doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Eye Dominance, Dominance Shifting & Sports Vision

I've never had a problem with cross dominance shooting guns but I have with a bow, always have to shut my left eye before releasing the arrow.

I have a lazy eye, and normally look at everything through my left eye.

I shoot right handed, but when shooting handguns I sight with my left eye.

However, when I am hunting I have to put a patch over my left eye to force myself to use my right eye all the time. Otherwise I see a tasty critter, raise the rifle, and then lose sight of said critter when I switch eyes to sight down the rifle barrel. This isn't so much of a problem with larger critters, but it's a show-stopper for squirrels, especially in the early season.

I know it is not recommended practice, but due to sporadic eye dominance problems, I have always closed my left eye during almost 60 years of shotgun, rifle, and handgun shooting. Given my relatively low level of ambition, it works well enough for me.

Vangulil,
I'm with you. I close my other eye when shooting all the time. Rifles and shotguns left eye closed, hand gun right handed, right eye closed. I don't like bragging but talk to my hunting buddies, I take my fair share of the game and usually run 22-23 in trap. Most fun is repeatedly taking 3 decoying geese with 2 rounds. I think the sleepy eye opens a bit when looking for the crossing geese.

I have been told by several shooters with eye dominance problems that going to a (rather long) fiber optic front sight has helped their problem tremendously. The sights I mention do not "glow" to the off eye, but only seem "bright" to the eye directly in line behind them. I would give one a try if I had dominance shift issues, but they would sure have to grow on me. I think they look like death eating a cracker on a nice shotgun. But, I'd never belittle a man for using one........................especially if he outshoots me!

SRH