Posted: 9/17/2005 10:45:10 PM EDT
| I have heard and read that some shoot with both eyes open. I have tried dry-firing with both eyes open and I just don't see how it's possible. I focus on the front sight and I see two targets. I have not attemped firing this way as I'm sure I'll only be wasting ammo. Does anyone do this successfully? |
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It took me awhile to get comfortable with it. Nowadays that's all i really do is keep both eyes open. I'll close one when i'm target shooting for accuracy. Otherwise when i'm shooting at silhouettes and running through drills i shoot like i would in real life. Both eyes open. |
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I wear corrective lenses (nearsighted) , other than that , I have no visual problems. I have always kept both eyes open while shooting. I am left eye dominant and also left handed. It's really a mental issue. I just don't register any image from my right eye while I concentrate on aiming. If you find yourself consciously switching focus between the front sight and the Target , you may need to have your eyes examined. Age also has it's effects on sight , your eye muscles just don't react as quickly as you get older. ( getting older ----->me  )
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I have always shot with both eyes open, whether its with pistols or even shooting my bows. Like its said above, I rely on eye dominance. Actually, I've tried shooting with one eye closed, but really do much better leaving both eyes open. In fact, I even shoot that way with oring sights on most of my rifles, at least those without scopes. |
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It was really difficult for me to get used to especially since I am left-handed but right eye dominant. Your dominant eye definately takes over when you bring the sights up. I'll never be a gold cup winning shooter, but I have no problems shooting with both eyes open. As a matter of fact I do this with rifles also. The best advice I can offer is to practice, practice, practice. |
Just a suggestion, cant the gun slightly to your dominant eye side. My brother is cross-dominant, and using that, overcame the problem to be a truly excellent shooter. |
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Personally I wouldn't call shooting a pistol with both eyes open "aiming". If you plan on shooting with both eyes open primarily I'd compare your sight position with one eye closed and with both eyes open to get an idea of sorts to where your point of aim is with both.(Hope that makes sense) Then just practice on multible targets. I'd shoot 2 rounds with one eye open then shoot 2 more with both open before aiming at the next target. With practice you'll see where you hit and hopefully be able to correct it, until it becomes second nature. |
+1 I've always shot everything with both eyes open. even with a scope. |
I'm right handed, and left eye dominant. I shoot with both eyes open. I got lucky and my father caught my cross dominance early, so he made me learn to focus the right eye(eta: I looked really stupid shooting with a patch onver my left eye ) when I'm shooting. Yet I still fall back to the left eye for everything else. However, I did notice that in my weak hand shooting, I do pretty good considering I can aim with my left eye without issue.
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+2 |
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I always shoot with both eyes open. I can't hit anything otherwise. Heck, the one pistol we own has such crappy fixed sights that I just don't bother using them. I'm more accurate just point-and-shoot-ing with it than I am taking my time to sight down and try to compensate for its inaccuracy. If I just look down the barrel and fire, I'll at least hit what I was aiming for. If I use the sights, it nearly always hits low and to the right by several inches. |
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I don't see how you can shoot with both eyes open unless you are focusing on the target? I have no problem with my EOTech but with iron sights, I see very clearly two targets. If your focus isn't perfect then you'll see two targets AND two sets of sights. If your "dominant" eye is supposed to take over, why keep both of them open? I'm not saying it's impossible, I just can't seem to do it. |
So, if four bad guys are coming toward me, I should shoot the 8th, 6th, 4th, and 2nd. Got it. Seriously though, I will try it.Thanks for your advice, everyone. I will keep practicing. |
Theres a reason everyone says you should focus on the front sight
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Do you walk around with one eye closed all the time? I thought not. When you read, do you see two of every letter you read? Nope, didn't think you did. Pistol sights are the same thing, Focus on the front sight and mostly ignore the target. See the rear sight more in outline and make sure that a crystal clear front sight is as exactly aligned as possible in the blur of the rear sight. It's not easy but it's well worth doing. When you're just learning to use 2 eyes, you can start by putting a small piece of tape over the shooting glasses non-dominant eye and just relax it while you shoot. Later move to a smaller and smaller piece of tape as you train yourself to let the non-dominant eye relax. The reason for keeping both eyes open (among others) is to reduce strain on your eyes and make shooting easier. It really works!...it's a lot more stressful to clinch one eye closed than it is to relax and let it stay open. For those of you watching the target and convinced it's the way to go? I used to do that. I got pretty decent after extensive practice but hit a plateau that I couldn't get past when shooting competition. I read some shooting books and went back to focusing on the front sight. It worked and I reached a much higher level of proficiency than I was able to otherwise. If it's working for you to focus on the target and you don't believe what the finest marksmen in the world have found is best, keep on. (If you don't believe me, read articles by some guy named Bill Blankenship.) Now, if I could only regain the eyesight I had at 22 and get rid of the shakes and the occasional flinch that keeps coming back every few months I'd be something. 
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| I use to do this thing called "point shooting" several years ago. I would just look where I wanted to hit, point the weapon, and pull the trigger. When I was in the Marine Corps. we were taught to "point shoot" with our rifles. This concept was primarily used for patrols where you carried your weapon at the "ready" at hip level. You did not have the time to aim so you merely pointed your weapon at your target using hand-eye coordination. Typically, you could hit where you were pointing or darn close. This does not work for everyone, nor every scenerio. It can be very effective for quick reaction training. We used it for pop-up targets along a trail. I believe that using both eyes to shoot is based upon the same premise. You tend concentrate more on your target instead of your sights. |
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Right handed and right eye dominant and can not close or squint left eye only with out the right eye closing also. Taught myself to shoot two eyes open since I was a kid with a BB gun. After many years wouldn't have it anyother way. I can draw up a scope on target very quickly and other great advantages. GM |
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I've known for years I'm left eye dominant. When I "retired" from duck hunting and started back with pistol I decided to concentrate one day on weak hand firing. To my surprise, I was a HELL of a lot better lefty. Since my holsters are for the right side I have practiced "transfering" my pistols to my left hand during the draw. After all these years it is more natural than trying to relearn to draw with my left hand. My big problem now is when I try to shoot right handed at > 5 yards. I really stink!
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I'd take this thread with a grain of salt. I'm not trying to flame but do you see anyone shooting high power matches chiming in to tell you to open both eyes when you aim. I'm not a genius but I'm pretty sure that the sights on your firearm were designed for one eye open aiming.
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I always shoot both eyes open. I lightly squint my left eye to avoid seeing double and retain the use of peripheral vision. I don't focus on the front sight, but I can still easily tell when the sights are and are not lined up correctly. For some people it works, for some it doesn't. |