Cross-eye Dominance

[Round-Dispenser]

Hello all,

I have a question that will relate to about 1/3 of us. In general, your dominant hand matches your dominant eye. In my case, I have right-eye dominance but I'm left-handed. I was wondering if this would affect my sight alignment and sight picture. I was curious about different methods to overcome this. From the light research I have done, it seems that transitioning to shooting with your non-dominant hand would improve your sight alignment and picture, but the drawbacks could greatly affect the operation of the rifle. Reloading, trigger squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze (Remember there are 32 E's in squeeze), support arm and cheek weld are some examples of steady-hold factors that could suffer. I also wonder about shooting with both eyes open while still using the dominant hand for operating the rifle. I suppose that different sights and optics could change how well this could be implemented in a "Quick and Dirty" AQT that has slightly lower visibility. An open-leaf sight, peep sight, scope, red dot, illuminated reticle optic all have different characteristics that could affect sight alignment and sight picture. The brightness and magnification of an optic could change how well the eye receives information. Brighter reticles are traditionally better for two-eyed shooting. Are there any other things to look out for when starting off with two-eyed shooting. Are there any other alternative methods that I haven't mentioned? Are there any really good optics to use for shooting with both eyes open? I was just hoping to find some tried-and-true method to compensate for cross-eye dominance, but also find some more information in general about the optical aspect of marksmanship.

Thanks,
Round-Dispenser
October 2019

[Faramir]

I don't have a cross-dominance issue, but I do shoot with both eyes open. Personally, I don't have a problem doing that and actually prefer it, because shooting with one eye requires me to muscle my non-shooting eye closed. Given that the image through the dominant eye is essentially the same as the image through both eyes, I should think that, with some practice, you could get used to seeing a composite image in your mind so that the sight picture and alignment are clear; the main thing is whether you can focus adequately on the front sight to maintain your sight picture with your non-dominant eye, if you shoot with your dominant hand.

As to shooting with the non-dominant hand: I have no real experience doing this with a rifle, because I cannot see worth jack out of my non-dominant eye (that is on the same side as my non-dominant hand) and therefore attempting to shoot a rifle with my non-dominant side is virtually impossible. However, my experience training my non-dominant side to shoot a pistol effectively is that the non-dominant side can be trained for proper technique re: steady hold factors; that requires time, but since a rifleman persists, you should be okay with that. It can require a great deal of time (not nearly all of which I have put in with my pistol), but eventually your skills will build.

In the end, I think one of the significant questions to answer is whether your non-dominant eye is such because of a dramatic visual acuity issue, as in my case; or, if it is simply that your brain doesn't like it for some other reason. If the former, it is almost certainly best to train your non-dominant side to shoot. If the latter, it may be that shooting with both eyes open will be more efficient, but you could also train your non-dominant hand to employ the steady hold factors effectively, if the elbow grease on both eyes doesn't silence the squeaky hinge.

Sounds like you've got some options. In either case, perfect practice makes perfect, so get to it. 

[maxwell]

From the light research I have done, it seems that transitioning to shooting with your non-dominant hand would improve your sight alignment and picture, but the drawbacks could greatly affect the operation of the rifle. Reloading, trigger squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze (Remember there are 32 E's in squeeze), support arm and cheek weld are some examples of steady-hold factors that could suffer.

As a cross-dominant shooter who shoots with dominant eye and weak hand, I strongly recommend that you shoot with your dominant eye, so your focus and face can be relaxed with both eyes open. The rest can be overcome easily enough with practice in positions, and dry-fire practice with your trigger (which you need to do regardless of strong or weak side). The only place it hurts me is in shooting my 1917 left-handed, but that wouldn't be a problem for you! Good luck and good shooting.

[Tennessee Beast]

Round Dispenser,

Since you are cross-eye dominant, putting opaque tape on you shooting glasses (or wearing an eye patch) over your right eye can help if you choose to shoot left handed.  Because most of the world is right handed, firearm controls are generally most convenient for right handed shooters, so you may gain some advantage to learning how to shoot right handed. There is an Appleseed instructor in Wyoming that is a big fan of ambidextrous shooting.  He may be able to help you in case you want to learn to shoot right-handed. His forum name is raggedyedge. He is the author of The Ambidextral Rifleman: The Riflenan's Guide to Ambidextrous Shooting.

[CarrollMS]

You might like to see the discussion here on the CMP forum. It is taught both ways as mentioned in the previous comments   http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=126160&highlight=eye+dominance

[Charles McKinley]

You didn't mention how old you are.  As you get older there may come a point where your non dominant eye just doesn't cut it any more and you will have to learn to shoot with your non dominant hand anyway.  This is what happened to EZ3.

3 of my 4 kids are cross dominant and I have taught them to shoot with their dominant eye.  I learned to shoot left handed to help my daughter.  Optimally you should be able to shoot from either side.

[Shooter30-06]

My wife (AK on the forum) is cross eye dominant.  She started her shooting sighting with her weak eye and has never looked back (I could not resist that turn of phrase).  She shoots expert virtually every time and shot a perfect 50 on Stage 3 last week.  The moral of this is that while I might switch a young shooter around to shoot with their dominant eye, it is not necessarily an automatic.  If you are a little older (not to infer that my wife is old) and you are making solid progress, I would be hesitant to switch.  As someone noted above, as a left-handed shooter I can verify there are issues with equipment and otherwise from shooting from the port side.

[raengler]

I teach a lot of Scouts...If a shooter already has some experience shooting from "the wrong side", and they are doing well, I'm inclined to let them continue shooting.  They have obviously figured out how to deal with the issue.  If they are a new shooter, I'll encourage them to shoot from their dominant eye side.    I'll also make the point with them that eye dominance is a minor issue for rifle shooting, less so, for pistol shooting, but a major issue for shotgun shooting.  If they plan to try other disciplines, they need to consider switching, especially if they are young.

[Trapdoor Charley]

Hi,

I'm right handed and left eye very dominant. I started shooting using my dominant left eye in high school and after some time I became so dialed in to shooting left handed that I can no longer shoot on my natural right side. With time and practice one develops the muscle memory to feel perfectly comfortable shooting through the dominant eye. I'm 70 now. Every 10 years or so I try shooting using my non-dominant eye; disaster! No muscle memory. Horrible trigger control and cheek weld. The only disadvantage I've come across is rapid fire using a bolt action rifle where I have to reach over the rifle quickly and cycle the action. My M1A cured that. Muscle memory and repetition is the key that has worked for me for over 50 years.

Good luck and safe shooting!

Charley