Shooting with both eyes Open???

[GASPASSERDELUXE]

I recently started shooting with both eyes open. I am right eyed and also see two front sights when aiming. I use the right one and ignore the left. I don't look at the rear sight at all. This works quite well up to about 5-6 yard. Groups aren't what you would call tight but they are center of chest and center of head with no problem. after 5-6 yards things start to open up. One thing you have to be aware of is not letting your front sight start to elevate, that is keep the gun level which takes some practice without useing the rear and front sights together.







  

[Solus]

I just point at something across the room and alternately close one eye.  When my finger jumps, I am using my non-dominant eye.

[MikeBjerum]

Ksail,

What you have is very common, but there is no simple answer.  I fought with my eyes, and after I figured out that I really don't have a dominant eye I have learned to work with it.  My problem is that my weak eye tries to take over some days.  I may be tired or I may not be.

I learned that if my left eye starts taking over, many of the same issues you described, I don't close it completely.  I will just squint a little with that eye, and it will straighten out.  If I keep practicing that I have found that in competition or in defensive practice my mind takes over and does whatever it needs - friends watching tell me that my eyes will both stay open, one will squint or one will close completely.  I don't even know what I'm doing when under the stress of competition or practice.

More to come - I have a call I need to take

[Michael Janich]

It sounds like you may be cross dominant (as exciting as that may sound, it means you're right handed but your left eye takes priority in sighting) and that you are crossing your eyes when you shift your focal plane to the front sight. If you are shooting for recreational purposes, figure out which is your dominant eye, close the other one, and drive on. If you're a defensive shooter, try Jim Cirillo's Silhouette Point. Cover your sights with tape and stand about 5 yards from a target. Focus on the target (if necessary, write something on it in fat marker that allows you to maintain distant focus) and extend the gun into your line of vision. While maintaining your focus on the target, center the back of the slide on center mass of the target. Practice maintaining your distant focus with both eyes open and your gun should start to look transparent. One eye sees "around" the gun and the other (dominant) eye is aligned behind it. Your brain combines the images into a composite.

Under stress, your pupils naturally dilate to enhance your vision. With the wider pupil aperture, it may be impossible to shift your visual focus to your sights. Your natural inclination will be to look at the threat, so train to do that first. That should also help your vision issues.

Good luck!

Stay safe,

Mike

[Ksail101]

Thanks for all the info. 

Mr. Janich I will def give that a try. I know that under stress I am just like M58 I just get the job done with out focusing on what my eyes are doing. Most likely bugged out of my head and both Very open. LOL. Its more of a training focusing issue.

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[Rob Pincus]

As MJ pointed out, your brain and body do the work when it comes to Eye Dominance, it isn't something you really need to think about at all or "train specially" because of. The gun will be placed in front go the proper eye because it is dominant.  It matters for shotgun shooters using beads because the stock is attached to your face and only ONE eye can be properly aligned with the bore axis. Some people get confused about its relevance to pistol shooting and get too worked up over  the whole issue.

In regard to the bigger question of One Eye or Two Eyes open, here is the rule of thumb I give students:

If you CAN use your sights with both eyes open (as in you are focused on the front sight and you can be sure it is super-imposed over your target), you can probably take the shot without your sights and you may be wasting time trying to use them. An example is a chest shot at 7'... people don't need their sights to make that shot, but in a range environment it is very easy to do that both sighted and with both eyes open.
If, OTOH, you try to use your sights with both eyes open and when you focus on the front sight, your target turns into two separated target images and you really can't tell where it is THEN you should close an eye and align your sights properly. So, I recommend that sighted fire be done with one eye only to be most efficient.

Coming full circle, as long as your vision is pretty good in both eyes, it really doesn't matter which eye you use.. with the gun at extension you can use either to get proper sight picture/sight alignment.

In our APH Courses, we experiment with all of this and many people are often surprised at how much of a non-issue the eyes really are in plausible defensive shooting situations.

-RJP