Eye dominance madness
09-08-2016, 07:36 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: So Cal
Posts: 55
Eye dominance madness
I didn't know how to title this post, but I think madness makes sense. Why? because I find myself cross-dominant no matter if I hold my rifle with my right arm or left.
So I am right handed, and have always been shooting with my right eye. I was trying to fire my .22 LR with iron sights with both eyes open, and found it a pain when trying to follow a moving target, as my left eye would dominate. I did both triangle test and point with finger test and found out I was left eye dominant. So I tried firing my rifle with my non dominant arm, and found out the same exact problem, but in this case my right eye was dominant!!!. Did the point with finger test, this time using my left arm, and found out, I was right eye dominant.
Long story short.... I am left eye dominant when holding rifle with my right arm , right eye dominant with my left arm; eye dominance madness. It is so relative, that as I follow a target with my rifle my eye dominance changes as well, messing up the whole thing if I have both eyes open.
I want to improve my shooting, but what can I do?. do you know anyone with this issue?
Thanks!
So I am right handed, and have always been shooting with my right eye. I was trying to fire my .22 LR with iron sights with both eyes open, and found it a pain when trying to follow a moving target, as my left eye would dominate. I did both triangle test and point with finger test and found out I was left eye dominant. So I tried firing my rifle with my non dominant arm, and found out the same exact problem, but in this case my right eye was dominant!!!. Did the point with finger test, this time using my left arm, and found out, I was right eye dominant.
Long story short.... I am left eye dominant when holding rifle with my right arm , right eye dominant with my left arm; eye dominance madness. It is so relative, that as I follow a target with my rifle my eye dominance changes as well, messing up the whole thing if I have both eyes open.
I want to improve my shooting, but what can I do?. do you know anyone with this issue?
Thanks!
Last edited by entropy4money; 09-08-2016 at 08:34 AM.
09-08-2016, 11:29 AM
#2
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
I've never ran into that issue with anyone before... Interesting. I think in that case I would suggest closing one eye and practicing that way. There are lots of shooters who shoot with one eye closed and do it well.
-Jake
-Jake
09-08-2016, 02:22 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Martin, TN
Posts: 854
I'm also cross dominant - right hand but left eye. I always close my left eye while firing rifles and shotguns right handed. It's not as comfortable as I like, but it works. Fortunately for me, shooting handguns allows me to use my right hand to fire and my left eye to aim, eliminating the discomfort.
09-08-2016, 02:26 PM
#4
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: So Cal
Posts: 55
Here's what I noticed with the red dot:
- Holding rifle with right hand: Right eye becomes dominant and locks in instantly.
- Holding rifle with sight on the center of view (sight between my eyes): I get double image and can't see red dot.
- Holding rifle left hand: Left eye becomes dominant and locks instantly.
Seems like my brain is pretty undecided and somehow lining up the iron sights is extremely confusing for my brain.
09-08-2016, 02:43 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
I'm cross dominant sorta. I'm naturally left handed but back in the dark ages when I was young, teachers and parents made us lefties do everything right handed. I became fairly ambidextrous that way. I am actually more comfortable shooting rifles right handed but can do it left handed almost as well. I am left eye dominant (strongly) so I shoot handgun lefty. As for handguns, one eye closed isn't too smart in a self defense situation so you have to go with your strengths in unison.
09-08-2016, 04:20 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Germany/Calif.
Posts: 2,664
Just an opinion but I've always been right eye dominant. I trained shooting pistol for years using both left and right hand, left or right eye, both eyes open. Shooting around corners is a lot safer that way.
May be easier with pistol because you focus on the front sight and the target is just a blur. I got so after awhile I could consciously change the focus from the front sight to the target and back again in a fraction of a second.
Try focusing on the front sight and see what happens. If it works for you then play with it a little. Brain training.
I'm retraining right now, had cataracts surgery and my new lenses don't focus well. I still shoot everything both eyes open, but I'm having to relearn.
IMO messing with what comes naturally to you can take you down a path that my be wrong for you. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
IMO I wouldn't try to move my rifle to my dominant eye, I'd try to train the non dominant eye to conform to my strong side.
My wife always looks funny sighting with her left eye, with the shotgun on her right shoulder, works for her I haven't tried to change it any. She shoots a pistol the same way.
May be easier with pistol because you focus on the front sight and the target is just a blur. I got so after awhile I could consciously change the focus from the front sight to the target and back again in a fraction of a second.
Try focusing on the front sight and see what happens. If it works for you then play with it a little. Brain training.
I'm retraining right now, had cataracts surgery and my new lenses don't focus well. I still shoot everything both eyes open, but I'm having to relearn.
IMO messing with what comes naturally to you can take you down a path that my be wrong for you. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
IMO I wouldn't try to move my rifle to my dominant eye, I'd try to train the non dominant eye to conform to my strong side.
My wife always looks funny sighting with her left eye, with the shotgun on her right shoulder, works for her I haven't tried to change it any. She shoots a pistol the same way.
09-08-2016, 07:42 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,902
I'm in the same boat - basically "non-dominant" for either eye.
My eye dominance is dependent upon which side of my nose the object lies, basically whichever direction my eyes have to turn, the near side eye takes over. I've always been some blend of ambidextrous or cross-dominant with handedness (feels more natural shoot handguns left handed and rifles right, but can shoot either equally well with either hand), but my eyes ping pong back and forth... I can control it a bit by blinking or slightly closing the dominant eye - jumps right over to the other eye.
I use it to my advantage. "Co-witnessing" is inappropriately used to describe co-regulation of rifle iron sights and red-dot optics, but "co-witnessing" USED to mean the practice of letting your brain superimpose the reticle viewed in one eye to the open field viewed in your other eye.
So... What I do when I'm shooting right handed, my head naturally turns a bit to the right relative to the rifle, my eyes point a bit left, so my left eye takes over, giving me a great clarity of the open field of view. I COWITNESS the reticle in my right eye superimposed over the field view in my left to let me bring the reticle onto the target, then I blink my left eye, or slightly close it. As soon as I do that, my right eye takes over, so I'm on target with my right eye through the optic.
D@mned handy for me, in my opinion, because I can get my scope on targets in a high magnification rig way way down range without issue. For fast movers up close, I don't even need to switch to my right eye, I can shoot well enough to kill coyotes shooting with my left eye focused on the coyote outside of the scope and just letting the reticle in my right eye superimpose onto the field. It's not precision aiming, but it'll kill coyotes.
My eye dominance is dependent upon which side of my nose the object lies, basically whichever direction my eyes have to turn, the near side eye takes over. I've always been some blend of ambidextrous or cross-dominant with handedness (feels more natural shoot handguns left handed and rifles right, but can shoot either equally well with either hand), but my eyes ping pong back and forth... I can control it a bit by blinking or slightly closing the dominant eye - jumps right over to the other eye.
I use it to my advantage. "Co-witnessing" is inappropriately used to describe co-regulation of rifle iron sights and red-dot optics, but "co-witnessing" USED to mean the practice of letting your brain superimpose the reticle viewed in one eye to the open field viewed in your other eye.
So... What I do when I'm shooting right handed, my head naturally turns a bit to the right relative to the rifle, my eyes point a bit left, so my left eye takes over, giving me a great clarity of the open field of view. I COWITNESS the reticle in my right eye superimposed over the field view in my left to let me bring the reticle onto the target, then I blink my left eye, or slightly close it. As soon as I do that, my right eye takes over, so I'm on target with my right eye through the optic.
D@mned handy for me, in my opinion, because I can get my scope on targets in a high magnification rig way way down range without issue. For fast movers up close, I don't even need to switch to my right eye, I can shoot well enough to kill coyotes shooting with my left eye focused on the coyote outside of the scope and just letting the reticle in my right eye superimpose onto the field. It's not precision aiming, but it'll kill coyotes.
Last edited by Nomercy448; 09-08-2016 at 07:50 PM.
09-09-2016, 06:04 AM
#10
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: So Cal
Posts: 55
I'm in the same boat - basically "non-dominant" for either eye.
My eye dominance is dependent upon which side of my nose the object lies, basically whichever direction my eyes have to turn, the near side eye takes over. I've always been some blend of ambidextrous or cross-dominant with handedness (feels more natural shoot handguns left handed and rifles right, but can shoot either equally well with either hand), but my eyes ping pong back and forth... I can control it a bit by blinking or slightly closing the dominant eye - jumps right over to the other eye.
I use it to my advantage. "Co-witnessing" is inappropriately used to describe co-regulation of rifle iron sights and red-dot optics, but "co-witnessing" USED to mean the practice of letting your brain superimpose the reticle viewed in one eye to the open field viewed in your other eye.
So... What I do when I'm shooting right handed, my head naturally turns a bit to the right relative to the rifle, my eyes point a bit left, so my left eye takes over, giving me a great clarity of the open field of view. I COWITNESS the reticle in my right eye superimposed over the field view in my left to let me bring the reticle onto the target, then I blink my left eye, or slightly close it. As soon as I do that, my right eye takes over, so I'm on target with my right eye through the optic.
D@mned handy for me, in my opinion, because I can get my scope on targets in a high magnification rig way way down range without issue. For fast movers up close, I don't even need to switch to my right eye, I can shoot well enough to kill coyotes shooting with my left eye focused on the coyote outside of the scope and just letting the reticle in my right eye superimpose onto the field. It's not precision aiming, but it'll kill coyotes.
My eye dominance is dependent upon which side of my nose the object lies, basically whichever direction my eyes have to turn, the near side eye takes over. I've always been some blend of ambidextrous or cross-dominant with handedness (feels more natural shoot handguns left handed and rifles right, but can shoot either equally well with either hand), but my eyes ping pong back and forth... I can control it a bit by blinking or slightly closing the dominant eye - jumps right over to the other eye.
I use it to my advantage. "Co-witnessing" is inappropriately used to describe co-regulation of rifle iron sights and red-dot optics, but "co-witnessing" USED to mean the practice of letting your brain superimpose the reticle viewed in one eye to the open field viewed in your other eye.
So... What I do when I'm shooting right handed, my head naturally turns a bit to the right relative to the rifle, my eyes point a bit left, so my left eye takes over, giving me a great clarity of the open field of view. I COWITNESS the reticle in my right eye superimposed over the field view in my left to let me bring the reticle onto the target, then I blink my left eye, or slightly close it. As soon as I do that, my right eye takes over, so I'm on target with my right eye through the optic.
D@mned handy for me, in my opinion, because I can get my scope on targets in a high magnification rig way way down range without issue. For fast movers up close, I don't even need to switch to my right eye, I can shoot well enough to kill coyotes shooting with my left eye focused on the coyote outside of the scope and just letting the reticle in my right eye superimpose onto the field. It's not precision aiming, but it'll kill coyotes.
