Learning to shoot w/both eyes open -

[ReadyRob]

I have followed some threads about both eyes open shooting and the dominate vs. weak eye debate.

I have found a plan that says it is a recovery plan for those of us who squint or close one eye and am going to give it a try. Hoping some of you will also give it a try and we can report back each week with our progress and maybe help each other some.

I don’t know the author but the web site is
www.handgunlaw.us

Here’s the article -

Many shooters close or squint their weak eye to focus on the front sight, but doing so impairs peripheral vision and depth perception while increasing eye fatigue. Your target-to-target transitions will be much quicker if you are using both your eyes, and you can be more relaxed, which will improve your shooting in general. The problem is usually that the dominant eye is not much stronger than the weak eye, so instead of seeing one image strongly and the other faintly, you see both strongly. When focused on the front sight, you see a confusing array of rear sights and targets, with no way to coordinate them.

It’s impossible to sort out the double images every time you take a shot. Instead, train your eye to simply "know" what a good sight picture and to ignore the extraneous elements. Within a few months, you can shoot as well as anyone, with complete peripheral awareness, by learning not to "see" any doubling of the sight picture.

The following is a recovery program for shooters with eye squinting problems:

Put a strip of scotch tape on your shooting glasses over your non-dominant eye and learn to shoot with both eyes open. The tape will obscure the weak eye's picture to the point where it will not interfere with your sight picture. Shoot this way until you have acquired the technique and your stance, sight focus, and follow through feel natural.

Dry fire every day. Select either the presentation from the holster or low ready, whichever makes sense to your situation, and practice first to make it smooth,then to make it perfect. Always keep a strong front-sight focus, and be very aware of where the sights are when the hammer falls. Work your way up to being able to make a presentation with your eyes closed, then open your eyes and see a solid sight picture.

Replace the tape with a smear of Vaseline, thin enough you see a ghostly rear sight when focused on the front sight. It will disorient you, as you'll see two rear sights and two targets. You will find that you are able to put the sight dead on the target regardless of the double vision. Continue the dry-fire regimen, and soon you will hardly be aware of the second image. As you get more acclimated to seeing the sight picture with only the strong eye, you can remove more and more Vaseline.

Eventually, open both eyes. Watch the sight through recoil. You will learn that you can follow the sight and retain a sharp picture, disregarding any weak-eye images of the rear sight or target. If your eyes begin to confuse the images, go back to the other glasses for a few minutes. In live-fire, gradually phase out the old glasses.

Within a few months, you won't ever think about it again--your eyes will "know" the sight picture and the non-dominant image will seem like a peripheral, ghostly superposition. This is because attention is what makes the image strong. The steps above will allow you to shoot as if the conflicting image didn't exist--and the more you ignore it, the more it doesn't exist. The result is no visual confusion, just a strong sight picture, normal depth perception, and the full range of your natural peripheral vision.

 

[sernv99]

I have been learning to shoot with both eyes open for sporting clays. Makes a world of difference in my scores. However for long crossers or quartering shots, I sometimes resort back to one eye in order to gauge the position of my barrel relative to the target for me to estimate how much lead I need to give in front of the target. I don't look at the beads or end of my barrel, just at the target when pulling the trigger.

I haven't tried both eyes open for handgunning yet.

 

[Superlite27]

I'm going to give this method a try. I've previously been shooting with both eyes closed and I haven't been impressed with the results at all.

 

[Raptorq7r13]

Cool article. I've got something to start trying next time I'm at the range.

 

[FLNT4EVR]

Istarted shooting with both eyes open waaaaay back when I was 18. I was just starting to shoot trap then,and it was one of the best things I could have done. Having both eyes open is a great advantage on crossing or angeling shots that move in the direction of your off side.You won't loose sight of the target like one eyed shooters will.

 

[ReadyRob]

Superlite27 your bound to win the prize for most improved

And remember you can do this dry fire while your eyes are adjusting.

I started today, its gonna take awhile

 

[Col. Plink]

I recently tried both eyes open with shooting skeet (is that 'sporting clays' above the Mason-Dixon line?). I can't believe I used to even try it with one eye! Now, with front/rear sights I can imagine it would require something like the weening-off regimen described above.

I'm gonna give it a try, especially since after a long session at the range Saturday one eye was tired and the other was bleary from being held shut for so long. Looks like I finally found a reason to buy some snap-caps and start 'shooting' everything in the house!

Any recommendations on a type of snap-cap that's any better than the others? (must admit, they all seem overpriced...)

 

[ReadyRob]

Any recommendations on a type of snap-cap that's any better than the others? (must admit, they all seem overpriced...)

Boy are you right about being overpriced. I paid $18.95 and have seen the for $25.95. A-Zoom are the ones I have and no problems.

 

[Prod]

I will have to try this immediately. As in, later this week.

 

[rainbowbob]

I learned a different technique from a previous thread that I was able to succesfully employ immediately (without tape, vaseline, etc.)

It is harder to describe than to do:

Simply swivel your head a few degrees to line up your dominent eye over the sights. For example...if you shoot right-handed and right-eyed - swivel your head about ten degrees to the left until the right eye is looking down the barrel, and the left eye is looking slightly off to the left.

To experiment...point your finger at an object several feet away. With both eyes forward, you see double images of your finger. Now, keeping your head level, aim your nose a few degrees left and look at your pointing finger with your right eye only. Eureka!

At least that's the way it works for me.

It works the same whether you shoot as above or...

...right-handed, left-eyed (turn your nose to the right until your left eye lines up).

...left-handed, left-eyed (turn your nose to the right).

...left-handed, right-eyed (turn your nose to the left).

It took me a few cross-eyed moments before I "got it". Now that I know how to do it, I nearly always practice shooting my handguns that way. Sometimes I find myself reverting to closing one eye when trying to take slow aim on a fixed target - but I'm working to break that habit.

Try it!

 

[FITASC666]

I was taught to shoot with both eyes open. I was asked early on if I watched tv with one or both eyes open. I compare it to driving a car with one eye closed: depth perception dissapears. After close to 2 hundred thousand rounds of shotgun and rifle shooting I could'nt go back. I had shot a lot of sporting and FITASC before trying the rifle and the ingraned approach just followed. I have a Trijicon scope with the amber triangle reticle; dynamite on moving targets!

 

[jojosdad]

Any recommendations on a type of snap-cap that's any better than the others?

Don't use them myself on centerfire arms, but I have heard that you can take a piece of fired brass, pop out the primer with a nail i you don't have a de-capper, and fill the hole with silicone.

 

[jimbeam]

Both eyes open really works well with a scope to get on game fast. No one I know uses see thru mounts anymore. I used to practice with my dog running outside chasing balls my kids threw. In my case using right eye for scope, left eye guides the right eye and scope right on target. If you practice this a bit you will not use irons unless you really want to.

 

[rgwalt]

I recently tried both eyes open with shooting skeet (is that 'sporting clays' above the Mason-Dixon line?). I can't believe I used to even try it with one eye! Now, with front/rear sights I can imagine it would require something like the weening-off regimen described above.

Skeet is a specific shotgun game where clays are thrown from two different houses. From Wikipedia:

The event is in part meant to simulate the action of bird hunting. The shooter shoots from 8 positions on a semicircle with a radius of 21 yards (19 m), and an 8th position halfway between stations 1 and 7. There are two houses that hold devices known as "traps" that launch the targets, one at each corner of the semicircle. The traps launch the targets to a point 15 feet above ground and 18 feet outside of station 8. One trap launches targets from 10 feet above the ground ("high" house) and the other launches it from 3 feet above ground ("low" house). At stations 1 and 2 the shooter shoots at single targets launched from the high house and then the low house, then shoots a double where the two targets are launched simultaneously but shooting the high house target first. At stations 3, 4, and 5 the shooter shoots at single targets launched from the high house and then the low house. At stations 6 and 7 the shooter shoots at single targets launched from the high house and then the low house, then shoots a double, shooting the low house target first then the high house target. At station 8 the shooter shoots one high target and one low target. The shooter must re-shoot his first missed target, or if no targets are missed, must shoot his 25th shell at the low house station 8. This 25th shot was once referred to as the shooter's option as he was able to take it where he preferred. Now, to speed up rounds in competition, the shooter must shoot the low 8 twice for a perfect score.

Sporting clays is a different type of game (played with the same type of clays as skeet) in which a shooter moves from station to station and fires at targets thrown from machines located in a variety of positions. The types of throws are meant to simulate birds being flushed and taking flight.

Trap is yet another type of game played with clays, and is similar to the game of skeet. The terms trap, skeet, and sporting clays are often used interchangably, though if you go to a range that offers all three, it is easy to see the difference.

Regarding shooting with your eyes open... I started shooting clays with both eyes open almost immediately after I started shooting. It just seems natural. With clays you absolutely need the depth perception along with tracking the target. If you focus on the bead on the barrel, it is already too late. You need to keep an awareness of where the end of your barrel is as lead your target, while keeping your eyes on the target at the same time. Definitely not easy to master...