Shooting with both eyes open

[dak0ta]

Hi guys,

I am left handed and right eye dominant. Since I started out I've been shooting left handed and left eye. Didn't really notice any difference in accuracy. However, starting archery, the coach wanted me to shoot righty and use my dominant right eye.

So I tried to switch shooting guns to right handed, right eye. Obviously my right side is weaker and shouldering the stocks feel awkward, but I'm getting used to it. However, with the eye dominance, I don't really notice much in terms what I'm looking at and aiming. Especially with both eyes, I get sort of a blurry image from both eyes. Is that what aiming with both eyes looks like? For example, looking down the rib of my shotgun, I see the image from my right eye looking down the beads, but get a second image from the left eye that is looking at the side of the gun.

Any tips on what exactly to focus on when using both eyes? Also, am I supposed to see a dramatic increase in accuracy?

 

[DefiantDad]

I don't know how it works for cross dominant but I am RH RD and although both my eyes are open and my left eye (presumably) sees something, I have learned to totally ignore the left eye so that I only have 2D vision, looking at the target, lining up the sights, then focusing on the front sight, all with my dominant right eye.

You don't have to be at the range to practice isolating your attention span on your eyes; I do it all the time even when reading a book, etc. and you can just learn to put your brain in a mode that ignores the vision from the other eye.

The physics key to this is that you use 2D vision to eliminate parallax, etc. from 3D vision.

 

[afrederick]

Both eyes is definitely the way to go. It is weird at first but when I switched from one eye to both with handguns, after a few weeks I was shooting signifigantly faster and more accurately.

As for the shotguns, I am also cross dominant (with the pistols it doesn't really matter since you don't have to shoulder it). The first time my uncle took me to shoot clays I shot lefty. I missed every single clay. Finally, after missing 20 or so my uncle had me do the eye dominancy test and I found out I was right eye dominant. I switched the gun to my other shoulder and immediately hit 4 of the next 5.

 

[doc2rn]

As an ambidextrous person I felt like I should chime in. I shoot rifle right handed and pistol left handed. I do not have a dominence issue because I can write with both hands equally and shoot roughly the same. For me its a matter of comfort,YMMV. Since you asked, you should see some improvement ~ 20% is the norm. Shooting with both eyes open is great for shotgun not so much for Long range rifle shooting. Some people like to hold the handgun dead center of the body and focus on the front sight for alternate side dominance. I usually tell people to train the eye you want with an eye patch or put tape on your shooting glasses.

 

[needmorecowbell]

I'm right handed,but left I dominant. I too see double when leaving both eyes open. I tried for a bit to shoot handgun with both open and just shot the object to the left which is what I was lined up to. Never really felt comfortable with so for now am shooting with my left eye closed even though it's dominant. I'm curious for those cross dominant and shooting with both open, did your vision in time adjust to where you only see the 1 object or did you just get used to seeing both.

 

[basicblur]

You'll have to experiment and see what works for you.
Listening to 'conventional' wisdom AFA both eyes open etc. is always a good idea, but at some point you may just have to go your own way despite some folks' repeated insistence that individuality will not be tolerated!

Like yourself, I am cross-dominant, but I have the added 'gift' of the dominant eye changing day to day (minute to minute?) due to varying eye pressure in my dominant eye. Shooting with one eye, you just never know which eye I'll use (it seems to be instinctive, depending on which eye is sharper at the moment), but I'm always on target. If I'm trying to shoot with both eyes open, I have no confidence in putting a rapid first shot on target, as the parallax / double vision drives me batty.

I probably am able to shoot with both eyes open after the initial shot where I lock in on the target with today's 'best' eye (other one closed), but if I have to shift my vision for any reason, I'm not confident when I get back on target that my aim has not shifted and is being affected by the other eye.

If I didn't have the varying pressure (changing the eye's acuity) problem, I'm sure I could train myself to shoot with both eyes open, but as long as the dominant eye is constantly changing, it looks like shooting with both eyes open is just not in the cards for me.

 

[doubleh]

I can't shoot with both eyes open. I had a sever injury years ago. Massive blowout fracture to my left side. The super duper eye specialist wasn't so super duper and I am stuck with double vision. My insurance company and I spent a bunch of money trying to repair his screwup to no avail so I do the one eye thing. At least I can just close my left eye now and things are good. For several years after the accident I had to use an eyepatch to do any good with iron sights. That was before I needed glasses. Now prescription is everything.

Before the accident I could shoot either way, both or one, equally well, or maybe equally bad.

 

[coolluke01]

I am right handed and left eye dominate. I used to just close the left eye when shooting. After learning of the benefits of both eyes open shooting I started to try and learn to change the way I shoot.

At first it was very frustrating and seemed impossible. I finally learned that if I just squinted my left eye my right eye would take over. This helped a great deal. I didn't feel that cocking my head to the side or holding the weapon over more on the left side of my body were proper ways to shoot. I believe that it can be learned to shoot with a non dominate eye. At least it was for me. With much practice I can now shoot with both eyes open and use my right eye to aim with.

I just did a little test in a mirror to see exactly how I do it. I simply line up the gun with my right eye and I'm able to focus with my right eye on the sights while the left eye is still open.

One thing that I found out tonight. After bringing up the gun in the mirror a few times I decided to test and see if my left eye was still really that dominate. I did a few of the different tests that determine eye dominance. I like the one where you focus on an object on the wall and then bring a finger up to line up with that object. Holding the finger still I close my right eye. If the finger still lines up it shows you are left eye dominate. Close the left eye and if the finger no longer lines up you have confirmed that you are left eye dominate. The reverse will be true for right eye dominance. Anyway, I am still very much left eye dominant. I then took the handgun and brought it up to line of sight in the mirror. I had to shift my head or squint one eye to shift the focus to my right eye. It took a few time of raising the gun before my learned behavior returned.

I believe that consistent practice will yield the results you desire. Shifting back and forth will not allow you to train you non dominate eye to take over when you want it too. As with anything learn proper technique and then practice to apply that technique. Don't take the easy way by changing good technique to fit your conditions. But that's just my opinion.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
George Bernard Shaw,

Sometimes being unreasonable and changing the world is good. Other times the reasonable approach of changing the things we can (ourselves) is more productive and helpful.

 

[wkumatt]

Maybe I need to re-dedicate myself to learning this.

I'm another right handed / left eyed person. Because my pa taught me how to shoot and maybe because he was a former Master Sergeant he made me line up the firearms exactly the way he did. Essentially I was forced to learn to shoot right eyed. I've always shut my left eye for hand guns and rifles. Strangely I can shoot a bow with pin sights okay with both open.

In the last few years I've been getting worse and worse shooting rifles consistently (especially iron sights), handguns have remained fine. I went an eye doc assuming I needed glasses. She stated my vision is nearly perfect with the exception of some scars on my corneas. I scarred one in my teens when a weed eater picked up a rock and tore one, the years later a table saw slung a wood chip and tore the other. I'm religious with safety glasses now but its too late.

I think what's happening is now that I'm getting older my right eye is getting tired when I've been shooting for a while. I wonder if I could master this both eyes stuff if it would improve my rifle shooting.

Thanks for starting this great thread OP. I didn't mean to hijack it but you really hit on something that had been bugging me lately.

Sent from my PB99400 using Tapatalk 2

 

[dak0ta]

No problem! It's nice to get the input from everybody. It seems doable if you're conscious at it at first. Eventually it becomes second-nature.

 

[hang fire]

I am left eye dominate and shoot LH with long guns. With a bow I definitely have to use a LH one, otherwise POI is way off target.

Over the years best thing I have found about both eyes open, is to keep eyes on target and the gun sights seem to automatically come up on said target. This I find especially true for scout scope and aperture sights.

 

[brboyer]

For me -RH/RE, left eye 'focuses' on the target, right eye on the front sight for handguns & iron sighted rifles, pin for bow, target for cross-hair or red dots.

Years ago my ophthalmologist told there was a phenomenon called something like Selective Visual Attention that our brains use to direct 'primary' attention to whichever eye 'needs' it. After a little conditioning (training) you can consciously do it and it is instantaneous because you are not moving any muscles, it's simply the brain paying more attention to one eye over the other.

After getting my exam I went to the optometrist on-site, brought in my handgun, she took my written prescription and worked with me to design custom Monovision lenses: Left eye focal length at normal distance and the right focal length to a distance where my front sight is normally at.

Then I could focus my left eye on the target and my right eye on the front sight and 'select' which eye to pay attention to when needed. Since the front sight was now completely blurry in my left eye, and the target blurred out in my right, it was very easy to let each eye look at what I wanted them to do and let the brain blend it all together. Plus I do not see double images this way.

Kind of interesting pulling out a pistol at the doctor's office at pointing it at the eye chart while looking through the phoropter .

Of course we all talked about it during the initial exam so everyone was on board and comfortable with what we were attempting to do. The optometrist told me her husband was a LEO so she was comfortable around guns.

I showed her my CWFL just to ease her mind and of course I showed her the pistol was unloaded and clear. Took about a hour to test all the various focal lengths...She said she finally had an interesting story to tell her husband about work!

 

[dak0ta]

There's something attractive about a smart, educated woman that is comfortable around guns and is willing to work with them. Her husband must be a lucky guy!

 

[DefiantDad]

Other married guys can chime in but I can imagine a situation one day when my "smart, educated woman that is comfortable around guns" could say, "Why are you looking to buy a .45 ACP? Our 9mm guns are fine. There is no difference between the 9mm and the .45 ACP. And we don't need a 9mm carbine. Stop wasting money and go take out the trash."

;-)

 

[dak0ta]

Lol! Touche!

 

[hang fire]

Other married guys can chime in but I can imagine a situation one day when my "smart, educated woman that is comfortable around guns" could say, "Why are you looking to buy a .45 ACP? Our 9mm guns are fine. There is no difference between the 9mm and the .45 ACP. And we don't need a 9mm carbine. Stop wasting money and go take out the trash."

;-)

LOL. My 71 year old wife for 50 years, is the exact opposite. She is hung up on Bersa Model 85's. Presently has three and looking for more.

Every time I ask her why, she says they are an investment. Hate it when my words are flung back in my face. She also has more guns than I do, but as she sleeps with a Taurus Judge under her pillow, I keep my remonstrations to a minimum.

 

[DefiantDad]

LOL. My 71 year old wife for 50 years, is the exact opposite. She is hung up on Bersa Model 85's. Presently has three and looking for more.

Every time I ask her why, she says they are an investment. Hate it when my words are flung back in my face. She also has more guns than I do, but as she sleeps with a Taurus Judge under her pillow, I keep my remonstrations to a minimum.

Hahaha, love it.

 

[jmr40]

My younger brother had the same problem. He started shooting right handed before figuring out he was left eye dominate. It will take a while, but you WILL become a better shooter after you master shooting from the same side as your dominate eye. My brother did struggle some at first and was tempted to just close one eye. But the persistence paid off and he is now a better shot than he could have ever managed while trying to struggle with one eye open or shooting from the wrong side.

Dry firing is you friend. You will never be able to afford enough ammo to learn how to shoot well. Especially having to re-learn how to shoot from the other side.

 

[303tom]

I always shoot with both eyes open, unless I am using a scope...............

 

[dak0ta]

Well guys, since last week I've been practicing shouldering the weapon on my right side and using both eyes. I'm more consistently getting the butt stock in the pocket of my shoulder now, my arms aren't fatiguing as much, and the swing is smoother. Most of the time now, my right eye will dominate in both eyes open, still need to work on that. I practiced combat reloads, speed reloading, slug changeover drills to get my hands and fingers used to shooting right. And it worked! I feel like I'm right handed now when operating my Mossberg. It's a crazy sensation. Left hand feels a little weird now. I told myself that everytime I handle a gun now, I reach for it with my RIGHT hand. It was hard at first because I would pick the gun up with my left hand and then realize that and switch orientation. But now it's more instinctive. So yes, with a week's practice you can get used to shooting with your opposite shoulder. Also, I realize that I can tap into all the wonderful accessories that Righty's have designed for them, and use them how they were designed ergonomically. Side saddles are so much easier to use now and reload.