Double vision

outdoorsman62 · April 16, 2014, 09:03 PM

I am used to shooting one eye closed and am pretty good but when I trap shoot I have to put a little tape over left eye so I don't see double the tape only covers the beads out of left eye is there any way to fix it so that I don't have to put tape on glasses or is it even possible

ranchito457 · April 16, 2014, 11:32 PM

About a year ago I went to the eye doctor to get glasses and thats when he realized that I have double vision.I've had it my whole life and didn't realize it-Your brain will compensate for it and strain your eyes to stay in focus- you might realize your attention span is horrible when your trying to read or get head aches.He prescribed me glasses with prizims in them for reading but recommended me to go for eye therapy where they can correct it-I never went because I've learned to live with it and shoot with it also just have to concentrate a little more-believe it or not it is very common..
If you talk to an eye doctor they can fix it most of the time or so they tell me

NoSecondBest · April 17, 2014, 08:39 AM

Go and see an eye doctor, not an optomitrist, a doctor. Asking this type of question on the internet will get you a lot of answers and most, if not all, will be wrong. I recently started having a problem where I was getting a double/split image when shooting. I went to an eye specialist and it was discovered that I had an early onset cataract, and the type of cataract was causing the problem. My eyes weren't bad enough to require cataract surgery for any reason other than the "minor inconvienence" of having a shooting problem. All other activities could be performed reasonably well. I went to another specialist and they suggested getting the cataract removed. They also told me that there were other conditions that can cause doubling of your vision. You need a good eye exam to find out what your problem is and what can be done to correct it. Even if you get the correct diagnosis on here you won't recognize it mixed in with the incorrect answers. Also, that won't fix your problem. Get the eyes examined by a professional.

Evan Thomas · April 17, 2014, 11:02 AM

Correct me if I'm wrong, outdoorsman, but I think what you're saying isn't that you have double vision as such, but just that you can't shoot accurately with both eyes open. The usual reason for this is that you're left-eye dominant and shooting righty. It's also possible that your shotgun doesn't fit you quite right, so that you're not looking straight down the barrel with your right eye. Before you rush to the eye doctor, I'd suggest getting some coaching from a good instructor, who should be able to pinpoint the problem and work with you to correct it. (If you're happy with how you shoot with tape over the lens, there's nothing wrong with continuing to do that, either.)

PetahW · April 18, 2014, 05:07 AM

.

+1 - I was also thinking that you have a left master eye, just like my Son (who I taught to shoot off his LH shoulder ILO his RH one when he was 9 y.o.).

Anyone can easily check themselves for eye dominance, with a simple, in-home test:

1) Extend one arm directly forward from your body and with both eyes "open", point that hand's index finger at a specific object.

2) W/O moving anything, close one eye or the other - if the object doesn't "move", then the eye that's still "open" is your master eye.

Ergo, if the object does "move" when the eye is closed, then the "open" eye is not the master eye.

.

myfriendis410 · April 19, 2014, 07:41 AM

Do you see 2 targets when you shoot? If not, then you in all likelihood have an eye dominance issue. Like stated above; you could be shooting over your non-dominant eye, or your eyes are not strongly dominant/non-dominant. I know people that shoot over the non-dominant eye simply because they find it almost impossible to swap sides (shoulder problem for example). Taping an eye is preferable as long as it only covers the area of focus related to the gun. The brain uses information from both eyes so with one eye closed you actually lose about 80% of your vision compared to both eyes open. Gun fit can certainly have a bearing, but I should also note that your attention should be on the target and not on the gun.

darkgael · April 19, 2014, 08:49 AM

Quote:

I should also note that your attention should be on the target and not on the gun.

Yes. Glad that someone said that. The beads help you set the gun up ...which may be harder if your dominant eye is not looking down the barrel when you mount the gun. If, though, you are looking at the beads when taking the shot, then you are are not looking at the target.
I wonder how much of a difference eye dominance actually makes when shooting a shotgun at a flying object.
Pete

cdbeagle · June 2, 2014, 08:16 AM

I took a lesson after 35 years of being a good rifle shot and horrible with a shotgun. I cannot shoot with both eyes open. Come to find out neither eye is dominant so he did the tape thing where I could not see the barrel with one eye but had peripheral vision. My accuracy increased dramatically. The instructor told me I was stuck with the tape.

BigJimP · June 2, 2014, 11:30 AM

Go to a good Opthamologist...

I have double vision as well in my dominant eye ( its not a cross dominance issue )......mine is a muscle issue, that comes and goes, gets worse with eye strain, when I'm tired, etc....they put a prism in my dominant eye prescription, and sometimes it works, sometimes not so much...

Guys that have been in bad car wrecks, had a lot of concussions, serious head injuries, etc....sometimes have these issues as well...

but its not an Internet issue....go see a good doctor ! ( like others said )...

April 16, 2014, 09:03 PM	#1
outdoorsman62 Junior Member Join Date: April 14, 2014 Posts: 10	Double vision I am used to shooting one eye closed and am pretty good but when I trap shoot I have to put a little tape over left eye so I don't see double the tape only covers the beads out of left eye is there any way to fix it so that I don't have to put tape on glasses or is it even possible

April 17, 2014, 11:02 AM	#4
Evan Thomas Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2008 Location: Upper midwest Posts: 5,631	Correct me if I'm wrong, outdoorsman, but I think what you're saying isn't that you have double vision as such, but just that you can't shoot accurately with both eyes open. The usual reason for this is that you're left-eye dominant and shooting righty. It's also possible that your shotgun doesn't fit you quite right, so that you're not looking straight down the barrel with your right eye. Before you rush to the eye doctor, I'd suggest getting some coaching from a good instructor, who should be able to pinpoint the problem and work with you to correct it. (If you're happy with how you shoot with tape over the lens, there's nothing wrong with continuing to do that, either.) __________________ Never let anything mechanical know you're in a hurry.

June 2, 2014, 08:16 AM	#8
cdbeagle Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2012 Location: Justin Texas Posts: 313	I took a lesson after 35 years of being a good rifle shot and horrible with a shotgun. I cannot shoot with both eyes open. Come to find out neither eye is dominant so he did the tape thing where I could not see the barrel with one eye but had peripheral vision. My accuracy increased dramatically. The instructor told me I was stuck with the tape. __________________ Assistant Secretary - U.S. Dry Bean Council

April 16, 2014, 11:32 PM	#2
ranchito457 Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 2013 Location: Manhattan,Illinois Posts: 179	About a year ago I went to the eye doctor to get glasses and thats when he realized that I have double vision.I've had it my whole life and didn't realize it-Your brain will compensate for it and strain your eyes to stay in focus- you might realize your attention span is horrible when your trying to read or get head aches.He prescribed me glasses with prizims in them for reading but recommended me to go for eye therapy where they can correct it-I never went because I've learned to live with it and shoot with it also just have to concentrate a little more-believe it or not it is very common.. If you talk to an eye doctor they can fix it most of the time or so they tell me

April 17, 2014, 08:39 AM	#3
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	Go and see an eye doctor, not an optomitrist, a doctor. Asking this type of question on the internet will get you a lot of answers and most, if not all, will be wrong. I recently started having a problem where I was getting a double/split image when shooting. I went to an eye specialist and it was discovered that I had an early onset cataract, and the type of cataract was causing the problem. My eyes weren't bad enough to require cataract surgery for any reason other than the "minor inconvienence" of having a shooting problem. All other activities could be performed reasonably well. I went to another specialist and they suggested getting the cataract removed. They also told me that there were other conditions that can cause doubling of your vision. You need a good eye exam to find out what your problem is and what can be done to correct it. Even if you get the correct diagnosis on here you won't recognize it mixed in with the incorrect answers. Also, that won't fix your problem. Get the eyes examined by a professional.

April 18, 2014, 05:07 AM	#5
PetahW Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 4,678	. +1 - I was also thinking that you have a left master eye, just like my Son (who I taught to shoot off his LH shoulder ILO his RH one when he was 9 y.o.). Anyone can easily check themselves for eye dominance, with a simple, in-home test: 1) Extend one arm directly forward from your body and with both eyes "open", point that hand's index finger at a specific object. 2) W/O moving anything, close one eye or the other - if the object doesn't "move", then the eye that's still "open" is your master eye. Ergo, if the object does "move" when the eye is closed, then the "open" eye is not the master eye. .

April 19, 2014, 07:41 AM	#6
myfriendis410 Senior Member Join Date: March 30, 2011 Location: Lompoc California Posts: 274	Do you see 2 targets when you shoot? If not, then you in all likelihood have an eye dominance issue. Like stated above; you could be shooting over your non-dominant eye, or your eyes are not strongly dominant/non-dominant. I know people that shoot over the non-dominant eye simply because they find it almost impossible to swap sides (shoulder problem for example). Taping an eye is preferable as long as it only covers the area of focus related to the gun. The brain uses information from both eyes so with one eye closed you actually lose about 80% of your vision compared to both eyes open. Gun fit can certainly have a bearing, but I should also note that your attention should be on the target and not on the gun.

June 2, 2014, 11:30 AM	#9
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Go to a good Opthamologist... I have double vision as well in my dominant eye ( its not a cross dominance issue )......mine is a muscle issue, that comes and goes, gets worse with eye strain, when I'm tired, etc....they put a prism in my dominant eye prescription, and sometimes it works, sometimes not so much... Guys that have been in bad car wrecks, had a lot of concussions, serious head injuries, etc....sometimes have these issues as well... but its not an Internet issue....go see a good doctor ! ( like others said )...