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Thread: Eye dominance - really need advice

  1. #1
    Site Supporter Cool Breeze's Avatar
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    Eye dominance - really need advice

    I've read so many articles on the subject and I still can't figure this out. I have been told that I don't have a dominant eye. Also every test that I do to try to figure out dominance I can do with either eye. When I focus on the front sight, I see two targets and when I focus on the target I see two front sights.

    I just read this article on the subject from Mr_White http://pistol-training.com/articles/vision and he says he is right hand/right eye dominant but he has the same problem as I do, which makes me think he actually isn't right eye dominant. Additionally, when my girlfriend shoots and focuses on the front sight (with both eyes open), she only sees one target (vs. my 2) or when she focus on target (with both eyes open) she only sees one front sight.

    So my questions is...Do I have a dominant eye? Is it possible to get my eyes to ever work like my girlfriend? And if so, how? (I am not sure if this matters, but I have a mild correction to see clear far and to clear up a small astigmatism and wear contact lenses of -1.00)
    Last edited by Cool Breeze; 10-15-2015 at 10:44 AM.

  2. #2
    Member Luke's Avatar
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    Put both your hands in front of you over lapping the thumb and index fingers (your looking at the backs of your hands/fingers) you should make a rough triangle hole between your hands. Aim at something around the size of a five gallon bucket or smaller between 5-15 yards, now close your right eye, did the target go away and all you see is your hand? If so your right eye dominant. You have to do this quick too.


    If this is not what your talking about please forgive me sir.
    Last edited by Luke; 10-15-2015 at 11:25 AM.

  3. #3
    Member Peally's Avatar
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    Does it affect your shooting? I assume you shoot with both eyes open; have you tried simply shooting with each eye alone and seeing what is most comfortable or natural?

    Basically what I'm getting at is it doesn't really matter too much which eye is dominant or what eyes you shoot with, as long as you figure out what works best for you. I'm right hand/left eye but when I'm shooting I don't notice double sights or double targets at all, I just pay attention to lining everything up and blazing on to the next target. YMMV
    Semper Gumby, Always Flexible

  4. #4
    Site Supporter Cool Breeze's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wannabe View Post
    Put both your hands in front of you over lapping the thumb and index fingers (your looking at the backs of your hands/fingers) you should make a rough triangle hole between your hands. Aim at something around the size of a five gallon bucket or smaller between 5-15 yards, now close your right eye, did the target go away and all you see is your hand? If so your right eye dominant. You have to do this quick too.


    If this is not what your talking about please forgive me sir.
    No problem - I can do this with either eye. It doesn't really work for me.
    Quote Originally Posted by Peally View Post
    Does it affect your shooting? I assume you shoot with both eyes open; have you tried simply shooting with each eye alone and seeing what is most comfortable or natural?

    Basically what I'm getting at is it doesn't really matter too much which eye is dominant or what eyes you shoot with, as long as you figure out what works best for you. I'm right hand/left eye but when I'm shooting I don't notice double sights or double targets at all, I just pay attention to lining everything up and blazing on to the next target. YMMV
    I feel it slows me down a lot. Also, I can't shoot with both eyes open which is what I am trying to accomplish. I always have to close one eye in order shoot.

  5. #5
    Member Peally's Avatar
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    If that's the case you're not at as big a disadvantage as many would claim if it makes you feel any better
    Semper Gumby, Always Flexible

  6. #6
    Member Sal Picante's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cool Breeze View Post
    No problem - I can do this with either eye. It doesn't really work for me.
    Can you do a video of it? Seriously...

    I think Wannabe is correct here. Look at something a few yards away, something specific, then put your hands up QUICKLY like an aperture. One of your eyes is going to steer you initially.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Les Pepperoni View Post
    Can you do a video of it? Seriously...

    I think Wannabe is correct here. Look at something a few yards away, something specific, then put your hands up QUICKLY like an aperture. One of your eyes is going to steer you initially.
    ^what he said. I am right hand left eye dominant. I shoot pistol right handed and just bring it to my eye. I also shoot rifle right handed and choose optics that mitigate the dominance issue. Like you, I have a very small eye dominance but it is there..This allows me to shoot red dots/ magnified optics with my less dominant eye but with irons, I have to use my left eye to shoot both eyes open. I know a lot of people who have told me to switch to my left hand but the juice is not worth the squeeze to me..

  8. #8
    Member Peally's Avatar
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    With modern optics and the ability to close an eye it's almost a completely useless skill to burn time on learning unless you're really into off-hand barricade rifle shooting.
    Semper Gumby, Always Flexible

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Wannabe View Post
    Put both your hands in front of you over lapping the thumb and index fingers (your looking at the backs of your hands/fingers) you should make a rough triangle hole between your hands. Aim at something around the size of a five gallon bucket or smaller between 5-15 yards, now close your right eye, did the target go away and all you see is your hand? If so your right eye dominant. You have to do this quick too.
    Try doing this test with you nose pointed at one side of the target or the other. I have weak eye dominance. With my nose pointed to the right of the target (1:00) I am right eye dominant. With my nose pointed to the left of the target (11:00) I am left eye dominant. My dominant eye tends toward the eye that "looks across my nose".

    Try this to see if your results change. I'm not a doctor, but eye dominance is function of your eyes and your brain. It will follow the eye with better acuity, or it will follow dominant hand. If your eyes are very equal in vision, and you are ambidextrous, your brain might be very adapted to no dominant eye, or can alternate using either eye as required. Shotgunners (trap/skeet/sporting clays) pay a lot of attention to this. There are some sports vision articles in the shotgun competition magazines that address this. Bud Decot at Decot HyWyd spoke to me about this many years ago. Sportglasses.com has some good resources: http://sportglasses.com/content/Articles.htm
    Last edited by Trigger; 10-15-2015 at 01:15 PM.

  10. #10
    I'm no expert but I am right eye dominant and have the same experience of "one target, two front sights." For me this has never been a real issue in shooting as one of the front sights seems more "transparent" and blurry, as it's my left eye. My guess is that this won't significantly affect your shooting if you squint one eye.
    Last edited by Eyesquared; 10-15-2015 at 01:16 PM.

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