# Dominant eye ?



## dbcar (Jan 23, 2010)

I have been a rifle shooter for years and just got my first handgun. I am right handed and my left eye is my dominant eye. I never noticed it with a rifle because I'm forced to look where the scope is. With my handgun whenever I acquire my target it is with my left eye. I have to think to use my right eye. Does this effect my shooting in anyway? I don't want to just punch any hole's in paper. I would like to be a accurate as possible. Or maybe I'm just reading to deep into this???


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## austin88 (Aug 1, 2009)

I'm the same way but lately i've been trying to get used to using my right eye. I've always wondered I it affects my shooting as well though


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## Jaws1 (Feb 3, 2010)

At the range where I shoot there is a range officer that is in the same boat as you. I noticed he wears a cover/patch over his dominate eye (behind his safety glasses) forcing him to use the non-dominate eye. He lives to do target competitions. One day he asked what I was shooting, I told him it was a 329NG a snubbie calibered in a 44 magnum made of Scandium (very light weight) and offered it to him to try. He told me I know its going to bark (recoil) but I have to shoot one handed for my competitions. He ran the target out to 25 yards and squeezed off one shot at a 6" target and nailed it better than I could do with my own gun. Needless to say its not bothering him any. Thinking about it maybe I'm the one that needs to shoot with my other eye. :mrgreen:


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## rccola712 (Aug 26, 2008)

I'm cross dominate as well. What I do, and what I've read on here that many others do, is not close your right eye, but turn your head a little farther and aim with your left eye. This works well for me, it looks kinda funny, but who really cares about that? By keeping your right eye open you have much better peripheral vision which would be needed in a self defense situation. For target practicing it doesnt really matter, I just like to have practiced how i will be shooting if i ever have to face a self defense situation. 

Does this make sense?


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## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

As previously posted:



VAMarine said:


> Cross dominant shooting is a funny thing, I'm left eye dominant and right handed and I've noticed the following:
> 
> With pistols, I shoot more accurately using my left eye, but I've always been center when shooting with my right eye only, I just shoot tighter groups closing my left eye.
> 
> ...


Now all that being said, after a couple months NOT shooting defensive style and shooting bullseye, I tried some defensive style shooting on Friday night and was all over the place with the method that had been working for me. I reverted back to just using my left eye while shooting right handed and my accuracy improved greatly.

I'm done trying to shoot with both eyes open. I'm just going to stick with using my left eye with pistols and right eye with rifles.


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## PhilR. (Apr 25, 2007)

dbcar said:


> I have to think to use my right eye. Does this effect my shooting in anyway? I don't want to just punch any hole's in paper. I would like to be a accurate as possible. Or maybe I'm just reading to deep into this???


A good friend is in the same boat as you, and she shoots left eye/right hand. She can shoot the pants of all you guys.

I think that trying to force your non-dominant eye is more detrimental than shooting opposite sides (eye/hand). Therefore, I think that yes, you are probably reading too much into this.


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## dosborn (Apr 17, 2009)

As long as you have at least one eye open you should be fine.:smt033


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## cougartex (Jan 2, 2010)

rccola712 said:


> I'm cross dominate as well. What I do, and what I've read on here that many others do, is not close your right eye, but turn your head a little farther and aim with your left eye. This works well for me, it looks kinda funny, but who really cares about that? By keeping your right eye open you have much better peripheral vision which would be needed in a self defense situation. For target practicing it doesnt really matter, I just like to have practiced how i will be shooting if i ever have to face a self defense situation.
> 
> Does this make sense?


This is what I do. Works for me so far. :smt023


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## MonsterB (Oct 25, 2009)

cougartex said:


> This is what I do. Works for me so far. :smt023


I have to say that it works for me as well...when i started shooting I just used my right eye, in a weaver stance, and after listening to recomendations from some expeirienced peeps on here, I tried shooting both eyes open....at first I could barely hit the target, and got frustrated and went back to the one eye shooting...I am extremely right side dominant in just about everything I do, and it just seemed easier....but I learn by watching, and gave it some more work...I also am right handed and left eye dominant, and found the turning of my head a bit did the trick....suddenly I was shooting tighter groups than ever before, and my stance also changed to an isoceles naturally....Its now how I feel comfortable and understanding which eye was dominant helped me get to this point...have a good time shooting your new handgun


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## Freedom (Sep 21, 2009)

I, too, am right handed with left eye dominance. At first I found myself "forcing" my right eye to do the work. I had been shooting rifles for so long that I was convinced I had to shoot with my right eye. A friend suggested I shoot with both eyes open, but this lead to blurred vision after a while of shooting and everything fell apart from there. Finally I gave in to my nature and allowed my left eye to be dominant and closed my right eye. Now I find my accuracy has improved greatly. I realize I turn the gun over a bit to align with my left eye, but it has not caused accuracy or gun operation faults. I've worked my head tilt to bring the gun vertical and have found comfort. I think the more time you spend at the range working your stance and gaining comfort in your position you will find what works for you. Like others have posted, there is no right or wrong way...for me the best way is what works and is repeatable. I am now comfortable shooting with my left eye and I can now shoot as tight a pattern as my buddies who are right-right. It took some time for me to figure it out...I really would suggest you work with your dominance and not fight it. It worked for me.

There is no better time in the week than the time I spend at the range ripping paper.


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## mattdillon (Jul 26, 2010)

*eye dominance (target pics)*



Freedom said:


> I, too, am right handed with left eye dominance. At first I found myself "forcing" my right eye to do the work. I had been shooting rifles for so long that I was convinced I had to shoot with my right eye. A friend suggested I shoot with both eyes open, but this lead to blurred vision after a while of shooting and everything fell apart from there. Finally I gave in to my nature and allowed my left eye to be dominant and closed my right eye. Now I find my accuracy has improved greatly. I realize I turn the gun over a bit to align with my left eye, but it has not caused accuracy or gun operation faults. I've worked my head tilt to bring the gun vertical and have found comfort. I think the more time you spend at the range working your stance and gaining comfort in your position you will find what works for you. Like others have posted, there is no right or wrong way...for me the best way is what works and is repeatable. I am now comfortable shooting with my left eye and I can now shoot as tight a pattern as my buddies who are right-right. It took some time for me to figure it out...I really would suggest you work with your dominance and not fight it. It worked for me.
> 
> There is no better time in the week than the time I spend at the range ripping paper.


With age sometimes the eye dominance changes. I am right handed and for most of my life I was right eye dominate. At 57, and who knows when it changed, I am now left eye dominate. The two targets are pics of groupings with both eyes. The top target was with my right (non-dominate) eye and the bottom target was with the left (dominate) eye. I shoot right handed. I have no desire to change to my left hand to shoot, though I can be respectable with it. I will practice more with the left eye and see if my groupings will be better with practice. This was the very first time I shot with my dominate left eye. I will need to make some adjustments with my stance as my groupings were left of center. Obviously, without knowing it I have trained my now non-dominate right eye to shoot well. I do keep one eye closed when shooting with either eye.









By mattdillon at 2010-09-15








By mattdillon at 2010-09-15


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## C1 (Sep 25, 2010)

It is very important to use your dominant eye for aiming. Move your head and neck over to the right a little. You may also want to turn your head to the right a little.


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## DJP (Apr 5, 2011)

*Right handed, left eye dominant.*

I am right handed and left eye dominant. I use a modified Weaver stance with my right arm nearly straight, head tilted slightly right and chin close to right arm and has worked well for me.


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