Which Eye?

Chris54326 · May 24, 2017

I'm right-handed................and my dominant eye is my right. However, I can't see my front sight with my right eye unless I tilt my head back awkwardly and look through the middle lens of my tri-focal glasses.

But my left eye focuses on the front sight just fine. I can't shoot with both eyes open because my left eye keeps pullin' my brain away from the target. My Ophthalmologist says she can alter my glasses so that my right mid-range lens will focus on the front sight, but then when I look at my dashboard in the truck everything will be all out of whack. (the biggest problem is my astigmatism, with one eye variance going up and the other one going down) So should I use my dominant eye and shoot with a very out of focus front sight or tilt my head to the right and sight with my left while shooting right-handed? Oh, and I shoot with a Weaver stance.

If I were standing in front of a bulls-eye target, I'd sight with my left, but my primary reason for carrying a firearm is self defense. So what say you about this situation?

PeteMcGuire1881 · May 24, 2017

Learn to shoot left handed?

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Chris54326 · May 24, 2017

Heck, Pete, I can't even pick my nose with my left hand! :sarcastichand: Besides, I've only three fingers on my left hand and I don't think I could ever hold the pistol properly. No, this is a choice, not between left or right handed shooting, but left or right eyed sighting. :triniti:

jtischauser · May 24, 2017

Have you tried red dots?

Chris54326 · May 24, 2017

I presently have installed the only sights I can see. They are XS Big Dot night sights...........what I call "lollipop" sights. https://www.xssights.com/Handgun_Sights_pr-8208.aspx The front sight is a big white dot. I can't see anything else at that close range. They have worked well for me. I've spent so much money on sights it's ridiculous. I've finally got the sights that work for me. All I'm asking is whether or not it makes sense to shoot with my left eye when I'm right-handed.

PeteMcGuire1881 · May 24, 2017

Well, I struggle too. I'm right handed and left-eye dominant. Worked great playing baseball. Sucks trying to shoot with open sights! I feel your pain.

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wav3rhythm · May 24, 2017

I'm left handed and left eye dominant. I shoot right handed with iron sights. I don't think this is a big deal with pistols. I just push the gun over in front of my left eye while I'm shooting. Rifles and shotguns are a little more interesting, but I've never had an issue. With more new guns being designed for ambidextrous use, maybe it won't be a big deal in the future, but when I learned how to shoot, there was only right handed...

Dryfire will fix all these issues. 15 minutes of focused dryfire a day will give better results than all the shooting forums combined!

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drmitchgibson · May 24, 2017

Buy a set of glasses just for shooting. Don't use them for driving or anything else. Or get contacts, and correct the dominant eye for front sight distance and non-dominant eye for distance. Nothing is more important than front sight focus distance.

It's what every great ahooter does when they get old.

Chris54326 · May 25, 2017

Josh, you are probably right on with your dry fire recommendation. I used to do dry fire exercises. Not sure why I stopped. Guess I'll be starting once again.

Mitch, I don't shoot competitively or I'd do exactly as you suggest. The only reason it's a concern is I daily carry for self protection. I don't think a thug is going to "give me a minute to put on my shooting glasses" so I can protect myself. :sarcastichand:

TayJ6 · May 26, 2017

If you can see that giant front sight on the XS big dot at all, then you should be fine shooting right-eyed for any self defense scenario where you actually had to use your firearm...you probably won't be looking at the sights at all, just muscle memory and natural point of aim. (which is where that dry fire practice comes back in)

Chris54326 · May 26, 2017

You're probably right. Just keep dry-firing with my right eye.

Scott Hearn · May 29, 2017

Like Jesse asked, have you tried a red dot?

How about a laser? Green lasers are pricey but do work in daylight, though I'm not sure about bright sunlight.

Chris54326 · May 29, 2017

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not changing what I have. Works day and night for me. I've been dry-fire practicing my presentation and sight acquisition with my left eye and it's going quite well. Don't know why I didn't make the change years ago. When I present and use my right eye, I have to close the left to acquire my target. I can't even force myself to keep both eyes open because my left eye want's to dominate. But when presenting and then acquiring with my left eye, both eyes stay open with no problem............which is exactly what I know I'm supposed to be doing, especially in a self-defense situation.

I appreciate all the recommendations. They all make sense and have their place. But I think learning to acquire with my left eye is what I should be doing. No different than relearning how to do things after I lost my ring finger on my left hand 4 years ago. Thought I'd never be able to type again...........and while I can no longer type 90 words a minute, I can now type almost as fast as I can talk at a relaxed pace. My retraining process is going slow, but now it's beginning to feel completely normal to present my pistol in a right-handed mode and apply sight acquisition with the left.

TayJ6 · May 30, 2017

I think you made the right (correct) decision. Go with what your eyes tell you is natural. I am a right handed shooter that is left eye dominant. I can shoot both eyes open on pistol, shotgun, and rifle...I use my left eye for pistol and my right for rifle and shotgun. I don't think about it anymore, it just happens. Dry fire practice is key to creating muscle memory. Once you create the muscle memory in your body, including your eyes, you brain will figure it out.

Chris54326 · May 30, 2017

Dry fire practice with the left eye is coming along just fine. Don't know why I didn't think of this a long time ago. (DUH!!!!!) :roulette:

FlashAndPoof · May 31, 2017

It may sound weird... but I'll sometimes find myself at a stop light and while I'm bored... I'll just practice switching eye dominance.

Burk Cornelius · May 31, 2017

FlashAndPoof said:
It may sound weird... but I'll sometimes find myself at a stop light and while I'm bored... I'll just practice switching eye dominance.

I do the EXACT same thing at a strip club

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