Aiming with both eye's open....

[trinydex]

i'm not sure how the tape thing translates into real life though. people are advocating both eyes open so they can see other peripheral threats. the tape thing seems to defeat one eye's frontal threat detection capability.

so tape is for matches? and training extensively to ignore the double is for real life?

[till44]

I'm a righty and left eye dominant as well. I dry fired like crazy, starting with my right eye closed and then slowing trying to keep both eyes open. Now, with both eyes open, I automatically pick up the correct image and the front sight and rear are lined up. I think it just comes with muscle memory, your eyes get used to the angle and distinction of what front sight to focus on.

[1JimMarch]

No tape for me. It's not obvious from the pics I provided, but, I can use my off-eye (in my case right) to look "around" the sight (to the right) and get a clear, unobstructed view of the target in addition to the hex-sighted view.

If you *don't* do target-focus with the hexsite, or especially with my oversize "hacksite" mutant variant, it would get all up in your business and block your vision. Both-eyes-open is absolutely necessary with big sights like this - to look around them at the same time you're looking through them.

You'd use glass non-magnification (red dot) sights the same way if you know what you're doing. The disadvantage over the hexsite is that first, there's batteries/wires/glass (reliability issues) and second, the red dot itself gets in the way. The hexsite rear "builds the crosshairs in your head" without having actual crosshairs/dots that block your vision.

[taloft]

Provided you don't have vision problems....

It all comes down to the fact that like most predators we have binocular vision. This allows us to judge distances to our prey with fair accuracy. Our eyes are adapted to focus at only one distance at a time. This is why we can throw objects accurately. The doubling is because you are not able to focus on two different distances at the same time. The thumb trick Rob454 was talking about is spot on in showing what is happening.

Here is a simple trick I teach to all new shooters. Hold your thumb upright at arms length with some type of target in the background(this will be the front sight post), close your non-dominant eye. Focus on the thumbnail with your open eye. You'll notice that the target in the background is slightly blurry. Switch your focus between the target and your thumb, you'll see the thumb blur as you make the switch to the target. Do this a couple of times. Now, put your focus back on the thumb. Slowly open your closed eye. You'll now see a second ghost thumb appear, just ignore it. It should be obvious which is the correct thumb. If it helps, instead of closing your non-dominant eye just hold your other hand in front of it as a shield. This is the same as putting tape on your shooting glasses. Then lower the hand when you're ready. The affect should be the same. Nice thing about this is that your thumbs are usually with you. It can be done anywhere you have a moment.

At first you might not see a second thumb, instead you'll see a doubled vision of the target in the background. That's because your non-dominant eye is really quick at reacquiring the focus point. Don't worry, it will stop as you continue to do this. Keep at it until the double thumb is all you see with a slightly blurry target in the background. Then just practice until you can get the correct thumb every time. Here's a hint, the correct thumb is always opposite the eye. In other words, if you're right eye dominant the left thumb image is the correct one and vice versa. You're not changing the way your eye works, you're just retraining your brain to accept the same visual input in a different way. I don't even notice the double thumb image anymore unless I'm thinking about it. Another trick is that until you get it down pat, a quick wink with the off eye will show you the correct thumb.

Eventually, you'll be able to quickly and accurately acquire the front sight post every time with both eyes open and no doubling of the target. You'll be able to do this with any gun that has iron sights. Hope this helps.