Seeing double; how to cope with cross-eye dominance?

[daekken]

This.

But if you're truly seeing double then you might be lining up the front sight image from one eye to the rear sight image of the fellow eye. That would be a very confusing sight picture.
Assuming healthy eye movement, I'd optimize your prescription and then practice focusing like crazy on the front sight using the dominant eye. Then double check yourself by closing each eye individually to make sure the correct eye is lined up to the correct sight picture.

"Seeing double" was just an attempt at a catchy title, heh. I do want to shoot both eyes open, however. I can do that with rifles on most occasion. I'm going to make sure using my weak eye rectifies my accuracy problems using one eye, and then proceed with trying to use both eyes.

 

[MMArtist]

So this is a years-in-the-making and somewhat shameful story, but I am curious about peoples' experiences, particularly those knowledgeable about eyesight and/or training, etc.

Back when I first started shooting pistols I used a Weaver stance and my left eye--I am left-handed and shoot long guns with my left eye. At no point during my LTC course or the one or two post-LTC courses did the issue of eye dominance come up. It wasn't until a year or so after I had been shooting that my eye doctor discussed eye dominance, and at that point I found out I was right-eye dominant.

I can't remember precisely why, but it was ingrained in me that you had to use your dominant eye when shooting. So, I switched to isosceles stance and holding slightly right biased and using my right eye.

At that time I was still pretty new to pistol shooting, so I didn't really notice anything better/worse outcome-wise, but I stuck with that from then on. As I gained experience, I found I could get a consistent grouping, but it was always a decent amount to the right of the bullseye. Using the shot charts as a left-handed person, I assumed this was "too little trigger finger."

I know that "low and left" is a common problem beginner right-handers often see, but for me it was never "low," just "left" (or right in my case). Still, I was convinced it had to be my grip.

So, for about two years I've endlessly fiddled with my grip, figuring I must be flinching or having improper trigger control, something, but I could never pin it down. No matter how many dryfire drills, ball & dummy, etc., the sights wouldn't move through trigger pull in practice, but I'd end up hitting right of point of aim.

It got to the point--and this is where some of the shame comes in--where I was tempted to alter the sights on my pistols, and/or I would deliberately hold left when firing (I shot my last two USPSA matches holding far left, which I think really hurt me). Trying to knock down a string of steel plates when you're basically holding on the one to its left and guessing how far to hold is not a recipe for precision.

I was starting to think that it was just the nature of being cross-eye dominant and it got pretty discouraging.

Fast forward to last weekend, I'm at the range with my father. He tries out my Shadow 2 for the first time and is knocking over the steel plates with no problem. He owns no pistols and only shoots them when let him try mine. I take my turn and I'm doing my usual "hold left" with mixed results.
In the end, he says, "looks like you need more practice." This was somewhat disappointing since I've been shooting once or twice a week for a while now to try to improve for USPSA. However, as many of you can probably attest or imagine, having to "guess" where to hold made shooting accurately somewhat of a challenge. I would often leave the range wondering "how I could be this bad."

So, today, I decided to try something else. I went back to my left eye. To my surprise, I don't have to hold left anymore. Just a pure hold over the target. I proceeded to hit the seven steel plates at 75 ft with eight shots. I spent the rest of the practice session using only my left eye, and it worked really well. I think I'm going back to left eye after these past years.

I'm a bit ashamed that I never bothered to change eyes back. In hindsight it appears so stupid and something very basic I should have tried. And though today was just one day (albeit a dramatic change), I'm hopeful for the future.

Does anyone have suggestions on why using my dominant eye would manifest in this way? I assumed that since, with both eyes open, my right eye would "take control" that I'd have a better outcome shooting using my dominant eye. My only guess is that my modified stance, using the left hand with the right eye, caused my point of aim to somehow veer to the right.

Is there any hope in shooting both eyes open given the above? I'm worried that my right eye dominance will cause my sight pictures to get all messed up if I don't close my right eye.

For those who are cross-eye dominant, what is your solution? I have somewhat tempered excitement now that I feel like I'll finally be able to make progress. Still, I would like to know the cause and what other impediments I could expect moving forward.

Shooting really isn't as complicated as everyone (especially everyone here) makes it out to be.

Stand Normally and bring the handgun sights up to your dominant eye and shoot with both eyes open. If you see double you need to get used to it a bit.

If its a rifle get an optic that does 1x power and carry on.

Starts at 1:41

 

[Supermoto]

But if you're truly seeing double then you might be lining up the front sight image from one eye to the rear sight image of the fellow eye. That would be a very confusing sight picture.

I would go with this if you are shooting both eyes open.

If you are shooting one eye closed and still way off. Then you are flinching

Do you know how to call your shots?

 

[smokey-seven]

Learned something today. My WIFE
was put on viagra as a remedy for
a blood condition. 10mg once a day and after 2 days she had double vision like her eyes were crossed. She was having a hard time reading. Md cut the dose in half and all was well in 24 hours.

 

[cjrubes]

Right-hand, left-eye dominant here. I shoot pistols right-handed with both eyes open, bringing my pistol up to my left eye and aligning the sights. I haven't noticed too much but I probably tilt my head to the right just slightly to help line things up. I see two sets of sights but I've learned to filter out the one my right eye is producing. It took some time but now I hardly even notice it. For rifles I shoot right-handed as well and I just close my left eye and focus with my right. For me, this is more comfortable than learning to shoot left-handed...but, to each his own. Whatever works for you

 

[oldguy68]

Take up shooting trap or skeet.
Swinging a shotgun at moving targets with both eyes open helped me.
No more closing one eye or squinting to keep my eyes focused on the sight plane.

That help me with rifle shooting and handgun shooting as well!

Plus seeing those orange clays break is the best feeling allowed with a firearm in your hands! IMHO

 

[mac1911]

Take up shooting trap or skeet.
Swinging a shotgun at moving targets with both eyes open helped me.
No more closing one eye or squinting to keep my eyes focused on the sight plane.

That help me with rifle shooting and handgun shooting as well!

Plus seeing those orange clays break is the best feeling allowed with a firearm in your hands! IMHO

I don’t think that’s the same? I shoot shotgun at moving targets with both eyes open as I’m focused on the target and I can’t even tell you I “see” the gun at all.
Most old shotguns have no sights or a almost useless little bead.
I can not use both eyes open to align sights on a pistol or rifle. No matter what side I shoot from. I’m LE dom and shoot LH as an adult but growing up I had to shoot on the “right” side as that’s just what was done.
Now I shoot pistol either hand and do as well with either closing one eye.
Now when it comes to draw and shoot action style I’m quicker lefty but more accurate right handed.
Mostly because my left hand must be more muscle and when I grip most pistols it naturally twists the pistol to the right
This is also why I like wider grips on most of my pistols.
Now for my everyday carry self defense type shooting looking for hits on torso size targets I’m pretty much a get the front sight on target and shoot. Not really “aiming”