Shooting with both eyes open

[IndyGunworks]

Just started a new thread with the bindon aiming concept if you guys havent checked it out i would... its pretty unique... its been around for a while but someone just put a name on it...
heres the thread
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...209-bindon_aiming_concept_bac.html#post371110

 

[Coach]

Put a piece of scotch tape on the lens of your shooting glasses over the eye that you don't want to be your dominate eye. This will obscure your vision enough to clearly see the sights, and should be able to keep oth eyes open.

Works great for me shooting pistols. I am not a rifleman by any stretch.

I saw Jerry Michleck doing a pro tip on Shooting USA and said he squints or closes one eye in situations. So I decided if Jerry does it I am not going to be afraid to do it either.

 

[Drail]

Joslar 15, is your avatar a USAF Expert Marksman ribbon?

 

[dozer]

with the xs big dot sights on my g17 I use both eyes. Just point and shoot. But with three dots it's alot harder for me

 

[joslar15]

Joslar 15, is your avatar a USAF Expert Marksman ribbon?

Yup. 26 years ago.

 

[Jack Ryan]

When I have both eyes open, I see two of everything (front sight, rear sight, gun and all)...quote]

Shoot 'em all.

 

[southin]

I can only shoot both eyes open with a laser pointer, from an off shoulder stance.
If I have to use "open sights", even handgun, I close my weak (non dominate eye), by training and habit.

I've tried forcing myself to keep both open, but have not had much luck honestly.

 

[sloughfoot]

I am left eye dominant but shoot everything right handed because my father decreed 58 years ago that I would be right handed. I have long ago forgiven him for his faults.....

This is what I have learned from 40 years of shooting many types of firearms. If you close your non-shooting eye completely while shooting, your shooting eye tries to dilate to compensate. This will fatigue the eye rapidly and ruins depth perception. I have tried the tape trick but I ended up focusing on the tape and got confused.

This is hard to explain what I do because I shoot pistols in IPSC, Steel, Bullseye and rifles in NRA Conventional High Power. Obviously the pistol games are usually fast shooting and the rifle and pistol bullseye games are somewhat slower.

I start out with both eyes open and squint down on my non-shooting eye which also helps bring the front sight into better focus. The speed at which this happens is dependent on the game.

I have never had to shoot anybody, thank goodness, but those dozen or so times when I have had to point my hangun and possibly shoot a perp, I had my non-shooting eye squinted down ready to go. The first shot would have been a solid hit. No doubt because I could see every imperfection in the front sight while I was covering the perp and giving commands.

I have also shot the FATS machine many times in my previous life and used this method to get many hits on the video machine perps.

Squinting has worked for me and it isn't a theory because I have used it while making forcible arrests as well as in competition. It's like squinting down is part of that process of tightening down the total position of my body before taking the shot. I hope this makes some sense....

Anyway, it works for me.

 

[agentl074]

I don't seem to have a problem with it ... I am right handed but left eye dominate Out to a distance I need to close my right eye.

 

[thompal]

So, in my case, rt handed rt eye dom, through rear sight to frt sightpost and left eye just on front sightpost?

No, both eyes "aim" at the target. Get your sight picture with your dominant eye, and just kind of train yourself to somewhat ignore your other eye's input. It does help your depth perception once you get used to it, plus you still have peripheral vision so you don't get 'surprised.'

I guess I am lucky - my dad taught me to shoot with both eyes open, so I've shot that way since I was 6 or so. I usually listened to him - he rated "expert" in the Marines during WWII.

 

[MyGlockRocks19]

I've half assed trained myself to shoot with both eyes open...basically, I line up the sights with my dominant eye, and then open the other eye....the sights stay clear, and it does seem to make getting back on target quicker.

 

[cklein6576]

Dude, its just practice. Im pretty much where you are at. for real accu-shooting i still have to close an eye. For putting holes in the BG target at 7 yards i try to keep both open. Heck, Im learning how to use my index finger to get the 1st round in the right spot and using my eyes for the rest.

 

[antsi]

When I try to leave both eyes open and use the sights on my glock, my eyes seem to cross and the view blurs on me. This is when I'm trying to leave both eyes open and line up the sights (either the front or the rear) on the target. I have to close my left eye to keep the blur from happening.

I get that you should leave both eyes open, but I can't do anything with the sights with both eyes open yet.

Try this:

1. Line up your pistol and try to get a sight picture with both eyes open. If you are in the stage of eye training you describe above, you won't be able to get a clear sight picture, but that's OK - proceed to step 2

2. Momentarily close your nondominant eye, just long enough to get a clear sight picture.

3. Re-open your nondominant eye while concentrating on the sight picture. You will probably be able to maintain the sight picture with both eyes open for a while, but eventually you will probably "lose" the clear sight picture.

If you practice this repeatedly, you will eventually be able to maintain the clear sight picture indefinitely after just a split second closing your nondominant eye. With even more practice, eventually you won't need the momentary closure - you'll get the clear sight picture right away.

Do this at home with dry fire practice, and empty gun, and a target pasted to the front of your gun safe - at least once a day. Also try it at the range. You may be surprised how quickly you can retrain your eye.

 

[jason conley]

helps to have both eyes open with target accuisition, hope I spelled that right, when looking through a scope.

 

[bigus_D]

I shoot pistol with both eyes open. I am left eye dominate, so I line the pistol up with that eye (to do this I align my body at an angle to the target... I believe they call my stance a modified weaver).

Anyhow... always focus on the front sight. The rear sight will be blurry. The target will be blurry. With both eyes open you will see two targets. Shoot the target that is on your dominate eye's side. Since I'm left eye dominate I shoot at the left target.

Lately I've been practicing making my right eye dominate. I started by closing my left eye and getting sight alignment with my right eye. To do this I stand shoulders straight on target. When I open my left eye, while focused on the front sight, I shoot at the right target.

Note: My eyes are fairly equal. People with poor sight in one eye simply won't be able to do this.

I know that I'm left eye dominate, but now, if I line the gun up on my right side, I can get the correct sight picture worked out in my brain... ok, so its a work in progress.

Anyhow:
1. focus on front sight (see two target images and blurry rear sight)
2. get a good sight picture (align front and rear sights as always)
3. align sights on target image on dominate side

 

[antsi]

PS - I can't claim any great marksmanship accomplishments, but my dad was the smallbore rifle junior national champion way back when. He says one of the most critical reasons to keep both eyes open is that the tension and fatigue in your face muscles from closing one eye will mess up the vision in your other eye and prevent you from being totally relaxed.

 

[twthomas]

Easier to track my target if its moving with both open.

 

[agentl074]

For me its: short range - both eyes
Long range - one eye