Do you shoot with both eyes open?

[Fatelvis]

Do you shoot with one eye, or both eyes open? Or maybe one way for precision, one way for fast response? Thanks-

 

[Old Pa]

I've been trying recently to do all my shooting with both eyes open. I'm left eye dominant/lefthanded, so there's no cross eye thing. The reason eye see for both eyes open shooting is reduced ocular fatigue and no squinting. Shotgun's easy with both eyes open. Iron sighted pistol was also quickly achieved and now feels more natural. Iron sighted rifle went just fine with a little practice. Now I'm to optically sighted rifle, and this is really breaking old habits. But both eyes open is more natural in terms of ocular input to the brain and more practical in terms of peripheral vision input as to what elese is going on.

 

[Boats]

Do I? No. Have I practiced it? Yes, and I can do it alright at short defensive distances, but there is no substitute for one eye closed at anything beyond a handful of yards.

 

[Soap]

If I'm shooting at over 500 yards with my 700P, at 400 yards with my AR, or 1 foot with my 1911, I keep both eyes open. I don't lose any accuracy that way, in fact I actually lose accuracy by closing one eye (it makes my face muscles fatigued if I'm trying to concentrate on a shot). YMMV of course.

 

[Chris Rhines]

Both eyes open, always. Much faster, much more comfortable.

- Chris

 

[strambo]

both open

I used to shoot only one eye open. Then I got LASIK and had to qualify w/ my M4 a few months later. My eyes were just a tad blurry on the 300 meter target up against the treeline. When I shut my left eye to make the shot the target would dissappear. So I shot both eyes open and hit them (I think 3 out of 4). Not bad with an M4 and iron sights IMO. Now I always shoot both eyes open no matter the weapon system except for bench work with my 300 win mag and 20 power scope.

It's hard to break the habit of closing one eye though, and I've never had dominance problems. If you can do it both eyes are better, less tunnel vision, and better situational awareness. If not, just make the shot anyway you can.

 

[Dave T]

With both eyes open you have better depth perception and a wider field of view. Both are advantageous in a defensive situation.

 

[skynyrd1911]

BEO

I've tried, but just can't seem to get the hang of it. I think it's hopeless.

 

[XLMiguel]

Yep. It takes a bit of practice, and I'm still not 100%, but I do shoot better with both eyes open. It's worth the effort.

 

[sanchezero]

I tend to shoot with both eyes closed.

 

[Unisaw]

I am right handed and do not have a dominant eye. For 25 years, I have closed my left eye or, when shooting bullseye, putting a piece of clear tape over my left eyeglass lens. However, about a month ago, I started leaving both eyes open but using my left eye to line up the sights. I have been quite pleased with the results. Although I don't have a shot timer, I think my speed has picked up and I am definitely more aware of my surroundings.

 

[combat effective]

I shoot handguns with both eyes open. With rifles, I generally shoot with only one eye open. The exception is my Ruger PC9, which I regard as long barreled pistol anyway. With shotguns it varies depending on load and style of shooting.

 

[Fatelvis]

Sanchez, that is funny!

 

[sanchezero]

Elvis, I'm not joking.


















OKOK, I'm joking. I do have a bit of a flinch that manifests itself as a blink so, technically, when the gun goes off, both of my eyes close. I've been busting my azz to ditch this thing but it's ververy persistent

 

[Erik]

I shoot almost exclusively with both eyes open.

 

[Matthew Temkin]

Both eyes open, for both aimed and point shooting.
The only exception is when making a very long shot (over 25 yards with a pistol, over 100 with a rifle)

 

[brownie0486]

Both eyes open for pistol to 25 yds. or so unless more precise shots are required for some reason.

Rifle, under 50 yds, both open

Scoped rifle----close one

Shotgun--------both open

Brownie

 

[Vern Humphrey]

As the years went on, my 20/10 vision deteriorated, so I am now far-sighted in my right (master) eye, near-sighted in the left.

When I got to the point where I couldn't see the sights of a pistol with the right eye, I taught myself to shoot left-eyed (the trick is to use the Weaver stance, and tuck the chin into the right shoulder.)

After long practice, I managed to get back to shooting with both eyes open. When I DON'T think about it, just go on automatic pilot, I see both the sights and the target needle-sharp. When I mess up and start thinking about it, the images decouple!

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Scoped rifle: 1 eye open
Shotgun: 1 eye open
Pistol: both open
Iron sighted rifle: 1 eye open

Left handed, right eyed. Huge cross-dominance problem. Eyes won't switch, and can't shoot right handed due to nerve damage in that arm.

But, I generally hit what I'm shooting at.

 

[Jerry the Geek]

Right handed, left eye is the master eye, and I shoot IPSC!

If I try to shoot with both eyes open with iron sights, I can't tell which image is the true sight/target alignment, so I shut my right eye.

Of course, if I'm within 'hoser' distance, I'm just shooting over the barrel of the pistol anyway, and after 20 years practice I manage to keep the hits close to the A-zone.

Funny thing, a year ago January I discovered that my eyes had deteriorated so that I couldn't see a clear sight picture with either eye. I'm far-sighted, increasingly so.

So I bit the bullet (sorry) and got an Open gun. C-more on an STI, bright red dot, no need for sight alignment all I need to do is put the fuzzy dot image over the much-clearer brown target and assume that this is the sight-picture. No problem, right?

Wrong.

I can't keep the right eye open, 'cause I still see a massive blur instead a a darn dot! I tried for several months to train myself to use both eyes, but I still have double-vision (essentially) at 3 feet ... length of my arms ... and I'm apparently too old to train my brain to get past this.

It's probably more a psychological thing than a physical (eyes) thing, but I got tired of fighting for target acquisition. IPSC is a game of seconds, and I can't afford the time during a match to stop shooting and look for target, then sights, then target, then sights (wash/rinse/repeat).

And before you ask; yes, corrective lenses would fix this, but it's impossible to shoot a run&gun stage with reading glasses which turn the targets into brown blurs against a brown berm (same for props, rocks on the ground, etc.) and bifocals give me a headache when I'm switching between image fields.

Jerry the (Do I sound defensive?) Geek

 

[HBK]

I am left eye dominant and have absolutely horrible vision. I close my right eye when shooting. I have to shoot long guns left handed. If I am shooting moving targets, I have to keep both eyes open.

 

[MrMurphy]

Pistol, rifle, shotgun and submachine gun at close range (inside 50 yards) both eyes open. Past that, long range rifle, shotgun slugs, or scoped rifles, one eye.

 

[zahc]

Always, even with scoped rifles. Excepting a few times paper punching with my iron-sighted muzzleloader at long ranges.

 

[Abominable No-Man]

With a rifle, always with both eyes open, unless I am trying a longer shot or trying to hit something very small. Then I will close my left eye.

Pistol and shotgun, always both eyes open.

ANM

 

[keyhole]

I've had to train myself to shoot with both eyes open. Still finding myself closing one eye from time to time.


Takes LOTSA practice.