Right hand, left eye

[dpmac83]

I am new to hand guns (purchasing my first, shot a couple). I am right handed but left eye dominant. As i was looking for a gun I noticed I would hold in my right hand but bring the gun over to the left side of my body so i could aim with my left eye. Is this normal, acceptable, good, bad, or neither?? I would like to know before i start going to the range so that i may start correcting this if it needs to be corrected. Has any one else dealt with this??

 

[MKT]

It is called "cross eye dominance". The fact that you know you are cross dominant is a help. When you start shooting it will become very natural for you and most folks won't even notice the gun being slightly offset. I know several top-notch shooters who are cross eye dominant and it does not effect their shooting ability. I highly doubt you would be able to change eye dominance (you're hard wired that way) short of losing vision in your strong eye.

 

[Vegetaman]

As long as you can sight it well, I think it doesn't matter which eye dominant you are.

 

[RON in PA]

This is a problem with long guns fired from the shoulder, but really is no problem with handguns. I speak from experience, I was born right handed, right eyed dominant, but in 1995 suffered a stroke in the optic nerve of my right eye essentially trashing the vision in my right eye. I had to shift my rifle shooting to my left shoulder, but pistol shooting was not affected except that I slightly tilt the pistol to the left to better see the sights with my now dominant left eye.

 

[ContinentalOp]

I'm right-handed/left-eye dominant. What I do is keep the gun lined up with the centerline of my body and then turn (not tilt) my head to the right so my left eye lines up with the sights. I keep both eyes open. I also use wrap-around shooting glasses. When I shoot left-handed I use a mirror-version of what a right-handed/right-eye dominant shooter would use.

I used to shoot archery with a sight-equipped compound bow. I shot it right-handed. Because of this I had to use my right eye to see the sights (similar issue as shooting a long gun), so they were adjusted accordingly. One of the sales/tech guys at the range wanted to try my bow. He did. He was right-handed/right-eye dominant. He used the sights. The arrows never even touched the target, sticking in the backstop. I shot it and got good center hits on the target.

Moral of the story: As long as you can consistently hit your target (safely!), use whatever method works for you.

 

[7shooter]

A friend who was Special Forces in Viet Nam , a retired cop firearms instructor , and an all around highly experienced shooter went blind in his dominant eye a couple of years ago . He says it was easy for him to just move the handgun slightly to the left ( he shoots pistols right handed ) and be as effective as before his blindness. Long guns have been more difficult because he has had to teach himself to shoot left handed. He has ingrained this new muscle memory by repeatedly mounting and sighting his home defense shot gun left handed until it has now been automatic for him. It took him awhile to get it down right.

 

[OKFC05]

"Been that way for forty year"
Tell you one thing, it makes shooting weak handed easy.
Seriously, it is important to learn shooting a handgun with either hand, in the open and around barricades, regardless of hand or eye dominance. Just have to deal with your physical limitations and abilities to get as good as you can be.

 

[safearm]

I'm the same way, right handed/left eye dominant. I've shot bullseye, combat, and just plain plinking without a problem. I shoot long guns left handed, which makes it real easy for me to transition from long guns to handguns. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[n4zov]

I had a right-handed friend who lost his right eye during service in WW2, but he continued to shoot right handed. Handguns were no problems, but he modified the comb on his rifle stocks to let him align his left eye with the sights. He was very successful in competition.

 

[Dennis The B]

I'm right eye dominant and left handed. When I was little, my grandfather noticed this, but gently retrained me to shoot right handed. I've been shooting that way for over 55 years.

Most everything else right handers do looks awkward, but I do a lot of work right handed (drills, screwdrivers, saws), since my right eye does dominate.

Talk about messed up in the head.

 

[novalty]

My father has a somewhat similar situation. He is right handed, but due to a surgery when he was younger his right eye is much weaker than his left. So much so that the glass he wears just have plain glass in the left. I have caught him shooting the way you described, but most of the time he shoots left handed--which looks some strange when you know he is right handed.

 

[sigp220.45]

I'm right handed and left eyed. I shoot handguns with my left eye, and shoot long guns by closing my left eye.

It drives the "both eyes open" guys nuts, but it works for me.

 

[dpmac83]

sigp220 that is exactly how i shoot my rifle!! I have to close my left eye or i loose my cross-hairs after a few secs.

As far as the "retraining myself" I know that i will not be able to change my eye dominance, however i was just worried that i may need to get into the habit of using my right eye, or left hand to be able to shoot well consistantly. I see now that is not the case.

I really appreciate everyone's input! I just picked up my handgun today and cant wait to shoot it!

 

[MKT]

I really appreciate everyone's input! I just picked up my handgun today and cant wait to shoot it!

Is that a pun, or just a funny?

 

[dpmac83]

I plead the 5th!!!!