Both eyes open, or one?
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Jeppo
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Both eyes closed. It helps justify the results.
I shoot both open. I get a wider field of view with my peripherals that way.
Growing up, Dad taught me the one eye, so I had to re-train myself to do it later in life.
Both eyes open is easiest when your dominate eyes matches up with your dominate hand. I'm cross eye dominate meaning I'm right handed but my left eye is dominant. I had to learn to shoot both eyes open.
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I try to shoot both open up close. But if Iām trying for accuracy or distance I usually close one eye. And I had to re train myself to do it.
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It depends on what I'm doing, like what @chiefjason said. Life-saving work both eyes open. Long distance or zeroing after putting on new sights etc, I will close one eye. Both eyes open is a more natural response to a life-threatening stimulus, or that's what I have been taught.
Both eyes open. Especially since I went to an rmr on one gun. I shoot my red dots on rifles that way too. Only time I close an eye is if using an magnifying optic.
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Both open, even with magnified optics. Closing one creates squinting and tension for me, might be different for others. For sure there a lot of folks that do everything different than i do, and they often shoot better than I do.
With age my dominant eye has deteriorated a bit and can't be corrected with lenses, so in the next few years I might have the joy of learning to shoot cross eyed.
With age my dominant eye has deteriorated a bit and can't be corrected with lenses, so in the next few years I might have the joy of learning to shoot cross eyed.
Dry firing with both eyes open will really help the process, most have to train their brain to deal with this, especially if you have shot for years with one eye. Both eyes open is always better. That being said, I still catch myself closing the support side eye.
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I have a cross dominant eye. If I am using sights, I can't see them unless I partially close my dominant eye. If I am point shooting, then both eyes open.
I've tried to train myself out of having to partially close my dominant eye. Hasn't worked in all those years.
I've tried to train myself out of having to partially close my dominant eye. Hasn't worked in all those years.
Defensive shooting (focus on target), both eyes open.
Target/precision shooting (focus on front sight), one eye. I have astigmatism and see two muzzles/front sights with both eyes open.
Target/precision shooting (focus on front sight), one eye. I have astigmatism and see two muzzles/front sights with both eyes open.
OP
I'm having to close my left eye to really see anything, and I think I asked my trainer early on about it and I think he said right now however I can see best. Dry firing, I close my eye too. (I've been absorbing so much info lately I'm not sure a lot is sticking, but I think that's what he said. I'll ask him again next time we do a lesson....lol.)
OP
How close is close? My targets have been (lately) within 10 feet, I'm guessing. And I'm also trying to be accurate! Now what?
(Why do I keep asking questions I know will result in my head hurting? Lol.)
>> I love all the info I get, but at times I get even more confused! I'll ask the "coach" next time, but keep the answers coming, you guys, some of the wisdom is bound to leak into my brain eventually!
Always both eyes open. I am not a precision shooter. Right hand and right eye dominate. I taught myself to shoot with both eyes open very early in my shooting experience. It is now second nature. Closing and eye seems odd to me. The only time I ever close one is using some magnified rifle scopes that have a monocular view.
The advantage of closing BOTH eyes is that you can't testify against yourself in court because you didn't SEE anything...
Both eyes open with a pistol. This practice will let you focus on your target and the surroundings, the threat in front of you is not always the one you need to worry about.
The only time I close an eye is on a magnified optic, just because I can't focus on the objective with the immediate field of view.
The only time I close an eye is on a magnified optic, just because I can't focus on the objective with the immediate field of view.
It doesn't matter. The correct way is the one that let's you see the sights best while you are actually firing the gun. If you are using the sights while pulling the trigger trying to deal with a threat, you shouldn't be trying to scan the periphery with your weak eye for new targets...and probably can't do both simultaneously anyway. Your eye will instinctively open in fraction of a second when you are done shooting and need to scan.
I agree with your trainer, I'd concentrate on accurately hitting targets right now.
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I'm going to have to disagree there. It'll be harder to break later on and you should practice how you intend to shoot. No one is scanning the area when an immediate threat is imminent, what you are doing is keeping situational awareness by keeping both eyes open.
Magdump
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I was left handed and left eye dominant when I first started shooting way back in the 1980's. There weren't very many left handed or ambi guns back then so I forced myself to shoot right handed and closed my left eye. It was a real struggle for a couple of years. Over time, shooting right handed began to feel natural and I became right eye dominant and could shoot with both eyes open. Even with magnified optics. If I have to shoot weak hand (like in a match) I shift my grip so that my handgun a little to the left and aim with my right eye. It's amazing how adaptable our brains and bodies can be.
Past 10 yards and I'll close one eye for sure. If I'm trying to figure out how a particular gun hits I'll close one inside 10. If I'm working on speed or moving between targets both eyes open out to 10 yards. Self defense distances I try hard to shoot both eyes open. It's a process for sure. IMO, each way has a place.
OP
My brain is learning stuff while I'm old though! Yours probably learned all that while still young and malleable...lol.
Next time at the range, I'll try both and see what happens. But it might be that I have to do the one-eyed shooting for now.
OP
Well, my distances are measured in feet right now, and very few of them, at that. Lol. This was decided by the coach last lesson, he put the target pretty close, so that's what I did last time, just guessing how far away it is.
OP
I don't get what you mean by how I "intend to shoot"....if I can be more accurate with an eye closed, does this mean this is the way I'm intending to shoot?
Guess I'll have to do both and see what happens, but every time I bring the gun up and out and look at the sights with both eyes open, I end up closing my left eye because I can see them better, and see the spot I want to hit better.
Yeah, don't worry about distance. At some point you run into the rule of 3s for self defense. Most SD shootings are within 3 yards, fire 3 shots, and over in 3 seconds. It's not an absolute. But just to make the point that for most people a SD shooting is up close and over fast. Working outside of those distances is to improve skills and keep shooting from getting boring. I shoot my P238 out to 50 yards at out range. Why? Because we have steel at 50 yards on our pistol range and it's one heck of a challenge and a lot of fun. And it helps me hone skills that are less important at under 10 yards.
OP
I just thought of something else. If I'm having to shoot at someone, will I even be able/have time to line up sights? I'm pretty slow doing that now, but I assume I'll get faster the more I do it. But in a desperate situation, can I really line them up? This is where I'd need some people to weigh in that have actually been in this position, which they might not wish to discuss...I get that. No prying intended here. I can only barely imagine the trauma of having your life in danger to the point of having to pull a gun out in order to stay alive. Feel free NOT to respond!
(I don't want anyone revisiting such a trauma and writing about it unless they've sufficiently dealt with it and feel they can do it without all kinds of horrible repercussions! Having suffered 2 attacks, I've been dealing with it over the course of years, so I get it if nobody wants to deal with this issue.)
Sorry in advance if this brings up some "stuff".....
I have never had to defend my life against another human by shooting but have had to keep my hide in one piece several times when packs of feral dogs wanted to eat me. I had plenty of time for prep one time but have had several situations in which the dogs were up close and personal very quickly. Only once did I only have a handgun with me. I got it out of the holster very quickly without much conscious thought and acquired the targets quite effectively with both eyes very wide open. I do not recall actually looking at the sights because the distance was so short and things happened so fast.
I usually shoot everything from rifles with and without scopes to shotguns to handguns with both eyes open. I do occasionally close one eye if I want a clearer sight picture. This is especially true if I am shooting at something in front of a very confusing background.
As stated above, do what works best for you in whatever situation you find yourself. I would suggest that you practice shooting or dry firing with both eyes open to see if that can work for you.
I usually shoot everything from rifles with and without scopes to shotguns to handguns with both eyes open. I do occasionally close one eye if I want a clearer sight picture. This is especially true if I am shooting at something in front of a very confusing background.
As stated above, do what works best for you in whatever situation you find yourself. I would suggest that you practice shooting or dry firing with both eyes open to see if that can work for you.
You need to practice bringing the gun up to a natural point of aim within your normal field of vision with both eyes open. IMHO. It should be repeatable from the draw. It takes thousands of draws to accomplish this. The more you practice presenting the gun at your natural point of aim you will find that the sights are already lined up even though you did not "align them consciously". This allows you to look past your sights at the threat or target. The more you do it the more natural it becomes. It eventually becomes muscle memory allowing you to hit your target accurately enough for defensive hand gunning at self defense distances without "looking" at your sights. IMHO
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I think he is saying is that if your end goal="How you intend to shoot" then start to practice shooting with both eyes open now not later. If you develop more accurate shooting with one eye closed your transition will be harder later if you have built muscle memory associated with one eyed closed shooting. If I were training you, and take this with a grain of salt because I am not a trainer, I would tell you learn to shoot with both eyes open from day one.