Both eyes open pistol shooting

[Bahrutile]

I am new to working on this, I've always shot with my left eye shut while firing right handed. The last two range trips I have been working on this, its different but I'm happy with the results. I'm wondering if others work on this as well or if I'm just very late to this party.

Perhaps some tips, tricks, advice, that will help me be a better shooter.

 

[x10]

Relax and don't think about it, at some point the vision of the left eye will just go away, but you will still be aware of targets and your surroundings,

We should just train beginers with a piece of scotch tape over thier non dominant eye, and let it come natural

 

[jve153]

close one eye, get sight picture, open eye, fire shot, repeat shot. keep second eye open until you start missing. repeat. i do this when i go to the range and it has made me a lot better. still not good at it, but i am a lot better at putting shots on target with both eyes open than i was. my misses are a lot closer as well.

 

[Bahrutile]

That is what I am working to achieve, being able to put rounds on target with out having to think. Building up that muscle memory...

 

[Bigshep]

I don't have much of an issue shooting with both eyes open now, but I learned to do that when i was in the Army with an M16 and M4. For me it was just doing it and getting used to it was all. Didn't really have any technique to get better either. It all comes down to practice and muscle memory.

 

[handgun]

Still wotking on this myself. It takes time.

 

[netsecurity]

I shoot with both eyes open when stationary. My astigmatism, I guess, causes me to see two guns, but I always use the left one. It is very easy with little practice.

If I try and move the gun around, like when shooting steel targets, the 'two guns' thing is too much to handle, so I need to close my left eye.

 

[Grelber]

I am new to working on this, I've always shot with my left eye shut while firing right handed.

Me too. So far my results have been;
the transition is easiest on middle range to far targets, on close targets in particular I will sometimes sort of look at the sight instead of look at the target through the sight and when I do this I can't hit the side of a barn, shooting reactive targets spread a short distance apart at 12 yards might be helping me with the transition and particularly with getting confident about what I am seeing, I can still acquire a sight picture faster (or maybe just believe what I'm seeing faster) if I close the left eye so for IDPA and such I'm not ready to use both eyes yet, somebody suggested putting clear tape on the lens to cloud what you see through your glasses with the weak eye - this sounds like a great idea and I'm going to try it.

 

[calcot7]

The brain is the main muscle

That is what I am working to achieve, being able to put rounds on target with out having to think. Building up that muscle memory...

Try shooting with both eyes closed.

 

[bmbutch]

Incorporate both eyes open when dry firing drills. It will become natural, took me a couple weeks

 

[Sterling]

I guess I'd also be curious as to what you are focusing on. Is it the front sight, or the target? Try focusing your attention on the front sight instead thinking abour keeping one or both eyes open and see if this helps.

 

[bonas96]

Still wotking on this myself. It takes time.

Ditto!

 

[wrigleycub]

The man who taught me to shoot started me this way. The first thing you need to do is find out which eye is your dominate eye. Most folks think they know which is dominate, but, somtimes they are wrong. You can accomplish this by placing your arms straight out in front of you, one handle on top of the other, place thumbs away from hands and slide hands across one another until there is a tiny triangle formed in the heals of thumbs and forfingers. Then find an object on your wall through the triangle (both eyes open). View your object for a few moments, slowly bring your hands back to your face. Which ever eye you are using is your dominate eye. Next, when using the two eye technique, using the front sight only on your object, the adjust the rear to the front. Also stance is a big factor when starting. Do not use the traditional dominate foot stance. Go both feet shoulder width, slight knee bend, dirty harry style. Two eyes are better than one. After i think somewhere its been proven that both eyes are required to accurately judge depth. How can your shots be placed perfectly on target with no depth perception?

 

[netsecurity]

I don't think it is hard at all. I think everyone waits to go to the range for practice. I practice every night dry firing, and that's how I learned to shoot both eyes open, because I'd be watching TV, and aiming at the same time and such. Point being, do it at home. You should be practicing your grip and dry firing to ensure that the sights don't move when you pull the trigger. Just keep both eyes open while you're doing it, being conscious to always have your dominant eye the one with the sight picture. I guarantee you will learn this naturally if you just do this every other night for a week. ALWAYS VISUALLY INSPECT TO ENSURE YOUR GUN IS EMPTY, AND REMOVE LOADED MAGAZINES FROM THE AREA.

You don't have to rack the slide to practice dry firing either. The main flaw is moving the gun when your trigger finger pulls back, and you can practice the motion of pulling the trigger without the gun being cocked.

 

[hps]

Just remember, ur target will not be in focus

 

[Cemetery-man]

I can shoot both ways but both eyes open remains to distract me. I can put shots on target much more accurately with one eye closed though maybe because of my poor eyesight. At a gun safety class the instructor made me try with both eyes open but when i showed him I was much more accurate and much faster on target with one eye closed, he told me to stick with whatever works best for me.

 

[.45 Dave]

My dad taught me to shoot with both eyes open from an early age. Now when I close one eye it takes me longer to bring the gun on target. I guess it is just what feels better for you but in a dangerous situation it would be better to have both eyes open.

 

[mercop]

Next time a squirrel or rabbit runs in front of your vehicle try closing one of your eyes to follow them. Not gonna happen. We are predators with eyes in the front of our heads.

Nobody in my class this weekend reported being able to close one eye during drills or scenarios. Also that whole cross eye dominance thing is not a problem while you are being attacked.- George

 

[RBrianHarless]

Just keep practicing. It will come with time. I do still use my dominant eye but both eyes are open for a complete field of view. Precision shots, then close your eye. Good luck.

 

[JWAS]

I have an astigmatism also, plus i am left eye dominate and right handed!!! I use the scotch tape method over my left eye, works really well. I'm to the point where I do not need those eye protection to shoot, but when i start noticing my left eye closing i get the eye protection out with the tape and start over.