[Sister]

I'm asking those that know (I'm sure there are some shooting teachers here) what to do about this issue, I'm asking those around me here (in my town) and getting all kinds of answers and not so sure the ones that have advised me in my town know what they are talking about.

"What do I do when I'm LEFT eye dominant, RIGHT handed"?

With pistols it's a bit easier, but with my rifle I have to hang my head waaaaaay over to see to shoot straight!

A woman that told me she taught for the NRA said to put a patch over my left (dominant) eye and that would train my right eye to get it straight? Not sure if that will work, don't sound right?

:dunno:

 

[ItalianSteel]

Funny you bring this up, I'm the same way (right-hand, left-eye). I'm not sure if it is hereditary or what because both my brother and cousin (Army vet) are too.

With pistols, the Weaver stance is much easier for this reason (my theory is that Jack Weaver was also cross-dominant). My arms/elbows have more of a bend to accommodate for this. I can close my right eye almost entirely independently to my left, which makes sighting a lot easier. I have to close one eye to sight properly, but there are some who can do it without.

As for rifles, I have a similar issue with my head hanging. I have noticed aperture style sights are much easier to use than traditional dot/post sights (compare an AR-15 to 10/22). The amusing part is... I always can hit where I sight but I just don't feel confident that it will hit. Honestly, when I shoot my 10/22 I feel like I'm all over the place but nope, they're all nice and together.

I guess some people would say "why would you shoot a rifle without a scope/dot?"

 

[Crowman]

How to overcome cross-dominance - North Carolina Sportsman

 

[GlassWolf]

I'm asking those that know (I'm sure there are some shooting teachers here) what to do about this issue, I'm asking those around me here (in my town) and getting all kinds of answers and not so sure the ones that have advised me in my town know what they are talking about.

"What do I do when I'm LEFT eye dominant, RIGHT handed"?

With pistols it's a bit easier, but with my rifle I have to hang my head waaaaaay over to see to shoot straight!

A woman that told me she taught for the NRA said to put a patch over my left (dominant) eye and that would train my right eye to get it straight? Not sure if that will work, don't sound right?

:dunno:

I'm cross-dominant. I am naturally right handed, but I have damage to my right eye (macular hole) that prevents me from using that eye for sighting.
Easy fix for handguns. I can shoot with either hand quite well, but I wear on my right side, so I just lean my head over to use my left eye.
For rifle, I just learned to shoot left handed, which isn't too hard to do. The only drawback really is dealing with things like mag release, selector switches, and ejection ports, but most of that comes in Ambi models for the AR, and for AK, it's even easier since the bolt carrier handle is on the right, I don't have to reach under to grab it.
For bolt action rifles, things are slightly more annoying.

 

[Tala]

I'm the same way. Right-handed, but near sighted in my right eye and far sighted in my left eye. My grandpa is the exact same, and shoots rifles left-shouldered. I just can't switch shoulders, feels too awkward. Sooooo I use a scope and don't really aspire to be a sniper. I'm kinda the same way as ItalianSteel, I don't feel confident but I always seem to do OK.
I can do a LOT of things ambidextrous, but not shooting.
My main problem with this eye set up is judging distances and running into things. Without glasses, things up close appear to be about 3" left of where they actually are, and I run into door frames and stuff. It was actually nice to find out that I'm not just clumsy!!

 

[PO54yo]

Many years ago I had the same dilemma. I had a very good left eye and rather marginal right, tho 20/20. I ended up going lefty on all my rifles and Bows and slug guns with sights. Scatter guns and handguns I stayed righty. The unintended benefit of this arrangement is I became ambidextrous with everything. Which turned out to be a good thing and ever since Ive practiced both ways with all defensive firearms.

 

[Snub44]

...I'm right-eye dominant...can shoot a rifle and swing a bat right-handed no problem...except that I'm left-handed...completely...but I can't bat or shoot a rifle left-handed...
...handgun's no problem because I use my dominant hand and shoot with both eyes open...the dominant right eye takes over...
...the only problem it's caused me is I can't hit a ball worth a hoot...

 

[Brad426]

Hickok45 "suffers" from cross-dominance and he seems to shoot okay. I'd ask and/or copy whatever the heck he does.

 

[high pockets]

I have the same issue, but upon investigating further, I learned, from my father, that I used to be left handed. Upon learning that, I begtan shooting left-handed and the improvement was dramatic. As my father told me, "the nuns beat it out of me."

 

[Snub44]

...my teacher in first grade used to smack my hand with a ruler to make me hold the pen in my right hand...then tell me I couldn't write very well and needed practice...I caught on quickly to the solution...she'd been telling me "I don't care if your Grandpa IS on the school board, you're not going to talk in MY class!" I, having no clue what a school board was, told her I was going to tell my Grandpa if she hit my hand one more time with that ruler...I'm still left-handed...and still can't write worth a hoot...print everything...

 

[miller_man]

I'm the same way. Like you said - pistol is easy to work with, personally I've trained myself to bring the gun up under my left eye. For rifles, I actually shoot them left handed as well, always have and it just feels natural for some reason.

 

[TVJ]

You have been cross eye dominant all your life. It is completely subconscious and autonomic for you

The idea that you can "fix" that with some technique seems really inefficient - like trying to herd cats.

I suggest first starting with accepting your left eye dominance and working with it. I use Ayoob's crush grip and tilted cant method with my glock. Hold glock straight out, tilt it to the left and bingo....front sight is right on my left eye. Works great for sighted firing. Ayoob has a video on it...handgun techniques.

As for rifle, practice and train left handed.

 

[Oldpsufan]

I lost the sight in my right eye at age 14, and the fingers on my left hand at age 20. Therefore I don't even try to shoot a rifle (no trigger fingers left handed) and any rifle with a decent recoil about takes my nose off firing right handed. As for judging distances I have no problem after all these years. I don't even consider it a big deal being cross dominant.

 

[got2hav1]

I have the same issue (cross dominant) and used to shoot sporting clays with a tiny piece of tape on my glasses right eye. I shot all long guns left handed. It does work well, just hinders you a bit on right to left crossers. Handguns I squint with my right eye and use Weaver stance for target and plinking. I never realized there were so many people with the same problem.

 

[GlassWolf]

On a marginally related note, has anyone ever watched CSI:Miami, and thought Horatio was cross dominant, too? He always leans his head quite a bit to the side over the gun when you see him as a target would. It was one of the first things I noticed about how he held a gun. Just an amusing bit of trivia, there.

 

[michaelpthompso]

I did wonder why Horatio had such a weird shooting stance.

My instructor is left eye dominant and taught himself to shoot left-handed. He carries lefty too.

I am also, but so far I just close my left eye and shoot right handed. Been doing it with rifles and shotguns for years but never knew why. Turns out Dad has had the same problem and neither of us realized why we had trouble keeping both eyes open.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[jellison1980]

I'm cross-dominant. I am naturally right handed, but I have damage to my right eye (macular hole) that prevents me from using that eye for sighting.
Easy fix for handguns. I can shoot with either hand quite well, but I wear on my right side, so I just lean my head over to use my left eye.
For rifle, I just learned to shoot left handed, which isn't too hard to do. The only drawback really is dealing with things like mag release, selector switches, and ejection ports, but most of that comes in Ambi models for the AR, and for AK, it's even easier since the bolt carrier handle is on the right, I don't have to reach under to grab it.
For bolt action rifles, things are slightly more annoying.

I am left eye dominant and same results

Pistol right handed
Rifle lefty

Learned to do this in the service......helped tremendously




Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk ... Possibly from the crapper

 

[Sister]

Wow, thank you all so much for the info! Way too late in life to try to shoot lefty for me but I have tried and will keep trying because I want to be able to shoot with both hands in case it is ever needed.

Think I'll try it with the cover over the left side of my shooting glasses to force my right eye to take over like some have said and as the lady that said she taught NRA shooting told me (I wasn't sure she knew what she was talkin about) but not sure how this will work since my shooting if off anywhere from 3 to 8 inches to the left almost every time it seems when using my Non dominant eye (right one).

With this being the case, can't I just adjust the site or just aim 3 to 8 inches to the right to make up for it?

 

[Str8upguy]

I am cross eye dominant. Shooting handguns I use my dominant eye and have no issues. Shooting a rifle has never been an issue, I use my non-dominant eye.

 

[Old_Dog]

I have your condition. Let's form a club. You are right about the handgun. Just move it under your left eye or tilt it a little gangsta style to put the sights under your left eye. No problem at all and I competed that way for years and even won a few matches. It also helps if you drift your rear sight a little to the right sometimes.

For long guns you have options. Some will tell you to learn to shoot left handed. Sure, maybe in some other lifetime. You can simply use a red dot sight. Since it presents a single plane it does not get affected by eye dominance. Now for the simple answer. Just close your dominate eye and aim with your non dominate one. If you only use one eye to aim, the issue of eye dominance is moot. Eye dominance is only a problem when aiming with two eyes open. So the last suggestion is the cheapest and the one I use. Keeping two eyes open to increase peripheral vision is not as important when using a long gun as most times you are using it to engage targets far away from you unlike a handgun which is for up close and personal. I got through Vietnam aiming with one eye closed and here I am, still in one piece.

Actually my biggest problem is shooting sheet or sporting clays with a shotgun because I need both eyes open and have to follow a rapidly moving target with just a bead at the front of my shotgun. I had to give it up eventually as it was too much of a problem to overcome at my age. Hope this helps.