Left eye dominant

3855 Views 15 Replies 8 Participants Last post by Snagged, Aug 15, 2004

ZenDaddy

Discussion Starter · Aug 13, 2004

Brand new to hunting. Less then three years. I finally figured out I am left eye dominant. I didn't think much about it until I read an article in this weeks Dallas Morning News. The article said the best thing for left I dominant people too do was close the dominant eye when hunting. (The article pertained to Dove hunting.)

I thought this was a bit odd. Anyone on this board ever hear of anything like this? Any suggestions?

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Whitecrow

· #2 · Aug 13, 2004

I'm guessing you shoot right handed and are left eye dominant, otherwise you have no problem. With rifle shooting the cross dominance is not an issue, as the "off-side" eye is usually closed anyway. The rub is when shotgun shooting, which is properly done with both eyes open. If you're right eye dominant and a right handed shooter, with both eyes open the dominant eye will be looking down the barrel and aiming properly. With cross dominance the left eye tries to aim and will be way off. Point your finger at something with both eyes open, then close one, then the other. Your dominant eye will be looking right down your finger, while the other will be way off center. Same principle applies when aiming with both eyes open with a gun. Some people wear an eye patch or a dark lense in their shooting glasses. Or you can close one eye. Whatever works for you.
Good luck.

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gundoctor

· #3 · Aug 13, 2004

Some people also switch which side they shoot from. Its a pain to do and LH guns are not as common, but you still get all the benefits of stereo vision.
With a bow, its recommended that you shoot from the dominant eye side. I got lucky, I'm right handed and my right eye is definitely the dominant one.

Snagged

· #4 · Aug 13, 2004

If your rifle shooting with an optical sight you have no problem. For shotgunning you may find you prefer left hand and doubles / over&unders. About all you need to do with them is change the butt stock to either a cast on or cast off (GunDoctor which?).

Bret

· #5 · Aug 13, 2004

Yeah, I am left eye dominant and a right handed shooter. As they have said above, the problem comes when shooting an open sight weapon. I try to shoot some trap before the season opens, in order to get myself straightend out. I actually shoot better left handed, but havent made the switch. I do try to close the dominant eye when bird shooting.

CHunter

· #6 · Aug 13, 2004

It might do you justice to switch to your dominant side. There's alot of right handed shooters and a lefty can possibly pull more birds shooting around right handed folks. Maybe not so much on dove, but on quail and pheasant there's a great advantage to be had hunting around righties. Whatever you do learn to shoot with both eyes open on shot guns.

Uno_Mas

· #7 · Aug 13, 2004

Try putting a small piece of scotch tape over the left lens of your shooting glasses. This will allow you to retain the peripheral vision from your left eye but will automatically cause you to focus with your right eye. This worked for me when I was younger and now I have actually gone from left to right eye dominant.

Good luck

ZenDaddy

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 13, 2004

Uno Mas,

I've heard that before - putting the tape on the left lens. I was never sure why. That's interesting, using the tape will still allow my peripheral vision, but cause the right eye to focus. I'm diffinetely going to try this when I go out and shoot some skeet for practice. The gist sounds like I should consider using a LH gun. I'm using an old shoot gun - in fact a Sear Ted Williams model - when it comes time to buy a new one I think I'll look for a left handed one. What's an over under going to do for me? How does it work different from a regular shoot gun. I figure while I'm still learning now is the time to make the switch.

CHunter

· #9 · Aug 14, 2004

The more you shoot the better you become.........Learn to keep both eyes open and only focus on your target. Pretend your shot gun is an extension of your trigger finger and point it to where your looking. When you learn to do that then it wont matter a whole lot which side you use. Practice----Practice----Practice. Some people refer to that as snap shooting. Get more birds than your partners.

Uno_Mas

· #10 · Aug 14, 2004

Eye dominance

I believe the reason for the over/under is that you will not have to learn to pump with the other hand. It's taken me thousands and thousands of rounds to get over the eye dominance thing but try the tape and let me know if it helps.

Later

Snagged

· #11 · Aug 14, 2004

Bret said:
Yeah, I am left eye dominant and a right handed shooter. As they have said above, the problem comes when shooting an open sight weapon. I try to shoot some trap before the season opens, in order to get myself straightend out. I actually shoot better left handed, but havent made the switch. I do try to close the dominant eye when bird shooting.

Bret,
You'll find the over and under or side by sides much more comfortable to shoot without having cases bouncing off your right eye as well as being faster to shoot than an auto or pump.
If you are a good shot you just might find yourself looking at a Ruger #1 for hunting, shooting it left handed and enjoying it more.

Bret

· #12 · Aug 14, 2004

Snagged,
I shoot a win. 101 . I still do pretty good shooting righty. Our dove lease has a trap range, so I guess I'll practice shooting both ways and see which works best. I have never had a problem rifle shooting with the eye dominance issue. Those ruger #1s are nice. I run a couple of pawn shops and I am seeing more and more single shot rifles these days. -- on another note-- is Mokry's gun range still open in corpus?? I used to shoot there alot when I was a kid. Thanks for the input. I will let you know if I make the switch to shooting lefty.

woody7

· #13 · Aug 14, 2004

I tried all the tricks, tape on the glasses, ect. I know its wrong but I almost always shoot with my left eye closed and hit what i'm aiming at pretty well. After shooting the same shotgun for 30 years I've gotten pretty comfortable with it. My eyesight crtainly isn't improving with age, good luck.

Snagged

· #14 · Aug 14, 2004

Bret said:
Snagged,
I shoot a win. 101 . I still do pretty good shooting righty. Our dove lease has a trap range, so I guess I'll practice shooting both ways and see which works best. I have never had a problem rifle shooting with the eye dominance issue. Those ruger #1s are nice. I run a couple of pawn shops and I am seeing more and more single shot rifles these days. -- on another note-- is Mokry's gun range still open in corpus?? I used to shoot there alot when I was a kid. Thanks for the input. I will let you know if I make the switch to shooting lefty.

To be honest I haven't shot since moving here a couple of years ago, so I can't say about Morky's.
The 101 is, or at least was, a very nice piece.
Have fun.

Bret

· #15 · Aug 14, 2004

Snagged, I am quite sure that it has been swallowed by the urban sprawl of CC. Mokrys used to be at the SW corner of Airline and Holly, I think. I havent been in the area for 10 yrs or so. Yeah, my101 is a nice shooting gun. the previous owner put a few scratches on it before I got it, so I dont feel so guilty about taking a 101 pigeon grade dove hunting.

Snagged

· #16 · Aug 15, 2004

Bret said:
Snagged, I am quite sure that it has been swallowed by the urban sprawl of CC. Mokrys used to be at the SW corner of Airline and Holly, I think. I havent been in the area for 10 yrs or so. Yeah, my101 is a nice shooting gun. the previous owner put a few scratches on it before I got it, so I dont feel so guilty about taking a 101 pigeon grade dove hunting.

That is one lovely piece then! I can't say much as I took an engraved Pre-war 375 Winchester on numerous horseback rides in the mountians and crawling through the brush.
They are made to hunt with as well as to look pretty.
I don't remember a Morky's there, but there is a gunshop with an indoor range and I think they have an outdoor as well in that area.

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