Need Advice on Eye Dominanace

[anygunanywhere]

My wife is actively seeking training to improve her shooting skills and confidence with her handgun.

She attended a calss at the Texas City range taught by the Texas City PD firearms instructor.

History - she is right handed, but left eye dominant. She shoots long guns left handed. Confusion sets in when shooting handguns. I have known this for some time and tried working with her to help her work around this. Husbands are not often good instructors to their wives.

The TCPD instructor had her aim with her left eye while holding the pistol right handed. She felt comfortable with this, and shot well.

Any assistance in the right hand/left eye issue would be great.

[gigag04]

I too am left eye dominant but right handed. I shoot rifles right handed/right eyed and am satisfactorily accurate.

With my handguns I shoot right handed with both eyes open, but my head turned a bit to the R to line up over the L eye with the sight posts, and my right eye catches peripheral. This "superimposes" the sight picture over the target.

This works better with my Gold Cup that with the XD SC.

-nick

[stevie_d_64]

History - she is right handed, but left eye dominant.

The TCPD instructor had her aim with her left eye while holding the pistol right handed. She felt comfortable with this, and shot well.

Any assistance in the right hand/left eye issue would be great.

I am exactly the same way...I of course do not shoot (primarily) left handed, but can (if I have to), with either rifles or pistols...

I sight in with the pistol by "looking over" with my left eye for my sight picture...It was awkward at first, but I got used to it...

I still use right eye and shoot right-handed for rifle shots...

Never had a problem...

[stevie_d_64]

I too am left eye dominant but right handed.

-nick

Weirdo...

[gigag04]

I too am left eye dominant but right handed.

-nick

Weirdo...

+1

[longtooth]

My Mother is the same as your wife. When she started shooting at 72 she held right handed & tilted her head to the R. far enough to sight w/ L. eye. awkward, OK acuracy through the 7 yd target, but slow. At 15 accurace suffered & at 25 all over the paper & seldom in the blue part. I tried several things, some of the above, all w/ no improvement. Finally started her shooting one handed using a duelling stance. If you do not know what that is I will try to explain in writing best I can w/o being able to show. Her face should be at a 90 degree angle to the target w/ R. shoulder toward the target. Extend right arm toward target so you have a straight line from L. shoulder through R. shoulder & straight down extended R. arm. Let her begin pointing a finger only first. Look at the target & point her finger. This will prepare her to point the gun & yet ignore it w/ her eyes. When you point a finger at something you don't look at the finger. Let her begin to point shoot. One hand only. Look at the target & point w/ barrel being finger extention. Get her to concentrate on looking at the target & not down the barrel trying to acquire sights. If she can't deal w/ recoil start her w/ a smaller pistol. (Mom shoots a Sig 232 in .380. Small hole but she is 75 now & very accurate.) Start her at 3yd. target. If her trigger pull is not really heavy all her shots should hold the 5 ring on Tex. CHL targets w/ no trouble. Move back to 7 yd. target. Look at the target not the pistol or sights. Point & shoot. Her draw should not be the duelling position of up & extending to the target. Let her start w/ her hands anywhere in front of her that they are comfortable. After she is comfortable point shooting at 7yd. let her start to point, shoot, then look down the barrel turning head to R. only enough to make a 4 point straight line. L. shoulder, R. eye, R. shoulder, extended R. arm. This drill can be practiced in the house w/ finger first. Then w/ empty weapon if she chooses. As R. eye becomes comfortable looking down the barrel she can start to square up w/ the target. Do it slow. 5 degrees of turn at a time. Worked for Mom. No garantees for yall. Hope you the best. Use email if needed.

[sensei]

If I had to pick one eye it would be the right eye. However there is not much difference.

I can tell you from past experience - it is just a matter of habit.

You can do it and do it well either way. Just practice whichever way you are most comfortable with.

Good luck,

Ray

[ElGato]

I feel like sensei, with handguns there's not much difference, just keep both eyes open and let the dominant eye take over, its the same thing we all do when we shoot with our weak hand.
Tomcat

[Bubba]

What ?
Ya'll actually look at the sights ?
Mine are all blurry unless I put my reading glasses on.

I just look at the target.

[anygunanywhere]

Thank you for the feedback, gentlemen.

I purchased her some snap caps yesterday, and showed her how she needs to dry fire with her pistol in order to develop the muscle memory and instinctive shooting ability.

You should have seen her expression when the hammer fell and she moved.

She will be practicing her draw and fire moves.

Women with handguns on their hips - a beautiful thing.

[stevie_d_64]

Thank you for the feedback, gentlemen.

I purchased her some snap caps yesterday, and showed her how she needs to dry fire with her pistol in order to develop the muscle memory and instinctive shooting ability.

You should have seen her expression when the hammer fell and she moved.

She will be practicing her draw and fire moves.

Women with handguns on their hips - a beautiful thing.

Kinda makes you relax a bit when you see her getting more and more comfortable with this idea that she can protect herself well with this capability, doesn't it....

It does me...My wife is just beginning to get into the groove on this thing...And its ironic that she's had her CHL for about 3 years now...

We can't be everywhere with them...

Woody (from PDO) had a great quote the other day that says it all...

"Provide a man with a police officer, and protect him for a day; provide a man with a gun, and protect him for the rest of his life."

The biblical slant really takes that comment to a new level...