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Posted: 11/17/2013 7:25:50 AM EDT
| Hi, I am looking for sight options, I am a right hand shooter and I am left eye dominant. Currently I am using my irons sights but Im looking to improve my target acquisition time and not lose my left side vision when aiming. I was considering an eotech, possibly on a 45 degree mount on the left side. Id like some input before I spend $$ and end up with a system that doesnt work for me. I have an M4 and looking to spend $700ish. What are some options? Thank you |
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Wait, you want to still use your right hand to be on fire control but use your left eye to look down the sights?
I am the same way, that is left eye dominant and right hand dominant. It kind of sucks when shooting bolt guns out to 1000+, because its hard for me to close my left eye. But I manage, and with ARs you should just get an Eotech or an Aimpoint that allows you to shoot with both eyes open. You never want to use the opposite eye when shooting. It mostly comes down to training your right eye to pick up reticle or front sight post. Just doing some simple repetitive tasks will help a lot with or without the gun. |
| I'm also right handed and left eye dominant. I have both an Aimpoint and Eotech and they work great keeping both eyes open after some practice. With scopes I still need to close my left eye but that's getting better also. My wife's girlfriend is an optometrist and she gave me lower power contacts for my left eye to work on changing my eye dominance to right. It's been about 7 months of wearing a lesser powered contact in my left eye but it seems to be helping. She said it will take a while but if I keep at at it it may work. Takes some getting used to for sure. |
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An Eotech/Aimpoint should work. I'm Left Handed/Eye dominant. When I shoot right handed I have no problems keeping both eyes open with any kind of 1X red dot.
You shouldn't need any kind of special mount. If you can, try one before you buy. Even if it's just going to a gun shop and handling any rifle with a red dot on it. |
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Also Left eye/Right hand dominant.
I can't understand the problems people claim to have with rifles (granted the one poster who said he has a hard time closing just his left eye would potentially create an issue.) If using iron sights or a scope, I just close my left eye and use my right (don't confuse eye dominence with acuity or ability to see clearly, you can see just as well out of your non-dominent eye) so no issue. I suppose the OP's point of trying to keep both eyes open with iron sights would be an issue, but I think that is one of the reasons why red dot sights are faster than irons, they are meant to be used with both eyes (and, as far as I know, irons are meant to be used with one eye). If using a red dot I have both eyes open, and I think being left eye dominant is actually BETTER since you are seeing yoru target/surroundings etc. with your dominant eye and the red dot will use your non-dominant eye to superimpose the dot on your target. Similar with pistols: the amount you have to move the gun at arm's length to line the sights up with your L v. R eye is insignificant. Shotguns (both eyes open and sight at end of barrel) is really the only shooting situation where changing to a left shoulder may make a difference. trying to force yourself to use a rifle or pistol in your non-dominant hand really makes absolutely no sense to me 
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| It may or may not work for you but how about shooting left handed. I am right handed and taught myself to shoot lefty when I was 11 years old due to the fact I had better eye sight in my left eye. Naturally in the 60's only nerds wore glasses so I sucked it up. I was always able to shoot right fine and always shot pistol right to this day. The only issue I ever had was using bolt actions fast.. As for the M16 type you shouldn't need any brass deflector as none of my army issue guns ever burned me with flying brass. Just keep in mind loose sleeves and collars and what NOT to do if you get that bee sting feeling meaning wave the gun around. It may not work for you but it's worth a shot. Just keep in mind it's not going to happen instantly and will take practice. Then everybody at the range can laugh at you at the range for being a right handed lefty. |
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Quoted:
Shoot off your left shoulder. It is far easier to train your hands than it is to train your eyes. And your accuracy will improve too. This. I'm right eye / left hand dominant. Trained for a solid 3 months to get used to drawing and shooting with my right hand. It's got to the point that shooting left hand feels weird. Muscle memory now prefers my right. It's much harder to train the eye. |
| Any true 1x RDS type sight will work fine with cross-eye dominance. I am cross eye dominant and shoot with both eyes open using an PA micro. It might take my brain an extra second to pick up the dot, but once found, it is easy to shoot with both eyes open. I imagine that an Eotech would be easier to pick up quickly. I have tried an Accupoint (1.25x-4x), but experienced a slight POI shift when shooting with both eyes open even at 1.25x. |
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Quoted:
Hi, I am looking for sight options, I am a right hand shooter and I am left eye dominant. Currently I am using my irons sights but Im looking to improve my target acquisition time and not lose my left side vision when aiming. I was considering an eotech, possibly on a 45 degree mount on the left side. Id like some input before I spend $$ and end up with a system that doesnt work for me. I have an M4 and looking to spend $700ish. What are some options? Thank you I share your pain, I am cross dominant too and wanted to shoot with both eyes open. This is what I had to do 12 yrs ago when I started shooting competitively in 3 gun. Get a 1-4x scope with daylight capable reticle (back then the only game in town was Trijicon TR21 1.25-4x). A little bit of magnification (2x) coupled with bright reticle 'trained' my brain to pick up with right eye. I trained for about a year with both eyes open, my brain got used to it so now I can shoot with both eyes open and see the sight either right or left eye depending on which shoulder the rifle is on. Iron sight is bit more tricky but you can do it, squint a little with the left eye to force the brain to pick up a more focused sight picture. I basically quit shooting iron for the first few years while training with scoped rifle. Shotgun is a little tougher but same concept, a super bright 'glow worm' front sight taught my brain to use the right eye. For a more precision shot, like off hand slugs at 75-100 yds, I would squint left eye a little. Pistol remains left eye aiming with both eyes open. You can retrain your brain to use the non-dominant eye, but it will take time and deliberate practices. |
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Thank you for all the input, I really like hearing what you all did. Im going to shop for an Eotech and Im going to practice shooting with my left side too. Being able to shoot from either side would be a plus.
I can make a conscience effort and switch to my right eye with both eyes open but it takes 90% of my brain power and I may go partially cross eyed 
Thank again for the input, I got more info that I anticipated and all of it is very useful. |
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I have the same issue and unfortunately so does my son.
I strengthened my left eyelid and can now shoot 100% right sided. I can even shoot both eyes open both rifle and pistol without an issue. It took a lot of time and practice but I didn't want to give up my right hand shooting or guns. Every once in a while while shooting my left eye takes back over but all I have to do is slightly close my left eyelid and the right eye takes back over. My son is 7 and I'm not sure what will be best, having him shoot left handed or train him to do the same I did. I think I'm going to try to have him do what I did but it will be hard. Life's just easier being a right handed shooter especially when your naturally right handed. |
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Quoted:
I have the same issue and unfortunately so does my son.
I strengthened my left eyelid and can now shoot 100% right sided. I can even shoot both eyes open both rifle and pistol without an issue. It took a lot of time and practice but I didn't want to give up my right hand shooting or guns. Every once in a while while shooting my left eye takes back over but all I have to do is slightly close my left eyelid and the right eye takes back over. My son is 7 and I'm not sure what will be best, having him shoot left handed or train him to do the same I did. I think I'm going to try to have him do what I did but it will be hard. Life's just easier being a right handed shooter especially when your naturally right handed. I am also cross eye dominant. If shooting righty wasn't already so ingrained and I wasn't so stubborn, I'd learn to shoot lefty. My son is only 16 months old. When he is old enough, I will teach him to shoot with whatever hand is on his eye dominant side. I believe that shooting cross-eye dominant is a bigger handicap than shooting left handed; there are many options in firearms with ambi or user-configurable controls and these will only expand in the future. |
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Quoted:
Me too, long guns from left shoulder, pistols right hand. No issues. Quoted:
Quoted:
I too am left eye dominant but right handed. I just shoot long guns left handed. Always felt very natural. Me too, long guns from left shoulder, pistols right hand. No issues. This right here.. No trouble transitioning to pistol..lol |
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