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One eye vs both eyes open

For handgun shooting, I find I can shoot with both open for in close shooting. Then further out I have to close one eye. For rifle...one eye is covered.

I know folks who can shoot with both open no problem. Just never mastered it.
 
I shoot with one eye with hand guns......maybe its my glasses....i dont know....but i shoot with both eyes open when shooting skeet. Go figure.
 
I shoot pistols with one eye as I find it allows me to focus a little better on the target. I try to shoot rifle with two eyes. Two eyes increases your depth perception through processes such as stereopsis and convergence (kind of like triangulation). If you're shooting at stationary targets it probably doesn't matter either way. Also, if your vision is not 100% perfect 20/20, then two eyes may actually allow you to see sharper and further. Your eyes work together as a unit and your brain uses the data from both eyes together to form the best possible image. This is why when you go to the optometrist and they test each eye individually followed by both eyes together that you actually see better with both eyes. So, unless you're shooting objects in motion where you need to compensate your shot based on the distance of the object (e.g. skeet, bird, etc.) it probably doesn't matter much.
 
I was just thinking about this, I'm shortsighted, may be I should try shooting rifle with both eyes open and have glasses with just left lens. That would allow me to see the target and sights well. I don't know, it would be cool to try.
 
I started out shooting one eye open, aim was fine, but had difficulty seeing target hits quickly and had to move the gun. A friend helped me to convert to both eyes open, took some time and practice to get used to. But my aim is actually better and I am much quicker at re-aquisition adjustments for follow-up shots w/o moving gun to see.
 
Supermoto said:
a good amount of people shoot with their dominate eye focused to the front sight and the other eye for the targets
Click to expand...

You've prompted me to try shooting like this. The first thing I noticed is that I can't see the front sight on the false double of the firearm anymore, the only front sight I see is the real one.

And I can actually see hits > 7yd now. Thanks.
 
Guilty as charged your honor.

I close one eye.

And I know I should do both. Doing it is about as much of a good idea as looking at the keys when
learning touch typing. (When learning to touch type, looking at the keys screws you out of
gaining speed and accuracy)
 
cross dominant, better than 20/20 vision....
right used to be my dominant eye, but using my left behind the camera all these years, it swapped....
 
After further thought, I prefer 3 eyes. 3 eyes gives you the best possible shot... hooah!

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There are varying degrees of eye dominance that will dictate how easily you can adapt to using both eyes. Dr. Richard Colo of Suffield, CT gave me a simple test to determine it (he specializes in shooters). Have the subject extend their right arm fully and point their index finger at your dominent eye, then note the position of their finger relative to their own eye. Then repeat this process having them use their left arm, again noting the position of their finger relative to their own eye. The scoring system is as follows: under right eye = 1, between right eye and nose = 2, nose = 3, between nose and left eye = 4, under left eye = 5. A score of 3 or less means strong right eye dominance, and a score of 9 or higher means strong left eye dominance, and in either case the person can easily adapter to leaving both eyes open. Scores greater than 3 for right eye dominance, or less than 9 for left eye dominance indicate a greater difficulty to adapt to using both eyes.

My personal score is 2, so I am strongly right eye dominant. My normal glasses are bifocals, but my handgun shooting glasses have the focal distance of the right lens set at the front sight, and the left lens set for distance. When I shoot a handgun, both the target and the front sight are crystal clear (after a brief period of eye adjustment).
 
The question I have is what is the fastest way to acquire the target?

I guess a laser sight would be the fastest, you could shoot without even lining up on the sights with your eye. But assuming you cannot use a laser..

If you actually had to draw and fire in a hurry, it seems like it would be better to have both eyes open. But when I keep both eyes open it takes me a few moments to sort out which image I am looking at. There are four rear sights and two front sights, and it takes me time to pick a front sight and then line up with the correct pair real rear sights, otherwise I might be lining up one front sight with the wrong rear sight image.

Maybe it would be good to practice 'point shooting'?
 
You need to work on your index. When you draw you shouldn't have to line up your sights, they should already be lined up. Put the front sight on the target and it will automatically in the rear notch. Transition to another target, see the front sight knowing that it is alingned with the rear.

Laser is probably the slowest method of aiming.
 
I agree with you to a large extent Supermoto. But I've found that if you index / point the weapon instinctively, a laser can be fast and effective.

I have a J frame 340 PD that I use when I hike. I probably only shoot 400 rounds a year through it, but I've owned it for 8 or 9 years , so its pretty instinctive for me. I've had a CT laser on it for 5 years or so. I got a deal on it for about $115, so I couldn't resist.

We recently had a pocket gun shoot at one of our weekly fun matches. Its an indoor range and the lighting is not great. When the stage began, I brought the gun up and the sights were right where they were supposed to be. But just a sliver above the front sight, right on the target, was the dot.

I found that if I brought the gun up, just as if I was using the sights, then shifted my focus to the target, I could shoot this little gun, with crappy sights, faster and more accurately than if I didn't have the laser. Just my .02.

RE the both vs one eye open, I've found that I keep both eyes open 95% of the time. But if the shot is a long one, 50ft ish. I will squint my weak eye a bit.
I always considered it a problem until i read that Eric Grauffel does the same thing:

......First, for me there is no half focus on sight or target, either you focus on one or the other one.
For me the focus must be on the target, otherwise as you mention it will be hard to call your shots.

Now it comes, Do I shoot both eyes open, or one eye closed. The first answer would be: " your call, it's a shooter preference", knowing than when you reach a certain distance, most of the shooters will close 1 eye.

Now, what I personnly do:
in between 0 to 15 meters, I shoot both eyes open.
Over 15 meters, I close one eye.

If I have a tight shot with a PT under 15 meters, I will also close one eye.



Now I'm not saying I'm anything like Mr. Grauffel. But at least I know my technique is sound.

Don

p.s. I think my very dominant dominant eye came from the fact that I've been an amateur photographer since I was in grade school. Since middle school I've enjoyed shooting sports. That means long stints with your eye to the viewfinder waiting for the right shot. If you squint your weak eye, it is very tiring. So you learn to keep both eyes open and just focus on the dominant eye over the viewfinder. The weak eye also helps to maintain situational awareness which is critical in predicting where the action is going to be next. Remember this was before the days of autofocus SLRs.
 
If you shoot in a non stress, non combat situation you will be able to if you chose close one eye. In a high stress or a combat situation your body will not allow it to happen. It’s a thing called the fight or flight syndrome or what I call predatorial survival method. Under high stress your instincts kick in and what was once a good easy shot take your time kind of thing turns into a life or death or score based human stress reaction. You can induce this stress and see it have a buddy with a shot timer run you through a few 3-5 round shooting drills see what you fastest time was then try to beat it on last time. Have him watch your eyes I bet most people will hype them self up so much that they will shoot with both eyes open.
 
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I tend to shoot with both eyes open - then again I am usually just trying to hit center of mass with pistol and rifle, off hand. If I am trying for accuracy, I tend to close my non dominant eye.
 
hminsky said:
If you actually had to draw and fire in a hurry, it seems like it would be better to have both eyes open. But when I keep both eyes open it takes me a few moments to sort out which image I am looking at. There are four rear sights and two front sights, and it takes me time to pick a front sight and then line up with the correct pair real rear sights, otherwise I might be lining up one front sight with the wrong rear sight image.
Click to expand...

You can train your brain to ignore the "wrong" sights. I had to do this when I started shooting - I would see two barrels on my gun. Close your weak eye to ID the "correct" barrel. Open the eye. Focus on the one you want to be there until it's at least sharper than the other one. Lower gun. Raise gun. Repeat. Eventually you will train yourself to just ignore the wrong image. Your eyes will of course still perceive it, but your brain will just whitewash it out and you won't process it. Kind of freaky to me, but it does work.

I only see one barrel/set of sights now with my pistols...I still see two with my 30" Beretta shotgun because I've been to lazy to put the time in retraining my eyes for the different distance to the sights. [shocked]

Vision and the neural processing thereof is some interesting stuff. [grin]
 
Mfennell@Proteus said:
If you shoot in a non stress, non combat situation you will be able to if you chose close one eye. In a high stress or a combat situation your body will not allow it to happen. It’s a thing called the fight or flight syndrome or what I call predatorial survival method. Under high stress your instincts kick in and what was once a good easy shot take your time kind of thing turns into a life or death or score based human stress reaction. You can induce this stress and see it have a buddy with a shot timer run you through a few 3-5 round shooting drills see what you fastest time was then try to beat it on last time. Have him watch your eyes I bet most people will hype them self up so much that they will shoot with both eyes open.
Click to expand...

True story. Yesterday we were doing some training on shooting under stress. The instructor was behind a plexiglass window with a small hole in the middle for the barrel of a paintball gun. We had to run from cover to cover and put a sim round on the plexiglass from behind each piece of cover. The catch is as soon as we exposed ourselves to make the shot he opened up on us with paintballs. Taking paintballs to the face on full-auto from 25-15 yards is a great way to learn reflexive shooting and proper index. It's hell getting your uniform inspection-ready afterward, though, lol.
 
If I fire a pistol one handed I usually close one eye but I try to keep both open when firing 2 handed at close targets. When I fire a rifle I close one eye. If I'm using a scope I wear reading glasses.

My eye dominance is peculiar. I'm not consistantly dominant in either eye. I shoot with each hand regularly. I sometimes find shooting pistols left handed with my right eye open works extremely well.
 
Learning to shoot with both eyes open takes time and practice for most novice shooters.

I don't worry about getting novices to shoot with both eyes open on a pistol. this is something that comes with practice, and what Nicole posted is absolutely correct. I've had many students that have true binocular vision where one eye will vary with the other eye for dominance. In those cases we use scotch tape over the weak-hand eye side of the glasses to train the strong-hand eye to be dominant. This allows both eyes to be open but makes the side you want to train automatically take charge.

Unless you're like me, with one eye that just doesn't work right (blurry at 5 feet) you can train your brain to make either eye dominant. From there keeping both eyes open is just a matter of time and practice. (The tape method works wonders and shortens the process in my my experience.)
 

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