How do YOU shoot?

[Rotnguns]

Right-handed, right-eye dominant. Left eye closed for rifle, both eyes open for handgun and shotgun.

 

[rookieforever33]

Right handed left eye dominant. Shoot right handed with left eye closed or squinted except fast shotgunning. No way I can shoot anything left handed. No ambidextrous at all

 

[Rich M]

It depends on what I'm doing - hunting is usually both eyes open, target or longer ranges than normal, will shut one eye.

On wing shooting, an incoming bird crossing overhead is my hardest shot to make cause my eye dominance switches if i forget to close one eye.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Your eyes should be open, both of them, no matter what you're shooting.

For what reason? Not everybody's vision is the same. For some people it's more beneficial one way than the other.

 

[EastHumboldt]

Your eyes should be open, both of them, no matter what you're shooting.

Are you cross eye dominant? It makes it difficult having bothe eyes open on the scope because the dominant eye doesn’t want to see the sight picture. It wants to see the scenery.

 

[Jsmalls273]

Right handed and right eye dominate. I shoot both eyes open for everything... bow, pistol, open sight and scoped rifle. Just always have, guess that's how my dad taught me.

Sent from my SM-S921U using Tapatalk

 

[Stearinlys]

Has anyone come across, or developed any exercises that have helped being able to shoot with both open? Maybe its as easy as just time with the rifle focusing on the sight picture dry firing? Maybe even close eyes, open and acquire a clear reticle picture on target and repeat if successful or wait until it does? Maybe start with closed eye, move to squinting, then gradually squint less until its full open? Curious to see if anyone has deliberately worked on that, sounds like some of you have.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Has anyone come across, or developed any exercises that have helped being able to shoot with both open? Maybe its as easy as just time with the rifle focusing on the sight picture dry firing? Maybe even close eyes, open and acquire a clear reticle picture on target and repeat if successful or wait until it does? Maybe start with closed eye, move to squinting, then gradually squint less until its full open? Curious to see if anyone has deliberately worked on that, sounds like some of you have.

For me, it was just understanding the dynamics and practicing. I'm fortunate to not have an overly dominant eye so I can switch focus if needed. Something I don't understand is traditional things like "focus on the front sight" when pistol shooting. If I close one eye, sure. If I do that with both eyes open I see two unfocused targets downrange. If I focus on the target I see two unfocused pistols yielded out in front of me. So if I'm shooting with both eyes open right handed I line up the unfocused sights of the left barrel. If I'm shooting left handed I line up the right. Same with shotguns, I focus on the pigeon and lead with the opposite unfocused barrel of the shooting eye.

Apparently not everybody sees this way, or I'm terrible at conveying it. To me it makes sense that it's some sort of concept similar to parallax where you have 2 eyes that are registering peripheral vision that will change depending on focus. I can make sure of which one to aim with by closing the non shooting eye, if that makes sense.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Has anyone come across, or developed any exercises that have helped being able to shoot with both open? Maybe its as easy as just time with the rifle focusing on the sight picture dry firing? Maybe even close eyes, open and acquire a clear reticle picture on target and repeat if successful or wait until it does? Maybe start with closed eye, move to squinting, then gradually squint less until its full open? Curious to see if anyone has deliberately worked on that, sounds like some of you have.

Yea I wouldnt put that much thought into it. Just do it.

Just like with handgun or a shotgun. Eyes on target, bring the gun into the mix and letter go..

 

[Sinistram]

For what reason? Not everybody's vision is the same. For some people it's more beneficial one way than the other.

Good question. A couple practical reasons:

• You don't get fatigued by squinting one eye. Much more natural to have both open.
• You gain better peripheral or situational awareness (e.g. another animal steps out from cover while you're scoped on the first)
• Allows better visibility & acquisition following the shot, as the other eye isn't worried about moving from behind a rifle, now, etc.

Are you cross eye dominant? It makes it difficult having bothe eyes open on the scope because the dominant eye doesn’t want to see the sight picture. It wants to see the scenery.

Nope, just regular dominant hand and eye. The problem you illustrate is valid only if you haven't trained or practiced shifting focus between eyes. It was weird when I started doing it, but after a few trips to the range and dry firing, it got easier to the point where it's second nature now.

 

[Stearinlys]

... It was weird when I started doing it, but after a few trips to the range and dry firing, it got easier to the point where it's second nature now.

Any insights on to what you did to train that?

 

[cornfedkiller]

For me, it was just understanding the dynamics and practicing. I'm fortunate to not have an overly dominant eye so I can switch focus if needed. Something I don't understand is traditional things like "focus on the front sight" when pistol shooting. If I close one eye, sure. If I do that with both eyes open I see two unfocused targets downrange. If I focus on the target I see two unfocused pistols yielded out in front of me. So if I'm shooting with both eyes open right handed I line up the unfocused sights of the left barrel. If I'm shooting left handed I line up the right. Same with shotguns, I focus on the pigeon and lead with the opposite unfocused barrel of the shooting eye.

Apparently not everybody sees this way, or I'm terrible at conveying it. To me it makes sense that it's some sort of concept similar to parallax where you have 2 eyes that are registering peripheral vision that will change depending on focus. I can make sure of which one to aim with by closing the non shooting eye, if that makes sense.

I know exactly what you are saying because that's exactly how it is for me as well, but with archery (rarely shoot a pistol). I focus on my target downrange, which means I see two sets of pins, and as long as I use the left set of pins, I'm good. I've had this conversation with several of my friends and wife and they have no idea what I'm talking about..

Only ever been a problem once, and this exact scenario happened, but on a whitetail that was damn near directly underneath me, and I clean missed.

Used to shoot both eyes open on archery until a couple years ago. Set up on a trail to a waterhole where we had seen a good bull earlier in the day. Bull comes walking up the trail right at dusk and stopped broadside at 18 yds. Drew back and settled the pin right in the V. Touched off release and watched arrow perforate him more than a foot back through liver and guts. Had a WTF moment and felt sick. In my excitement I had my left eye take over and wasn't on the peep but used by left eye throwing my arrow off more than a foot. Eventually recovered the bull but was an absolute sh*t show. I'd been shooting both eyes all summer with no issues but not doing that again.

Now that I've had it happen, I'm usually conscious of it, but in high-pressure situations like that, I will take a long wink or two with my left eye to make sure I'm using the right "set" of pins.

 

[Sinistram]

Any insights on to what you did to train that?

I think the best way to get started with this would be to take your normal setup (scope, bow pins, whatever) and take a bead on something with both eyes OPEN but with your non-dominant eye COVERED. Helps if you have the weapon secured so you don't need to use your hands. You can also do this with a spotting scope or just sitting in a chair looking at something across the room.

Gradually, and for increasing periods of time, uncover your off eye while trying to maintain focus with the dominant eye. It allows you to stop squinting, and you gradually learn to be able to shift focus from one eye to the other.

Trying to figure out a way to articulate this constructively. If you try the above, you'll start to see what I mean.

 

[butcherboy]

I tried shooting once with both eyes open for rifles and archery. Couldn’t do it. Felt very unnatural for me. I couldn’t focus on anything. Target or sights. I close my left and I can put that crosshair or sight pin right on the spot.