I shoot with one eye closed.

[ccwguy]

Hmmm. I figured it would be better to have both eyes open, but when I do so my sights become blurry...Of course I could shoot with both eyes open and not use my sights...If the target or perp. was close enough, I woudn't even bother to use the sights; just point and shoot. So, the general consensus is that after diligent practice and training, I should be able to have both eyes open, but match up the sights with just my right eye?

Our brains can only process 1 focal point. After you acquire your target, you'll have to focus on the front site of your pistol, with your dominant eye (with both eyes open). The rear sites will be slightly blurred as well as your intended target. Acquiring and shooting your target will be faster and much more accurate (over time) than you can imagine. Try parallel parking your car with one eye closed as compared to both eyes open, bet it's real tricky! Depth perception is important when shooting. Formal training is a good thing, very few respect it enough to seek it.

PS; I am left eye dominant, yet shoot pistols with my right, rifles on my left. Cross dominance,Go figure!

[Diablo]

CCWGUY. Thanks, very informative. I gotta start practicing now. Everything else seems blury by focusing on the front site. Will it eventually go away?

[ccwguy]

CCWGUY. Thanks, very informative. I gotta start practicing now. Everything else seems blury by focusing on the front site. Will it eventually go away?

That's how it is. We can process 1 focal point only. Hold 2 fingers in front of yourself at different distances, try to fucus on both at the same time; you can't.

Step 1 -acquire target

step 2-maintain focus on your impact zone

step 3- raise pistol into your line of sight, focus now on the front site both eyes open leading with dominant eye

step 4-make boom

[Diablo]

Wow, that was great. Thanks again.

[FatKatMatt]

As long as you keep bopping that target there's nothing wrong with keeping one eye closed. Me, I keep my left eye closed irregardless of what I'm shooting at, I can still blast soda bottles 30 yards away with the pistol and clays in the air with the shotgun. Basically, just do what is best for you.

[Mac]

....

[Andruski]

Lately I have been really trying to learn to shoot with both eyes open. I think it would be good for situational awareness in a defensive situation.

In the beginning, if I could not acquire the proper sight picture with both eyes open, I would briefly close my left eye (I shoot right hand). This would allow me to focus on the front sight and acquire the target. Then I would open both eyes, have the front sight in focus, and shoot.

Eventually I was able to do it without closing the left I first. Now it feels fairly natural to have both eyes open. I'm glad I tried it.

[OHOD]

I shoot my snubby with both eyes-open all the time and do not aim. At about 15-ft I can hit a torso sized target.

I load up and bring my revolver to the table at the ready, bring it to eye level and pull the trigger.
When I do this, I imagine pushing my revolver into the target, as if I was pushing the bullet towards it.

So far, the method works well for me. I have an M&P40 that I aim with one eye and sometimes point and shoot.

I'm not sure where I learned how to do this, but I think it was from one of the gun magazines or web sites.

Prior to point and shooting, I began very slow and methodical to be sure safety is maintained at all times.

I'm not sure how others feel about this technique. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

[oldcodger44]

I would suggest getting a bigger target(silhouette) and start it close range. Even 5 yards is ok. shoot a couple of shots, now a double tap. Move target back 2 or 3 yards. shoot again. Easy to keep both eyes open here. shoot center mass, now add a head shot. practice until its more natural. It helps to have a friend observe that you are doing it right. You know, stance, grip etc.
When you are consistently getting shots on target and feel confident, only then do you move target a couple of more yards.
For what its worth, I still squint my left eye on targets past about 10 yards.
I was told to still spend time shooting at small bullseyes to make those shots on 6" steel during a match.

[M. Sage]

Hello everyone...I can't shoot with both eyes open...Well, unless I'm shooting my shotgun (I pretty much point down range and pull the trigger and it always seems to hit the target). However, when I shoot my pistols, I can only aim and shoot when I close my left eye--I am right handed and right eye dominant. Is this normal??

When I practice with my left hand, I also shoot with just my right eye open. Is this normal??

It works just fine. Don't sweat it. Both eyes open isn't for everybody and is usually reserved for reflex, red dot and holo sights.

[7x57]

Not everyone is dominant in the same degree, nor is one individual's degree of dominance always constant. I am right-eye dominant--just barely, and even then I'm not 100% sure I didn't just make the test come out the way I wanted it to. That's how close to equal preference I am. Not enough to shoot well with both eyes open (unless doing very close range tactical shooting where I'm more looking over the sights than anything else). I always have two images of equal strength. Both are clear enough to use for sighting, but not clear enough to acquire quickly. So most often, I shoot with only one eye. I regard it as a handicap, in that I'm losing peripheral awareness at a minimum, and can get eyestrain in long sessions, but it aids rapid acquisition and accuracy.

Some people are completely dominant and see only one image--these are the people who can best shoot with both eyes, and I imagine it is an advantage.

Apparently there are even sex differences, in that total dominance is mostly an adult male trait (and thus I suspect it has to do with hemispheric separation).

I think I wrote a longer post on this once, with quotes from the gunfitting book that had the most detailed discussion of dominance I have.

7x57

[Seesm]

I TRY to shoot with both eye's open but years of just one eye keep me doing the same.

Keep working on it as I do and it will come easier with time I think.

[M. Sage]

Some people are completely dominant and see only one image--these are the people who can best shoot with both eyes, and I imagine it is an advantage.

I can switch eye dominance, though I have to really work at it to keep my left eye in charge. I often shoot with both eyes open, though. Even when I'm using a scope... Eye dominance is just a weird thing.

[grumpycoconut]

I've learned a few tricks that have helped other folks to shoot with two eyes open. Maybe they will help you.

#1 - Make an OK sign with your right thumb and index finger. Pick a spot on the wall across the room from you. Put the spot in the middle of the OK with both eyes open. Close your nondominant eye. If the spot jumps out of the circle your dominant eye isn't dominant. If it stays in the circle you've got your eye dominance figured out right. Now practice opening and closing your nondominant eye about a bazillion times while keeping the spot in the circle. Pick a new spot every once in a while for fun and variety. This helps you figure out that you can open both eyes and maintain the first part of a good sight picture. Target identification and rough pistol to target alignment.

#2 - Sit on the couch. Turn on the TV. Extend your shooting arm in front of you and aim your index finger at the most annoying actor on the tv. Focus on the tip of your index finger. Switch your focus back on the idiot on the idiot box. Switch your focus back on the tip of your finger. Lather, rinse, repeat many many times. You will notice that about the millionth time you do this you can ignore the ghost image that your nondominant eye shows your brain when you are focused on the tip of your finger (can also be read front sight). The speed at which you accomplish the transition will greatly increase with practice as will your ability to keep finger (front sight) and target (the real one not the left eye's ghost target) properly aligned. This is part 2 of a good sight picture. Front sight focus for fine sight/target alignment.

Once you get good with these no gun having sighting drills you can graduate to putting an empty pistol in your hands and repeating the drill another gazillion times until it becomes second nature to keep both your peepers open when you are sighting the target.

Lots of people talk about how two open eyes gives you increased situational awareness. Most folks don't know that two eyes also help you better determine where the target is in space. The more precisely you fix your target in space, the more better you can poke holes in it. One eye only gives you an X axis Y axis view of the world. up/down right/left is nice but you also need the Z axis (close/far) if you really want to know where your target is. Try throwing a baseball with only one eye open and see how lack of depth perception is kind of important to us binocular vision having folks.

Good luck with it.