Do you keep both eyes open?

[jeepyj]

Untill recently I always closed one eye while shooting anything including Red Dot, scope and open sights. First off my experiences referred to here in perdominantly hand gun not rifle. After hearing a fellow talk about his shooting and that he keeps both eyes open I decided to give it a try starting last fall. First I tried it with a Red Dot and it took a bit but I really started to prefer it. Naturally I wanted to give it a try with the tender with a 2x scope and once again I really liked it and it started to become second nature. So far no big surprises however recently I've been shooting my open sights on a 686 and a couple other revolvers and I actually think I shoot better and seem to be picking up my target faster. I'm I late to the table here? I'd really like to know what others do. I probably should have contacted Wilco to help out with a poll.
jeepyj

[Love Life]

I shoot with both eyes open.

[starmac]

I shoot with one closed, and shoot left handed, because when I was a kid my right eye was the one that wanted to close. I have always heard that both eyes open was much better though. I have been able to close either eye for years, but continue to shoot left handed as it just comes natural after so many years.

[Wolfer]

I shoot open sights with both eyes open. With a scope I close one eye. I can use a scope with both eyes open if it's really low power. Otherwise the difference in the size of the target messes with me.

[jcwit]

I shoot with one eye closed, or sometimes I use a blinder.

[kungfustyle]

with rifle shooting, the brain helps to settle down the recital right before you shoot. Yep, shoot with both eyes open and right one the money.

[butch2570]

Both open

[dubber123]

Both open. I ran an action pistol shoot for about 7 years, and got quite a few to switch to it. Times improved every time. Do whatever works for you though, I've seen excellent shooters both ways.

[JSnover]

Both open. It took a bit to get used to it but it seems to reduce eye strain.

[Dan Cash]

Combat shooting, it is both eyes open. For precision shooting, I use an ocluder disk or slightly squint my off eye. If you are interested in self defense, you need to shoot both eyes open as it is amazing what can sneak up on you when you have one eye closed.

[Eddie17]

I try to shoot both eyes open, but find myself closing one eye as I'm used to. Trying hard to retrain, but hard to do after 30 years!

[quack1]

One eye. I'm right handed but left eye is dominant. I have been shooting that way for so long, it's automatic. When I put the gun up to shoot, at targets or out hunting, my left eye closes.

[Rick Hodges]

I am weak hand eye dominant also. I can shoot the scout scope set up with both eyes open and the handgun when using both hands. Regular open or aperture sights and scopes I close the master eye.

[opos]

Right handed...right eye dominant but right eye has permanent retina damage causing a "bubble" in the line of sight...so I learned to shoot with both eyes open...for handguns and get along great...for a rifle with a red dot it's both eyes open but I find I can shoot with my right eye on a magnifying scope...I just have to let the right eye sort of settle and it "makes allowances" for my damaged retina...works for me but it took a while to let it all develop.

[jcwit]

Combat shooting, it is both eyes open. For precision shooting, I use an ocluder disk or slightly squint my off eye. If you are interested in self defense, you need to shoot both eyes open as it is amazing what can sneak up on you when you have one eye closed.

You got it. The NRA holds their National Small Bore Matches 10 minutes from my front door, most all of the Competitors use blinders, a few are Olympic Shooters.

We also host Bulls Eye matches, most of them also use blinders.

[FISH4BUGS]

I shoot left handed even though I am right handed. I can keep both eyes open because it doesn't make a hill of beans difference - I am blind in my right eye.....factory defect as my mother calls it.
That's another reason to shoot machine guns.....who aims anyway?

[willie_pete]

Shoot with both eyes open; shoot like both eyes closed.

wp

[MrWolf]

One eye open. Been doing it that way since I started with a .22. Got my son to shoot both eyes open though.

[Harter66]

I'm cross dominant right handed left eyed . A few yr ago I had a run of unexplained high BP which damaged my macula in the left eye . About that same time I started shooting a right handed bow right handed which I had to shoot with both eyes open . I never have been able to close the left independent of the right. Not only has the eye damage allowed me to shoot both open but it has in a way forced me to shoot both ways . With 25 yr of shooting behind me then ,I still make a rushed shot left handed out of habit along with most shotgunning at the bench I'm as likely to be on 1 side as the other . I do sometimes have a moment of difficulty keeping a target on the right with both open but a blink or 2 seems to help.

[horsesoldier]

Both eyes open

[dave524]

Shotgun/wing shooting both eyes open, I close my left when using sights and scopes shooting right handed.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Left handed and shoot with both eyes open. Some opinions are that it is less of a strain on the closed eye if it is not closed. The use of a blinder helps the closed eye and minimizes strain and its effect on concentration...so you do not inadvertently start admiring he landscape with it (distraction). if you are a BE shooter you have to fight for every point so don't be afraid to experiment. LLS

[Cmm_3940]

I need to at least partially close my off eye to keep from having double vision, but my eyes are pretty bad.

[dragon813gt]

I try to shoot both eyes open all the time. Unfortunately I'm cross eye dominant. So what happens is when I'm looking into a scope, weak eye, my dominant eye takes over and I'm now looking down the barrel and side of the rifle. It takes concentration to keep proper focus. If you haven't experienced this it's frustrating and exhausts you mentally. I've gotten better but on certain days I have to go back to closing one eye. I'm not going to teach myself how to shoot left handed. That requires more time than I have available.

[country gent]

What keep my eyes open and scare myself?????? When I shot high power I had a plexi glass blinder that was frosted with a sand blaster onmy knob blocks, some used scotch tape to get the frosted effect. Keeping both eyes open helps in ways other than just "seeing". It aids focus and one eye in the dark and the other in bright sunlight causes a strain between the eyes, It also has an effect on the eqyulribrium and balance. The frosted lense allowed light in but broke up focus for me. Its better to keep both eyes open if possible but not always as easy for some to do.

[MaryB]

Both open!

[pworley1]

I shoot best with both eyes open, I shoot ok when I close my left eye. My groups really open up when I close both eyes.

[crowbuster]

both open

[Blacksmith]

I shoot best with both eyes open, I shoot ok when I close my left eye. My groups really open up when I close both eyes.

If you practice natural point of aim with good bone support your groups won't open up so much when you close both eyes.:-)

Actually it makes an impressive demo by getting a good natural point of aim in prone position with a sling then after you are lined up let someone hold something in front of your eyes and you can still hit the bulls eye.

[Echo]

I tried a blinder in competition, but one eye blinded, the other seeing, confuses the brain. I switched to putting a patch on my glasses next to my nose that occluded my vision of the pistol, and target. I had the problem of seeing the 45 bullet zip downrange, as looking alongside the pistol when it discharged, the bullet's movement was only about 2-3 inches in my visual field, and it was disconcerting to see the rascal going down range, sometime into the 9 ring, sometime into the 8 ring, sometime WORSE! With the patch, no problem, and the brain wasn't being confused...

[dtknowles]

This is kind of complicated, I do both. For Precision Shooting, I shoot as well with one eye closed as I do with both open. With both eyes open I sometimes have a hard time getting my dominant eye to dominate. Instead of fighting it I just close my left eye. I give the two eye open approach a good try and I am good most times. Shooting Bench Rest most times I can even control the switch from left eye to right eye so I can watch the wind flags with me left eye and the target thru the scope with my right eye. I almost always have to close my left eye to find my head position on the Bench Rest gun since my cheek does not touch the stock but then I can open my left eye. Shooting handguns at close to moderate ranges with good sights I don't have to close and eye.

Tim

[tdoyka]

both eyes open. even before my stroke(right side doesn't work:holysheep[smilie=s:) i shot left handed with both eyes open.

[brtelec]

I shoot defensive pistol with both eyes open. Long range pistol with one eye closed. Shotgun both eyes open. Rifle with iron sights or scope one eye closed. I can shoot just as well right or left handed, right or left eye.

[NC_JEFF]

I acquire my sight picture with one eye closed, after my sights are aligned I open them both until I've emptied the gun. I have poor vision up close and am unable to align my sights with both eyes open but I have no problem maintaining my sight picture after that. Strange, but I see what too many options in front of me to trust any of them using both eyes.
Both open to shoot.

[captaint]

I'll shoot handguns with both open. Scoped rifle, got to close the left. My left (wrong side) runs the show, and with a scoped rifle, it causes confusion with both open.

[snuffy]

The only shooting I do with both eyes open is with a shotgun. Skeet, trap, and sporting clays, hunting too. An old pro @ skeet noticed I was closing my left eye, advised me to try leaving the left eye open. Holy cow what a difference! Depth perception increases, that gives the brain more info for distance and tracking the target.

Handgun and rifle I still leave the left eye closed. Especially with a magnified scope, the confusion of two different images messes with my concentration. Handgun or a rifle with open sights, I still close the left eye, I dunno, I never tried it with both open. I don't think it would work. I see very little in sharp focus with the left eye. An accident with a bungee cord left a scar on the cornea, I only have 20/100 vision in it. It's mostly a help with depth perception and motion.

[ole 5 hole group]

Both eyes open. You will find it's the fastest method going when shooting either aperture or scope, as your weak eye locates/keeps your target in your vision as you swing your barrel toward the target - your master eye concentrates on the X-hair and you actually bring it all together very quickly.

I've seen people search for a prairie dog out maybe 350/400 yards from a bench using one eye - they would raise their head, locate the dog, swing the barrel in the general direction and then you could see the barrel moving as they scanned the area with a 24 to 36 power scope - sometimes this took like 3 to 5 minutes. Using both eyes and swinging the X-hair to the target is smooth and fast - takes maybe 5 seconds when moving the barrel 30 degrees or so. It takes me longer to break the shot then it does to locate the prairie dog in my scope.


I know people who couldn't use both eyes open shooting a handgun or rifle if their life depended upon it - so, some can and some can't - but I can.:-o

[archmaker]

It really depends, if I am trying to be precise I close my left eye, otherwise for IDPA both eyes open (I think). The reason is that my prescription for my contacts is a little 'odd', I can see up close 'ok' with my right eye, but not good enough to read (have to wear readers), and my left eye is great for distance. When I want to be precise and shooting a scope, I have to close my left eye, otherwise my brain tries to use the left eye for seeing the target.

[snowwolfe]

Both eyes open. Takes awhile to train yourself but much better option.
About 20 years ago shot the biggest black tail buck of my life due to this. Was ready to shoot a nice 6 point and out of the corner of my right eye (shoot left handed) caught a flicker of movement and turned out to be a 111 point black tail. Would of never seen him if both eyes were not open.

A good way to train yourself is to cover the lens of your non shooting eyeglass with tape or something similar then you will find it easier to learn. BTY, using a flip up/down black patch over the non shooting eye is a great way to shoot handguns as well. Much more precise.

[DLCTEX]

I keep both open until target is acquired and then close left eye. I have been doing it that way since I was a kid with a cap gun, or a pretend gun. After more than 65 years I'm not changing.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I shoot both open , I teach both open , my dad however is a squinter he was right handed and they never checked eye dominance so he had been squinting his hole life right handed left eye dominant

eye dominance is one of the first things to check when starting a new shooter my air rifle program starts at age 8 , I wish we could check their eye dominance when they are about 4 and get them to put their toy gun up to their dominant eye

when they are young and not very well set in their ways yet a box of pellets is all it takes to get them the muscle memory to shoot to their eye and not the hand they write with

for people with weak dominacy a little bit of scotch tape on the shooting glasses in the right spot gives them the benefits of shooting both open without the issues of an eye that may or may not want to be in charge at that time

god made you stereoscopic why would you want to work against nature and creation to favor yet undeveloped muscle memory you think you may have , still getting kids especially boys to change is hard even at 8 , girls are less likely to put up a fight to shooting the way you tell them will work best they also haven't been running around as much blasting friends with a nerf gun , so the boys have a bit more deprogramming to do before they can get programed right. but still a box of pellets is about all it should take

a box of pellets is also about all it takes to teach your self to shoot squinting your dominant eye and using your weak hand you may never toss it up like your favorite shotgun but you can do it

[TCFAN]

I have always been able to shoot any firearm with both eyes open. I am right hand right eye dominant.My problem with keeping the left eye open starts when i use a manual focus SLR camera. Then I have to close the left eye to focus the lens............Terry

[wch]

Both eyes open.

[lbaize3]

Both eyes open. You lose too much depth perception with an eye closed. And my time in the military and in law enforcement taught me to be aware of everything around me, even when shooting.

[kweidner]

I have trained myself to do it. It is much better. Takes some practice with irons even after you get the hang of it. Keep working on it and it will come.

[wv109323]

It is preferred to shoot with both eyes open. Some people can not due to eye dominance. If you are right handed with right eye dominance you are good to go with both eyes open. Same with left handed with left eye dominance.
When you have a "cross dominance" of hand to eye you need to do one of several things.
1.) Block or occulate the dominant eye and shoot with the weak eye and strong hand.
2.) Position the pistol so that you use the dominant eye with the strong hand. Right hand hold using the left eye.
3.) Use the weak hand with the dominant eye.
To test for eye dominance;
Take your pointing finger and thumb and put them together so that there is a hole to look through.
Pick a distant object and place your hand so that you see the distant object through the hole.
Bring you hand back to your face, always keeping the distant object in the hole.
When you get back to your face you will be looking through your dominant eye.

[jeepyj]

I find the response's to be extremely interesting. I just can't believe that I'm just discovering this after 35+/- years of shooting. So far I've only put a thousand or so down range and so far for me it just seems to work. Sometimes it seems easier that other times but when I get into the zone the steel just seems to ring so easy. With the fact the snow will ge going in a month or two I will be able to get out a bit more often. We have had a brutal winter this year but I will continue to retraing until it becomes second nature.
jeepyj

[white eagle]

shoot both open for as long as I can remember
been hunting for 45 years most of that time with optics on my firearms

[tygar]

I shoot combat pistol both eyes open but because I'm a righty & slightly right eye dominant but my left eye is 20/10 & right 20/15 I need to close the left when precision shooting cause it wants to screw me up.

[Mk42gunner]

It is generally best to shoot with both eyes open. You get a wider field of view and a bit of range finding ability with both eyes open that just isn't there with one eye shut.

I will bet that most people that shoot with one eye squinted shut have never had any kind of formal range instruction. I know when Dad was teaching me and my brother to shoot he said "Shut your left eye," but he had never had any real instruction either.

Robert

[Ed Barrett]

Left eye closed. Started that way and stuck with it. It's served me well.

[woodbutcher]

:bigsmyl2:I can shoot with both eyes open.However,it don`t help a bit,since I was shot in the face when I was 16.Blind in right eye.And that`s a story for another time.Hehehe.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[shoot-n-lead]

Yes...but as I have aged, I have a couple of guns that require me to initially close my left eye to pickup the front sight.