eye dominance....major factor in shooting
 

for the first six years of hunting (and shooting) i couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!! no one could ever figure out why..... i guess everybody including myself just thougth i was a horrible shot. it wan't until i went to the military that i found out why. i am left eye dominant, which is very odd because i am VERY right handed and VERY right footed. in other words when i would look through the scope and put the cross-hairs on the bulls eye.... at 100 yds, i was about 2 feet off target. just a heads up for any of you guys/gals who have kids starting to shoot. just something to look out for ;)

RE: eye dominance....major factor in shooting
 

I have always been left eye dominant and right handed. I play a lot of sports and its never caused much of a problem. How and why ? Your mind compensates - you just do it.

Shooting trad archery is an example. I do not, cannot, look down the shaft or use anything for any kind of aiming reference. Yet I shoot pretty good. How ? Its like shooting a basketball or throwing a baseball - just do it.

SO I've never cross dominance as an issue. Howard Hill was crossdominant, so is Larry Yien. When I shot a compound it actually made me concentrate MORE on looking through the peep with my non-dominant eye.

JMHO

RE: eye dominance....major factor in shooting
 

I do everything right handed but shoot a gun. Not sure where I picked up on it or how it got started but I guess it is becuase I'm left eye dominant. It is alot easier for me to close my right eye and look out of my left. But unfortunately my left side is weaker than my right and I shoot a bow right handed. I'm that if I had the money and the time I could build up my left arm and get a lefty bow. But for now I'm very pleased with my righty set up and I don't have a problem with accuracy and it kind of comes in handy with a gun. I have trained myself to be able to close my left eye and keep the right open. So now I can shoot my gun right or left handed depending on what side of the tree the deer comes from. All it took was alot of practice and I'm set.

RE: eye dominance....major factor in shooting
 

I'm left eye dominant and can't for the life of me, shoot righty. Put a bow or a rifle in my hands right style and watch out! [:o]

I remember way back in USCG bootcamp qualifying on the M-16. I shot it lefty style. They clipped some kind of shroud on the ejection port for leftys, so we wouldn't get biffed by ejecting shells.

I have a PSE Edge 1000C compound bow in lefty style and I love it. My Remington 870 Express 12GA is also lefty. The only righty thing I have is an old Marlin Mod 60 .22LR, which I love plinking targets and shooting it with my twin daughters (one of them actually outshoots ME! :eek: ). I just keep my right elbow down a bit when shooting the semi-auto tube fed .22 - because even though a .22 shell is tiny, it zings out of the ejection port at warp speed and can singe the hair on my right arm! [:'(]

Butch

RE: eye dominance....major factor in shooting
 

IMO, you will shoot anything better if you are using your dominant eye. Many folks struggle when not using their dominant eye. However, like Zelazny said....you can train yourself to shoot well this way, regardless. It will just take more work, and concentration. Becoming a good shot with your dominant eye will be more natural and come easier... IMO.

RE: eye dominance....major factor in shooting
 

Like many of you I am right-handed all the way, except when it comes to my dominant eye, which I found was a better way to shoot accurately both gun & bow LH. I started out RH shooting but it always felt akward, so one day I switched with 22 and bingo was his name o. Since that day I have reserved my self to being southpaw for hunting. My only complaint is the lack of equipment options and the price (or up charge)...but that is the price one pays to be exceptional:D

I agree lastboyscout, don't curb your kids from feeling natural my dad tried to and it almost made want to stop shooting. Thank God he loved the outdoors and said well give her a whirl son!!!

RE: eye dominance....major factor in shooting
 

I am also that way too. I am right handed but use my left hand and left eye to shoot my bow and my gun. It feels just fine to me though.

RE: eye dominance....major factor in shooting
 

I am left eye dominant and shoot right handed and have yet to miss a deer. I did not find out i was left eye dominant until hunters safety 3 years ago and have been shooting a gun since i was 6. this may have something to do with it. I am just used to it and my eyes just adjusted.

RE: eye dominance....major factor in shooting
 

yea well now i don't miss very often. i just have to look down the barrel a little differently is all, now i close my right eye and leave the left one open. i still shoot right handed though.

RE: eye dominance....major factor in shooting
 

I shoot right handed, but i am left eye dominant. What i do is i hold the gun right handed and look through the scope/sights with my left eye, sort of bring my head more over the gun and tilt it, Sounds awkward, no one can accurately shoot my guns but me, but i've hit the head of a nail with a non-scoped .22 about 10 yards away with 2 shots. Just take an old old tree, get a large headed nail (about the size of a .22 bullet) and nail it about halfway in. you can make out where it is 10 yards away.