Scotty6873 Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 Hello, I have just been granted my shotgun license and will be looking for a suitable gun soon. I have been shooting clays reasonably well (for a beginner)!, but last week, I decided to have a proper lesson with an instructor to get a bit more help with my technique. I shoot off the right shoulder, but I am left eye dominant. However, I naturally seem to closing my left eye when shooting a shotgun, relying on my non dominant right eye. The instructor said I should keep both eyes open- something I've not done. It felt very odd - like I was never actually pointing the gun at the clay properly. Nevertheless, I did eventually start to break some clays. Since the lesson, I have tried to get a bit more information. I've read an article that suggests that if a shooter is left eye dominant, and shoots off the right shoulder, he should probably be shutting his left eye. The article even suggested possibly trying to learn to shoot off the left shoulder instead of the right... Being naturally right-handed, I don't think that would work somehow! Anyway, I am now quite confused. Not sure whether to keep both eyes open and persevere with it in the hope that it will improve my shooting in time, or keep shutting one eye, or, God Forbid......switch arms! Can any of you experience shooters offer me any advice here... Thanks Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breastman Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 (edited) Hello Tom, I'm sure if you do a search on the forum there are countless threads about this. I'm not greatly experienced (only been shooting shotguns for 1 year) but i suffer from something similar in that i am right handed but have no-dominant eye! Apparently its the worst condition to have as you can't switch shoulders (not that i would try to do this anyway - as part of PSG you sometimes have to shoot from your weak shoulder and its not good! ) Anyway if you can keep your eye closed and its working for you i'd say, stick with it! Unless you are shooting/training your eye constantly you will never force your right eye to take over. In order to get my right eye to be dominant i have a small piece of tape on the inside of my shooting glasses that obscures my left eye enough to stop my vision 'centralising'. It allows me to keep the peripharal vision of my left eye and use my right eye to shoot. Its the easiest, quickest AND cheapest way of fixing the problem Just cut a 1cm x 1cm piece of tape and (making sure your shotgun is empty of course) mount your gun pointing at a mirror and stick on the tape where your left pupil is (sometimes helps if you have an assistant!). It sometimes makes left to right birds hard to pick up but you soon get used to it. As i've said i also do PSG and that can require me to shoot left handed (and therefore left eyed) so i can't use my glasses with the tape on. I've fitted my PSG shotgun with an Easy-hit bead which claims to fix any dominance problems with your eyes but i'm yet to test it. (Will be this Saturday though! ) Hope this helps Mark Edited January 29, 2009 by Breastman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J@mes Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 I am the same as you (right handed and left eye dominant) I keep BOTH my eyes open while I am looking for the clay, and as part of mounting my gun I close my left eye just as I bring the gun to my cheek. this is what my clay coach has been telling me to do, and its working so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty6873 Posted January 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 Thanks for that. It would seem that it may be better to just use my right eye. I guess each instructor may have different opinions on the right approach....Boils down to what works best for me I suppose. Doesn't sound like it should affect my choice of gun in any way..which is my next step... Thank you both for replying..Good to hear your views. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeinVA Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 i have always kept both eyes open when shooting a rifle.. With or without optics.. Lets me have better target aquisition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy. Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 I know a few lads who are right handed, but shoot left handed. It's eye preference that counts. I sometimes have to close one eye briefly, just to remind my brain that I'm right eye dominant. There is a reason why they say you should keep both eyes open whilst you shoot and it is because you lose all sense of depth if you close an eye (try it) (cover one eye and try to work out the different distances between two objects) It is more visible if you do it with two sticks and the sky as a background. Anyway, yes, do keep both eyes open and one shut if you're shooting a rifle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter De La Mare Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 I have the same problem with having no dominant eye. I keep both eyes open as I call for the bird and see it, then as I mount the gun I close my left eye just as my head hits the stock. It'll be fine, don't worry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayman Posted January 31, 2009 Report Share Posted January 31, 2009 I'd be worried about the competence of an instructor that gave you that advice. Both eyes open if you are shooting eye dominant over the rib is clearly ideal, but if your left eye is interfering, some means of correction is essential. The choices are shoot off left shoulder; master patch the focal vision out on the off eye; or blink out once the target is acquired. The reason for wanting two eyes is to see the target clearly as soon as possible, and to estimate the speed and direction. Once this information is assimilated in the brain, and the gun has come up to full mount, it should now be locked on the target. At this point a single eye is fine, as seeing the sight picture and adding the forward allowance with single eye tunnel vision is perfectly OK. If the off eye is interfering, it is essential that something is done or the gun will not be shooting where you are looking, it will be pulling off to the left to some degree. Sometimes, if the eye difference is not great, just raising the comb to remove the bulk of the gun in the lower periphery vision can be a cure. I'd suggest you get a second opinion on the cures and your technique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Fudd Posted January 31, 2009 Report Share Posted January 31, 2009 i always keep both eyes open, be it a shotgun or a rifle (including when using a scope); suppose im lucky my right eyes very dominant, hard to explain but i can almost shut the view out of my left eye without actually closing my eye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon2008 Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I am the same as you (right handed and left eye dominant) I keep BOTH my eyes open while I am looking for the clay, and as part of mounting my gun I close my left eye just as I bring the gun to my cheek. this is what my clay coach has been telling me to do, and its working so far! Thats exactly what I do and it works best for me- If I keep both eyes open all i see is the side of the barrel thru my left eye. I bought a fibre optic sight but that didnt help with both eyes open but when I close my left I have a brilliant guide for the clay. Keeping both open for finding clay and mounting then shutting left eye works for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldfish Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Im right handed with a strong left eye. I wear a cap with a peak which has a slight bend on the left so as I mount the gun the cap's peak blocks the view from my left eye and my right eye is drawn to the rib. Has worked for me over the last 30 years, down side is you need to remember your cap when you go shooting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throdgrain Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Im right handed with a strong left eye. I wear a cap with a peak which has a slight bend on the left so as I mount the gun the cap's peak blocks the view from my left eye and my right eye is drawn to the rib. Has worked for me over the last 30 years, down side is you need to remember your cap when you go shooting! Thats exactly what I do too. After a couple of years using an Easyhit sight it fell off in the bag last week, and this week I tried shooting without it. I found I could shoot just the same, so long as I had my cap pulled very slightly down to the right, same as usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveT Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Hi, I also suffer with left eye dominance right shoulder shot. After years of trying all sorts, putting a piece of tape on glasses, closing one eye, blinking one eye, i finally tried a Easyhit bead. i was very dubious of it providing any success but i must admit....It works. So no more blinking, blanking eyes, just get yourself a Easyhit bead and slap that on your shotgun! I got three shotguns, and have beads fitted on all of them. Its a fibre optic bead which can only be seen by the eye looking down the rib of the gun. I experimented with it for months, putting it on the gun/taking it off to see if my hit ratio changed. for the first month or so i must admit i wasn't all that sure it was making any difference, but i stuck with it and things got a lot better, i now shoot with both eyes open, full peripheral vision and my hit ratio is pretty good. I'm sure that the first month was adapting to the sight picture looking a whole lot different with both eyes open. I'm sure all you cross eye dominant guys out there get peeved off with trying silly things just to be able to shoot straight, have a look into easyhit. Not saying it will work for everyone, and i was very dubious at first, but it certainly worked for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throdgrain Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Or you could always just read the other posts in this thread ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveT Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Very helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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