How are you really supposed to aim/focus your eye/eyes?

[Birdmang]

I have been shooting since I was about 6 years old, and am 22 now, so it has been a little while. I have never had trouble hitting targets or aiming well, but I haven't had any direction in shooting from anyone other than my grandfather. I really appreciate his lessons and teaching me how to shoot, but I really don't know what you are supposed to focus on when shooting and have a few questions.

1. Are you supposed to shoot with one eye open or with both? Is this specific to rifles or pistols? What about with optics?

2. Are you supposed to focus on the rear sight, front sight, or target?

I think those are the two main concerns I had the last time I went shooting.

Thanks!

 

[wally]

Focus on the front sight.

One eye for rifles or best precision, two eyes for handguns or rifles CQB.

With optics focus on the reticle which should be about the image plane of the target if the scope diopter and parallax is adjusted correctly (parallax depends on target distance, but is not much of an issue if its close to correct adjustment and you have a good cheek weld and eye centered on the reticle).

For a red dot its different, you have to look "through" the dot and focus on the target.

--wally.

 

[rikman]

+1 to what Wally Said!


Rikman

 

[WNTFW]

Both eyes open has it's advantages. I notice it more in low light.

Front Sight, Front Sight, Front Sight, is the mantra. Learn it, live it, shoot it.

When you are young you can think you are focusing on all 3. As you get older you realize you can't.

 

[Birdmang]

I think in the past few months I realized that I could not focus on all three!

Thanks guys

 

[9mmepiphany]

you're best precision, if you consider bulls-eye shooting a measure of accuracy, is with both eyes open. closing one eye causes strain and distracts from sight focus...you'll see top shooters cover their "off eye" so they can keep that eye open.

if you are able, the best thing to do is keep both eyes open, just don't "look" through your non-aiming eye

using open sights, you should always be focused on the front sight

 

[figment]

both eyes open.

I once saw a guy who could shoot without ever blinking...

 

[jmr40]

Some folks simply cannot do it, but 2 eyes open is always best if you can. With practice most people can do it.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I once saw a guy who could shoot without ever blinking

you blink when you shoot?...i mean more than the normal amount for moisture

 

[wally]

if you consider bulls-eye shooting a measure of accuracy, is with both eyes open. closing one eye causes strain and distracts from sight focus...you'll see top shooters cover their "off eye" so they can keep that eye open

True enough, but they are aiming with only one eye, For short sessions closing one eye is easier

--wally.

 

[jmr40]

DEleted

 

[FROGO207]

Once you get the handle on one or two eyes open you get into whether you are cross dominant or not and how that affects point of aim. Then you get into proper arm position. Then proper stance. Then....... It will be fun.

FWIW I aim so that the bottom of what I want to hit is just over the front site and front and back are parallel. Right handed, aim with right eye and focus both eyes on target as much as possible. This works best for me.

 

[~SG~]

just because your right handed doesn't mean your right eye dominant (more then likely yes, but not always) so check to make sure you are focusing mainly with your dominant eye.

and yeah I got the front sight thing drilled into me for open sights, took awhile considering I love archery and there you focus on the target..........

 

[mrokern]

As a side note...once you get used to the "front sight, press!" mode of shooting pistols, you'll be absolutely floored by how much your accuracy improves.

-Mark

 

[Ret.CWO]

FROGO207 uses whats refereed to as 6 O'Clock bull taught in the Marine Corp when I was there 1962-1964 as far as I know they still teach that method. My father was a WWII Marine who taught me to shoot 6 O'Clock bull. The only exception was wing shooting with a shotgun that you keep both eyes open and point & swing as it's a moving target. During WWII this method was taught for aviation gunners who were sent to a Trap & Skeet range to learn to shoot. I've used 6 O'Clock bull my whole life and it's served me well. I've been retired for years so I don't know what they teach now. The only thing thats to be kept clear is the target itself. The back sight should be a blur with the front post centered on the O and positioned at the bottom 6 O'Clock of the target. Many people don't use this method and are able to hit their target. Some use what is called" Center Bull " what is ever comfortable for you/B]

 

[glock36]

I know that with adjustable sights you can set them up for eather the 6 O clock or center point of aim but with fixed sights " now correct me if I am rong" the point of impact is determined at the factory and not readdidly changed unless you have the sights worked on or replaced with adjustable ones.

 

[Ret.CWO]

Thats true as there isn't much you can do about factory fixed sights, other than what glock36 stated.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I shoot with both eyes open with all sights. I'm 17 and have been shooting for a few years and quite abit of my shooting is self taught, especially handguns.

 

[NavyLCDR]

I am cross eye dominate, and, in addition have a medical condition - not really a lazy eye, but my eyes are not aligned with each other so I only use one eye at a time. How is that for something to deal with, and I still qualify expert both Pistol and Rifle in the Navy!

1. Focus on the front sight! Absolutely. The target may be blurry and the rear sight may be blurry - if the front sight is clear, you are doing it right!

2. For handguns, do not tilt your head or anything like that. I shoot with both eyes open and I am right handed, but the gun is aligned to my left eye. Just use whichever eye is dominate to focus on the front sight with.

3. I put the front sight so the top of the front sight aligns with the center of the bullseye, then keeping the front sight on target, bring up the rear sight so the front sight is centered in the rear sight and even across the top of the rear sight blades. Keeping that alignment gently squeeze the trigger. If the sights drift off, I maintain constant pressure on the trigger and when the sights start coming back on target, gently squeeze more. It should be a complete surprise when the gun goes off. Try not to think and MAKING the gun go off, instead think about keeping the sights on target and let the gun go off on it's own.

4. For rifles, I close my dominate eye (left eye) and use my right eye for sighting, whether or not the rifle is scoped. If you are cross eye dominate like me, shooting rifles you can try either using your weak eye, or reversing your grip and shooting weak hand. Whichever gives you better accuracy, but I find it pretty darn impossible to use my dominate eye & dominate hand together when shooting rifle.

 

[Hk Dan]

I have to disagree with y'all.

What you focus on depends on what you're trying to do. Brian Enos defined 5 types of focus, depending largely on the target--I think it's one of the most brilliant applications of thought put forward in shooting.

Type 1--look at the target, point the gun. No sights involved at all.
Type 2--Target focus, sights ghosted.
Type 3--Target focus, shifting to sights just before the break, then back on the target
Type 4--Front sight focus, target blurry
Type 5--Front sight optical focus, attention on the trigger, target blurry.

Be aware of "MEGO" (My Eyes Glaze Over). That is when you focus somewhere betweent he sights and the target and they're both fuzzy.

Enos was talking about competition shooting (USPSA), but it's really applicable to any shooting. If all you're doing is slow fire, a front sight focus is fine, and preferrable because it offers more deviation control (thanks Rob).

If on the other hand, you're trying to avoid becoming room temperature at the hands of some scumbucket, then the prior 3 types all have use. First off, they will be faster--dramatically faster--than using a front sight focus. If you don't need that level of deviation control, why use it?

Second, for situational awareness, they all have your eyes on the threat, which will almost certainly be moving.

So, my answer to "What do I focus on?" is "Depends." If the target is big and close, you're confident of a hit, and a miss doesn't matter much--Type 1. Take away or mitigate one of those? Type 2 or Type 3. Take away more than one of them? Type 3 or 4.

To quote Rob Pincus--"If it's a bright sunny day at the range and you have a nice berm and the target is a piece of cardboard, who cares? Blaze away. If the target is a Ninja with throwing stars and rabid ferets are crawling out of the sewer, and there's a crowd of nuns holding puppies behind him, you'd better have some more deviation control..."

Dan