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View Full Version : Changing up eye dominancy



KW900A
15 October 2014, 08:05
As some people have noticed in my other discussions, I shoot lefty, due to being left eye dominant. I in fact do everything else right handed. Life really sucked for me when I was younger, until a friends dad we shot BB guns with all the time showed me how to learn which eye was my dominant eye. Things got much better from that point forward. I know there is a somewhat 'niche' market for the lefty shooters.

We were shooting over the weekend, and my brother in law was telling me you can train yourself to switch to the other eye, I guess to be ambidextrous. Has anyone successfully done this? At this point in my life, just to hold a gun right handed feels weird. It sounded a little nuts to me, but hes not one to babble about stuff he doesn't know anything about. Just curious. If it's possible, I may work on it myself.

Stone
15 October 2014, 08:18
Do you shoot with both eyes open?

KW900A
15 October 2014, 08:20
Nope. I close my right and use the left.

gatordev
15 October 2014, 11:32
I'm left-eye dominant and right handed. I shoot handguns with my left eye and rifles/red dots/scopes with my right eye. You can definitely train to it. I do find my right eye will get a little tired, quicker, than my left eye when I'm behind a scope, but I feel that would be less of an issue if I just practiced more with a magnified optic. My problem has far more to do with an astigmatism and being slightly far-sided, so most of my eye fatigue with an iron sight on a rifle comes from that rather than eye dominance.

I'd say you could certainly train yourself to shoot with your right eye, it will just take some time and consistent practice.

Gaspipeshooter
15 October 2014, 11:34
Nope. I close my right and use the left.

Eye dominance really doesn't matter then. Eye dominance is really only important shooting with both eyes open, and especially wingshooting. If shooting left handed feel fine, stick with it.

El Cid
15 October 2014, 12:09
I have done it. I'm right handed and left eye dominant. Back in high school we had a rifle team that shot small bore matches. The coach picked up on my issue and since we had no left handed bolt guns, gave me an eye patch to wear. This permitted me to relax my eyes and use my right (non-dominant) eye with the peep sights. Over the three years I was on the team I became "fixed."

I still shoot all firearms with my right hand. When I shoot handguns, my dominant left eye still takes over and is what I use to work the sights. When I shoot long guns I shoot with my right eye and am able to keep both eyes open. It works for iron sights, shotgun beads, red dots/EOTechs, and magnified optics.

There's no way to predict how long it will take you to get used to sighting with your non-dominant eye, and you have to be willing to overlook being called a pirate... but it can be accomplished.

KW900A
16 October 2014, 08:54
I have wanted to try to train myself to shoot with both eyes open. Just to see if I can do it. I also hold a pistol with my right and sight with my left. I am far better at controlling a pistol with my right hand.

I feel like I would have to dedicate more time shooting than I currently am able to effective change anything, but the idea is intriguing

voodoo_man
16 October 2014, 10:20
I am right hand and left eye dominant as well.

I learned to shoot with my right eye when I shoot right handed and left eye when I shoot left handed, always both eyes open.

My pistol accuracy free-style (2hand, right hand) and right hand only suffers if I use my right eye so if I have time I use my left eye to get accurate hits. Rifle I use whatever eye is easier to use for whatever stance/position I am shooting.

Practice it and you will get it.