Most people have one eye that takes over when aiming – the dominant eye. In shotgun shooting, where you often shoot with both eyes open, this matters a lot. If you shoulder the gun on the right but have a dominant left eye, the wrong eye can take over the sight picture and your shots end up beside the target.
A simple test
- Stretch out your arms and form a small opening between your hands.
- With both eyes open, look through the opening at an object some distance away.
- Close your left and right eye in turn.
The eye that still sees the object through the opening is your dominant eye. Repeat the test a few times – for some people dominance is weak or shifts.
What can you do?
- Close or dim the dominant eye when mounting the gun – it works, but you lose some overview.
- Shoot from the other shoulder – takes practice and doesn't suit everyone.
- Use an aid, such as a sight that is only visible to the correct eye.
Our shotgun sight for right-handed shooters with a dominant left eye is designed so the red aiming dot is only visible to the right eye. That makes it easier to keep the correct eye on the target, and you can still shoot with both eyes open.
A sight is an aid – a properly fitted gun and practice are still the foundation. Talk to a shooting instructor if you're unsure.