Eyes open or closed??

After 43 years of shooting with one closed I find that comes natural to me, trying to shoot with both eyes open is very awkward and unnatural. Closing the non shooting in a relaxed fashion-not like you have lemon juice in it-is part of proper form IMHO.
 
Both eyes open. Force yourself until you got it down. Don't over-train for it, 5-10 minutes/day will get you adjusted over a fairly short amount of time.
 
I guess I'm a little weird. I can use scopes and red-dots with both eyes open pretty easily, but I really have trouble with irons. Scopes give a different image, so I can tune out my non-dominant eye fairly easily. When both eyes get similar images, I wind up getting a double set of sights quite often...
 
For many it's difficult to shoot "accurately" using irons sights with both eyes open. But we have to define accurately. For me accuracy means precision and precision has nothing to do with SD/HD shooting. Let's face it, COM at 7-10 yards? A half blind monkey could do that with both eyes open and practice.

Now if you're talking a 2" target at 25 yards it's a whole different ball game. That, for many, is where keeping both eye's open becomes problematic. IME, not many shooters can do that with an iron sighted handgun with both eyes open due to vision issues. If I had to guess I'd say that most of the shooters that say they always shoot a handgun with both eyes open never shoot at a target smaller than a paper plate at close to moderate distances. Some do, but not most. For most it's not possible.

One thing to remember is that HD/SD shooting is not the only use OR the most popular use for handguns. Target shooting, plinkin and hunting are far more popular and everyday uses for handguns. SD/HD types tend to forget this. You want to know the last time I was at a range and saw someone shooting a human silhouette target? Never. So just becasue a SD instructor teachs both eyes open doesn't mean it applies to all shooters. As a matter of fact it doesn't apply to most shooters.

LK
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As a bullseye, olympic airpistol and free pistol shooter, I have to disagree. It is standard procedure to keep both eyes open in all precision disciplines.
Many people however use a blinder on their non dominant eye, however I shoot both eyes open with no blinder.

There is a lot of miss information on this thread. In the end, for most people (noncompetitive shooters) it doesn't really matter what you do, but ideally these are the conditions:

Both eyes open
Front sight in focus
rear sight and target blurry

Special shooting glasses are available to restrain focus to only the front sight, not allowing you to focus on the target at all.
It's common for people to have trouble seeing the front sight with both eyes open. An easy solution is to put a piece of frosted scotch tape on the non dominant eye of your shooting glasses.
 
It's common for people to have trouble seeing the front sight with both eyes open.
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I find this interesting as to why? I am wondering if such individuals are making the mistake of keeping the weapon "between the eyes" vs putting the sights in line with one eye (the dominant one).

Now, given that some of us suffer from cross dominance (as do I), the techniques to achieve such alignment may vary. But, closing one eye, while simple to do, is not ideal in most cases.

Of course, "finding the front sight," to me, is subordinate to establishing proper alignment; after all, if you are not aligning the sights properly, underneath a specific eye, then how can you truly "focus" on either sight? Rather, it seems to me, that "finding the front sight" deals more with mental focus and practice... after having dealt with the whole "picking an eye" issue.

With handguns, even though I am cross dominant, I have no real issue regarding the sights. My problems come when shooting long guns. This takes a bit more creativity on my part...so it would seem.
 
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Keep them open

I shoot all guns pistols, revolvers, rifles scoped or not with both eyes open, it might take a little practice if you were not taught the correct way to begin with. The end result is worth it, and then you will too will look at the one eye open shooters with a smurk.:D
 
If you cannot see the front sight or see two front sights then you are not looking at the front sight but bull gazing. You are focused halfway between the target and the sight in an effort to see both and it is a terrible habit to try and break, (ask me how I know). If you stick your thumb in the air and can see your thumbnail you can see your front sight. Really.

Blank piece of paper on the wall at shoulder height. Thin line black pen make a small 1" cross in the middle of the paper. Hold chosen weapon with iron sights, preferably with snap caps installed and not live ammo or you will really upset somebody. Put muzzle half an inch from the paper, center the front sight post on the vertical line and the top of the sight post just under the horizontal line. Now you have to look at your front sight. Dry fire till you get 10 perfect shots. You are training yourself to look at the front sight and developing perfect trigger control all at the same time because I will by golly by gosh guarantee you that if you jerk, heel. grab, yank push, or anticipate the shot in anyway the sight will move off your cross and it will be so obvious.

If you can see the front sight here you can see it in the field or on the range. If both eyes are functional take advantage of it and use them both.
 
eyes

I was taught to shoot with one eye closed. I took a training class and the instructor suggested to try it with both eyes open. I have not shut one since.
 
both

I agree both eyes should be open. It might take some getting used to for some people. I have no problems shooting with both open and it gives you a better field of view and the target. Thats me though, I would say give both eyes open a try for a while and if you pick it up great, if not stick to one eye.
 
Both eyes open, but you will have to "teach" your brain to ignore the image from the non sighting eye. All you have to do is relax and don't force it. And as another poster said, if you do it right the front sight will appear semi transparent, you will see through the sight and focus on the bullseye. Practice during your daily routine using your finger as the front sight and hold it at arm's length on a "target" like a street sign or a traffic light until you can see through your finger. I know this sounds impossible but it really does work. I have tried to teach a lot of shooters and some got it quickly and some never mastered it. Closing one eye puts a strain on the open eye. Practice.
 
Handguns should be shot both eyes open as they train in the military and police. Rifles I've always closed my non dominant eye or worn an eyepatch or blinder to avoid the squinting that comes with closing one eyes. When I shot competitive rifle I saw a vast improvement when I started using a blinder rather than closing my left eye.
 
I started shooting when I was 5 years old and it took me years to learn how to keep both eyes open.
Now at 60, its no problem at all, I'm blind in my left eye.
 
My initial experiences with rifle and handgun were years and years ago - like, maybe, forty years ago. Then for twenty-five years, my only shooting was with an over/under shotgun with a made to measure stock (drop at comb, drop at heel, off set, and cant) at woodcock, ruffed grouse and skeet targets.

Now that I'm not living in the same place and don't have access to that kind of hunting - and for personal defense - my only focus is no handguns.

If I "aim" a handgun and squint my left eye closed, I don't hit much. But if I keep both eyes open and look THROUGH the sights AT the target . . . then I'm not too shabby. I'm too old to care about changing that now.
 
easy tip

I started shooting at 55 about 5 years ago.

Came to this sight and about my 2nd visit, there was a similar thread.

The tip I learned was to use a small piece of scotch tape on your eye glasses or saftey glasses in your line of vision on your non-dominate eye. This is just enough disruption for your brain to remove the duplicate sight picture. Gradually reduce the size of the tape and eventually you will be shooting with both eyes open naturally without the tape. Don't keep using the tape.

If you relapse, go back to the tape, but do not shoot with one eye shut.

Shootsafe
 
I've tried and tried and tried to shoot both eyes open, but I can't do it. My wife does it all the time. My eyesight is the same in both eyes, and I don't seem to have a true dominant. I think that might be my issue. I don't know. Sometimes when I'm really in the zone, I can get away with squinting the off eye.
 
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