dominance thing is your brain is wired to zero on either eye if you have true eye dominance. What that means is when you point your finger (either right or left) at any object, it will line up precisely to your dominant eye. Putting an eye patch to cover your eye dominance will not improve your instinctive shooting because you still have to make minor conscious adjustments to your target and true shotgun shooting is a subconsious activity. Long and short is if you really want to become a real good shot, you have to switch shoulders. I was a good shot hunting wild birds by utilizing the "blink down" method but when I got serious with sporting clays, many savy target setters know how to throw optical illusions at you and make you miss if you're a "consious" shooter (aimer). I made the switch and went through several months of "blood, sweat and tears" until I could break a decent number of clay targets. It took me several days of stepping on my uknowwhat before I could retain my cool of a wild pheasant. I've been shooting since I was 10 years old and made the change from righty to lefty when I was 45 and it's been a very good decision.

I am also right handed with a dominant left eye. I use the fuzzy scotch tape and place it on an angle on the inside of my shooting glasses. I then trim it with a razor blade to fit just around the glass and it stays there permanently. You may be surprised on how little it will interfere with your normal field of vision if you monkey around with the placement and angle of the tape. The direction of the angle is the same as if you were executing a left handed salute.

Another method is to go to a person that does gun fitting and have a dot placed on your shooting glasses. I think this works better if you are shooting at a range where your mount is always perfect. In the field we sometimes make gun mounting mistakes and the dot is pretty small and assumes a perfect mount. The advantage of the dot is you don't see it when you are not mounting the gun, it is smaller than a pencil eraser.

Gentlemen:

I am left-eye dominant and shoot right handed. I have the LARGE scotch tape (oval dot) on the left lens that blocks out the end of the barrel, but not the trap, skeet, clay, or live bird. Works well for me - the dot is in the same location on the rose, yellow, and clear lenses.

Consistency of shooting and gun mount from shooting 10,000 plus shells per year helps to overcome this small problem.

no worries...

Thanks for this post, and, all the other replies.

I thought I was the only one with this challenge Surprised

When I started skeet shooting a fellow shooter told me most of the stuff that's posted above (tape on glasses, etc.).

My problem was: I shoot clays only to hit more birds hunting, and, didn't want to wear glasses while hunting. So here's what I do now. a) close my left eye most of the time during shot process (clays or hunting) b) accept reality that I'm not gonna be a champion shooter - I'm happy with ~22 on skeet, 23 is almost unthinkable Smile

Good shooting! Very Happy

Guest

Every shooter should wear a pair of quality of shooting glasses if not for improving your shooting ability, then for protection. I've been sprayed a few times at public and private shooting areas where I know what is a close call. Take a pellet right into your eye and you can kiss your hunting/shooting goodbye. You're probably safer in a target range but I've had instances of broken clays hitting me. In the field, there are many people that don't have clue about constantly checking their field of fire before even taking a shot. It's not worth being a casualty of some other dummy out in the field....

Member Joined: 31 Oct 2005 Posts: 446 Location: Wisconsin

Right hand shooter, left eye dominant. Treid to chnage at 14 but no luck. Just have learned to close the left eye when needed. Dosen't always work but that's life.
BTW, get some safety glasses and always wear them hunting.-Dick

Terry, Good points on eye protection.

I didn't tell the whole story. At the range I shoot skeet at (in MT) Eye and ear protection is manditory. I haven't shot elsewhere, but, I'd bet that rule is standard. Makes real good sense.

Hunting for me is another story. I hunt alone. So I don't worry about a shot from someone else. I do admit that I should wear protection from brush, seeds, etc. This old dog can/should learn a new trick. Thanks.

Member Joined: 13 Feb 2006 Posts: 110 Location: California

My son is left eye, right handed - and when he was just about big enough to start shooting, I read an article about eye dominance. Gave him the "point your finger, close your eye" test.

Based on that, his first time with a real gun was left handed. I don't think he could hit anything right handed. He is now 23, and a very good shot, having never shot anything but left handed.

I hunt with my right handed cousin- Who does everything but shoot with his right hand. And he is death on the birds.

Guess he was born left handed but the teachers force broke him to be right handed.

My son is left handed, I feel bad for him....I'll never be able to buy him autos, just nice italian, spanish, english doubles. Poor guy.

I'm similar to many here, left eye dominant and strongly right handed. Tried to shoot lefty and just couldn't do it after shooting righty for so many years. I have tried a number of different things, but nothing seems to work any better than just closing my left eye.

At this point I have done just about all the other recommended tricks, from squinting/winking, cover dots on my shooting glasses, to an easy-hit sight (sacrilege, I know but it demonstrates the depth of my desperation at that point). Never tried a crossover, but would like to.

Having done all of that, I honestly find that I shoot best by closing my left eye (to shoot right handed), either just before the shot or depending on the shot situation, the whole time.

Does anyone think they miss because of a lack of depth perception in only having one eye open rather than just missing?

Thoughts?

Brad