Well that was fun!

[DNP]

Took my boy up on the ranch today. Went out with my dad and my wife. This was his first time holding a gun. We spent the week leading up to this discussing gun safety. He has a pretty good grip on the concepts.  We have been back and forth as to wether he will be right or wrong handed. He writes and throws mostly with his right, but he throws with the left too. Working with the rifle, he is definitely favoring his left eye. We set him up right handed and he kept leaning all the way over to see through the red dot with his left eye. We switched sides and he seemed a lot more comfortable. We had targets at 7, 15, and 25 because we had some pistols out too. He decided 25 was his range. First shot at least hit the target. Second shot nailed a metal prairie dog at 25 yards as well. I think all of his shots were on target. He pulled in to the 15 yard and started dropping them around the bullseye. We had a great outing. He enjoyed it and is ready to go again. We had fun, got the idea of what's going on on. Now we can work on the form. 

[EngrBob]

Eye Doc probably has a better  test but have him sight over his finger at a target.  Have him close one eye and then open both.  Then have him close the other eye.  The eye, when open, that keeps the target in the same place as when both eyes are open is his dominant eye.

[planeflyer21]

Awesome!  Hook, line, sinker!

Just now, EngrBob said:

Eye Doc probably has a better  test but have him sight over his finger at a target.  Have him close one eye and then open both.  Then have him close the other eye.  The eye, when open, that keeps the target in the same place as when both eyes are open is his dominant eye.

That works well.

The other method is to have the shooter hold their arms out, hands together and palms out forming a larger diamond hole between the two.  With both eyes open, have them move their hands slowly to their face.  The hole should end up in front of the dominant eye.  IMO this method isn't as effective as the eye-close/focus-shift method.

[DNP]

We'll give that a shot and see. Didn't even think of the finger test...and I've seen that one many times before. I'm happy as can be that he had a good time. I think I might hunt for a pellet rifle for him and set up a bench and a pellet trap in the back yard. 

[Frankh252]

6 minutes ago, DNP said:

We'll give that a shot and see. Didn't even think of the finger test...and I've seen that one many times before. I'm happy as can be that he had a good time. I think I might hunt for a pellet rifle for him and set up a bench and a pellet trap in the back yard. 

Outstanding. I think every kid that shows an interest should have opportunities like this. Good show, DNP

[beantown]

Awesome post DNP. IMO it is so important to teach life skills at a young age. Learning respect and gun safety at an early age is a must in my opinion. We'd have a lot less of these young kids shooting each other if they learned to respect guns at an early age IMO. Good on you for taking the time to teach him the right way!

Edited March 14, 2016 by beantown

[shepp]

 I need to stay off my phone in the middle of the night. I got a call from work that I didn't end up going on, read the forum till my nerves calmed. Had a dream D and Robo's family moved in to my parents subdivision and we all went shooting..... Oddly that's a pretty Normal dream for me lol 

 

glad you guys had fun. I've got a friend who is right handed but shoots south paw. 

[DNP]

Can't wait to go again. We'll fix that wrong handed crap....lol. 

[shepp]

Just now, DNP said:

Can't wait to go again. We'll fix that wrong handed crap....lol. 

My ex was left handed and we thought her son was going to be lefty too. But his dad's mom wasn't having it and made him do shit righty. Think you just end up using both hands for different things, but I don't think the sight picture would change. The guy I stated above started shooting righty and wasn't very good, someone recommended he try lefty after the eye thing and now he shoots lefty. 

[EngrBob]

22 minutes ago, DNP said:

Can't wait to go again. We'll fix that wrong handed crap....lol. 

Don't fix it, accept it.  I am very right handed but left eye dominant.  When I started shooting as a kid I couldn't hit anything at first until I was walked through that simple test I described by my uncle.  I still shoot left handed, a bit more difficult with a hand gun, but not a problem with a rifle.

[DNP]

I'm only kidding about the fixing it part. I'll take him any way he comes....even if he is broken.  I will try the eye test when I pick him up from school today. Gonna be a real shame if I have to buy a bunch of left handed uppers....more gun parts. Rats!

[washguy]

Thats a good lookin young man you got there ! looks like he might be left eye dominate ...good thing you found out now...but do the finger test for sure..

Im left handed...write left handed...play golf right hand...shoot right hand...but my left eye is dominate ...while taking sporting clay lessons I kept missing an easy left to right bird....after many many shooting rounds my coach finally did the finger thing...left eye dominate...Duh !   cured that...he put a small piece of scotch tape over my left eye so it made my right eye take over when I shot clays      Wash

 

[Armed Eye Doc]

It seems that young DNP has made his dominant eye known by sighting with the left.  I frequently ask patients which eye they sight with to determine dominance.  Either of the tests mentioned will give an indication of dominance and work well.  

I prefer holding both hands out with the small hole in the middle. I will have patients look between my eyes through the hole. The eye I can see through the hole is the dominant one.  Pointing with one hand can skew the results toward that side.

[Rsquared]

Obviously....that fine lookin young man gets his looks from his mother, and not his father.

That's awesome that you all had a good time Dirk. It sounds like you all are getting him started right. Enjoy the time as he's learning.....and before you know it....he'll be at the age to really go out blasting with you.

But then the ammo and beer cost increase exponentially.

Good job brother.

[Sisco]

Glad you and your family had a good time, getting him started right. I am right handed but shoot left. Left has always been my dominant eye. Funny I shoot a pistol right handed and use my right eye for that, even though I have a deformed lens. I am just weird I guess.

[DNP]

Thank you all. Yes...he gets his good looks from her.....but that rocket scientist brain of his....is probably from the mail man. We are a misfit group here. I'm glad to hear his situation seems fairly common. Either that or we have some sort of strange gravitational pull on this site that attracts the weirdos. (Explains why I've been here so long). 

[Rsquared]

9 minutes ago, DNP said:

Either that or we have some sort of strange gravitational pull on this site that attracts the weirdos.

Now it's all stating to make sense.

[planeflyer21]

Something not mentioned yet:  eye dominance changes.

Common in puberty and middle age in males.  

[Sisco]

2 hours ago, Rsquared said:

Now it's all stating to make sense.

Uh Oh, your on to me.

 

[shepp]

3 hours ago, planeflyer21 said:

Something not mentioned yet:  eye dominance changes.

Common in puberty and middle age in males.  

To the third eye?

[Sisco]

Not to change the topic but I will. I found a cause and a rallying cry I can believe in. 

" What do we want?!!!"

"Better memory!!!!!!"

"When do we want it!!!!!!!!!?"

"Want what?"

[392heminut]

My oldest son was somewhat ambidextrous growing up but was more right handed. He is left eye dominant though so now he does everything right handed except shooting a rifle, which he does left handed. My wife is left handed and my granddaughter is too. The granddaughter started taking guitar in high school this year and the instructor made her learn to play right handed. She must be doing pretty good, he is skipping her past intermediate guitar next year straight to advanced.

[DNP]

Tried the finger point test....inconclusive. Worked great for me, was hard for me to get an obvious answer on him. Tried the diamond test....leans towards the left eye. Tried the Armed Eye Doc 100% Garaunteed Or Your Money Back test.....and the survey says.....

[shepp]

7 hours ago, DNP said:

Tried the finger point test....inconclusive. Worked great for me, was hard for me to get an obvious answer on him. Tried the diamond test....leans towards the left eye. Tried the Armed Eye Doc 100% Garaunteed Or Your Money Back test.....and the survey says.....

I wondered how it would work with him being so young ? Been there done that. Hell its hard enough getting a straight answer outta my buddies 12 year old

[Magwa]

That bottom picture says it all priceless congrats.....