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Cross eye dominant
- Thread starter 2puttmike
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One other option is to shoot with the same hand as your eye dominance.
My wife has the same issue as you and that was the solution. I don't think it's too easy, if even possible, to change eye dominance.
Alternatively, Rink grips makes custom grips with a 7 degree compensation to allow cross dominant shooting. But, they can be quite expensive, depending on your point of view.
These issues and solutions are more significant if you use iron sights rather than optics.
Best Regards,
Jim
My wife has the same issue as you and that was the solution. I don't think it's too easy, if even possible, to change eye dominance.
Alternatively, Rink grips makes custom grips with a 7 degree compensation to allow cross dominant shooting. But, they can be quite expensive, depending on your point of view.
These issues and solutions are more significant if you use iron sights rather than optics.
Best Regards,
Jim
bigggbbruce
Member
I'm right eye dom. but my right eye has been getting more cloudy as I am also 60+.. when shooting I keep both eyes open and I hold the gun to aim more off my left side and have trained my left eye to find the sights, I can also move the gun to the right side and pick 'em up with my right eye.
Kind of a neat benefit...
Kind of a neat benefit...
I had great eyesight until I was in my late 40s; then, I started using reading glasses as shooting glasses. Now, in my 70s, I use trifocal lens glasses with the midsection focal point at the end of my fingertip with a fully extended arm. This gives me a focal point at the front sight of most of my pistols. This is also good for desktop computer work. I have also retrained myself to shoot with both eyes; sometimes, I forget and close one eye.
I'm left eye dominant and it seems to me that I'm more able to shoot with both hands with both eyes open.
For shooting with my right hand, I just turn my head a little.
For shooting with my right hand, I just turn my head a little.
Marshal Tom
Member
I teach shooting at a high end resort in CO. We put over 1200 folks through our shooting programs last year. We deal with this quite often with our guests. We have even taken clear glasses and painted over the lens to make the person use the other eye for shooting. Often we have them switch from dominant side to opposite side shooting and all is well. Try shooting with the non-dominant side and see what happens.
I have taught firearms at a high level for about 30 years. I came to the conclusion many, many years ago that "cross eye dominant" was an incorrect interpretation of a failed jackleg test designed for people who couldn't master the fundamentals. The sights and your eye line up regardless of which one sees the best. If you think one is taking over, and it's not the one you want, close it . . .
I’m right handed and left eye dominant but I have always shot right handed. As Muss Muggins said I just closed my left eye. When my daughter started shooting at a young age she complained that her eyes didn’t work and wanted to shoot left ... so I taught her and myself to shoot left handed. Now I practice both ways but I CC right handed. It was fun learning to shoot left handed.
coachcash86
Member
I had to make this decision too. When I first started shooting pistols regularly, I tried it both ways--just cross sighting it and also working to close my dominant (left) eye. In the end, I have trained myself to use my non-dominant eye. I'd steer away from only shooting with your off hand. I think the control and strength of your dominant hand outweighs figuring out how to close the other eye. Also, ideally the "keep both eyes open" approach is cool, but I've only been able to pull that off with the red dot on my AR, never with the detailed pistol sights.
crsides
US Veteran, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
Me too !!!!!!!
crsides
US Veteran, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade
I assume this works for handguns, and maybe rifles, but it does not work with the shotgun. I had a cousin that could shoot 4 boxes of shells dove hunting and MAYBE hit two doves. After years we figured it out and moved him to left side shooting and he improved instantly.
I am left eye dominant and shoot handguns right handed (except when I need to shoot weak side). As a kid I shot long guns left handed, but taught myself to shoot long guns ambidextrously. I always use my left eye. As a retired cop, police firearms instructor and competitive trap shooter, it’s never been an issue.
petemacmahon
SWCA Member
yeah, me too. Growing up, my Dad was not a shooter or hunter and when we moved to PA from Jersey (shhhhh, I don't much admit to being born in New Jersey!) I was the only one that took up hunting and shooting. My Dad didn't teach me a thing and since I was right handed, I took up shooting righty with rifles. I remember sitting in the old garden looking to score that ground hog that was ravaging our veggies and trying to figure out why I had such a hard time lining up the sights on a borrowed 22, when I was like 10. Like most kids, I learned how to simply close my left eye and move on. I got to be a great rifle shot, but the art of wing shooting eluded me! I once went 1 for 13 on grouse in college up at Lock Haven 
Years later, I learned I was left eye dominant. I still didn't change my hand-gunning until about 10 years ago when I realized that my eyesight was starting to change and that my left eye could make the front sight crisper than my right. I had no trouble at all switching and now all my handgun shooting is righty, but using my left eye.
Never did change my rifle shooting. Gave up decades ago trying to be become a decent wing shooter and I now find it as much of a challenge to sneak up on winged critters and try to shoot them on the ground with a revolver!
On a side note, sadly the state of the Ruffed Grouse in PA is a shadow of what it used to be. I haven't seen or flushed one in years in my normal spots. Evidently habitat loss and West Nile has doomed the population.
Years later, I learned I was left eye dominant. I still didn't change my hand-gunning until about 10 years ago when I realized that my eyesight was starting to change and that my left eye could make the front sight crisper than my right. I had no trouble at all switching and now all my handgun shooting is righty, but using my left eye.
Never did change my rifle shooting. Gave up decades ago trying to be become a decent wing shooter and I now find it as much of a challenge to sneak up on winged critters and try to shoot them on the ground with a revolver!
On a side note, sadly the state of the Ruffed Grouse in PA is a shadow of what it used to be. I haven't seen or flushed one in years in my normal spots. Evidently habitat loss and West Nile has doomed the population.
hkcavalier
US Veteran
I have the same "condition" as the OP.
I'm not some bigshot on the shooting circuit, but I did pretty well back in the day in USMC intramural competitions and such, particularly with the pistol. I don't think I've lost it either as I perfecto'ed the admittedly very easy Army pistol course of fire.
I learned in Boy Scout summer camp, as an 11 year old, that I am cross-eye dominant. Being right handed, I was shooting as such, and hitting very little with my single shot .22. Someone on the line suggested I shoot left handed and I shot 45/50, tying with a couple Eagle Scouts for high score that year.
I always shoot left eyed. I shoot pistols right handed and cant my head over slightly. Pistols with great triggers (single action fire in particular) I tend to score better shooting left handed due to the finer muscle memory with my left index finger.
Like a lot of lefty long gun shooters, I gravitate toward ambi guns or those great mid-20th century designs with reciprocating charging handles on the right side of the receiver. I have entirely too much muscle memory in the M16/AR family to make great use of the ambi charging handles/safeties (still trying to though). Savage, Ruger, and Tikka all make good LH bolt actions, though the Tikka is the smoothest and it's not even close.
I'm not some bigshot on the shooting circuit, but I did pretty well back in the day in USMC intramural competitions and such, particularly with the pistol. I don't think I've lost it either as I perfecto'ed the admittedly very easy Army pistol course of fire.
I learned in Boy Scout summer camp, as an 11 year old, that I am cross-eye dominant. Being right handed, I was shooting as such, and hitting very little with my single shot .22. Someone on the line suggested I shoot left handed and I shot 45/50, tying with a couple Eagle Scouts for high score that year.
I always shoot left eyed. I shoot pistols right handed and cant my head over slightly. Pistols with great triggers (single action fire in particular) I tend to score better shooting left handed due to the finer muscle memory with my left index finger.
Like a lot of lefty long gun shooters, I gravitate toward ambi guns or those great mid-20th century designs with reciprocating charging handles on the right side of the receiver. I have entirely too much muscle memory in the M16/AR family to make great use of the ambi charging handles/safeties (still trying to though). Savage, Ruger, and Tikka all make good LH bolt actions, though the Tikka is the smoothest and it's not even close.
Cross-eye dominant here; left eye, right handed.
Closing the left eye when aiming has worked well up until the last couple years, whereupon vision changes have reduced efficacy.
With small adjustments to stance, shooting now with both eyes open and lining sights up with the left eye is working nicely.
Bottom line: see what you need to in order to make clean shots.
As it stands, sounds like you've transitioned to red dots and are doing well with them; I'd leave it just like that.
Closing the left eye when aiming has worked well up until the last couple years, whereupon vision changes have reduced efficacy.
With small adjustments to stance, shooting now with both eyes open and lining sights up with the left eye is working nicely.
Bottom line: see what you need to in order to make clean shots.
As it stands, sounds like you've transitioned to red dots and are doing well with them; I'd leave it just like that.
