[wis-redneck]

With shooting crossbows, and guns for that matter, with a scope, being right handed and left eye dominant. Anybody have any experience or advice? If a person is left eye dominant should they be shooting left handed, or doesn't matter?

 

[JNG]

Yes, whatever eye is dominant that is the 'hand' you should be shooting barring some disability that prevents this. Left eye dominant, then shoot left handed. Right eye dom, then shoot right handed.

 

[Gabowman]

Ive seen guys shooting right handed (they are right handed) with left eye dominant. You can STILL close your left eye but Ive seen a couple hold right and us left eye. Don't know how they do it without getting kicked in the face! I used to be able to shoot right and left....before lasik surgery. My scope is set for distance (rt eye) and my left eye is seeing close ranges so the scope does me no good shooting left handed now.

 

[primeduck]

I'm right handed, but left eye dominant. As stated above, I just close my left eye and keep on truckin.

 

[tpcollins]

Same here. I close my left eye on occasions but not always. If I’m using a red dot I try to keep both eyes open.

Shooting a vertical bow with multiple pins was a bit of a challenge until I started shooting with both eyes open. I always saw a double set of pins but when I started using the ones one the left, everything worked out fine. (With both eyes open I just felt more balanced).

It works best in my case for me to ensure I concentrate on the target or bullseye and pick up the crosshair or pin with my secondary vision.
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[Iron Duke]

It's not … as important using a scope with magnification on stationary or slow moving animals as it is with a shotgun or weapon used on fast moving animals. Once you close the dominant eye there is no issue. I know a guy who has literally killed over 10,000 deer, hogs and goats who shoots about 30% of them with his non-dominant eye off his weak side.

 

[tpcollins]

I forgot to mention being left eye dominant and right handed - when shooting a handgun I’ll hold it in my right hand but it will automatically align with my left eye.
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[smong2000]

I am cross dominant and shoot a scope with my 'off' side eye closed when shooting strong side. I wrecked my strong side shoulder and shot verticals off my weak side for years until that side went bad too. I still try to shoot verticals from both sides with a light bow and practice both sides with scoped weapons.
Interesting that I shoot better from my weak side/dominant eye with everything even though it doesn't feel as natural. The more you practice, the better it gets so I would strongly recommend switching to dominant eye side for anyone cross dominant. Actually the hardest part of switching for me was handling and loading the arrow or bullets but that gets normal as you practice it.

 

[Zebrafive]

Probably a dumb question; Will point of impact change if shooting with non dominant eye?
I shot a deer (scoped rifle) and the shot required me to shoot left handed. Impact was about 6" left of where I aimed, but the deer may have moved, or I may have moved?

 

[tpcollins]

Probably a dumb question; Will point of impact change if shooting with non dominant eye?
I shot a deer (scoped rifle) and the shot required me to shoot left handed. Impact was about 6" left of where I aimed, but the deer may have moved, or I may have moved?

Every deer, elk, or turkey I’ve ever shot was done using my non dominant eye. I would think being off 6” was due more to “torquing the rifle” differently from an unusual position when shouldered.
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[wis-redneck]

I believe what Zebrafive might have been asking is, If you sight in a scoped gun right handed with your right eye, will the point of impact change if you then shoot the same gun left hand with your left eye?

 

[tracker12]

If you are right handed and feel comfortable that way I would just close or squint the left eye and shoot. If you were shooting a compound and pins thats a different story. With a left dominant eye you will ave difficulty shooting both eyes open.

 

[tpcollins]

I believe what Zebrafive might have been asking is, If you sight in a scoped gun right handed with your right eye, will the point of impact change if you then shoot the same gun left hand with your left eye?

The crosshair will be the same no matter which eye you’re looking thru. But if there’s considerable parallax hen that might be an issue.
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[smong2000]

I'll chime in on this topic again. Everything you do resting, holding, sighting will have an effect on where the projectile hits, right down to your heartbeat. Precision shooting requires everything to be the exact same for each squeeze. So of course there will be slight differences in POI when going from one shoulder to the other with a scope. Probably not enough difference for the average person to detect though. When I was shooting verticals from right and left side using the same bow and sight adjustment, my 30 yd impact was just under 2" inches different from one side to the other with elevation still right on. I made the grip on my Bowtech Patriot symmetrical but it was either the torque difference or distance between my eyes that caused the change. I just sighted in for the primary side I was using and consciously compensated for the other.