Shooting with both eyes open

O

osbornk

New member
I spent most of my life shooting my guns with one eye closed. It was a hard habit to change but I learned to shoot my handguns with both eyes open. I find it works well and it makes me a better shot. However, I have a hard time shooting my rifles with both eyes open and find it impossible with my shotguns or my scoped rifles.

Any suggestions? I'm 69 and have shot long guns most of my life but didn't get into handguns until 5 or 6 years ago.
 
I've known quite a few people who just couldn't learn to shoot with both eyes open. I think that for most of them it was because they were dominant in their non shooting eye, and for that reason simply couldn't do it. However, you can shoot the handgun with both eyes open so I really can't think of any reason why you couldn't do so with a long gun. The same principles apply with both as far as looking at the sights and aiming. I think you're over thinking it and not just letting it happen. Spend some serious range time forcing yourself to do it and success will build confidence. Your brain will sort it out with practice. It's no difference than teaching yourself to do something left handed if you're a right handed person. It's called neural adaptation. Practice makes perfect. Good luck.
 
Both eyes open...even with aging eyes, I still shoot with both eyes open, handgun or long gun, scope or irons...it is just automatic, never think of closing one eye.
 
Old habits are hard to break. I don't see how anyone shoots a shotgun closing one eye. shotguns and and handguns seem to be the easiest to master. Rifles, especially with optics on them can be more difficult and unless you are trying to shoot fast or at moving targets keeping one eye open is less important.

As long as you've been shooting I don't think the benefits would be worth the effort to re-learn shooting a rifle with both eyes open. I'd advise a new shooter to develop those skills before they get into the habit. I really think you'll be a much better shotgunner if you work on using both eyes. That might be worth trying.
 
I have no problems shooting both eyes open on my strong side. Weak side, it can be a problem due to eye dominance as NoSecondBest mentioned. Red dots or holographic sights are a huge help in overcoming eye dominance issues to shoot with both eyes open. With magnified sights, good head position and a big eyebox don't hurt; but it is going to be tough.

With pistols, I usually just cheat and cant the pistol so I can use my dominant eye. I still have difficulties using irons with my non-dominant eye.
 
Some things to try: if your shooting eye for is your dominate eye try closeing the non-shooting eye for only a moment, think an exaggerated wink while looking through the scope. This is allows the shooting eye to focus enough to takeover and allow the non-shooting eye to relax.

If shooting eye is non-dominate eye try getting some flip open covers on the scope and position them so they open to the side where your dominate eye is. This helps block the view of the dominate eye allowing the non-dominate eye to take over also using the above mentioned exaggerated wink will can help here.
 
Learned to shoot by closing the non shooting eye, I do it automatically. Both eyes open, just too awkward.
 
I've tried to shoot with both eyes open numerous times - at trap as well as on the rifle and pistol range. For me it was a total waste of ammo. Can't teach this old dog new tricks, just too ingrained to close one eye. I am left eye dominant and shoot with my right eye, that 'could' have something to do with it. Anyhow, all efforts have been given up...
 
If cross dominate you have 2 options. Close the other eye or learn to shoot from the other side.

When my little brother was still in his teens we figured out he was left eye dominate and was right handed. He was really struggling to be a successful shot with any type of gun.

I convinced him to try shooting lefty. The 1st few times he was awful, but after a few shooting sessions began to master it and within a couple of months was shooting much better than before.

But he was a relatively new shooter in his teens. For someone in their 40's or older it is probably better to just keep doing it the same way.
 
I suspect I'm having more difficulty shooting long guns with both eyes open than handguns because I have shot long guns several decades longer than handguns. The weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow and I will have time to practice with my rifles and shotguns. I shoot mostly 22 and 12 gauge in my long guns. I have 2,500 rounds of 22LR and maybe 150 12 gauge shells (but Walmart is 4 miles away and they have plenty). I have the advantage of shooting in my yard and in the fields behind the house as well as my brother's farm 4 or 5 miles away.
 
I shoot iron sights, both handgun and long gun better with both eyes open, but have to place a piece of satin scotch tape over the glasses lens of my left eye, other wise I see two targets. To top it off, no matter which of the two targets I aim at, I don't hit anywhere near the actual target. I'm weird, I know. Using a scoped rifle, I close my left eye.
 
I've know a few folk that buy a pair of flip up sunglasses and tape the non shooting eye lens over and remove the lens over the shooting eye. This lets them go from two eyes to one eye quickly without removing their glasses.

I've also seen some target shooters mount a piece of cardboard on the rifle that blocks the non-shooting eye when they shoulder the rifle.
 
I was taught to close one eye when shooting rifles and pistols. By the time I got my first shotgun it was too late for me to use both eyes when shooting. I have a very hard time with birds due to my use of just one eye. I learned to use my shotguns for defense and the birs are pretty safe from me.
 
The mention or glasses in this thread got me to thinking. I wonder if my no-line bi-focals makes more of a difference with long guns than they do with handguns. When I first started making myself shoot with both eyes open with my handguns, it took me a while to adjust to them. They are no longer an issue. I wonder if trying to see the front sight at a farther distance could be part of the problem. The front sight on a long gun is kinda in the in between area between my close vision and my far vision.
 
This is a very frustrating thing for me. I try to do it, and it just doesn't work. Shoot mostly handguns and rarely rifles. Just can't seem to hit well with both eyes open. Something so ingrained and comfortable is hard to break.
 
I'm cross eye dominant or what ever . Right handed left eye dominant . I have no problem shooting rifle with both eyes open but don't really do it often . On the other hand shooting pistol with both eyes open is comical . I can fire once accurately but once the gun recoils I pretty much can't find the sights again . To be fare I just recently stated trying it And I'll try it more but it sure seems impossible .

I'm a rifle guy really and could use some instruction on hand gun shooting . Don't get me wrong , if I have time to line up my sights I shoot hand guns well . How ever if I had to shot fast in a SD HD type of thing . I'm sure I'd do OK but not sure you'd want to be anywhere behind the bad guy ;) I just don't get quick acquisition and It might have to do with my cross dominants but it's hard for me .
 
To late your over the hill and set in your ways. One eye open or both eyes closed so long as the bullet gets to where you want it? What more could you ask for.:D
 
I'm right-handed and left eye dominant. Fortunately, I learned this with my Dad's help over 60 years ago. He had me shoot my .22 left-handed and it was an instant improvement. Since then I have always shot long guns (and compound bows) left handed with both eyes open. I shoot handguns right-handed with both eyes open and my head turned, not tilted, very slightly to the left. I can't do anything else left-handed. I'm even afraid to pick up a cup of hot coffee left-handed.:)
 
I always shot with both eyes open with rifle, pistol and archery. A few years ago I went blind in my left eye do to cataracts. My shooting suffered. I had the surgery two months ago and now have 20/20 in both eyes and what an improvement it has made.

If you want to shoot with both eyes open a trick is to put some Scotch Tape over your non dominant eye. Then you can keep them both open but only see with your dominant eye.
 
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