Dominant Eye

[Korichnovui]

Hello all,

New to hunting, just getting in to it, and wanting to get into bow hunting in particular. My brother-in-law is a bow hunter and he wants someone he can go out with.

Been reading some books and other things to learn what I can about it before diving in, so to speak. One thing that concerns me is "dominant eye". I have a hard time telling which eye is dominant. The facts:

I am left-handed, but may have some ambidexterity.
If I point at a far away object with my left hand, then close my left eye, I am pointing to the left of the object, and if I close my right eye, I am pointing equally far to the right of the object. In other words, I seem to be using both eyes equally, no dominant eye.
However, if I point at a far away object with my right hand, then pretty much my left eye is being used for aim.
I feel more natural shooting a gun left-handed. I do not have extensive experience shooting guns, however.
Just imagining shooting a bow, hand-wise, I would want to hold the bow with my right hand and draw with my left.

What do you guys think?

[jackmaster]

go to a bow shop and tell them whats up, if they are any good then they have been through it before and probably be able to get you squared away... good luck

[runamuk]

which eye do you use when looking into a camera?  that is almost always your dominant eye unless you have trained yourself to use a specific eye

[Mike450r]

sounds like left handed and left eye dominant to me.  The pointing and shifting when you close your left eye shows left eye dominance.     I know you say you show signs of both eyes being dominant but if you are left handed and feel more comfortable shooting and holding a bow left handed,  then go with shooting left handed.

[runamuk]

I am right handed left eye dominant and its obvious when I pick up a camera, a bow, or a rifle......I forced myself to shoot with my right eye for pistol because I am more comfortable right handed with the hand guns.....but I wore shooting glasses with the left eye blacked out to do this, I am trying to shoot both eyes with pistol but it has been slow going.....

[Korichnovui]

Thanks guys,

I'm going to a bow shop to take a class in about 2 weeks, I'm sure this issue will get sorted out then, if not before. Just trying to gather as much info as possible!

[300rum]

You can train or retrain in or out of shooting with any eye you want to, it just takes practice.  Eye dominance is different for everyone and is not permanent or a hindrance to shooting well.  What is most important is to shoot what "feels" right to you and do it over and over again until it is natural.

[Snapshot]

I've never tried to describe this method of testing eye dominance in type, but here goes:
Cut a sheet of letter-sized paper roughly in half so it measures about 8-1/2" wide x 5-1/2" high. Fold it in half so it measures about 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" and with a scissor or blade cut a 3/4" half circle in the center of the fold (similar to cutting a snow-flake in elementary school, remember?). Unfold the paper and you will have a 3/4" hole in the middle of an 8-1/2" wide x 5-1/2" high piece of paper. Hold it at arms length, one hand on each short edge, at about chest height while you pick out a distant object (a door knob or light switch for example); keeping both eyes open focus on the distant object; the hole in the paper will be in your peripheral vision...bring the paper up with outstretched arms and put the object "in the hole". Then pull the paper back toward your nose, keeping the object in sight the entire time, until the paper touches your nose. The eye that is looking through the hole is your dominant eye.