Eyes And Aiming

[Good Ol' Boy]

Hopefully this thread will address two questions- Do you shoot with your dominate eye? Do you shoot with one eye closed or both eyes open?

Since a kid I always shot with my left eye closed and right open since I'm right handed. I recently discovered my dominate eye is my left eye. Upon further research found a number of folks adamant in keeping both eyes open while shooting. About a week ago I started playing around with shooting with both eyes open using my left eye for aim. I got shots on target about the same as when using my right eye with left closed, but after 3-5 shots with both eyes open I would loose complete focus and have to refocus. It's a weird feeling.

Is this normal and something that will work itself out with more practice? I did like the added peripheral sight when leaving both eyes open.


So, who does what and what do you advise?

 

[AZAndy]

I'm right-eyed and keep both open. I went through the refocus thing too when I first started using both eyes, but that went away before long.

 

[iagbarrb]

Both eyes open

 

[strambo]

Right handed, right eye dominant. Both eyes open.

 

[Old Guy]

Ditto^

 

[shafter]

As long as you're not shooting with both eyes closed then use whichever method allows you to shoot the quickest with accuracy.

 

[ATLDave]

Both eyes open is good if you can make it work. A small number of people simply cannot. It's not like trigger control, a thing you cannot live without if you want to shoot well... but it's good if you can figure it out and make it work.

Some people who are transitioning to it and having a hard time find it useful to put some semi-clouding material (like magic tape or vaseline) on the lens (you are wearing safety glasses to shoot, right?) over the eye they're trying to suppress. Some people have to stick with this indefinitely, while others find that it is useful for re-training the brain/eyes connection and can eventually be dropped.

Note that you don't have to cover the whole lens, just the part that is between your eye and the front sight. If you're very consistent with your head position and your index/hold, it can be a very small spot.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

right handed, left eye dominant, both eyes open.

I found out at an early age that I was left eye dominant, so the learning curve was a little nicer for me (thanks, Dad!).

I usually tell new shooters that shooting with one eye closed is 'okay' for now but eventually they will want to be shooting with both eyes open.

i think that training that dominant eye to pick up the sights is first step, then when you open the other eye, that dominant one should still pickup the sights.

 

[mavracer]

I'm nearly co-dominant and fairly ambidextrous, I shoot right handed with my right eye and left handed with my left eye, both pistols and long guns. I have to squint or close the other eye or my brain will shift the image to the one that doesn't have a gun blocking part of it's view.

 

[Schwing]

If you can force yourself to stick with it and ride out the initial awkward feeling, both eyes open is better. I am right handed and left eye dominant and made the mistake of teaching myself to shoot. I shot with my right eye closed for decades before finally forcing myself to keep them open. It has taken more than two years to get there. Even now, in low light or when bench rest shooting, I find myself falling back into the bad habit. Dry fire practice is, IMHO, one of the best tools to get into the habit of using both eyes.

It isn't just peripheral vision that is an issue. when you close one eye, you have to strain the other eye to keep it open fully. It is nearly an autonomic response. You can experience this by closing one eye and paying full attention to what happens to the other. There is almost an immediate tensing in the muscles on the open eye. This leads to eye strain and, after a very short period of time, slightly blurred vision. You can practice and, with some deep concentration, you can train yourself not to strain the open eye... But you could use the same time and effort to shoot with both eyes open.

 

[GRIZ22]

I used to use one eye when I started shooting. Once I realized that cut out almost 50% of my peripheral vision I started shooting with two eyes open. Not right away. I went from one eye to non-dominant eye squint, to both eyes open.

 

[rskent]

Left handed right eye dominant.
I shoot right handed mostly.

With a handgun, eyes open.
With a rifle, eyes open or closed. Witch ever gets me the best sight picture on that day.

 

[Vector6]

righty both eyes open