Isosceles Off-Center

[rhubarb]

I've always shot handguns isosceles and with both eyes open.

When dryfiring today, I thought a session in front of a mirror would be good to actually see what I was doing and help iron out any kinks. When drawing and aiming straight ahead, I saw that my pistol was not centered up on my body. It was centered under my dominant eye.

Is this "right"? Common? Did I just discover the earth is round? Am I crooked?

 

[Hauptmann]

If your pistol was centered on your face, it would be impossible for you to get a sight picture. Your brain cannot process both the front sight and rear sight with both eyes and using both eyes get a sight picture. You can see with both eyes at the same time, but looking down the middle you will see double pistols from opposite angles. The reason for leaving both eyes open is to limit tunnel vision so that you can still see surroundings. However, in a gun fight you'll get tunnel vision regardless. So yes, the pistol should be centered over your dominant eye.

 

[GunTech]

Whatever works for you. I don't thing there is one right. I was taught Weaver and use modified Weaver. If find that if I keep the gun aligned with my shooting arm, followup is easier and much faster on the next shot.

YMMV

 

[Flexmoney]

Yep..under the dominant eye.

 

[pax]

Normal. Absolutely, completely normal.

Heh, reminds me of one day when I was a kid. I got a pet hampster one afternoon, and the next morning when I woke up, something was terribly wrong with the poor little thing -- his face had swelled all up! I was really unhappy, and called my mom into my room, and my mom looked at the poor little thing's deformity, and she called the vet. Who didn't ... quite ... laugh, as he explained that hampsters store food in their cheeks, just like chipmunks. Who knew?

pax

 

[nwilliams]

You're doing nothing wrong, if it works for you and you put the shots where you want them then just keep doing what you're doing.

When you aim even from a full isosceles the sights should be aligned with your dominant eye. I shoot a modified isosceles because I've been doing martial arts for over 20 years and I'm more accustomed to that stance style. Everyone has their own style you just have to find what works for you. All the instructors I've had whether it be for combat or competition style shooting have worked me out of the habit of keeping both eyes open, which is how I used to shoot. Now I squint or close my non-dominant eye and it helps me to focus on the front sight more. Even in tactical and reactive shooting I close my non-dominant eye once I find my target. I'm right handed and left eye dominant so I tend to push my shots if I keep both eyes open. Like I said everyone has their own style and in the end all that really matters is whether the shots go where you want them

 

[spwenger]

It's the Thumbs

If your thumbs are in line with your nose, you can't be very far from having your sights aligned with your eye. In other words, when both arms form the isosceles, the gun will be slightly off to one side, in front of one eye.