Eye usage?

[SnakeFart]

i noticed a few things when im at the range. i always close my left eye when shooting, right eye dominant. and i tend to tilt my head a little to the right.

since im new the shooting scene should i stop this practice now and learn to shoot with both eyes open? this is not an old habit but its just 1 i was most comfortable using when i shot my first time. im going to be taking some classes or something i think but if i can start to "get used" to shooting with both eyes open it would help me in a BG situation.

if i focus with both eyes on the front sight i see 2 "target" images and the same if i focus on the "target". if you know what i mean.

[stunksinatl]

I had to teach myself to shoot with both eyes open, as I was in the same boat as you were.

I remember when trying to get used to it, it kinda felt like I was trying to learn to do those "Magic-Eye" things all over again!

Be persistent and practice, practice, practice. It comes with time.

-stunks

P.S. I really feel like I can pick up my sights faster with both eyes than with only one

[PackerfanXD]

I shoot with a stacked thumb 'mastergrip', head perpendicular (though tilted down a little), both eyes open.

[KeithM]

I never seriously considered shooting with both eyes open, I figured I'd have all sorts of focusing problems. I heard from a friend about some glasses that have the non-dominant side fogged over so light can get in but you don't focus with the left eye. I thought that might work well but hadn't seen them yet. Anyways after reading this thread I grabbed my gun and did some dry firing. Turns out I don't have much trouble with aiming with my right eye while having my left eye open. Since the gun is right in front of my right eye, I get a good solid image on the sights, while the image of the gun in my left eye is soft enough not to disturb my aim. I will definitely be trying this on my next trip to the range.

[SnakeFart]

im glad i sparked some of your interests and feedback, i think since im so new at the shooting scene it would be a good time to train myself right than try when the habits develop. I'm probably going tomorrow and i will have to try it out. Also let me know if it worked for you (even take some pics to see the grouping).

[MPSoldier]

For those asking why they would shoot with both eyes open, there are a couple of reasons. 1) In a life threatening situation, you want to be as alert as possible, and cutting your visual perception in half is not a good idea. 2) Closing one eye tends to promote tunnel vision, and you tend to be aware of nothing except what your sight post in in front of. Yes, this is where your attention should be, but you don't want to cut yourself off from everything else. Having both eyes open might be awkward at first, if you're not used to it, but with a little practice you'll do fine.

Furthermore, don't practice shooting from a "set" position (head tilted, eye closed, etc). Practice from multiple positions, and make sure they are natural and comfortable - positions you can easily react from. You don't want to waste precious time "getting into position" when it might mean your life.

[jcrich33]

Originally Posted by MPSoldier

For those asking why they would shoot with both eyes open, there are a couple of reasons. 1) In a life threatening situation, you want to be as alert as possible, and cutting your visual perception in half is not a good idea. 2) Closing one eye tends to promote tunnel vision, and you tend to be aware of nothing except what your sight post in in front of. Yes, this is where your attention should be, but you don't want to cut yourself off from everything else. Having both eyes open might be awkward at first, if you're not used to it, but with a little practice you'll do fine.

Furthermore, don't practice shooting from a "set" position (head tilted, eye closed, etc). Practice from multiple positions, and make sure they are natural and comfortable - positions you can easily react from. You don't want to waste precious time "getting into position" when it might mean your life.

Exactly. It's also a good idea to practice once in awhile with you weak hand.

[tmahovlich]

Learn to shoot with both eyes open, definitely. Here's a link for a pretty good drill to help with the problem. http://www.waynefrazee.com/personal.php/hg_d_eyesopen

[Boricua]

Scotch tape works great!

[discolube]

I am left eye dominant but right handed. I really struggled with learning to shoot with both eyes open. As another posted said, it gets easier with practice. I mostly shoot out doors. I noticed that when shutting one eye (especially on a sunny day), I would experience eye fatique much more quickly than when shooting with both eyes open. They eye that is shut is protected from the sun and it causes that pupil to dialate more than the other. When I would go back to having both eyes open after shooting, it would take time for my vision to adjust. After getting used to shooting with both eyes open, I experienced much less eye fatigue and noticed that my shooting would not get worse the longer my range session went on (or at least as quickly). Something to think about, especially considering everyone's vision tends to get worse as you age. If you have a lot of trouble with double vision and you haven't had an eye exam lately (within the last 2 years), you might visit your optometrist. A little vision correction can also be a big help. I recently went to "progressive" lenses and that has made a difference for the double vision problem when sighting in on a target.