Cross eyes dominant

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  • veus00

    *Banned*
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    0   0   0
    May 27, 2014
    40
    6
    Iowa City, IA
    i have a twelve year old boy that's is showing a lot of interested in shooting and even hunting. i am so happy that we can both do things together and spend some quality time but i notice he is right handed but uses his left eyes o aim. i will like to ask you guy here if this is something i should be worry about. if so how do i approach this and make him use his right eyes? will appreciate your real life experiences.
     

    xobelkcat

    tacklebox
    Rating - 100%
    69   0   0
    Jul 6, 2007
    1,225
    38
    Slidell, Louisiana
    I'm right hand dominant and left eye dominant. I have been shooting that way for at least 20yrs. I shoot rifles left handed. With handguns it's not much of an issue.

    If the kid can actually see well out of his right eye, you can try taping or painting over the left lense on his shooting glasses, making the right eye do all the work.

    But if he is like me, can't see well enough out the right eye, might need to teach him to shoot left handed. Or at least with long guns.
     

    DAVE_M

    _________
    Rating - 100%
    32   0   0
    Apr 17, 2009
    8,288
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    ________
    i have a twelve year old boy that's is showing a lot of interested in shooting and even hunting. i am so happy that we can both do things together and spend some quality time but i notice he is right handed but uses his left eyes o aim. i will like to ask you guy here if this is something i should be worry about. if so how do i approach this and make him use his right eyes? will appreciate your real life experiences.

    Shoot long guns left handed.
    Shoot pistols right handed.

    If you really want to force him to shoot with his right eye. You can get an eye cover.

    dominant-eye-co_4CFF634B_large.jpg
     

    bigtattoo79

    Well-Known Member
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    94   0   0
    Sep 12, 2009
    3,952
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    LA
    I'm right handed and left eye dominant. Over the years I've learned to aim with my right eye for all guns and it works great for me.

    However now I wanna start using red dot type optics I realize shooting left handed may have been a better choice in the long run.
     

    3fifty7

    CoonAss
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    13   0   0
    Jul 9, 2011
    3,361
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    Bunkie
    Try covering the one lens at a time and see if he can pick up a proper sight picture with either or both eyes. No use in forcing him into something that is too difficult or can't be done.

    My wife is cross eye dominate, and cannot see well enough with her right eye to shoot. With a pistol she takes a traditional right handed stance and buries her chin/jawbone in her right shoulder to help align her left eye behind the sights. Long guns she has to shoot left handed.


    Sent via telegraph with the same fingers I use to sip whiskey
     

    Barry J

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    Dec 5, 2011
    1,334
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    Thibodaux
    I taught my son to shoot right handed. He did everything right handed. When he went into the army, they had him start shooting left handed. Does much better.
     

    xobelkcat

    tacklebox
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    69   0   0
    Jul 6, 2007
    1,225
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    Slidell, Louisiana
    I personally find this "problem" to be beneficial for me.
    When I'm operating a right handed long gun, left handed, it allows me to manipulate the controls of the weapon with my dominate hand while being able to keep the gun up on target and I don't have to break my grip with my shooting hand. Also it gives me a better visual of the action, making it easier and quicker to identify and clear a malfunction.

    One down side, most older, read non-ambi. bull pups are a big no no for left hand shooting. And weapons like H&k and others with the left side charging handles.
     

    veus00

    *Banned*
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    May 27, 2014
    40
    6
    Iowa City, IA
    I personally find this "problem" to be beneficial for me.
    When I'm operating a right handed long gun, left handed, it allows me to manipulate the controls of the weapon with my dominate hand while being able to keep the gun up on target and I don't have to break my grip with my shooting hand. Also it gives me a better visual of the action, making it easier and quicker to identify and clear a malfunction.

    One down side, most older, read non-ambi. bull pups are a big no no for left hand shooting. And weapons like H&k and others with the left side charging handles.

    thanks for the fresh insight. i will try that
     

    Tanker

    Well-Known Member
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    4   0   0
    Oct 11, 2015
    207
    16
    Metairie, Louisana
    Whatever works is what you should let him do. Like several others here, I'm right handed but shoot a rifle left, pistol right. The Army didn't squawk when training me and I qualified pretty high. IMO, it's not worth the hassle for him or you to train his other eye.
     

    leeshall

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    3   0   0
    Nov 7, 2008
    199
    18
    Suburban NOLA
    Since he is just starting out, it will be easier, and more productive, teaching him to shoot left handed rather than trying to rewire his brain.
     

    Ricardo

    Member
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    0   0   0
    Oct 28, 2016
    17
    1
    Baton Rouge, LA
    I agree with the others.

    I am left-handed, but right eye-dominant. I had to shoot rifles right handed in the army. I shoot pistols right or left-handed. It's fairly easy to adjust. It's probably not a bad idea to encourage him to build up his grip strength in his non-dominant hand too. I found that it helped accuracy.
     

    troy_mclure

    Well-Known Member
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    30   0   0
    Mar 13, 2010
    2,762
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    Central
    I am now left eye dominant, after 30~ years of being right eye dominant. I've always been ambi on long guns, but pistol has always been righty. Instead of fighting with eye change, or proper handiness i just change my stance. It looks awkward, but works for me.
     

    Ellis1958

    Well-Known Member
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    17   0   0
    Jul 9, 2009
    560
    28
    Port Allen, LA
    I'm right handed and left eye dominant.

    With handguns it's no big deal. Strong hand, weak hand, freestyle. No problem. It seems as if all I have to do is bring the gun up and the dominant eye picks up the front sight.

    Long guns is a different matter. I was taught to shoot right handed and with the left dominant eye I have to place scotch tape over the lens to force the right eye to take over. Not the best way to go about it. With shotguns you don't aim, you point. Here my clays career was short lived as even the tape wasn't enough.

    What a number of cross dominant shooters do is shoot handguns with the strong hand and long guns with the weak hand. Since this junior shooter is just starting out it would be in his best interest to learn to shoot long guns weak handed.
     

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