#10MinuteTalk

It happens more often than you’d think. Someone is right handed, for example, but not necessarily right-eyed. Everyone has an eye that their body naturally relies on as its dominant eye, and if it happens to be opposite of your dominant shooting hand, people are often left scratching their head as to how they should go about shooting. Switch to the other hand to take advantage of the better eye? Try to train the weak eye? There are different answers to this question depending on the reasoning behind your eye-dominance (Some people simply don’t have a properly functioning eye on their strong hand side) but Reuben joins Jimmy and Mark here to discuss his recommendations for the majority of people he sees with this issue.
As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation podcast by asking us on any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast.
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[@matthewstoch8670]

Interesting topic...I myself am right handed and yet left eye dominant. Overcame that as a child by simply closing my left eye when shooting right handed. Takes time to get use to to not tire oneself out but qualified expert on every firearm issued to me by the military.

[@eliotmckay8383]

In my law enforcement tactical training, I found that being right hand, left eye dominant put me ahead of my peers when clearing hallways. It also makes door stacks easier because while I have to switch to my left hand in order to get the lights when clearing a room, my aim is still on point. When clearing halls on the right, it's not a problem because the difference in vision gain using right eye would be practically non existent. That goes for rifles and handguns. Just pressing my cheek against the gun, and raising the scope a couple millimeters, I can comfortably aim with my left eye from any position without switching shoulders.

[@1LRLRG]

Our gun club used to host an airgun booth for kids at a local sports fair and it was surprising how many of the kids that came through we found were cross-eye dominant. I think it is a lot more common than most believe, just like people being left handed used to be corrected in school but is now accepted.

[@mimicdesign]

Right handed left eye dominant, handguns are easy enough to aim with my left eye while squeezing the trigger right handed, rifles I am forced to close my left eye. I draw and sight a bow left handed though..

[@hiromikami]

Thanks for another important discussion! This is my son's first year shooting with a scope, and we just figured out that he's cross eye dominant. He still has great shot placement, but his akward posture is what gave it away.

[@ejwa12]

I am right hand, left eye dominant. But when it comes to shooting, I use my left eye for pistol but when I shoot long guns, I use my right eye. I believe this is one of those topics where there is no right answer. People learn to shoot according to person preference.

[@johnorr4866]

I am right handed left eye dominant. Been shooting for 10 years, just figured it out. I am going to black tape my shooting glasses because my trigger technique would suffer if I switched to shooting left handed. Thanks for the discussion. I had been discouraged with my lack of significant improvement.

[@chadgoodwin1507]

I'm cross dominant. I've trained my bad eye for a long time and it's gotten better. One thing you can also do when looking through Scopes or red dots Malcolm further up on your rail and mount them higher up will help out

[@ExPostFactoBass]

I'm left-eye dominant and right handed and the best advice I ever got for shooting rifles was to merely switch shoulders. Instead of shooting left-handed I move the rifle from my right shoulder to my left and then use my left eye same as a left handed shooter. All that changes is my length of pull.

[@fredbalster3100]

Eye dominance has been a problem for me shooting a shotgun. My eye dominance would switch to the side of the target. Going left to right was a hit, right to left was a miss. Instructor suggested blocking the left eye.

[@cbrochu22]

I am right handed and left eye dominate. I switched to shooting left handed when I was about 7. I shot a bow and rifle right handed for years. But I was plenty young to make the switch. I have never had an issue shooting left handed, in fact, shooting right handed feels awkward even though I am right handed. I have actually found this to be an advantage in many ways. I can reload a right handed gun a lot faster than someone who shoots right handed, I also have more motor control over the forearm so I find it easier to hold steady off hand shooting a gun and bow. This was also an advantage in sports, in baseball I didn’t have to look across my nose to see the pitcher/see in front of me in hockey when shooting or passing. I can actually shoot a pistol with either hand and from shoot a gun from either hand even though from the right it’s not quite as refined. If you can switch hands, I think it’s the much better option long term

[@hardingdies7811]

Great video and thanks for covering this subject. I'm left-eye dominant and right-handed. My father realized this when I first started shooting (6 yrs old) and he made me practice closing both eyes independently so I could shoot either way, and that stuck with me through today (74yo). However, I'm still better with the left eye, and so I shoot bolt actions left-handed for precision like in the military. Today, I am in Cowboy shooting and shoot with my left eye and, when shooting two strong side draws, have learned to shoot with either hand - saving me time. I even modified the release on my double-barreled shotgun to allow me to shoot lefty. My BIG QUESTION is why have almost ALL the bolt gun manufacturers IGNORED left-handed people (since they make up 15%+ of gun owners)?

[@shepherd8203]

Am right handed left eye dominant. Am a bow hunter and was told just learn to shoot left. Your dominant eye takes almost all the info in. The non- dominant eye take in the depth of field distance. I tried both and differently better left and it’s small learning curve.

[@palmettostatepyro7108]

struggled with pistol for a long time, as I am right handed, so I assumed my right eye was dominate. Turns out my left eye was the dominate one and once I made that change I saw instant improvement! However it never bothered me on a rifle to use my right eye.

[@DSToNe19and83]

I’m a right hand left eye dominate. I’ve been using a little piece of tape over my eyes for a decade now. I shoot lights out at trap, skeet and clays, if I was younger I would of starting shooting lefty. I also shoot both eyes open. Love this channel fellas, keep it up! 🍻

[@VortexNation]

Right on! You gotta do what works, right? Thanks for tuning in and being a part of Vortex Nation!😊

[@wyatt9841]

Do you change anything if you’re hunting with a bolt gun becuse I am starting hunting and I am also right handed left eye and was wondering should I go right hand gun or left

[@DaileyWoodworks]

Co-dominate here. With my right slightly stronger. I've shot a lot, including sporting clays for years. I have trained my left eye to take over when shooting. But and very easily make the eye triangle test be whichever eye I want.

[@Qj_empire]

Great video. #Subscribed

[@dominicaustin8070]

Cool story. I'm right handed, but left eye dominant. I've been in the precision sports field for years, and grew up hunting from a young age. I learned to shoot right handed until I entered the precision sports scene and had to switch and learn to shoot left handed because of my dominant eye. I'm now a fully ambidextrous shooter, where I shoot lefty in precision sports, and hunt right handed as it is still a bit more comfortable and I have "finer motor skills" with dominant hand. In the past I have even switched to my nondominant hand, but dominant eye, when bird hunting in the field. Comes in handy when hunting with a group and birds flush in an uncomfortable range of motion for your dominant hand.

[@Basically_a_nobody]

Right handed/left eye dominant. Pistol shooting is easy, just move it over slightly. If you using a dot is a non-issue. I can shoot both eyes open all day. Shooting my AR with a dot is also a non issue. Both eyes open all day too. Once I add some magnification it gets a bit more tricky the more magnification there is but not impossible, depends on the day. For the most part I can keep both eyes open when shooting magnified on my strong hand/weak eye but I may close my left eye occasionally if I'm trying to focus on finer details. I can't usually keep that up for too long until my right eye gets fatigued so I tend to look through my optic/scan with both eyes open and close my left eye when preparing for a shot. I struggled with this for a while when I was younger and attributed my lack of marksmanship ability to this for a while but I've since learned it's just practice. I was not a good beginner pistol shooter, now I can hold my own against anyone. The only annoying aspect to all of this is my right eyes vision is considerably worse so when really trying to pick up finer details through an optic using my weaker eye can really cause some fatigue but not impossible. Thanks for the podcast, cool to hear this kind of thing addressed. I feel like 10 years ago when I really struggled with this there weren't many resources or advice to go off of.

[@Hunting4knowledge]

I'm cross eyed dominant. They don't seem too way off so both eyes end up fighting for focus. Naturally come up to left eye and my right tries to focus and vice versa. So I end up with a lot of double vision/headaches. What seems to help the most for pistols is turning my head until the bridge of my nose covers the target and I'll train with each eye. Rifles... still working on that

[@dcdwilliams]

I am right hand / left eye dominant. Pistols I shoot right handed long guns and bows I shoot left handed.

[@dragonflyfab9703]

Thats the way God planned it.

[@kennethboucherie3215]

I’m cross eye/hand dominate and so is my daughter. I struggled shot gun when I was young shooting clays. I learned to shoot both hand and both eyes with shotgun and rifle trying to figure out what was best for me. If I’m shooting for competition I shoot dominate hand and non dominant eye and shoot pistol right handed with ether eye. I like to train all ways because you never know what Situation you might be presented with. Have shot deer around a tree left handed and got the job don’t because that’s how the target presented itself. My daughter struggles closing her left eye so she shoots left handed and wears an eye patch training for right handed

[@gen-zboomer]

could I also somehow find some fucked way to shoulder my rifle on my left while still using my dominant hand on the pistol grip? Also, it seems that Holographic sights and red dots can be used with both eyes open (on rifles) so that CAN fix your problem.

[@dat1tallboi481]

What I'm trying to learn is using my opposite shoulder, as in using my right hand as trigger hand and shouldering the rifle on my left shoulder

[@jonnysdomain9116]

I'm right handed but left eye dominant. Iron sights with my right eye are a no go. Through a scope or something I can use my right eye though. What i started doing is shooting long guns left handed. I shoot my pistols right handed but close my right eye, or even squint it half way and move the pistol in front of my left eye. My bow is all right handed and right eye though. I'm all over the place but practice made it come naturally.

[@KevinWood44]

I have this issue (right dominant in most sports...lefty in some) but left eye dominant. Shooting a pistol is easy, I simply move my head over to align w the pistol. I do not think moving your hands over to you face is the best way to go bc you sacrifice your stance. I shoot air rifles but I am building a precision rifle. Air rifles were easy bc their is no case to eject so I could keep the cocking handle on the right side and it was just fine. In fact I got so used to that when I switched it to the left side (FX Impact cocking handle can change sides) it felt awkward. BUT I am trying to train my left hand to work the bolt so when I have my rifle built there is less of a training curve. Using my right eye (non dominant) with a rifle is absolute NO GO for me. It felt very umcomfortable. Now even if I shoot an AR I hold it lefty, I can not even imagine getting behind any rifle (bolt or gas) holding it as a righty. It feels odd, even though it is not my natural dominant side.

[@chipsterb4946]

My daughter is right handed but left eye dominant. She shoots any long gun left handed. Archery too. However, she shoots a pistol right handed because she can move it to where it needs to be for her dominant, left eye to be on target. BTW she’s a better shot than I’ll ever be. Years ago I went to a skeet range at an upscale resort. My buddy was shooting OK but after the second station the trapper said “Wait a minute - you’re left handed aren’t you?” He was correct but my friend had learned to shoot right handed decades before. They argued for a minute or 2, but then Sterling agreed to try it. In less than 10 minutes he was shooting left handed and breaking just about every bird.

[@keving2115]

Right Handed - Left Eye Dominant Pistol - I Line up the sights slightly to my left eye. Works perfects - Zero Discomfort. Rifle - I slightly tilt the front sight counter clockwise to line up - or for long distance prone shooting - switch to left shoulder and wink. Currently training Right eye dominant to help with Long-distance/Close-Quarter transition.

[@5000rgb]

Am I understanding you correctly? You sight with your left eye and the rifle on you right shoulder? As right hand/left eye I prefer to shoot long guns left handed, both eyes open but am comfortable shooting right handed, left eye closed. I'm comfortable from either side. Everything I've seen and heard suggests being able to shoot a long gun with your dominant eye if at all possible. I think It's important to shoot either side should the circumstances favor one or the other.

[@swordfish1120]

What high level motor skill is used for shooting a pistol or rifle? I'm left eye dominant and right handed, but I've shot a rifle left handed since I was a kid. I recently changed my pistol shooting hand from my right to my left and it seems more natural because my left eye lines up easier and I can get on target quicker with both eyes open and focused on my front sight. My accuracy has improved a lot. It's not like you're teaching yourself to throw a baseball, football or shoot a basketball with your weak hand which requires follow through with your body.

[@TheWVgoodguy22]

I am right handed, but strongly left eye dominant. I can present and use either hand for a handgun. I might even shoot better with my right hand in my limited trigger time, but most of the time I shoot it left handed. As far as shotguns I shoot both eyes open and left handed especially when wingshooting. If I tried to do so right handed and right eye I would have to close my left eye or I see across the gun not down the vent rib/barrel. With a rifle I shoot left handed as well, mostly with both eyes open. My first rifle was a late 90s Savage M110 in .270 Win LH that my Dad bought me and I will never get rid of that gun. For the longest time I have been looking at .30 cals mostly .300 WSMs in left hand, but those were hard to find for the longest time so I just gave up the idea that it had to be a LH rifle and found a smoking good deal on a new Savage M110 Long Range Hunter with Accufit, etc... ($300 off MSRP) in .300 WSM but right handed so I went for it. I had been looking mostly at the Tikkas, but the deal was too good to pass up. I can actuate the bolt just fine with either rifle that I have. As far as archery I am strongly Left eye dominate so I have a LH compound bow. I tried shooting a RH recurve and that was tough for me. So if I want to get into Trad Bows I would have to find a LH recurve.

[@tbcarleton]

Right handed, left eye dominant here. Anything with a cheek weld, I shoot left handed, which puts more dexterity and stability into my support hand. I shoot most pistols right handed, locking my right cheek against my right arm and pulling the pistol into line with my left eye, forming very solid geometry with my upper body. Wherever the gun points, my eye is naturally behind the sights and I hit wherever I look. Aside from the limited availability of left handed long guns, I wouldn't have it any other way.

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

swap shoulders with your stock, but not hands. its what i do.

[@brianclark1861]

I found being right handed and left eye dominant i can switch to left handed when in the far right side of the trap house and right handed on the far left. That way I didn't have to twist my body as much for the ones way right or left

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

yup, its a secret blessing.

[@smarterthan98]

I'm right handed/left eyed, I shoot handguns with my right hand and turn/tilt my head slightly to compensate while keeping both eyes open. With a rifle or shotgun I can shoot either way, but prefer to shoulder on my left side, except with an AR/AK platform. Works well enough for me.

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

exactly what i do on both, just like you. i dont mind it, personally.

[@smarterthan98]

@@frigglebiscuit7484 I actually feel like it gives me an advantage, especially when shooting a rifle/shotgun from a standing position as I have my strong arm extended and doing the real work while me weak arm merely has to squeeze the trigger. Plus in a self-defense situation it's much more natural feeling to use my "off-shoulder" than for those who strictly shoot right or left handed. It would be nice to have a left-handed AR and semiauto shotgun, but they can wait until one of my next builds or purchases... if I can even find any in stock at a reasonable price. Until then, we'll just keep doing what we do. 👍

[@John-tx1wk]

I'm right handed and left eye dominant. For the longest time I shot rifles right handed not realizing what the problem was. Or that even really was one. I was after all qualified on the M-16. Then a few years later a sharp-eyed range instructor realized what I was doing and had me try shooting left handed. I've now shot rifles and shotguns left handed so long I find I need to practice right handed occasionally just to remember how the mechanics/manual of arms work. The transition to shooting rifles left handed was fairly easy but I can't shoot a pistol left handed worth a crap. I stick with right handed.

[@daveruzicka4388]

I am left handed,left eye dominant shoot rifles RH because I learned to shoot from RH people that didn't know how to correct or that I had a problem. I've hidden the problem for years with high mounted scopes over iron sights and most of my rifles are like this except my 22 which I've shot for close to 40 years with irons slid for windage,,I can shoot my other rifles with irons LH but not quickly at all

[@ryanjobb6403]

Left eye dominant right handed, just got an AR, in the marines I always closed left eye. Now that I’ve learned to shoot pistols with both open I’ve been training the same with rifle. I think I can become both eye dominant I swear with practice you can fix it.

[@170045290]

In the marines, do you qualify expert closing your left eye? Also is this frowned upon at the range?

[@DavidRamos-fj5mm]

Hi boys i have a question, if i zero my scope as a lefthanded will a ride hand person be ok using it.

[@we2968]

[@marcosvivoni1944]

i just lean my head to the right to align my face/eye to the pistol sights and im gonna try shouldering my rifle on my ledt shoulder (right handed grip and all) and test how that feels (dry fireing makes it seem possible but idk

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

i have anisometropia. basically, my left eye is fine, but my right eye is +3.25 prescription(farsighted), so everything is blurry. i either take the rifle and use it right handed, and put the stock into my left shoulder, or like i did with my turk mauser, put a side mounted, left side scope.

[@arturomilward3369]

I’m left hand but right eye dominant and I shoot right hand.........but I could use either had

[@Midnightrider1177]

I’m right handed but left eyed. I simply shoot handguns presenting to my left eye and have never had a problem. I shoot rifles no different then if I were actually left handed, and don’t even own a left handed rifle. The only bummer is between mag releases, safety selector switches, and charging handles I usually end up spending about $150 to “ambi” an AR-15.

[@5000rgb]

Right hand left eye here. Shot my AR from the right shoulder the other day and was amazed how convenient the mag release was. I have the California fin so even though I have an ambi safety I don't need it.

[@rbooth09241]

I’m a 100% right handed guy. The only thing I can do left handed is shoot a rifle because im cross eye dominate. I shoot my pistol right handed and slide it over infront of my dominant(left eye). The biggest advantages I’ve found come while shooting a rifle. All I’m using my non dominant hand for is trigger and saftey manipulation which takes very little movement. My dominant arm is now reloading and driving my rifle. I started off doing a lot of dove hunting with a automatic shotgun in my non dominant left hand looking through my dominant eye so working trigger and saftey skills kinda grew as I did and didn’t have all the other reloading stuff to worry with. When I started getting into the black guns the reloading and driving the gun stuff wasn’t so hard to learn

[@brokendad2222]

Left handed, right eye dominant. I shoot pistols with eyes open, rifles and shotguns are shot right handed. In my sixties and they tried to correct my wrong handness in school but my parents intervened.

[@hypeemotos2980]

Right hand left eye dominant should I just learn shoot with my left

[@humberSLIDEevents]

My daughter is a right hander but left eye dominant, we found it's much easier to shoot a rifle when a red dot is fitted. Was never an issue with Pistols as she just canted the gun over

[@hughkillebrew6711]

Im right handed left eye dominant. I generally shoot rifle left handed. that way I can shoot both eyes open. for bolt guns I shoot right handed but shoot off my left shoulder. pistol I shoot right hand but am really aiming with my left eye but both eyes open red dot makes life a bunch easier.

[@AntMcLeod]

What about guys that are blind in the eye on the strong arm side? I'm was right eye dom, lost sight in the eye and I'm a righty? I have adjusted with my sidearm by moving the gun to the left eye but this isn't possible with a rifle, I keep hearing about riser optics, that raise the sight to the left eye while holding righty. Has anyone seen these?

[@602rivera]

im right handed left eye dominant but it gets weirder with rifle im left handed and right handed with hand gun

[@matt76cmich64]

Good to see the topic. I'm as right handed as you can be, but left eye dominant. My dad noticed I was trying to use my left eye while shooting cans with the bb gun in the backyard one day when I was 5 and had me try it left handed. From then on I have shot my long guns left handed and feels natural to me. I got into archery late and stated shooting right handed, but had trouble with accuracy. Once I had a decent job I decided to buy and try out a left handed bow. Turned out to be the best thing I could've done for archery. Pistols I still shoot right handed and use my left eye, but I think shooting my bite with both eyes open helped me with that. Putting a red dot on my pistols definitely helped my shooting as well.

[@phillipdouglas6454]

Ok. I’m right handed. Like I can’t brush my teeth left handed. But as a kid I found out I’m left eye dominate. I was 7 when I killed my first deer. Shot early that morning at a doe 70 yards with ruger carbine 44 with scope. Missed bigger than crap. That afternoon I killed a nice buck left handed. He was 165 yards away. I shoot my pistols right handed But feel more comfortable left handed with rifles. Will accuracy be affected with a scope like it will be with iron sights. ??

[@leorapsonjr7659]

No tape eyeball got it, what about super glue?

[@sexyworm1000]

I know a few people who just learned how to shoot left handed and where perfectly adequate marksmen

[@hawghawg381]

I can shoot pool and weapons with both hands(and feels natural) . But everything else is right hand.

[@richardvoss77]

can you zero a scope for your non-dominant eye?

[@sandrine1025]

I had my ffl custom build my AR. On it, he put a vortex strike eagle. Rewind, I had only shot shotguns in the past and that was over 15 years ago. Come back to present, I complained when he told me to use the scope with both eyes open. Just the other day, I was shooting a handgun and realized I'm cross eye dominant. I shoot my AR, both eyes open, using my non dominant eye on the scope and I can consistently hit a target over 100 yards down range. I did spend about a month at home here and there using the scope to get my right eye acquainted. When I finally went out to fire, I starting at the 100 yard mark. Nothing more exciting that the sound of hitting steel. I don't plan to shoulder on my left side. Scopes my right eye is fine, handguns my left eye takes over with both eyes open. It's just my AK...guess I'll be squinty, otherwise my left eye dominates. Down the road, I'll probably try switching to left shoulder, but for now, I'm going to work my right eye when it's needed. Plus I feel the most relaxed with my right hand operating the trigger. I hope you found your non dominant eye capable of using a scope!

[@sandrine1025]

Also, I shoot my compound bow with my right hand and use my non dominant eye. My dominant eye has a little squint so my right eye takes over.

[@Hubbahubba480]

Im left eye , life is good

[@melantheoszimurri9981]

The first five minutes of him talking was not him answering the question of. What are you tell those people?

[@diana_gir1]

Under handed/third eye Dominant here ... yep

[@csmallstar]

Not really fail proof I can change what eye see the world in

[@Mrlipton37]

can someone get these guys some chairs? its making me nervous.

[@aubreyroche5080]

I am Right Handed, Shoot Bow and Rifle Left Handed, left Eye Dominant

[@brycehiigel235]

I am left handed and right eyes dominate. Never really thought anything about just shot left handed, then I realized when I took pictures with the old cameras and shooting a bow I would automatically shoot right handed and the camera would go straight to the right eye. Once figured it out I just retaught myself to shoot right handed. Other shooter especially the skeet and trap would put some scotch tape on their shooting glasses on the dominant side.

[@VortexNation]

Interesting! That tape trick could probably come in handy for a lot of folks.

[@eileenllopez9046]

I'm left handed, and right eye dominant. More women are cross eye dominant. You can't retrain your eye.

[@Winters11]

You surely can!!!

[@young_of_the_mill9560]

Your right right handed and are left eye dominant, then shoot left handed...

[@gen-zboomer]

no.

[@keep1treal61]

There’s no right or wrong way. I shoot right handed rifles and left eye dominant l… bulls eye all day or close to it lol.

[@Hubbahubba480]

223 WSSM lets talk

[@rodneyhobbs6507]

I'm right eye dominant and right hand dominant but I'd like to get friends to come shoot with me and who knows what they are. Now I have a nice little test to see if they're island devils.

[@rodneyhobbs6507]

All island devils are crosseye dominant it's thier sins catching up to them.

[@DerekHubbard]

Well, this was useless. I was looking for solutions to having specific reasons for being cross-eye-dominant. I wasn't looking for ways to start using my other eye as the "dominant" one. Because I'm fully blind in it. But yeah, great job avoiding any actual solutions.

[@g.p.d.2220]

Gotta agree-whole lotta talking, little useable advice.

[@Hubbahubba480]

LOL its harder just close left eye , Pistol is easy lol. Duck hunting not so easy

[@Preying_on_predators]

I am right handed but left-eyed dominant. I shoot pistols right handed and rifles (bolt or AR) left handed. The only issue is when I’m running a gun belt and i want to have a speed reload in my belt vice a plate carrier/chest rig. And it’s only an issue because i like to keep my right hand side clear to ensure nothing gets in the way of my pistol draw. As long as you practice you can learn how to do it. Just takes practice.

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

try putting the stock in your left shoulder when shooting right handed. lines your left eye sight picture up.