Cross eye dominant rifle shooters - Question

[BE4TNUT]

So I am cross eye dominant (right handed and left eyed) and am trying to learn the best way to shoot my rifles both eyes open again.

I know I should shoot left handed, but to those of you who do, do you still use your right hand on the trigger or change your right hand to support the fore grip? I keep funding my right hand wants to go to the trigger naturally.

 

[cbrburns]

I'm cross eye dominant and have been shooting lefty since I can remember. I think I was around 5 or so when I was taught how to shoot. I've learned to shoot rifles lefty and keep both eyes open regardless of what sighting system I'm using. I can't imagine using my right hand to manipulate the trigger while shooting with a rifle up to my left shoulder.

 

[edhead35]

I am cross dominant right handed, but have never shot a rifle lefty. I might have to try it this weekend.

 

[JoeT]

I am cross eye dominant too. For the last year I only shoot lefty. I don't shoot nearly as good, but I'm getting better. It's more about feeling comfortable holding guns (shooting bow too...I went out and bought a low draw weight left handed bow) a different way.

The next problem I'm going to have is buying left handed guns and changing uppers on my AR's.

 

[GraftonNH]

I am also cross eye dominant (righty, left eye dominance), as well as all 3 of my good shooting buddies. It is a common discussion for us, as you can imagine. We've all tried different things, but all ultimately shoot primarily righty. I'm starting to learn to shoot unmagnified optics with both eyes open, which I tried based on a recommendation of another one of the guys.

There is still quite of difference of opinion between allowing new shooters to shoot with their non-dominant eye or attempting to force them to shoot weak handed. The "old school" way was to force people to use their dominant eye, but I'm finding a lot of instructors are allowing them to shoot with their non-dominant eye (and strong hand).

Whatever you find works best for you, I strongly encourage you to attempt to shoot well either way. I go out of my way to dedicate some at the range shooting weak sided shooting, pistol or rifle. That applies for non-cross eye dominant shooters as well. Let us know how it works out for you and what you decide to do!

 

[BigDaddyAl]

All of my life it has felt more natural
to shoot rifles and pool left handed, even though I'm right handed. I just thought I was weird. It wasn't until I learned about cross dominance (within the last 6 months) that it made sense. I can do bows either way, but right feels more natural now, and I've always shot pistols right handed. At this point, I just do what feels more natural.

 

[rudiewhitebwoy]

All of my life it has felt more natural
to shoot rifles and pool left handed, even though I'm right handed. I just thought I was weird. It wasn't until I learned about cross dominance (within the last 6 months) that it made sense. I can do bows either way, but right feels more natural now, and I've always shot pistols right handed. At this point, I just do what feels more natural.

I do everything right handed except shoot rifles. When I was about six or seven my dad let me shoot his .22 right handed. I tried twisting my head around and shut my right eye and laid my face across the rifle to see down the site. He kept correcting me. I couldn't hit a thing. While he was talking to his buddy I switched to leftie but he caught me and switched me back. Eventually he gave up trying to switch me, maybe because I was hitting every can I aimed at left handed. With one box of ammo left he let me move back from the cans about twenty more feet and I was still hitting most of them.

My issue with dominance came with handguns. I didn't start until I was in my fourties. I assumed because I was right handed I should shoot righty. It took about a year of transition, and I can shoot with either hand, but I'm far more acurate left handed.

I only know two other cross dominant people and one of them is my daughter. She refuses to try shooting leftie. I'll keep trying. Maybe cross dominance is a regional thing. I'm not from Arlington like BigDaddyAl but I was born at The Symmes Hospt .

 

[stinger35]

I am right handed left eye dominant as well. Early on I learned to shoot longarms lefty, left index on the trigger, and shoot very well. Handgun I still shoot righty, both eyes open, and not as well as I do longarms. For whatever reason, I just can't reach for a handgun with my lefthand.
As for rifles and shotguns, righty guns don't bother me a bit. I've never noticed the brass or shells going by shooting lefty.

 

[MtRiverCharlie]

I'm right but left eye dominant.

Handguns: Hold righty...turn the head to the right just a bit. It's simple, fast, accurate, and repeatable.

Rifles: I shoot righty, but you need to practice your eye focus. I'll use red dots and scopes and I'm fine. Irons are a bit of a bear still. The point is to take 15 minutes out of your day, and just keep shouldering your rifle and getting a sight picture. Lather rinse repeat. It's the same as learning to play a guitar or painting.

Practice^2

 

[Viper22]

I'm cross dominant, but left handed and right eye dominant. While I shoot pistol lefty, I had to learn how to shoot rifle right handed. It works out well, I'm as good right handed as left now.

 

[BE4TNUT]

But practicing sight picture righty with a scope, how can you see down it if you aren't using your dominant eye?

 

[bostonasphalt2]

I am a lefty who is right eye dominant. I shoot handguns lefty with both eyes open and long guns righty with both eyes open.

 

[GraftonNH]

But practicing sight picture righty with a scope, how can you see down it if you aren't using your dominant eye?

How bad is the sight in your non-dom eye? Most What kind of problems are you experiencing?

 

[rep308]

Numbers show that about 10% of men and 50% percent of the women are cross dominant. On our youth team we have kids shoot with their eye dominance IF they have never shot before. If they are already comfortable shooting on one side, we use an eye patch or to look less like a pirate, we purchased some tape dots to put over eye you are trying to control.

http://www.morganoptical.net/pageDisplay.jsp?pageid=7631

 

[Keystone]

Just go full-on lefty. Lefties are better, anyway.

I used to shoot pistols cross-dominant, but always shot rifles lefty. No idea why I did it that way with the pistols, it just felt more comfortable holding the pistol that way. Now, I shoot both lefty. Since I'm a lefty, it makes sense, for me.

 

[Sweeney]

In some cases you can just retrain your eyes. Generally, whichever eye focuses on the subject first will be dominant for that situation.
I tend to be left eye dominant but primarily right handed (actually more ambidextrous) but trained myself to be right eye dominant while shooting.
I started by first sighting with my left eye closed the opening it and maintaining focus with my right eye. I can just switch focus between eyes now.
With pistols it's easier to deal with since the sights a further from your eyes and usually perpendicular to your body.

 

[edhead35]

A big problem I also have is that I have a lazy right eye, which when I focus it, it goes cross eyed, so I don't think I could retrain it.