he is cross eye dominant which is where I ran into a wall as I don't know how to teach that. We were running the beretta SAO for the time. I have a 22/45 which is the same grip angle as the 1911 which is why I brought it to train with. He just wants to be proficient enough that if he has to use it in his house for self defense he can hit accurately in house distances.
Got it.
Firstly, I advise to tell him that it's a journey to get to where he wants. It should be a pleasant journey, but it is going to take some time. NOBODY gains proficiency in SD marksmanship and ability in just a few outings.
Secondly, he needs to get far enough along that he can purchase a handgun that works for him and can start practicing on his own. Or did I miss something there?
Yes, dryfire is his friend. He needs to pull the trigger while watching the sights to the point that he can do it w/o moving the sights off target. Small dots are his friend as targets but an apple or a cup can work too.
Lastly, I lost 90% of my visual acuity in my dominant eye (right eye for me) so I know how to deal with it.
1. Get a patch or put a piece of tape over the non-dominant eye. Can even be clear tape, just need enough to obsure the vision in the eye he shouldn't be sighting with. (right eye for a right handed person)
2. Bring the sights up and line up with the dominant eye. (this involves moving the handgun to either the right or left, as needed depending on which eye is the dominant eye)
3. Get used to sighting with the dominant eye. (practice)
4. There are flip shields or sticky films that can aid in blocking the non-dominant eye. I use one in competition but eventually the muscle memory gets used to bringing the sights up to the correct eye, and the brain adapts to the sight picture, ignoring the info from the non-dominant side. Just the same as it is for those that are not cross dominant.
Can be installed on either side of safety glasses:
This is what I use (to block my right eye, this is pictured covering the left eye but it can be put on either side. They are static cling and are removeable and inexpensive):
During daylight, practice will make shooting HD/SD natural and no artificial aid will be needed.
At night, in a dark room a mounted light/laser combo would probably work well... the handgun should should to the center of the light or where the laser is sighted to. Night sights at a minimum but a mounted light/laser combo is better IMO.
Stick with the 22/45 at 3yds and a small bullseye until he is proficient at shooting from a rest and then standing, then move to longer distance, then move to whatever cal and model he wants to shoot/own.
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