One eye or two for red dot sighting? What do YOU do?

[rpenmanparker]

I was shocked, shocked I say, to realize yesterday at the pistol range that I was comfortably sighting through both open and tubular red dots with both eyes open. I have never done that. I have always closed the support side eye. But since my cataract surgeries I have been shooting more and more with both sides open. Yesterday I clearly preferred that. I don’t know why. Maybe because my vision is so well balanced now.

What about you folks?

I forgot to make this a poll but no big deal. Discussion is good enough.

 

[Armored farmer]

Both eyes open.
I really like red dots and reflex sights for that reason.

 

[badkarmamib]

Another fan of both eyes open. OTOH, my oldest son says that he can sight better only using one eye on a red dot. To each his own...

 

[chicharrones]

Two eyes open with red dots, and low powered scopes.

It's so much more natural for me to focus both eyes on the target and let the red dot find its place on that target. Call it, looking through the dot instead of looking at the dot.

 

[thomas15]

Both eyes open

Always

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Both eyes open for everything

 

[Pete D.]

Both eyes open always. Human eyes are sympathetic....what one eye does, the other does also (to a degree). If I close my non shooting eye, it will dilate open. The shooting eye will be affected by this and dilate slightly more open than it otherwise would. This affects its ability to focus. To get around this, and to enhance concentration, precision shooters will often wear an occluder to block the non shooting eye as opposed to closing it.
Pete

 

[Zerodefect]

Both eyes open always, if possible.

On high magnification, if your scope is turned up bright enough, bindon takes over for close targets. A nice perk.

 

[rpenmanparker]

Both eyes open always. Human eyes are sympathetic....what one eye does, the other does also (to a degree). If I close my non shooting eye, it will dilate open. The shooting eye will be affected by this and dilate slightly more open than it otherwise would. This affects its ability to focus. To get around this, and to enhance concentration, precision shooters will often wear an occluder to block the non shooting eye as opposed to closing it.
Pete

Interesting.

 

[cheygriz]

When I went through the Academy, the instructors would disqualify you and make you start over if they caught you closing an eye.

I was taught from my BB gun days to keep both eyes open.

 

[rpenmanparker]

Both eyes open always, if possible.

On high magnification, if your scope is turned up bright enough, bindon takes over for close targets. A nice perk.

Who is Bindon?

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Human eyes are sympathetic....what one eye does, the other does also (to a degree).

A close friends mother in law lost sight in one eye due to injury. Over the next few months she gradually lost sight in the other eye. "Sympathy Eye" was the doctors explanation.

 

[Zerodefect]

Bindon (sp?) aiming concept.

When magnification is too high, but threat is too close. You mind will see with your off eye at 1x. But it will seem like the dot/triangle is outside the scope in you off eye. Only works if it's bright enough.

It's part of why we're seeing more 1-8x scopes on AR's. (and 3 gun of course)

 

[ATLDave]

One of the big advantages of dot optics is that it makes it much easier to shoot both-eyes-open.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I've always shot with both eyes open since I stopped shooting bullseye matches. A red dot sight just makes it easier

 

[doubleh]

I've always had problems shooting with both eyes open and believe me when I say I've tried to learn how to do it. I finally gave up trying. My first red dot made it easy to do so that's what I do with red dot sights but it's still one eye closed with everything else.

 

[2011ERIC]

Both eyes open for all of my shooting. Rifle, pistol and shotgun. Magnified optic, iron sights or red dot type sights. But I’m not a professional. t’s just what works for me.

 

[Bartojc]

Red dot both eyes open. I try to keep both eyes open always. It's a challenge for me but I'm getting better. I need more practice


-Jeff

 

[psyopspec]

Both eyes for most shooting with any sighting system, but the single focal plane of a red dot makes using both eyes very easy and natural.

 

[Striker]

Both eyes open, focused on the target. Superimpose the dot on the target and press the trigger.....

 

[Sistema1927]

Both eyes open. Of course, the first "red dot" that I ever used was an Armson OEG, and it required that you use both eyes.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

I have astigmatism that gives me problems trying to sight through iron sights with both eyes open. It's pretty much impossible with an aperture sight, and I see doubles with a standard iron sight arrangement. With practice I have learned to focus on the correct front sight and place them fairly accurately at close range, so I do most of my close and fast defensive type work with both eyes open. But if I really want to button down and fire a tight group, or hit something the first time at moderate distance, I still do better closing my non-shooting eye.

I shoot red dots with both eyes open, exclusively. The whole point of a red dot for me is speed and situational awareness, so I keep both eyes open so I have my peripheral vision, depth perception, and balance to help me track, and not look too goofy shooting on the move.

In fact, any more, I try to shoot any optic at or below about 4x with both eyes open.

 

[glc24]

First time using a red dot for me anyway, was pretty straightforward with both eyes open.

Only pistol I have with one is my FN FNX45T! I have a Vortex Venom on it and really like it!

 

[Mn Fats]

I have astigmatism that gives me problems trying to sight through iron sights with both eyes open. It's pretty much impossible with an aperture sight, and I see doubles with a standard iron sight arrangement. With practice I have learned to focus on the correct front sight and place them fairly accurately at close range, so I do most of my close and fast defensive type work with both eyes open. But if I really want to button down and fire a tight group, or hit something the first time at moderate distance, I still do better closing my non-shooting eye.

Exactly the same for me. In fact, I'm surprised there's so many "both eyes open" people. I know this is THR and members here probably know that's the ideal practice but there's tons of people who simply can't do it.

 

[glc24]

It just sort of came natural to me to have both eyes open!