Shooting one eye shut or both eyes open?

[Unistat]

I, like most people started shooting with one eye shut. After learning some about defensive tactics, I decided to try with both eyes open. It was difficult, my accuracy suffered. I gave up and went back to one-eye.

After a few months I decided I was going to force myself to do it. It took a about 4-5 range sessions for me to become comfortable with both eyes open and now closing an eye feels weird.

 

[Nushif]

I either turn my head to where my nose obscures the target or squint.

I know this isn't ideal but at a certain point I do have to adjust for my very uneven and corrected vision.

*le nod*

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Cross-dominant and shoot right-handed with right eye closed. Have tried just about everything but this works best for me. Pick up a pistol-that right eye closes.

 

[Blackstone]

I shoot both eyes open, but end up having to focus on the target. I think I have good depth of field though, as I still get a pretty clear front sight regardless

 

[hso]

Staying focused on the threat requires you to keep both eyes open.

 

[Surf]

Some misinformation or perhaps more correctly a lack of understanding eye dominance and related issues in shooters. Ideally a shooter should shoot 2 eyes open if they are physically able to do so. However there are eye conditions where focus (myopia or emmetropia) perhaps different for each eye may cause issues. Eye dominance, lack of dominance or shifting of dominance can very much affect the ability to shoot with 2 eyes open for many people also. Fatigue, age, eye strain, injury etc, etc can create issues. No one is the same and to try to give one blanket answer is incorrect and that mostly stems from ignorance of the issue itself.

I will also note that about 3-5% of the population is what is called "ambiocular" and I happen to be in that category. This basically means that there is clearly no dominant eye or that dominance can quickly shift between both eyes. What does this mean? There are some great advantages to being ambiocular but for shooting with 2 eyes open it isn't so great. Often the eyes will fight with one another so much the 2 superimposed objects can quickly shift and I mean almost instantaneously back and forth. It is also very difficult as an example to get say a front sight focus with 2 eyes open. Both eyes battling for dominance can shift focus instantly causing issues. Now the latter front sight focus part may not be an issue in combat style shooting but when your muzzle superimposed over your target keeps shifting it can wreak havoc. On the plus side, shooting from either side for accuracy is simple as there really is no true dominant eye, so if you close one eye it doesn't matter. Again this does not just go for ambiocular people, but for many people with varying eye or physical conditions. Age, injury and a host of other things can shift dominance throughout a shooting session. Having a solution to the problem is what is needed and not a suck it up and do it mentality. It is not a mental function but rather a physical one.

So what is the option? To either squint or close one eye to maintain dominance focus in the eye of your choice. At the moment we acquire sight picture is very very brief. The subconscious mind and the speed at which the eye reacts is blistering fast. So fast that for those microseconds in time where focus occurs means very very little in the realm of situational awareness. It is the same moments in time that a 2 eye open shooter will have their entire attention on the immediate threat. No difference. Many great combat style or competition shooters do just this. Now we aren't running around with one eye shut or squinting all the time, but one may squint only enough to be able to "see what they need to see" in order to get the desired hits. Being closed minded on the topic of eye dominance its related issues and how they might apply to different people does little to no good in solving issues related to physical inabilities rather than addressing a skill related issue. Having a solution for a shooter is key, not to just tell them too bad do it. The problem being is that people who do not have such eye or physical related issues that may create such conditions generally have no clue what others may or may not be seeing.

As an example I will squint one eye at the time of sight picture / sight alignment, whatever type of alignment I use, whether it is flash front sight, slide indexing whatever. However when I do a target transition as an example I am 2 eyes wide open for that split second or however long it takes, then when I am focused on the threat, my eye will slightly squint. How much depends on the type of focus that I need. It is not something that I need to think about it happens more quickly than my brain can make my fingers or body move.

In these video's I am not shooting two eyes completely open as I pull trigger. I only squint for a millisecond as I confirm alignment, during the draw, presentation, transition, reload etc, it is two eyes wide open. These are only to show how briefly you can squint or close an eye and not lose awareness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blFXUH-SIk8#t=2m5s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pac1BcRc8dg#t=5m45s

 

[P-32]

I’m sure someone will disagree but it works for me. I have a left eye dominance but am very much right handed. I shoot competitive rifle. In the past I would have to close my left eye so I could focus on the front sight. In the heat of a match I would get mussel twitches on the left side of my face. These twitches would transfer to my right cheek and would affect my spot weld. I use a hinged patch on my shooting glasses. The patch allows me to keep both eyes open which relaxes the mussels in my face and I’m not getting snafu’ed with the left eye trying to take over. When I get on the spotting scope, I use my left eye and flip the patch up. Then when getting back on the rifle, flip it down. Works for me…..

 

[Nushif]

Eye dominance, lack of dominance or shifting of dominance can very much affect the ability to shoot with 2 eyes open for many people also.

A little update from a short range trip today ...

The poster above me (I hope at least) points out this "momentary squint" which I have found ... I do.
While sighting down the sights, I squint my right eye (being very undominant, ever shifting, unrelearnable, blind, or *something*) but not to the point of closing. Just to the point where my left eye, which I sight with can take over and let loose an aimed shot.
Which makes me wonder whether somehow I could reverse that and actually use the "proper" eye and hand combination.

 

[Surf]

A little update from a short range trip today ...

The poster above me (I hope at least) points out this "momentary squint" which I have found ... I do.
While sighting down the sights, I squint my right eye (being very undominant, ever shifting, unrelearnable, blind, or *something*) but not to the point of closing. Just to the point where my left eye, which I sight with can take over and let loose an aimed shot.
Which makes me wonder whether somehow I could reverse that and actually use the "proper" eye and hand combination.

If it is just a dominance issue then yes most likely and it is often done especially for those of us who are ambiocular. Since both of my eyes are equally dominant I can force dominance to either eye by slightly squinting the opposite eye. How much I actually squint is really dependent on "what I need to see" to get the type of hits that I desire. Very up close, speed shooting with a forgiving sized hit zone and I need very little, almost unnoticed. A good bullseye hit from distance on a smallish target, I will completely close one eye. It really doesn't take much of a squint for many shooters in a combat shooting situation or gaming situation to force dominance to one eye or another. Just enough to make one eye see more clearly and take over the dominant eye roll. Now if you have some type of vision issue in the opposite eye it may not be as effective.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

This is some of the worst advice I've heard on a forum yet. Shooting with both eyes open has been done for many years before Hollywood even existed. I have a hard time believing any one with any real training or knowledge would advocate closing your weak eye during a defensive situation. I'm left eye dominant and right handed. You simply have to train yourself to focus with your dominant eye. If I try to align the sights with my right eye I get the shifting focus or multiple images. If I use my left everything is fine. There is not way I would train with one eye closed and lose my peripheral vision.

BTW, I don't care what anyone says you don't tilt your weapon, change hands, or anything else goofy to deal with cross eye dominance. Just turn your head about 10 degrees so you can focus with you other eye. Problem solved.

I definately have a stong opinon on the topic and I am still young enough to be willing to try new things. I just don't agree about this techinquie. It's not just me. Awerbuck wrote an article about it in SWAT magazine about two or three months ago. He is what I would call one of the key opinion leaders when it comes to firearms. He also dispelled a bunch of other things in his article

 

[Surf]

I don't read SWAT magazine (go figure) but I am more than familiar with Mr. Awerbuck. Without trying to quote him (which would be a lesson in futility) I will note that he is huge into the science and an encyclopedia of medical and scientific facts in relationship to the bodies psychological and physiological response etc, in a high stress incident such as involving defensive shooting (not simply training but the real thing). Coming from a sciences background prior to my current employment, I can very much relate to this line of thinking.

Through my own personal training and practical experiences in training many tactical or combat style shooters I pretty much concur with Mr. Awerbuck on the one or two eyes open topic. Again without quoting him, I believe his stance is that if you can do it two eyes open, good for you. If not, so what. There are advantages and disadvantages to either one. I find it to be so much of a non-issue that I don't stress either or, but foster either method in a shooter and don't attempt to rigidly change them when it comes to this topic. I might have them try various methods, but in reality there are far far more important skills to be covered and this topic falls very low on a priority list. Almost non existent.

I also agree that all but the most highly trained individuals will have a very narrowing focus of their vision under high stress situations. The peripheral vision is narrowed so much that one eye or two eyes open is almost a non-factor especially when we are specifically threat focused, in other words we are actually viewing or tracking that threat. Our focus will narrow even more at the moment in time where we may need to pull the trigger. There are also some disadvantages to shooting two eyes open which can be exacerbated in an actual gunfight. Also as I mention above the amount of time that one may actually squint or close one eye is so small that the amount of peripheral vision or focus is not discernible for any practical purposes during those milliseconds in time.

So in other words the amount of time that a shooter may be squinting or closing one eye at the time they fire is for all practical purposes a non factor. All other times, two eyes are wide open. There are other better techniques to help someone get the blood flowing to their extremities and helping to train them to open up that tunnel vision and make us more aware of our surroundings and it is generally much more beneficial to spend time in these areas as opposed to worrying about two eyes open or not.

Again this is just my opinion and of course everyone's MMV.

 

[Sheepdog1968]

Surf, very well put.

 

[thorazine]

[X] Another vote for both eyes open.

 

[whalerman]

Handgun, longun, squirtgun, scoped, I always shoot both eyes open.

 

[Ankeny]

Surf is absolutely correct about the speed of vision and how a shooter can change his/her vision in milliseconds. He is also correct that vision is an individual thing and visual needs may vary depending on the shooting task.

These videos are old and may or may not play for you, but I'll offer them up in support of Surf's discussion.

Here is an example of a drill at 10 yards on generous sized targets with both eyes open. Both Eyes

Same shooter doing another drill at 10 yards with both eyes open for the first two shots, then left eye partly closed for the third shot to a smaller target. Two eyes then one eye.

And lastly, a drill I did with some props I built in the welding shop back when I shot with tape over the lens of my left eye to reduce fatigue from squinting or closing one eye. One eye from draw to finish.

I guess that brings us to:

Again without quoting him, I believe his stance is that if you can do it two eyes open, good for you. If not, so what.

True enough.

 

[asia331]

Hmm..never tried to close just one eye when frightened.
Both eyes open for me. Reckon if one is scared enough to draw.. those eyes will already be more than wide open...or maybe hard shut...but not likely anything in between.

 

[Ankeny]

Hmm..never tried to close just one eye when frightened.
Both eyes open for me. Reckon if one is scared enough to draw.. those eyes will already be more than wide open...or maybe hard shut...but not likely anything in between.

CQB, I would agree. However, I can think of situations that might call for a longer and/or tighter shot that would require an appropriate sight picture.

 

[whalerman]

I get a proper sight picture with both eyes open. ?

 

[Bovice]

There will be some parallax shift with both eyes open. At CQB distances, it won't matter. If you're trying to shoot wings off of a fly, it will matter.

 

[asia331]

CQB, I would agree. However, I can think of situations that might call for a longer and/or tighter shot that would require an appropriate sight picture.

I'll concede that Ankenny..fair enough point.

 

[Surf]

Common sense fellas. See what we need to see to get the appropriate hits. 3-5 yards on a human torso and we very well understand how the body and most shooters react in regards to how they sight their weapon, or more correctly the lack of actual use of the sights so the two eyes vs one eye is a moot point. Of course we are talking about when more precision under certain circumstances is needed. Again if I am slide indexing at 5-7 yards on a human torso, I am not needing a perfect aligned sight picture and have no need to squint an eye. Now ask me to take a shot on a partially exposed head on say a hostage type shot where I need to "see more" to make the shot, then I will squint an eye. Common sense fellas, and "see what we need to see" to make the hit. Again people who don't have these type of eye conditions have no clue what others might be dealing with in their vision and in reality the deficit is truly meaningless.

 

[1911 guy]

When I was a little kid and my Dad handed me a .22 rifle, I shouldered it and closed one eye, just like The Duke, Roy Rogers or Hopalong Cassidy would have done. He smacked me so hard on the back of the head it still hurts to think about it. I'm pretty sure he'd slipped on a pair of brass knuckles. That's what I told Mom, anyway. "If you ever need to use a rifle for real, not seeing what's around you will get you killed". Dad was an old Foreward Scout. I think I was around seven or eight.

Fast foreward to my own stint in the military. Dad was abso-freakin'-lutely right.

Same thing for a handgun. If you need it "for real", then you need to see what's going on around you. Period, full stop. If you're poking holes in paper, do whatever floats you boat. Now that my own son is getting to that age, I'll have to ask Dad where he put that set of knuckles...

 

[olafhardtB]

Over a period of time my vision changed and I could not hit squat. While plinking with my kitgun I noticed that I was focusing on the front sight with my left eye
and the rear sight with my right. I got a reasonable sight picture and was able to keep most of my shots on a sheet of paper. Closed my left eye and could shoot agian. My eyye doctor said this is the kind of thing eyes do.

 

[Doghandler]

Presbyopia is taking it's toll on me and has been for a few years. I wear contact lenses and can see 20/15 at distances past arms length. Within gun site range is pretty blurry without some sort of corrective lens to my strong eye. I do OK, though, at self defense ranges. I shoot enough to have confidence in my pointing abilities first and foremost. Sites are just icing on the cake.

I shoot with both eyes. I don't think I could even close my weak eye during an adrenaline rush.

 

[Deanimator]

I've tried to shoot with both eyes open. I just can't do it and after a certain point something gets to be more trouble than it's worth.

If you can do it, fine.

If not, it's no big deal. There are a LOT more important things to worry about.