Cross eye dominant

[Old Man]

My son is right handed but left eye dominate with a very weak right eye.  He has no problem shooting a handgun but has to switch a long gun to his left shoulder.  This is not very comfortable for him.  Closing his left eye to shoot does not work because of the weakness of his right eye.  Does anyone know of a way to put a sight on the left side of the long gun so that he could use his left eye and right shoulder?

[Murgatroy]

Adapt and overcome.

 

I am left handed, right eye dominant. I learned to shoot right handed. I can shoot a pistol equally well with either hand, but I have always shot a rifle right handed.

 

My daughter and my wife are unfortunately the exact opposite. They are both right handed and left eye dominant. My daughter started shooting at four or five, and I have taught her since the beginning to shoot left handed rifle and which ever hand she prefers for pistols. 

 

There are a few reasons for this. But the main one is simplicity. Even if some fancy $100 sight mount existed that allowed her to shoulder the rifle right handed and shoot left handed, it would be awkward, and would be required to be moved, or multiple purchased for every gun she shoots. Which would have to be re-zeroed, which would cost more ammo. She would be unable to have any commonality with any other rifle in the home, or at the range unless it was equipped with the fancy device. If the fancy device broke, or was lost, or somehow otherwise became disabled, she would be unable to operate a rifle as she had become dependent on  the device and not her skill and ability to overcome adversity.

 

In short, make him shoot left handed, and make him get used to it. Sure, that is easy for me to say after 30+ years of shooting right handed, it is natural to me now. 

 

Your other option would be to train his weak eye and force him to use it, but I don't think that would be as viable, or as long term successful as just biting the bullet and learning to shoot left handed. While it is uncomfortable, it is the better solution.

 

Be positive with it, don't make him feel like a freak, it is a common obstacle, and with proper training it can easily be overcome. If you make it a hassle, or a fuss it could turn him off of shooting and make him feel self conscious. You don't want that, you want what is best for him. 

 

I am not a professional trainer, so take my advice with that disclaimer, but I am a man who learned to shoot cross eye dominant and is successfully teaching a cross eye dominant child.

[Lowpower]

The only time I had issues with my eyes are when shooting skeet. Both eyes open didn't work at first. I shot lefty but was't fond of it.

I found out a piece of semi-clear scotch tape on your shooting glasses to block the dominant eye without denying vision forces the non- dom (new word?)

eye to focus. You still get both eyes open to see the clay bird but are using your non-dom for barrel alignment.

 

After a while you won't need the clear tape anymore.

 

Lp

[Raoul]

Left eye/RH for me too, and my right eye is week. I shoot rifles right handed. Takes some practice.

[Jimbo100]

I am also right handed and left eye dominant as are my son and grandson.  I've never had a problem with handguns or rifles but shotgun wing shooting has always been a real challenge for me.  

 

As a boy I practiced with BB gun and pellet rifle a lot with the left eye closed and it seemed to work well.  

 

In wing shooting I've never found a good alternative for me.  Both eyes open is about as good as anything and practice enough to compensate for the problem without having to think about it.  Others recommend covering the left eye, etc.  

 

Good luck.

[peejman]

Adapt and overcome.

 

I am left handed, right eye dominant. I learned to shoot right handed. I can shoot a pistol equally well with either hand, but I have always shot a rifle right handed. .....

 

 

Pretty much this. 

 

I'm also left handed and right eye dominant.  I grew up shooting right handed guns left handed.  As the astigmatism in my left eye has gotten a little worse, I see better out of my right eye with my contacts.  That combined with the fact that it's basically a right handed world convinced me to switch to shooting right handed.  Being left handed in a right handed world pretty much forces you to be somewhat ambidextrous anyway.  While I'm still more comfortable shooting rifles left handed, the switch isn't that hard.  He'll get used to it. 

[10-Ring]

I'm right hand left eye dominant, as well.  Usually I shoot a rifle right hand, right eye, but this might not be an option for your son.  I can also shoot left handed.  I got pretty sufficient shooting left handed back when I shot a lot more.  It can be done and comfortably.  It's important for shooters, especially hunters to be able to shoot off of either shoulder if physically able.  This past muzzle loader season a deer approached me from my right, I would have had to pivot my body 90 degrees to get a shot, instead I simply decided to take a left hand shot and didn't have to move at all.  Had I had to take a right hand shot I'm pretty sure that I would have scared the deer while moving. 

[Raoul]

I am also right handed and left eye dominant as are my son and grandson.  I've never had a problem with handguns or rifles but shotgun wing shooting has always been a real challenge for me.  

 

As a boy I practiced with BB gun and pellet rifle a lot with the left eye closed and it seemed to work well.  

 

In wing shooting I've never found a good alternative for me.  Both eyes open is about as good as anything and practice enough to compensate for the problem without having to think about it.  Others recommend covering the left eye, etc.  

 

Good luck.

Yeah trap and skeet can be a little weird.

[Clod Stomper]

I'm just like your son. I'm right-handed but can barely see out of my right eye.

I don't know how old your son is, but teach him now to shoot long guns left-handed. It is the easiest solution. He will quickly get used to it.

Like Murgatroy said, using some odd device will limit him to whatever rifle that device is on. On top of that, if the sight is off to the side, he will be limited to whatever distance it is sighted in. POI will move right if it's closer and left if it's farther out.

Good luck.

[Omega]

Yea, right handed, left eye dominant here as well.  I shoot my long guns and bow left handed and handguns right handed, I tried to get used to a left handed rifle awhile back but feel more comfortable shooting a right handed rifle on the left side.  If he is uncomfortable shooting left handed, get him a good scope and correct for his right eye.  Tape his left shooting lens on his shooting glasses so he has to focus with the right, it will strengthen the eye and help with the shooting.  Depending on his age, covering the left eye for a few hours a day may help get that eye to work better, a few of my friends had to do that when I was young.  

[ProfEngr]

I'm also right-handed, left eye dominant. I shoot rifles on either shoulder, but prefer the left due to comfort; unless it's a bull-pup semi. My right arm also 'feels' stronger when used on the foregrip instead of the trigger. Pistol is almost exclusively right hand. Guess I'm lucky in that my left eye doesn't completely override my right for sighting.

 

I agree with previous posts that you should train him to utilize the existing systems instead of adding complication with specialized optics.

[whitewolf001]

Yep, me too but I have 20/10 vision so I can compensate with a long gun. When using a handgun I shoot with my head slightly canted to my right exposing more of my left eye.

Edited March 3, 2015 by whitewolf001

[DBTN]

Do him a favor and teach him to shoot long guns left handed.  If he ever takes up the shotgun/wing shooting he will thank you.  His rifle shooting with aperture sights will also benefit from using his dominate eye and shooting with both eyes open.

[Old Man]

My son is 22.  He did wear the patch over his eye (what a hassle!) , but it is still weak.  Trying to shoot with both eyes open doesn't work as he sees two sights on different plains, which causes headaches. I have been having him shoot rifles left handed, but it is not comfortable for him.  Thanks for the replies.

[whiskey]

I am right handed. Left eyed. I shoot everything left handed. I can shoot rifle and pistol right handed, I just have to close my left eye to hit anything.

[Djay3]

My son is 22.  He did wear the patch over his eye (what a hassle!) , but it is still weak.  Trying to shoot with both eyes open doesn't work as he sees two sights on different plains, which causes headaches. I have been having him shoot rifles left handed, but it is not comfortable for him.  Thanks for the replies.

Your son must be in the same boat as myself and numerous others. When getting examined for glasses does he fail the Depth Perception portion of the exam. If so, his World to him looks like a two dimensional photograph rather than three dimensional. It is a bummer that affects many things other than just shooting.

I hope the above is not the case, but if you are born that way "it is what it is". My advice would be close or patch the dominant eye for rifle shooting. Pistol is likely not an issue. But, just don't let him fall in love with shotgun hunting (ducks or upland) that is pretty much a loosing proposition in my experience.

[GKar]

I am also RH/left eye dominant, with my R eye weaker than L.  Always shot RH with L eye closed (pistol, long gun, shotgun).  Am now, at 57 years old, trying to learn to shoot trap/skeet with both eyes open by using a bit of translucent tape placed over my L glasses lens so as to obscure the 'false" image.  Also see "Magic Dot" used by wingshooters.

Edited March 4, 2015 by GKar

[DWARREN123]

Talk to a good eye doctor that knows about shooters, will be worth in in the long run.

[john455]

I don't know if this is the same thing, but my daughter Shay and I went to the range yesterday and I noticed that she shoots lefty, she has always been right handed but after trying she couldn't hit the broad side of a barn using her right hand, but cut the bullseye out of the target left handed with my 9mm. Weirdest thing I ever saw. she said she never even noticed she was using her left hand it just felt natural to her.

[whitewolf001]

Your son must be in the same boat as myself and numerous others. When getting examined for glasses does he fail the Depth Perception portion of the exam. If so, his World to him looks like a two dimensional photograph rather than three dimensional. It is a bummer that affects many things other than just shooting.
 

 

So essentially it's like you're wearing Night Vision Goggles all the time, what with the lack of depth perception?

[Clod Stomper]

So essentially it's like you're wearing Night Vision Goggles all the time, what with the lack of depth perception?

 

I wouldn't compare it to that, no.  Since I was born like this, I have no idea what it is like to have 2 eyes.  But my brain has compensated, I think.  Based on things like movement, relative size, things like that, I can judge distances fairly well.  Sometimes I catch myself subconsciously moving my head back and forth to see the relative movement of objects.  Sort of triangulating, I guess.

 

It's easy to see what it's like.  Just cover one eye and see how the world is different.