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Tips for shooting both eyes open

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New to shooting and trying to train myself to point shoot with both eyes open. Struggling with seeing double and eye jumping back and forth to front sight and target. Anyone got any tips?
Also, I shot my friends red dot today and it helped a lot, and see myself wanting one real soon. Should I wait until I get good at using the iron sights before I move to an optic?
Thanks for any input.
 
Depends on the pistol. Some pistols I use combat sighting, and others target.

With the Sig226 and Glock, esp under 25 yards, I focus on the target (because we always ID our target) and bring the gun into the sight line. I ignore the rear sight and just use the front. Bringing the front sight from low ready onto target, I switch my focus from the target to the front sight. The target is blury, front sight sharp. I cover the target with the front sight and squeeze.

With combat sighting you want to id your target and get accurate shots out asap.

Target, like with my Derr 1911 or Smith 617 is a little different. I pay more attention and take my time, getting my sight picture correct and more time focusing on the spot I want to hit.

Everyone shoots different so take what I say with a grain of salt.
 
Astigmatism?

At times with iron sights I can't stop it from being blurry even with my left eye closed, is related to light reflecting off the peep hole.

But outside of that I am left eyed and with a red dot or 1x optic its right hand shooting with both eyes, a pistol both eyes but I use my left eye for the sights (or sometimes shoot lefty too), magnified optics usually I just close my left eye (don't see what difference it makes shooting at something hundreds of yards away)..
 
It takes practice. I keep both eyes open but favor my dominant eye, if that makes sense. Keeping both eyes open just gives you a bigger overall view of what’s in front of you. I’m no pro, and no instructor, but it will come with time. A good instructor may be able to shorten that time frame for you.
 
Try placing a small piece of scotch tape (translucent) in the middle of your non dominant eye glass lens. Or put a little chapstick on you finger & rub it on your non dominant eye glass lens. It helps you pick up your front sight quicker with your dominant eye & helps do away with the double vision. Eventually it gets easier to shoot with both eyes open.
 
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Depends on the type of shooting, and sights.

If I'm shooting Gallery with a .22, and a Dot, it's both eyes. Iron sights, one eye. Carry piece at 5 yards, point the PPK. Can barely see the tiny sights on that, anyways.

If it's a carry piece.....will you have an optic of any kind on it?
 
I thought it was fairly common to see double with both eyes open. I usually see double and im cross eye dominant. If I focus just right it's minimal but there. I'm still trying it but definitely better closing my dominant eye.
 
Put a piece of tape on your shooting glasses over the lens of your non-dominant eye. You will then default to your dominant eye and can shoot with both eyes open.
Edit: Oops, a whole lot of people typed faster than I did.
 
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MisterHappy said:
Depends on the type of shooting, and sights.

If I'm shooting Gallery with a .22, and a Dot, it's both eyes. Iron sights, one eye. Carry piece at 5 yards, point the PPK. Can barely see the tiny sights on that, anyways.

If it's a carry piece.....will you have an optic of any kind on it?
Click to expand...
I wasn't planning on putting one on my carry gun. Figured it would print more, but would like to have one on my range gun at some point.
 
Most of us just use an eotech. Make sure you get the EXPS3 so it works with your PVS-14's. :p

+1 for what Whatluck said.
 
I tried that for a while. I know it's the best way but not for me. F*** that. I can shoot with both eyes open but it's a lot slower. I'm sure if I stuck with it I would have improved but I'll just stick with what works.
 
I learned years ago with a blow dart. Like a 4 foot one. I found that if I Looked cross eyed at the tip of the blow dart and put it on my target, I was a damn good shot. I use the same method with shooting now. So I know it sounds silly, but get a broom stick and put it to your mouth and focus on the other end of the stick. Then focus on the object behind the stick. Do it for a while going back and forth. Its a muscle memory thing. Don't do it too long to the point where you are straining your eyes.
 
01906 said:
I tried that for a while. I know it's the best way but not for me. F*** that. I can shoot with both eyes open but it's a lot slower. I'm sure if I stuck with it I would have improved but I'll just stick with what works.
Click to expand...

I had the opposite experience. I started shooting when I was a kid, up until around I was in my early 20s, with my left (weak) eye closed. Then I shot some skeet and a guy asked "do you shoot with one eye closed?" Yeah. So, I started thinking about why I did that and I stopped. Helped me with pistols, rifles, and shotguns to open both eyes.

I love shooting with both eyes open, I shoot faster, I'm more aware of targets, and I shoot with both eyes open with irons, red dots, and scopes.
 
Trump2020 said:
New to shooting and trying to train myself to point shoot with both eyes open. Struggling with seeing double and eye jumping back and forth to front sight and target. Anyone got any tips?
Also, I shot my friends red dot today and it helped a lot, and see myself wanting one real soon. Should I wait until I get good at using the iron sights before I move to an optic?
Thanks for any input.
Click to expand...

I'm assuming this is handgun and for shooting games so................

Something bright like a fiber optic tube in the front helps if you want to stick with a conventional sight set up.
Find the target, bring the gun up, adjust, rinse repeat. Its a matter of repetition and muscle memory.
 
MICHAEL GILLETTE said:
You got some pew pew time in!?? Jealous!
Click to expand...
Manchester Firing Range is open to the public and only 20 minutes away from me. Brought my employees for a fun day.
 

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I am right handed and cross eye dominant. I find that a light squint works or slightly turning my head about 5-10 degrees off center to right does the trick. I do this with irons and red dots.

One can argue either way about whether or not one should learn with irons or a red dot.
I think a red dot is an awesome tool for teaching shooting because it reduces the number of things that your brain has to do in the shot process. With irons of target, front sight, rear sight. With a red dot its just target and dot. It allows you to focus on all the other stuff which is harder to learn and takes bit more time to become rote: Body, grip, trigger press, recoil anticipation/control.
A dot gives you instant visual feedback about what you are doing wrong and why you are shanking shots. All of that skill will translate over to irons.
That being said there is a learning curve to dots that is real. Learning how to draw and find the dot-fairy takes lots and lots and lots of reps. When you start moving and shooting and shooting from strange angles/positions dots can be a challenge. The upside is speed and accuracy on tap. All of this stuff translates directly benefits when using irons sights, but its just another thing to learn.

Also regardless or irons or dot, dry-fire can help with the eye focus deal.
 
Drix said:
Cross eye dominance here-

I have to squint
Click to expand...

Same here. It sucks. I can pull off both eyes open, but it takes a lot longer to get proper focus. Squinting or shutting is almost immediate focus for me. Red dots generally get around it, but I feel like that's more of a crutch than an actual fix.
 
Trump2020 said:
New to shooting and trying to train myself to point shoot with both eyes open.
Click to expand...

Why? I mean what is your goal? Usually both eyes open is for speed shooting, fast transitions between multiple targets, or moving targets (like shotgun games) Are you talking about pistol or rifle or what? I'm not a fan of the term "point shooting" because it implies there is no aiming involved. There are different levels of aiming. Think of it like different quality of sight pictures, you'll need to buy a lesson for more on that

Trump2020 said:
Struggling with seeing double and eye jumping back and forth to front sight and target. Anyone got any tips?
Click to expand...
You see double because its not possible to see near (sights) and far (target) in clear focus at the same time.

Trump2020 said:
Also, I shot my friends red dot today and it helped a lot, and see myself wanting one real soon.
Click to expand...
With a dot sight It is more natural to focus on the target, and thats exactly what you are supposed to do with one. A target focus with both eyes open, looking through the glass with the dot appearing on the target is easier for your eyes and brain to line up compared to rear aight, front sight and target alignment.
 

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