[Kaylee]

something just occured to me, when I was asking about scout-type scoping solutions earlier.. some of y'all mentioned the advantage of keeping both eyes open..

.. then I realized... I keep both eyes open even with my conventional scopes... up through 9x anyhow. What do y'all do? Is it a measure of "strength of dominance" of one eye (ie -- I'm very very NOT ambi-eyed, so input from my left is easy to ignore) .. or just habit?

-K

[Soap]

I never close my left eye. I use the left eye to track and the right to aim. Even if I'm using my 700P at long distance, both eyes are fully open.

[fish2xs]

whether it's pistol at 10 yrds or scope at 100 yrds, my accuracy goes up
on static targets when I close my left eye. It's probably not the correct way
to do it though....

[Sgt]

Both eyes open, except at extremely long range, on high (over 7) power and only at stationary targets. I prefer to shoot with both eyes open with handguns as well....too many years of shooting shotguns at moving targets I guess. I know it sounds improbable, but I've learned to focus my eyes independently.

Semper Fi, Sgt

[Poodleshooter]

I can do the both eyes open thing up to about 10 power. Beyond that, the scope and my left eye don't corelate very well for tracking targets.
I sometimes have to "wink" one eye to get the crosshairs to focus if I mount the scope quickly.

[Chugach]

Normally both eyes open, handguns and long guns, but I have no scopes over 9x.

At the end of a 4 hour range session recently, I noticed that I was squinting my right (non-dominant) eye due to fatigue. Had to remind myself to keep opening it back up, otherwise the eye fatigue accelerates.

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Left eye dominant but shoot right handed----even though I write left handed---I know---crazy isn't it. Tried shooting left handed but it feels waaay too un-natural.

Anyway----shut the left eye and I'll hit anything I shoot at---been shooting that way since I was 5.

[Dave R]

I must be too ambi-eyed. I can't keep both eyes open at anything more than 3X. The difference between the two images in destabilizing to both. I have to close the left eye for any real hunting.

Never tried a Scout scope, though. I can see where it would be an advantage.

[dakotasin]

left eye dominant, right handed. i have to close my left eye if i'm to have a prayer of hitting anything, and that goes w/ iron sights, scopes, and sight pins on my bow.

[JShirley]

Both eyes open. Only exception is occasionally, in bad light.

[Fudgie Ghost]

Yeah, I'm cursed with that left-eye dominant, but right handed thing. For pistols, I have no problem shooting with both eyes open.
But when I shoot a rifle with a scope, I need to close my left eye. For longer periods of shooting this way, I use a plastic eye patch--they sell them at drugstores. Otherwise, after about an hour, my left eye won't shut--keeps popping open. Maybe I should do winking exercises to build up eye/facial muscles ?!

Hey, the power came back here exactly 24 hours after it went down. I gotta say, electricity is nice.

[digex]

after about an hour, my left eye won't shut--keeps popping open.
I have the same problem. Once it starts happening I just leave my left eye open and things still work. The eye patch thing might work, I think I'll try it.

[zahc]

Both open usually.

[tac17]

I never close my left eye completely but I do squint it somewhat even with a scout type set up. I sorta track with both eyes and then slightly squint the left eye to take the shot.

[tex_n_cal]

another guy who is left eye dom, but right handed. Makes me wonder if I was meant to be left handed, but was pressured into being right handed as child. Oh, the trauma...maybe that explains why I like guns & flowers....:scrutiny:

[BamBam-31]

I usually instinctively close the left eye when I first look down the scope/sights to shoot.

After I warm up a bit, however, I sometimes get into a good zone, and I usually open up both eyes even at max magnification (14x or 16x). Less strain on ol' lefty, too. I find I shoot best with both eyes open.

YMMV. :)

Rifles only, tho. Pistols, I gotta wink the lefty, like this: ;)

[Feanaro]

Left eye shut, no other way to do it. If both are open I can't get the sights aligned and/or the scope becomes a little fuzzy. Some people can do it with both open, I(being unable to) can't imagine how.

[Legionnaire]

I try to shoot with both eyes open, but my dominant eye isn't that "dominant." As a consequence, I tend to squint my left eye while I pick up the sights, then allow it to open. I do this with scopes as well as open sights.

[hksw]

whether it's pistol at 10 yrds or scope at 100 yrds, my accuracy goes up on static targets when I close my left eye. It's probably not the correct way to do it though....

IMO, there is not right or wrong way of doing it. Shoot the way your comfortable with. Shouldn't matter to you what anyone else thinks.

For me, when I shoot for precision I keep my weak side eye (left) closed. I'm not sight dominant in either side so keeping one eye (weak side) closed improves my shooting.

[Atticus]

I'm just slightly right eye dominant, but shoot long guns from the left. I usually close my right eye for just a second or two, which is long enough for the left eye to take over and focus through the scope.

[Okiecruffler]

I close my left eye when using a conventional scope, but leave both eyes open with my scout rigs and my handgun scopes. Currently I'm trying to change everything over to scout mounts.

FWIW, I had a bugger of a time teaching the wife to shoot until we realized she was left handed, but right eye dominant.

[BDM]

Telescopic sight M1A left eye closed,AR carbine with aimpoint both eyes open,Iron sights both eyes open,1911 pistol both eyes open

[swingset]

Both eyes closed.

At least that's what the targets say.

[Slingster]

I apparently have a slight left-eye dominance and I shoot right-handed. With a Scout scope (or any scope, for that matter) I keep both eyes open while tracking and mounting the rifle, but when the scope "blinks" on for my right eye when the buttstock hits my shoulder and my cheek welds with the comb, I dim my left eye (closed but no squinting) for final alignment and the shot.