Dominate eye gunfighter

[Make do]

Was watching Branchwater Jack's video on eye dominance (TFL 3: Eye Dominance - YouTube), and was thinking that when I miss it is with the right pistol. From a quick check I am very left eye dominate. So I went out and did some practice runs with my right eye closed and things were very much improved but awkward.  Closing my left eye things were about where they were.  Rifle and shotgun both eyes open no problem. How do other gunfighters with cross eye dominance  handle their pistols?

[Branchwater Jack SASS #88854]

Shooting pistols, cross eyed, can be done a lot easier than with the rifle. The key is to get your pistols, and thus your sights, over to your dominant eye.

 

As a Gunfighter, you have a couple options on this. On of your keys will be to keep your hands closer together. As I shoot BP, folks are always amazed how dirty the outsides of my pistols get. They are more amazed when they realize it's the inside of both that are that filthy. They are picking up the side blast from the other gun since I keep them so close.

 

Then, once they're close, you just have to shift your hands so that they are more in line with your dominant eye.

 

I know that has worked well for a lot of folks then them having to go from alternating blinking or holding an eye closed.

[Sarge]

In a sense all gunfighters are cross eye dominant since they are shooting the off hand with the strong eye.  As Branchwater Jack said, the key is getting the sights of both pistols in line with the dominant eye.  We used to train a tilt of the pistol as one method of shooting with the cross dominant eye.  Rather than tightly closing the weak eye, it may be helpful to scrunch the weak eye so you still have some light coming in.  If you totally close one eye, it can affect the pupil of the open eye too.

[bgavin]

I shot my last match as Gunfighter, but the old hands told me I was more Double Duelist.
I'm right-eye dominant and right handed... this did not pose a problem.

What I have (yet) to master is the alternating cock/shoot thing.
In my head, one should be cocking while the other is pulling the trigger.
This seems to be the most efficient... and a technique I have yet to master.

So far, no difficulty with right-eye dominant.
I keep both revolvers extended and close to each other.
I walk my mile every day with a pair of 3# weights held out front to simulate my Vaqueros.

[Johnny Longpants]

I just wiggle my head a slight bit on each shot to put my dominant eye behind each pistol.  Kind of a slight tilt back and forth and keep my other eye closed.   (Note, so natural now that I had to shoot my imaginary pistols to figure out what I do).

[Doc Nelson #19958]

Left eye dominant, right handed. As a youngster I taught myself to shoot right handed. As I got into gunfighter I found I prefer to shoot pairs so one day I quit thinking about which eye and quickly found I was using both eyes and could see both sights at the same time if the targets were big enough to line up both with. Still, if the sight is on target pull the trigger, quit worrying about which eye.

 

Doc Nelson

GF since its inception.

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

1 hour ago, Sarge said:

In a sense all gunfighters are cross eye dominant since they are shooting the off hand with the strong eye.

...

That should be "most", not "all".
Ambidextrous + ambi-dominant eyesight = no "off hand" and no "strong eye".  

 

[Mister Badly]

Luckily I inherited grandpa Jack's gunfighter eyes. 

[Mister Badly]

1 hour ago, bgavin said:

I shot my last match as Gunfighter, but the old hands told me I was more Double Duelist.
I'm right-eye dominant and right handed... this did not pose a problem.

What I have (yet) to master is the alternating cock/shoot thing.
In my head, one should be cocking while the other is pulling the trigger.
This seems to be the most efficient... and a technique I have yet to master.

So far, no difficulty with right-eye dominant.
I keep both revolvers extended and close to each other.
I walk my mile every day with a pair of 3# weights held out front to simulate my Vaqueros.

I read something awhile back on the technique I now use which is to draw and cock both then cock each pistol after firing. Your mileage may vary.

[Hashknife Cowboy]

I have learned to shoot with both eyes open....works for me.

[Sarge]

1 hour ago, PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L said:

That should be "most", not "all".
Ambidextrous + ambi-dominant eyesight = no "off hand" and no "strong eye".  

 

Yep.  I would agree.  Though ambi-dominant eyesight is exceedingly rare.  

[evil dogooder]

11 hours ago, Sarge said:

In a sense all gunfighters are cross eye dominant since they are shooting the off hand with the strong eye.  As Branchwater Jack said, the key is getting the sights of both pistols in line with the dominant eye.  We used to train a tilt of the pistol as one method of shooting with the cross dominant eye.  Rather than tightly closing the weak eye, it may be helpful to scrunch the weak eye so you still have some light coming in.  If you totally close one eye, it can affect the pupil of the open eye too.

Not all.   Several of us use an eye for each gun.  

[J-BAR #18287]

Pick up a wad of paper with your weak/off hand and toss it in a waste basket.  I doubt you worried about dominant eye when you did it.  Do it again until you have a nearly perfect success rate.  Then go to the range and shoot gunfighter style until your brain and eyes learn to achieve success.  
 

I am not a jedi gunfighter but I don’t embarrass myself when I shoot that style.  Worrying about dominant eye just leads to paralysis by analysis in my opinion. It’s like worrying about which eye you should use to stay in your lane while driving a car.  Do it enough and your brain will figure it out.

[Branchwater Jack SASS #88854]

And, it all depends on how serious your eye dominance issues are....only you will be able to ultimately figure out what works for you!

[Uncle Ethan # 94321]

21 hours ago, Hashknife Cowboy said:

I have learned to shoot with both eyes open....works for me.

I have learned this also. Tried left eye closed. Something covering the left lens in glasses. Nothing worked like a lot of practice both live and dry fire with both eyes open

[Major BS Walker Regulator]

I'm right handed and left eye dominate. I close my left eye and shoot all my guns that way. No problem shooting gunfighter but I'm not wright and have never claimed to be either.

[Bingo Montana]

Like Major BS Walker above, can't say I'm doing this Gunfighter thing right, but I'm doing it.  I'm right eyed dominant and fairly ambidextrous.  I have always shot with both eyes open using pistols, rifle, and shotgun.  I have pretty good eye speed and front sight focus which may help.  My first match shooting Gunfighter was an exercise in wasting now precious primers as I was concentrating so hard on handling the left pistol safely I forgot both pistols had front sights and didn't use them to the full design potential.  After practice, good advice, and mentoring from my Pards proficiency has improved.