left eye dominant

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by frostfire

second click with pistol at full extension.




well, TS, I have a word file of archived marksmanship discussion here since 2004 especially posts by you, NDD, Peregrino, TR, LR, Gene and many others.
My way, or the better way. Obviously your way is better as you're a bona fide instructor. Hell, I never even claim to be an instructor, only a grateful soul eager to share everything he's been privileged to know/given by those BTDT. In fact, I'm still grateful over some gems you told me at Blade show in ATL few years back. You probably don't remember. Even in my daily job, every month or so I'd come across "certain folks" who are enthusiastic in sharing tips/tricks to one eager to learn on how to get better straight from his OTC curriculum.

Speaking of archived discussions...you wrote once to come see you for training once one can do 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, and 20 pull ups. Is the invitation still valid?

You make it to the Phoenix area and I'll do the training.

[Bill Burt]

I'm not a combat shooter (obviously), but I do shoot competitively. I'm curious as to why you can't shoot the first round as you're still extending your arms? That's a standard technique for many world champions in my discipline. Most of us shoot as soon as we see the target behind our sights. I'm definitely not criticizing, just curious. As long as you hit the target why not?

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Bill Burt

I'm not a combat shooter (obviously), but I do shoot competitively. I'm curious as to why you can't shoot the first round as you're still extending your arms? That's a standard technique for many world champions in my discipline. Most of us shoot as soon as we see the target behind our sights. I'm definitely not criticizing, just curious. As long as you hit the target why not?

Game shooting and real world shooting are two different worlds. In the real world you have to take other people into account. I don't think many game shooters have humans standing next to or in front of their intended targets. It's why we (Special Forces soldiers) learn to shoot with surgical precision.

[Bill Burt]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

Game shooting and real world shooting are two different worlds. In the real world you have to take other people into account. I don't think many game shooters have humans standing next to or in front of their intended targets. It's why we (Special Forces soldiers) learn to shoot with surgical precision.

Yep, you're definitely right on that one, we generally avoid shooting when there are people down range, it's frowned upon. For SASS shooters a hit is a hit, no extra points for xring, even an edger counts. We do occassionally do trick shots like shooting through a quarter sized hole at 18-21 feet with a revolver, but that's rare and most can't do it.

[Tuukka]

Just my personal experience, I am left handed, right eye dominant.

I shoot both short and long weapons left handed.

Shooting SMGs/rifles ( and pistols ) both eyes open has not been an issue, atleast I have not seen it as something that would hinder my performance with long guns, either with iron sights or red dot / variable power scopes.

In the Army I shot well in the range quals and due to my civilian shooting background, our instructor was pushing me for a slot in the sniper NCO course, but I declined that offer to go to a another unit. Also shot well in our applied training shoots later on.

I shoot both pistol and rifle IPSC at a national level, ie. I was on our national IPSC Open class rifle team between 2009-2012 and I am now in the Production class national pistol team.

Like said above, have not noticed any limitation to my performance from cross eye dominance.

[Ken Cox]

I prefer my left hand, and have right eye dominance due to an eye injury incurred during my teen years (I recovered from the injury but remained right-eyed).

The Marine Corps of the 1960's and 70's taught me to let my dominant eye determine which hand I used.

With handguns, I shoot comfortably with either hand. I lead with the opposite foot to the shooting hand, and line up my right eye behind the sights. Because I lead with the opposite foot as the hand, I don't need to tilt my head in order to line up my eye with the sights.

Once I have gun in hand, I feel equally comfortable with either hand. That said, I feel more comfortable carrying on my left side and drawing from my left side.

Regarding long arms, I shoot right-handed. Although my left eye has the same acuity as my right eye, I don't seem to process what I see through my left eye the same way I process visual information through my right eye. My Marine Corps instructors described that as normal, and the reason for using the dominant eye as the sighting eye.

One can re-train the eyes. Near and far distance contact lenses take advantage of, or rely upon, the ability of the brain's visual processor to learn new tasks. Nonetheless, one can more easily and reliably train the musculo-skeletal system than the visual system.

Take the easier and proven path: right-eyed, shoot right-handed; left-eyed, shoot left-handed.

To teach or learn the opposite hand, do everything very slowly and deliberately, and alternate left and right with each shot. The two sides of the body will observe each other and learn from each other, very quickly. It greatly helps to think positively and to not tell yourself you can't use your other hand. Observe how each hand and body-hand organization performs the task, without verbally judging the two hands.

By the way, alternating hands with each shot, at least with a handgun, will bring about an almost instantaneous improvement in the strong hand. The improvement quickly plateau's, though. Still, an easy and quick way to get a noticeable performance gain in one afternoon of shooting.

Just do 14 rounds; odd rounds left-handed and even rounds right-handed, alternating left and right with each shot, taking your time and observing how each hand does the job (without judgement), and enjoy a noticeable improvement in your dominant hand.