Question about eye dominance and sights

[Jguy101]

I've been hearing that it's good to shoot rifles with both eyes open instead of just one, but I've been having some problems. I'm right-handed, and I always test as right-eye dominant, but when I try to look through my AR's irons with both eyes open, my left eye almost invariably takes over. Fearing that maybe I'm cross-dominant after all, I shouldered the gun on my left side and took a look through... and my right eye starts asserting its dominance again. Am I doing something wrong, or do I have some problem that'll prevent me from shooting with both eyes open?

 

[taliv]

no, people are saying shoot red dots and acogs with both eyes open. i always close an eye when shooting irons

 

[tundraotto]

its also easy to shoot low-power scopes with both eyes open and this is a huge advantage.

 

[jmr40]

I shoot all guns, rifle, shotgun, handgun with both eyes open. Doesn't matter if I'm using open sights, red dots, or scopes. It is something you have to train yourself to be able to do. I suggest several hundred hours of dry firing with both eyes open. Once you master it you will never consider shooting with one eye closed.

You do need to determine which eye is truly the doninate eye and learn how to shoot from that side. If you are left eye dominate, you will never master shooting with both eyes open from right side.

With both eyes open point your finger at a distant object. Close first one eye then the other. Your finger will appear to move when the dominate eye is closed and the non-dominate eye is open. Once you determine your dominate eye it is much easier to learn how to shoot from that side than it is to shoot with the non-dominate eye.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

I've been hearing that it's good to shoot rifles with both eyes open instead of just one, but I've been having some problems. I'm right-handed, and I always test as right-eye dominant, but when I try to look through my AR's irons with both eyes open, my left eye almost invariably takes over. Fearing that maybe I'm cross-dominant after all, I shouldered the gun on my left side and took a look through... and my right eye starts asserting its dominance again. Am I doing something wrong, or do I have some problem that'll prevent me from shooting with both eyes open?

Go read Awerbucks recent article in SWAT magazine. He has just the opposite view re both eyes open.

 

[SharkHat]

If you're used to closing one eye, then trying to shoot with both eyes open can be a big change to your sight picture.

A couple advantages of shooting with both eyes open is in the muscle relief it provides and depth perception. You can still get these benefits if you mask a small portion of the lens over your nondominant eye, which will also give you a more or less identical sight picture to shooting with one eye closed.

 

[BCRider]

Your eyes may simply be responding to the shift in available light if you're using a ghost rear sight. This is simply the natural way our eyes and perceptions work.

You can learn to mentally concentrate your perception to your right sighting eye with a little practice. But like those of us who can look at and learn to see those 3D graphic pictures it's very much a trained thing. So work at it and you'll soon find that you can use the sights with both eyes open.

Start by looking out at a bright image and then smoothly shoulder the gun and work at seeing the sights instead of allowing your automatic reflexes to shift to the brighter left eye image.

Initially it may help if you close your left eye just as you're getting the sight picture. Then open it and keep your attention on the sighting side. Pretty soon you won't even need this trick.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

I shoot all guns, rifle, shotgun, handgun with both eyes open. Doesn't matter if I'm using open sights, red dots, or scopes. It is something you have to train yourself to be able to do. I suggest several hundred hours of dry firing with both eyes open. Once you master it you will never consider shooting with one eye closed.

Some of us are just cross-eye dominant and no amount of practice will change it. Period.

I discovered about 20 years ago that I am left eye dominant even though I am right handed. I discovered it Trap shooting because my left eye kept trying to take over, ruining the shot. I tried all the prescribed remedies, putting a piece of tape over my left lens, using vaseline to blur the image, etc. It was even suggested that I should learn to shoot left handed, that wasn't gonna happen, I was just too old. Finally, I simply closed my left eye. Right away my scores went up. Have been closing my left eye ever since (twenty years) for all shooting, Trap, rifle, and Cowboy pistol (with one hand). I do tend to keep both eyes open when shooting a pistol two handed, facing straight on to the target. If I don't think about it. the pistol usually winds up in front of my dominant left eye, not my right.

The bottom line is you have to do what works best for you. Yeah, I have heard all the stuff about better sight picture and better 3-D perception with both eyes, but if it ain't gonna happen, it ain't gonna happen.

Do what works best for you.