Shooting one eye shut or both eyes open?

[onthecount]

What's your preferred method? I'm no expert shooter but do enjoy going out on our property and putting some rounds down range. I have always been shooting with my weak eye shut. Not a great shooter but I hit the target. I'm reading more and more tactics and see a general consensus is shooting with both eyes open. I tried practicing this with an unloaded weapon and placing a target on my wall. I finally had a chance to try it out with live rounds and my shooting has seemed to have improved. My trouble is keeping my strong eye focused on the sights, it seems my mind keeps switching focus between my strong and weak eye. Any advice on how to make this a little easier? Also is it better to shoot both open, it makes sense because you can use your Peripheral Vision and have a better field of view. If shooting both eyes open is recommended is there a time where closing the weak eye would be necessary?

 

[farson135]

Try shutting your weak eye and focusing your vision, then open your weak eye. Or you can use a blinder over one eye. Over time you will not have to close your eye or use the blinder in order to focus.

Edit- Yes it is better to keep both eyes open.

1.It allows you to keep better track of your surroundings. If someone on your weak side steps over the line you want your peripheral vision.

2. If you don't practice with your weak eye open you will not be able to use it (easily) on weak eye fire practice.

3. If you keep that eye closed for too long your face will begin twitching which an throw your aim off.

There are probably a few more but I do not remember them right now.

 

[onthecount]

Thanks for the advice. I was watching some old episodes of top shot on the history channel today and noticed one of the shooters put tape over one lens of his shooting glasses. I'm guessing thats the same thing you're refering to, if thats the case I'm going to give that a try.

 

[Redd Orion]

Outside I always use both eyes open. Inside ranges can be tough for me to focus, and if I'm tired I will have to use the one eye shut method. It seems to me that some of the other patrons of the local indoor range use the both eyes shut method, but I cannot highly recommend that. The only time I really want to close one eye is when using a rifle scope.

There are lots of exercises that you can do to practice sighting with your dominant eye. One of my favorites you can do while sitting in your truck (with or without your pistols, preferably without). Look past the rearview mirror on your windshield. You should see two images of the mirror at either the left or right side of it, due to the fact that you have two eyes. (People like me that are blessed with having 4 eyes still only see two images ) You can practice looking "through" the image on one side of the mirror, then alternate that with looking at the image in the mirror. This is done without moving your eyes, so it helps to pick a focal point behind the mirror and keep your eyes locked onto it.

If that doesn't work, you can try using semi-transparent pasties that you put on the non-dominant eye side of your safety glasses. This blurs the picture allowing you to focus with your dominant eye a little easier.

 

[farson135]

I was watching some old episodes of top shot on the history channel today and noticed one of the shooters put tape over one lens of his shooting glasses. I'm guessing thats the same thing you're refering to, if thats the case I'm going to give that a try.

You can do it that way or you can buy/make a different version like this

 

[Fred Fuller]

otc,

See http://practicalfirearmstraining.com/reading/HandgunDrillsPDF.pdf , page 5.

Here we talk about defensive shooting, not target shooting. If you want to talk about punching paper only, let me know and I'll relocate your thread. If you're learning to shoot with the idea of self defense in mind, you're in the right place.

Ever see footage of a GI in the 'stan with one eye covered up like the nice young lady pictured above? That's because he's all owl eyed, looking for whoever might take a shot at him.

Peripheral vision is critical in defensive shooting. Shooting well with both eyes open is what to strive for, because very probably that owl-eyed look is what will happen as a reflex any time a threat manifests itself.

 

[onthecount]

Ok. Thanks for the advice.

 

[onthecount]

Lee, I forgot to state that this was for defensive shooting not target shooting.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Very good. I just wanted to be sure you got the information you were looking for. Lots of people start out with "I want you to teach me how to shoot" but either can't or don't or won't get around to the "I need for you to teach me how to shoot somebody if I have to."

It's necessary to learn how to handle a firearm safely, no matter what the intent in shooting is. It's necessary to learn how to run the gun administratively - how to load, unload, clear stoppages, carry, draw, re-holster, use various ready positions, etc. And its necessary to learn how to use sights and squeeze a trigger to get hits on target. For using a firearm as a weapon, there's more, but the fundamentals come first. Experts are simply people who know how to manage the fundamentals really well.

 

[farson135]

Lee- my point was that you can use a blinder to train yourself. When I first started shooting competitively I used a blinder but over time I did not need it anymore. Nowadays if I have trouble focusing I blink and then I am good. At times training wheels are better than just throwing a person in. If I was not clear I apologize but that was my intent.

 

[orangeninja]

Both eyes open and you can train your dominant eye to become stronger or at least to the point where your focus is directed. Either way, both eyes open is the way to go.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Both eyes open is crap and made popular by Hollywood movies. IMO shooting with one eye is just fine. With the stress and physiological changes in self defense there won't be any appreicable benefit from two eyes open.

 

[mooner]

I have found squinting my weak eye a bit helpful in transitioning to both eyes open shooting. Something you can try without any special prep work like tape or a blindfold. You also can change up from squinting or not while shooting. Seems like this helps train the eye a bit on where to focus.

Sheepdog, interesting point about Hollywood. Not sure I have ever seen anyone in a movie NOT use just one eye. Guess I'll have to pay attention.

I think it can be helpful, even under stress. After all, your real-life actions tend to mimic how you train. There is no doubt that your spacial awareness is greatly increased by having two eyes open. This may even be magnified when on takes into account the natural "tunnel vision" that occurs when humans experience stress.

Certainly not the most important aspect in self defense, but we are looking for all of the advantages we can get right???

 

[Fred Fuller]

my point was that you can use a blinder to train yourself.

Didn't read the link I posted, didja? Goodale and company have probably forgotten more than I'll ever know about doing this stuff...

 

[onthecount]

I can see reasons for shooting either way, but when I was able to keep my focus with both eyes open I could follow up with another shot much quicker than I was able to with one eye closed.

 

[orangeninja]

Both eyes open is crap and made popular by Hollywood movies. IMO shooting with one eye is just fine. With the stress and physiological changes in self defense there won't be any appreicable benefit from two eyes open.

I couldn't disagree more. Shooting with both eyes open is a handy skill if you ever have to shoot and move, engage more than one target or otherwise need your peripherial vision. I've watched a few thousand movies in my time where guns were used and honestly cannot recall one where someone didn't dramatically squint and aim at the bad guy...not saying there isn't one but the closing one eye thing telegraphs intent better and I would think Hollywood would be more inclined to that.

Do yourself a favor and learn to shoot with both eyes open. If you're an old dog who doesn't want to learn new tricks that's fine, but poo-poo'ing a commonly accepted method of modern shooting doesn't help anyone.

 

[mortablunt]

I've always closed my non-aiming eye when shooting.

 

[95XL883]

Lee, that's interesting reading. Thanks for the link. The attention point may explain why my dominant eye seems to change sporadically, a sort of which eye is really leading.

For those with less than 20/20 vision, I'm wondering what impact the type and strength of corrective lenses has. I generally consider myself left eye dominant and wear contact lenses. Recently my prescription changed (or the doc just changed one eye so I can read without reading glasses.) This morning I tested my dominant eye while wearing glasses and surprise, I'm strongly right eye dominant.

If my dominant eye changes depending on the method of correction, contacts versus glasses, then if I use both eyes open I could have a real problem unless I train one eye to always be dominant.

Generally I wear contacts and shut my right eye while shooting. I'm going to the range today. I think I will test both lenses and glasses today and see what happens.

Thanks again Lee and thank you OTC for bringing this up.

 

[Loosedhorse]

Both eyes open and you can train your dominant eye to become stronger or at least to the point where your focus is directed. Either way, both eyes open is the way to go.

In my experience (including my personal experience) it is simply not possible for everyone to train themselves to shoot with both eyes open.

Ocular dominance varies. Some folks have a very dominant eye, and it is easy for them to line up sights with that eye with both eyes open. Some are co-dominant or nearly so, and they will always (especially, we may assume, in an emergency) see two sets of rear sights and two targets when focusing on the front sight (or two sets of rear and front sights when focusing at the threat).

There are people in the middle of these extremes, and I think some can train themselves into using one eye for sighting with both eyes open; again, how dependable that might be in an emergency (with bad lighting) is open to question (unless they have done low-light competition shooting; do such competitions exist?).

The hopelessly co-dominant (like me) can train to briefly close the non-sighting eye to confirm a flash sight picture before firing; the eye opens again after the shot.

There are trade-offs, but losing 30 degrees of peripheral vision for less than a second (during a time when, because of stress-induced "tunnel vision", you shouldn't be depending on peripheral vision anyway) is probably the better option compared to firing with your sights misaligned because of visual confusion.

the doc just changed one eye so I can read without reading glasses.

The industry term is "monovision": one eye corrected for distance, one for reading. I have a pair of monovision shooting glasses: my sighting eye is focused at the front sight (not at reading distance, more like computer distance), and the other at distance. It helps.

But it's unlikely that I'll be wearing my shooting glasses if I'm attacked.

 

[jon_in_wv]

Both eyes open is crap and made popular by Hollywood movies. IMO shooting with one eye is just fine. With the stress and physiological changes in self defense there won't be any appreicable benefit from two eyes open.

This is some of the worst advice I've heard on a forum yet. Shooting with both eyes open has been done for many years before Hollywood even existed. I have a hard time believing any one with any real training or knowledge would advocate closing your weak eye during a defensive situation. I'm left eye dominant and right handed. You simply have to train yourself to focus with your dominant eye. If I try to align the sights with my right eye I get the shifting focus or multiple images. If I use my left everything is fine. There is not way I would train with one eye closed and lose my peripheral vision.

BTW, I don't care what anyone says you don't tilt your weapon, change hands, or anything else goofy to deal with cross eye dominance. Just turn your head about 10 degrees so you can focus with you other eye. Problem solved.

 

[Fred Fuller]

I usually am the first to mention 'the eye dominance thing' on a thread, but I seem to have missed doing that here. How does a new shooter determine which eye is dominant? Here's the test - http://www.archeryweb.com/archery/eyedom.htm

For more thoughts on how to deal with vision issues, dominance issues, etc -

http://pistol-training.com/archives/433

http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2006/nov/skillbuilder/

http://www.hockscqc.com/articles/binocular-monocular/index.htm

 

[Loosedhorse]

I would caution that Hock Hocheim's article (Lee's last link) has many inaccurate statements about visual physiology, purportedly coming from an optometrist specializing in behavioral optometry.

There are two comments I take to heart; one by Hock:

Everyone is different. Needing the sights for moderate and distant targets bring about challenges for the same-side dominant shooter and even more so for the cross-dominant shooter. Given the high numbers of cross-over shooters, there must be numerous, success stories of people wrestling with the cross-over eye problem.
As a cross-dominant shooter myself, I know that I search for suspects with both eyes open. Close up I shoot with both eyes open. But, my vision has me extremely handicapped. If I have to use my gun sights with both eyes open, I see significant ghost guns or two blurry ghost targets, so when I have to make my “Hail Mary” shot? I have always briefly closed one eye.

One from a commenter:

With my aging eyes, I found that when I tried to keep both eyes open, the sights on my pistols began to "blur out" and I could see neither the sights OR the target! After many tries, I discovered that, in order to achieve any level of combat accuracy, I had to "squint" one eye shut and also frequently use a one-hand hold now. I have spoken with some of my old "shooting buddies" and they have confessed, somewhat shamefacedly, that they have also modified their shooting tactics in order to be able to continue to "hit what they were aimin' at." Now, I know that everyone is different...

(In both quotes, I added the bolding.)

 

[jeepnik]

God gave you two for a reason. Use them.

 

[Arp32]

I wouldn't take any tips from Top Shot, especially after I saw one of the contestants tea-cupping a 1911...

 

[Ankeny]

I shot with one eye for years at a fairly high level of competition such as High Master in PPC, Bullseye, Bianchi/NRA Action Pistol and so forth. When I started into IPSC/USPSA, with all of that moving around, multiple targets, and so forth I learned to shoot with both eyes open. There is an advantage to using both eyes if you can.

For shooting at moderate distances at speed on multiple targets I firmly believe it is better to shoot with both eyes open (if possible) than with one eye shut even if the sight focus and alignment is less than perfect. As the difficulty level of the shot increases it may become necessary to squint or close one eye. FWIW, I see more poor marksmanship in "action" oriented shooting caused by an inadequate shooting platform, poor trigger manipulation, stressing over the sights, etc. than I see due to a lack of "crispness" of sight focus, less than perfect alignment, and so forth.

As a competition shooter I have tried every means possible to continue shooting iron sights as my vision erodes. Without going into detail, I have a lot of vision issues, including prisms in my glasses to correct for double vision. However, when I practice with a carry gun I look at the sights though the distance part of my normal bifocals (sights are a blur and slightly double vision) with both eyes open. Not the best way to achieve Olympic class accuracy, but good enough to suit my needs on the street.