ORIGINAL: DougMD
He turns 7 this month, and is tall for his age. He appears to be right eye dominant (did the hands at arms length with circle, slowly pull back as you look at an object, etc.), but can't see well through the scope of my Glenfield Model 60, .22 rifle. He seems big enough that the stock isn't too long for him when he snugs it to his shoulder, as he can still get his head several inches from the scope with his cheek on the stock. I think it is just a matter of getting a patch for his left eye because he can't close it while keeping his right eye open.When I cover his left eye, he seems to do ok (he hasn't shot yet, as we live in a residential neighborhood). This confuses me though. I close my lefteye when I shoot because I am left eye dominant, but I thought you didn't have to close your left eye if you were shooting right handed and are right eye dominant.
Does the patch seem like the solution, or do I need to consider something else? I don't want him to get frustrated and not take up hunting. Also, can I get apatch at a local drugstore? I'd rather not have to make one homemade if I can just pick one up.
Any suggestions/advice wouldbegreatly appreciated!
Briman has perhaps identified part of the problem- he is possibly putting his eye in the right spot fore and aft in relation to the scope, but maybe not right up and down. Therefore, his eye is not centered in the exit pupil.
Let him try using ascope like that 1", 4X M8 that Leupold makes for rimfire rifles that has a long eye relief (3"-5") with a large exit pupil like you get from a 2.5X or 4X fixed-power scope, so that his eye placement in relation to the ocular lens is not so critical. Easier for him to see the field of view without needing to place his eye quite as precisely.
I agree that a person should be able to shoot using a scope with both eyes open, as the magnified view should dominate the unaided eye's view, which should more or less "fade away" once a person is concentrating on aiming at the target. In fact, it is best/fastest to use a scope with both eyes open, because you can point it and pick up the target much faster than is possible if you are closing the off eye, then having to "hunt around" for the target in the field of view of the scope! The higher the scope's magnification, the truer this becomes. Of course,
once you acquire the target in the scope, the off eye can be closed if one so desires. I would NOT use an eye patch to solve thios problem-out hunting, he needs both eyes.......