Sighting Systems/X-Coil
Shotgunners Should Solve Cross-Eye Dominance Issues

All your lives parents, coaches, etc. tell you to, “Keep our eyes on your goal,” and to, “stay focused.”

You have to, of course, because there’s often obstacles that keep you off-target.
Shooting a shotgun is no different. There are obstacles and distractions. And heck, there are some things hindering your success you can’t see.

Take cross-eye dominance for example.

“What is it?” you say.

Basically, it's being right handed or left-handed, yet having a dominant eye that’s mix-matched. For example, say you’re right-handed, but your dominant eye is your left or vice-versa. In this case you’re looking down the barrel of the shotgun with the lessdominant eye.

You see, your eyes work together. True, both “see” but while one pinpoints objects you view, the other, the less-dominant eye, helps the brain register perception of depth.

Basically you’ve one dominant eye that is stronger than the other when it comes to pinpointing things. And whether you shoot left-handed or right-handed, if your dominant eye is not the one sighting down the barrel, you’ll have problems being on-target.
The importance of recognizing this, and knowing your dominant eye, can’t be stressed enough for shotgunners.

“Cross-eye dominance should be the first thing beginning shooters check for,” said Rick Moore, a level three National Sporting Clays Association instructor.

“It’s something you and the instructor (if you have one) should know first. If you don’t know there’s a dominant-eye problem, you can be missing targets and neither you nor your instructor will have an idea as to why. That’s frustrating.

There are several basic “field tests” to determine cross-eye dominance. One of the most common is to point at an object with your index finger in front of your face and both eyes open. Without moving your finger, close one eye and then the other. One eye will show the finger lined up with object at which you are pointing. That’s your dominant eye, and the eye you should sight down your shotgun’s barrel.

(Moore noted that cross-eye dominance is seldom a problem for rifle shooters, because they use scopes or line up a bead within a buckhorn-type sight.)

Cross-eye dominance is more common than most people think. “As many as 40 percent of righthanded shooters are cross-eye dominant and fewer than 10 percent even know it. The incidence of cross-eye dominance in left-handed shooters is as 80 percent,” Moore said.

“This means a tremendous number of shotgunners are sighting with the wrong eye and missing more often than they should.”

Of course, there are several things shotgunners can do to overcome (or at least tolerate) cross-eye dominance. One is blurring the lens of your shooting glasses in front of your cross-dominant eye. This forces the less-dominant eye to take over. Another option is learning to shoot on the other shoulder, to match the cross-dominant eye.

As for blotting or blurring the vision, Moore said he doesn’t like the idea of obscuring the vision of any shooter, for safety’s sake.

“Do you really want to be on the firing line beside a guy that doesn’t have total peripheral vision?” he asked. He added one of the basic rules for successful shotgun shooting is keeping both eyes open.

As for changing shoulders, well, it can be done. Moore did it, but added it took him 5,000 rounds of ammunition and untold hours.

“In addition to time and expense, switching shooting shoulders also requires commitment and dedication. For those that have been shooting a long time, it’s like taking a huge step backward. I’ve only known three people that have been able to switch,” Moore said.

“But again, the eye that is looking down the barrel is the one that needs to be driving the shotgun.”

Fortunately, Moore admits to experimenting, if not stumbling onto something that should be an incredible solution for shotgunners facing cross-eye dominance.

“I was toying with magnifying lenses and some HiViz sights, when I noticed something, and it all came together. That’s when I thought, ‘Here we go, now we have something to work with when it comes to cross-eye dominance,’” he said.

What followed was that Moore became co-inventor of what’s been dubbed MagniOptic technology.

The small MagniComp and MagniHunter shotgun sights, manufactured by HiViz Shooting Systems, combine a proven HiViz optical-grade resin LitePipe with a unique magnifying chamber and lens. The result is a sight that is only visible using the proper sighting eye and with the head in proper shooting position.

“It’s the same concept as looking through a riflescope. The only way the sight can work is if the shooter’s head stays in position and the proper eye is used .”

And though MagniOptic technology is designed with cross-eye dominance in mind, the sight likewise assists all shooters. Because the LitePipe is only visible when shooting form is correct, the sight helps ensure proper gun fit and consistent head position—both essentials in shotgunning.