Beady eye

More than any other subject, Clay Shooting’s ask the experts section gets inundated with questions regarding eye dominance. It is an issue that plagues a large number of shooters around the country, including top shot Steve Lovatt, as well as two members of the editorial team. Yet when the market provides products that claim to correct the problem, they are often viewed with skepticism. To quash any myths and reveal the true eye-dominance correction pioneers, Clay Shooting took some of the market’s more regularly seen products into the field to test their worth.

Steve is a left-eye dominant, right-handed shooter who shoots at a AAA-class level, and has organised major competitions such as the World Sporting 2012 and the White Gold Challenge. His usual method of overcoming eye dominance issues is often to put tape over one eye, but he was keen to help Clay Shooting find the best product.

The products on test represented a wide range of solutions, but it is important to also assess the level of eye dominance in a shooter. There are many products that are up to the task of doing this but the Robert Louis Laser Shooter presented a good opportunity to establish why eye dominance products are required.

 1. Robert Louis Laser Shooter

A product with many uses that include practicing gun mount, target shooting and assessing issues like gun fit and more importantly eye dominance. One unit comes with a target to hang on the wall, instructions, a laser pointer, spare batteries and fittings for 12, 20, 28-bore and .410 barrels. It is made in the United States, but can be bought for £90 via www.robertlouisco.com or emailing bob@rlouis.com.

 1. Steve says…

Each time I raise the gun to the target, the dot from the laser pointer dot hits the same place each time, but it’s two inches to the left of the target centre. When I closed my left eye and did the same again, I hit the centre, which proves I’m a left-eye dominant, right-handed shooter. We need to get rid of this left master eye by trying different eye dominance equipment, so we’ll take them up to the shooting ground.

2. Red Kite Country Products

Red Kite kindly supplied us with two products – Master Dots and Master Tape. The dots are translucent circles supplied on a strip of 30 that each measure 12mm in diameter, though the retail version comes in either a strip of 10 for £1.95 or an Instructor’s 50 pack for £8.95 from www.shotgun-store.co.uk. The tape arrives in a roll of 33mm and a width of 19mm. It is easy to tear and remove from glasses, as well as being a useful tool for ad-hoc repairs and changes to combs and stocks, making it a bargain at just £1.95.

2. Steve says…

For my level of eye dominance, the dots didn’t suit me as they’re slightly too small and my eye is looking around it. Choosing between the tape and the spots I would go for the tape. I found it to be quite good. The trick is to get it in the right place on the lens. It does what it says on the tin.

 3. Shotspot

With names on the packet such as Carl Bloxham, Chris Batha and Dave Beardsmore, Shotspot has a proven track record. Presented with three different options – 12mm Higher Strength, 16mm Standard, and 16mm High Strength – Steve chose the 16mm Higher Strength option. At £18 from www.shotspot.co.uk it is the slightly higher-priced option but it is what Steve felt he required, owing to such a high level of dominance in his left eye.

3. Steve says…

The 16mm diameter, which is a bit bigger than other options, took the total focus of my left eye away and I could concentrate on the clay. It has to be in exactly the right position, but with a bit of careful fitting it was fine. It dulled down my eye enough for me to hit both of targets.

4. Red Eye

Developed by Keith Appleton who suffers from central vision, this system has started attracting the attention of many shooters around the country. There are four spots available, and each one is magnetised to attract the fifth spot in the pack. Place the preferred size – 8, 10, 12 or 16mm – onto the front of the shooting lens, and a secondary magnet on the inside. For £29.99 you will benefit from a lot of thought and consideration into a product that is reusable. Visit www.eyedominance.co.uk to order a set.

4. Steve says…

The magnetic strip is a good idea; somebody has put a lot of thought in to that. It’s dead easy to fit, and you can move it around the lens when the gun is in your shoulder to get the optimum position, which is handier than the stick-on products. I would feel confident using it, but because it’s magnetic I would worry about it moving due to recoil, though I haven’t had any issues so far.

5. Easy Hit!! Fibre Optic Bead

Available in three different sizes for Sporting, hunting, and universal shooting, the Easy Hit!! bead is also available in luminous green or red. We used the green version that aims to draw attention of the eye closest to the stock to the end of the barrel. At £30 from www.easyhit.co.uk it’s one of the more expensive solutions but worth the investment as Steve found out.

 5. Steve says…

Blimey it works! I’ve seen loads of these beads around and thought, ‘It’s just another gimmick’, but having tried it I can see the benefit of them. We tested it on a left-to-right crosser and an incomer, and I’m quite impressed. If you’re staring at the clay you can see the luminous green in the peripheral vision.

6. Evolution Wing and Evolution Stream glasses

With several glasses companies developing frames and lenses to combat eye dominance, Sunglasses For Sport are keen to push the interchangeable lens products such as the Evolution glasses, available from www.sunglassesforsport.com. The two products sent for testing were the Stream frames (£29.95), which comprises of three interchangeable lenses ­– yellow, smoke and clear – and the Wing frames (34.95) that include yellow, orange and grey lenses. The Wing combined the yellow and grey, and the Stream used the clear and grey lenses.

6. Steve says…

Any company that’s looking at glasses for safety and performance is on the right path. The black and yellow performed better than the smoke grey and clear, I don’t really know why but they were better. I guess that’s where we need an optometrist to tell us what’s what. With the clear ones I think I shot two inches up the left and side of the incoming target. There’s nothing in your line of vision, and to look out of them you are still seeing one image.