Both eyes open

98690 Views 42 Replies 24 Participants Last post by FeralCatKillr, Aug 13, 2021

360noscope

Discussion Starter · Aug 8, 2021

Alrighty, I have been shooting for 5 years ( as soon as I turned 18) and all of my training has been for shooting with one eye closed. Now 6 months ago I got my CCW and I’m pretty snappy while shooting with one eye closed.
Then a friend/instructor came to me and said that I should shoot with both eyes open, so I have been training with both eyes open since then. After about 3 months of point shooting training I can acquire the sights pretty fast, only problem I have is that I still see 2 guns and 4 rear sights.
Will I always see 2 guns and what is your experience with shooting while both eyes are open?

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Wyno

· #2 · Aug 8, 2021

In point shooting with both eyes open, at least how my agency trained me, you don’t actually look at the sights but just over the sights. I’m pretty good at getting on the target up to about 15 yards with a Glock 35. Beyond that, I need to use my sights. But even then, I shoot with both eyes open and I just learned to kind of prioritize my dominant eye by squinting my weak eye just a bit. I still have full vision, but the weak eye “duplicate image” mostly disappears.

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360noscope

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 8, 2021

Wyno said:
In point shooting with both eyes open, at least how my agency trained me, you don’t actually look at the sights but just over the sights. I’m pretty good at getting on the target up to about 15 yards with a Glock 35. Beyond that, I need to use my sights. But even then, I shoot with both eyes open and I just learned to kind of prioritize my dominant eye by squinting my weak eye just a bit. I still have full vision, but the weak eye “duplicate image” mostly disappears.

Thanks I have done the same, and the dominate eyes vision is prioritized, but there is still a little ghost gun to the right. Also shooting above the sights at close range makes tons of since. I’ll definitely try that.

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mrerick

· #4 · Aug 8, 2021

You should always shoot with both eyes open. You can train to do this by using an occluder (a translucent white eye blocker) or putting white masking tape on one lens of eyeglasses.

You need to verify your dominant eye, and practice by focusing on the front sight, not the target or any other plane when acquiring sight picture.

You will eventually train your brain to use your dominant eye for sighting the handgun. Understand that you might be cross dominant, and that can cause this kind of problem.

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360noscope

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 8, 2021

mrerick said:
You should always shoot with both eyes open. You can train to do this by using an occluder (a translucent white eye blocker) or putting white masking tape on one lens of eyeglasses.

You need to verify your dominant eye, and practice by focusing on the front sight, not the target or any other plane when acquiring sight picture.

You will eventually train your brain to use your dominant eye for sighting the handgun. Understand that you might be cross dominant, and that can cause this kind of problem.

Thanks, as I stated to another user, I have been training to acquire my sights quickly and can now do that. And it’s way easier on the eyes than shooting with one closed, I was mainly curious about the very faint ghost gun I see to my right and if that will ever completely disappear. My guess is it doesn’t, my brain just doesn’t focus on it anymore.

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DAS HUGH!

· #6 · Aug 8, 2021

Myself I've been using both eyes open and focusing on the front sight. You'll still see two but one is way more dominant and in the center as it should be so to speak

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

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DSP24

· #7 · Aug 8, 2021

I’m right handed and left eye dominate, if I try to use my right eye things get all squirrely. 30years begins the camera has my eyes needing a distance prescription as well as reading glasses. The RMR solved a lot of that nonsense for me...

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360noscope

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 8, 2021

DAS HUGH! said:
Myself I've been using both eyes open and focusing on the front sight. You'll still see two but one is way more dominant and in the center as it should be so to speak

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

Thx for the confirmation!

rmichael63

· #9 · Aug 8, 2021

Question for the group ... So what kind of groups can one expect with shooting both eyes open? Or is it more center of mass ...

American

· #10 · Aug 8, 2021

I focus on the target only and raise the sights up till everything is aligned. I don't move my head or close my other eye and I don't focus on the front sight. I acknowledge the front and rear in an instant and fire. Just practice till you get the muscle memory. Mine is a slightly blurred picture of the sights but because I have done this 10's of thousands of times, it is automatic. I do first shot drills out to 50 yards.

To anyone starting out, spend some time focusing on the target and getting the sights up to your line of sight. You'll be able to see the sights are aligned just right without focusing on them.

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360noscope

Discussion Starter · #11 · Aug 8, 2021

American said:
I focus on the target only and raise the sights up till everything is aligned. I don't move my head or close my other eye and I don't focus on the front sight. I acknowledge the front and rear in an instant and fire. Just practice till you get the muscle memory. Mine is a slightly blurred picture of the sights but because I have done this 10's of thousands of times, it is automatic. I do first shot drills out to 50 yards.

To anyone starting out, spend some time focusing on the target and getting the sights up to your line of sight. You'll be able to see the sights are aligned just right without focusing on them.

That’s how I started, guess the words “know your target and what’s beyond it” has never been truer lol.

Reactions: 1

CoalcrackerAl

· #12 · Aug 8, 2021

I shoot both eyes open now and then. And left handed too. With my Beemen pellet pistol. I have a .22 bullet trap i set up indoors. Just something to do. That i can do to work on skills at my leasure. Getting pretty good too.

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DAS HUGH!

· #13 · Aug 9, 2021

I can honestly say I've done really well since I switched from the both eyes closed method tho. My neighbors agree also lol

Sent from my SM-G988U using Tapatalk

Reactions: 4

Series6

· #14 · Aug 9, 2021

I’m right handed but left eye dominate. I shot uspsa, swpl three gun etc. going fast I’d slide shoot. Precision I’d close my right.

Reactions: 1

Mr. Pepper Nose

· #15 · Aug 9, 2021

When I first started shooting regularly, I forced myself to shoot with both open. I'm cross-eyed dominant and "figured it out" on my own. Cocking my head slightly and squinting the non-dominant a bit did the trick.

I shoot with the off-eye on rifle and it doesn't give me much trouble until I start skeet shooting. I have run into trouble focusing fully, so I sometimes close the dominant eye.

That may be odd and potentially bad practice, but it's how I get by. Right handed, but left eye dominant; right eye on the rifle, left eye on the pistol.

Curious to hear any suggestions or of other users using the same practice.

I sometimes wonder if my dominance is considered borderline.

Reactions: 1

Redhawk100

· #16 · Aug 9, 2021

@360noscope
You will always see two guns in front of you when you shoot with both eyes open. Here's an experiment for you. Hold the gun out in front of you in the center of your field of view. The gun on the left will show the ejection port, and that is because what you are seeing is the image of the gun from your right eye. The image of the gun seen from your left eye will be of the opposite side of the gun. If you are right-eye dominant, you will use the gun you see on the left. If you are left-eye dominant, you will use the gun you see on the right.

I have been shooting like this for years, and it just takes time to adjust--and you will adjust.

This doesn't mean that shooting with one eye closed is never appropriate. If I am shooting for precision on a really bright day from under a covered line, the shadow and light differences will require me to close one eye if I am using something without a prominent dot on the front sight.

Cartoon Art Circle Font Graphics

This is what you should see if you are right-eye dominant when you actually align the sights on the target.

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Redhawk100

· #17 · Aug 9, 2021

rmichael63 said:
Question for the group ... So what kind of groups can one expect with shooting both eyes open? Or is it more center of mass ...

I can get about a 5" group out of a box of ammo shooting with both eyes open at 25 yards. Usually, that's about the diameter of the hole left in the target if I am shooting .45 ACP at paper. If I'm shooting 9mm, it might take a box and a half to knock loose all of the extraneous stuff to open the big hole.

Full disclosure: There will be holes outside of that big hole, but the majority are falling inside of the blown-out part. I don't shoot 3 or 5-round groups for measurement with a pistol. My groups are all measured after a box of ammo or more and are based on how big of a hole is made.

Reactions: 2

rmichael63

· #18 · Aug 9, 2021

Redhawk100 said:
I can get about a 5" group out of a box of ammo shooting with both eyes open at 25 yards. Usually, that's about the diameter of the hole left in the target if I am shooting .45 ACP at paper. If I'm shooting 9mm, it might take a box and a half to knock loose all of the extraneous stuff to open the big hole.

Full disclosure: There will be holes outside of that big hole, but the majority are falling inside of the blown-out part. I don't shoot 3 or 5-round groups for measurement with a pistol. My groups are all measured after a box of ammo or more and are based on how big of a hole is made.

a famous gun reviewer once said, if you are shooting 1" groups then you aren't shooting fast enough ...

Reactions: 2

Wildtoad

· #19 · Aug 9, 2021

Maybe I’m doing it wrong. I’m right handed, left eye dominant, wear prescription glasses. I shoot with both eyes open. Before I go to the range, I make sure glasses are cleaned, and put a few eye drops in to lubricate these old eyes. If I see two images of the pistol, which is quite annoying, I know I’m not set properly, and not ready to shoot. I turn my head slightly to the right and focus the left eye on the target resulting in no double vision.

I used to shoot with one eye closed but was told you need to have both eyes open to have a better view of your surroundings, not the target. Yes?

Argee1950

· #20 · Aug 9, 2021

360noscope said:
Alrighty, I have been shooting for 5 years ( as soon as I turned 18) and all of my training has been for shooting with one eye closed. Now 6 months ago I got my CCW and I’m pretty snappy while shooting with one eye closed.
Then a friend/instructor came to me and said that I should shoot with both eyes open, so I have been training with both eyes open since then. After about 3 months of point shooting training I can acquire the sights pretty fast, only problem I have is that I still see 2 guns and 4 rear sights.
Will I always see 2 guns and what is your experience with shooting while both eyes are open?

The whole reason for shooting with both eyes open is to maintain awareness to threats other than what's going on right in front of you using your peripheral vision, With both eyes open you can turn your head to the left 90 degrees and to the right 90 degrees without losing sight with what is in front of you. By turning 90 degrees in each direction you can view 360 degrees for other threats that may be lurking without taking your eyes off the target at hand. Why you're getting double vision is a good question. I focus only on the sight for aiming...the rear sights are there but as a blur as well as the target. Maybe you're trying to focus on both and that's what's causing the problem.

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