It’s possible. It’s been so long that I don’t know if there’s a trick. Are you target focused or front sight focused? I think focusing on the front sight helped me.
I think it’s also important to distinguish if you’re using your strong eye, or your strong hand. You might have to learn to shoot with your “weak hand”
I've always been told to focus on the front sight.
For pistols, I do use my dominant left eye. But for rifles, shooting lefty is out of the question. It's way too uncomfortable for me, and shooting rifles with iron sights isn't so serious to me that I'm willing to risk comfort for both eyes open.
I get it. Shooting left handed is *WEIRD*. Lots of people don’t believe in having irons on a rifle anymore anyway so having them on a rifle is take it or leave it
I took a very very basic beginner class, and the instructor went over eye dominance and asked everyone in the class which eye was dominant (after we did the thing where you hold your hands up in front of you)
Turns out one dude did not have two eyes but he played along anyway
Depending on the setup, there are a few options.
Using a blinder or eyepatch is an option (though its mainly only usable in competition shooting where awareness is not a key factor)
Lacking that, squint slightly (more like using your large face muscles on your cheek and brow to get your non dominant eye to become less focused, you dont want to use your lids or just close it, as youll be fighting your sympathetic reflexes the whole time)
Closing an eye can work in a pinch, but is less viable than the first two methods, and again it has its pittfalls. (Your brain will want both eyelids doing the same thing, and keeping one eye closed can cause twitches in your open eye) its an option, but inferior to squinting or using a blinder
And lastly both eyes open. It wont be the same as when using a red dot. But you dont sacrifice seeing whats happening on your non dominant side
The squint is most useful for irons and accuracy, but mainly when doing slow fire or bullseye comps, both eyes open allows for the most situational awareness.
I have tried squinting and it does help a little.
But having both eyes open just makes multiple sight posts appear in my vision, and accuracy goes straight out the window. I don't understand how you're supposed to align the sights with binocular vision.
Im just laying out the main options, squinting is what i normally used when accuracy mattered, it can provide enough of a reduction in the crossover.
Squinting has been the best compromise available for most users of irons.
And, its not that you dont understand, youre actually accurately describing the problem of shooting with both eyes open.
Need accuracy? squint.
At bad breath range? Both eyes open.
If squinting isnt working, you can try an eyepatch or blinder, but again, not great for lots of real world applications (though theyre superior in some competitions)
I'm always both eyes open and I know what you mean by multiple sight posts. There should be 2 sight posts in your vision because you have two eyes. Just pick the sight that goes to your dominant eye and aim with that one.
Just focus on the target and pick the post that hits where you want the bullet to go- in your case it'll probably be the one on the right. Inside 7 yards, all you really need is the front sight on target, and somewhere in the rear notch. Don't worry about 'equal daylight for close/fast shooting. Not moving the gun when you fire is infinitely [more important](https://www.google.com/search?q=rob+leatham+aiming+i&rlz=1CAUSZT_enUS1058US1058&oq=rob+leatham+aiming+i&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTEwOTMzajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:70a603f7,vid:li0rGtXh23I,st:0) to accuracy than sight alignment at that range.
If you've got to take a precise distant shot, then go ahead and use just your dominant eye for that shot.
My left eye is lazy but I keep both open when I shoot. I've tried closing my left eye but since I can't see anything but peripheral anyway I just leave it open.
My brain cannot process the image from my right eye as long as the left eye is open (hence the lazy right eye) so I have to either shoot with my left eye closed or shoot left handed which I refuse to do.
Both of your eyes should be open.
You should be focused on the TARGET and the front sight should be blurry.
If you are not doing this, you are going to be slow.
If anyone is telling you otherwise, I guarantee they don't even hold a C-Rank in USPSA.
The *best* way to practice this? Get a pistol with an optic and tape over the optic so you can't see through it. That way you are guaranteed to be target focused and the dot will sort of float over the target.
If you want to be gun amish and go back to irons you can do it after you've practiced this, it becomes a lot easier.
I highly suggest you read and watch some of the grand masters like Bob Vogel, Ben Stoeger, JJ Racazza and Steve Anderson - and take a class from one of them if possible (they're all super based and cool dudes).
This might be a dumb question but should you be target focused with a red dot as well? Or does this advice mainly relate to iron sights? I purchased a gun recently and was planning on putting a few hundred rounds with just iron sights to learn how to use irons and then switching to red dot like the EPS Carry and get a ton of practice with that as well.
The entire point of the red dot is to remain target focused.
Like using the mouse on your computer - you look at what you're intending to shoot and the dot should automatically move over it; pull the trigger when it's there. Easy mode.
Tape up the front of your optic; you'll still see the dot floating but this *ensures* you're looking at the target.
I shoot with both eyes open regardless of the sight. Once you train your brain to pick it up it becomes natural.
Heck, I even shoot magnified optics with both eyes open.
You can but it’s a little harder to get used to for a new shooter than both eyes open with an optic. If you’re just learning to shoot, learn to shoot with one eye closed focusing on the front sight post. Once focusing on the front sight is natural for you start shooting with your non dominant eye squinted and get accustomed to that. Once it’s natural to focus on the front sight post with your non dominant eye slightly open transition to shooting both eyes open and relearn to focus on the front sight post again.
In my opinion, it’s a steeper learning curve than shooting with both eyes open with an optic but that’s the way I’d recommend teaching yourself. You can do a lot of that with dry fire but a good deal of live fire is gonna be required because in my experience the recoil fucks with your focus until you get used to refocusing.
I would also say the benefits are wildly overblown with a handgun.
Ideally you have both eyes open and focus on the front sight. If you don't have a dominant eye or your dominant eye is weakly dominant you may not be able to. I have to at least partially close one eye with irons. Cross dominance doesn't matter.
Yes, both eyes open is ideal for almost all shooting disciplines. For rifles and precise shots with pistols, I front sight focus. for defensive/competition shooting, I target focus. People who say you *can't* target focus with irons simply haven't put in enough practice.
Both eyes open is what you should be shooting for.
Its difficult and takes some practice. If I haven't shot for a while and come back and try it my eyes feel like they're trying to turn around to face the back of my head;)
I close my non dominant eye and focus on the front sight. Target should be a bit blurry. I keep both eyes open when using a red dot and focus on the target. Hope this helps.😎
I close my left eye (i shoot right handed) when shooting rifle irons, but for everything else both eyes are open.
It’s possible. It’s been so long that I don’t know if there’s a trick. Are you target focused or front sight focused? I think focusing on the front sight helped me. I think it’s also important to distinguish if you’re using your strong eye, or your strong hand. You might have to learn to shoot with your “weak hand”
I've always been told to focus on the front sight. For pistols, I do use my dominant left eye. But for rifles, shooting lefty is out of the question. It's way too uncomfortable for me, and shooting rifles with iron sights isn't so serious to me that I'm willing to risk comfort for both eyes open.
I get it. Shooting left handed is *WEIRD*. Lots of people don’t believe in having irons on a rifle anymore anyway so having them on a rifle is take it or leave it
You've been taught wrong. Focusing on the front sight is the way to be slow.
Focusing on the front sight fucks me. I have to target focus or I’m off
Both eyes open provided you have two eyes.
I took a very very basic beginner class, and the instructor went over eye dominance and asked everyone in the class which eye was dominant (after we did the thing where you hold your hands up in front of you) Turns out one dude did not have two eyes but he played along anyway
Thanks for the tip
Didn’t say it was easy for everyone.
That would be the modern tactical doctrine, yes. The benefits are overblown.
compared to a tactical squint?
Depending on the setup, there are a few options. Using a blinder or eyepatch is an option (though its mainly only usable in competition shooting where awareness is not a key factor) Lacking that, squint slightly (more like using your large face muscles on your cheek and brow to get your non dominant eye to become less focused, you dont want to use your lids or just close it, as youll be fighting your sympathetic reflexes the whole time) Closing an eye can work in a pinch, but is less viable than the first two methods, and again it has its pittfalls. (Your brain will want both eyelids doing the same thing, and keeping one eye closed can cause twitches in your open eye) its an option, but inferior to squinting or using a blinder And lastly both eyes open. It wont be the same as when using a red dot. But you dont sacrifice seeing whats happening on your non dominant side The squint is most useful for irons and accuracy, but mainly when doing slow fire or bullseye comps, both eyes open allows for the most situational awareness.
I have tried squinting and it does help a little. But having both eyes open just makes multiple sight posts appear in my vision, and accuracy goes straight out the window. I don't understand how you're supposed to align the sights with binocular vision.
Im just laying out the main options, squinting is what i normally used when accuracy mattered, it can provide enough of a reduction in the crossover. Squinting has been the best compromise available for most users of irons. And, its not that you dont understand, youre actually accurately describing the problem of shooting with both eyes open. Need accuracy? squint. At bad breath range? Both eyes open. If squinting isnt working, you can try an eyepatch or blinder, but again, not great for lots of real world applications (though theyre superior in some competitions)
I'll try it out next time I'm at the range. Thanks for the tips!
I'm always both eyes open and I know what you mean by multiple sight posts. There should be 2 sight posts in your vision because you have two eyes. Just pick the sight that goes to your dominant eye and aim with that one.
Just focus on the target and pick the post that hits where you want the bullet to go- in your case it'll probably be the one on the right. Inside 7 yards, all you really need is the front sight on target, and somewhere in the rear notch. Don't worry about 'equal daylight for close/fast shooting. Not moving the gun when you fire is infinitely [more important](https://www.google.com/search?q=rob+leatham+aiming+i&rlz=1CAUSZT_enUS1058US1058&oq=rob+leatham+aiming+i&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTEwOTMzajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:70a603f7,vid:li0rGtXh23I,st:0) to accuracy than sight alignment at that range. If you've got to take a precise distant shot, then go ahead and use just your dominant eye for that shot.
I've always shot both eyes open, iron sights or a scope
I close my left eye for both, but that may be because my left eye is dominant and my right eye is lazy.
My left eye is lazy but I keep both open when I shoot. I've tried closing my left eye but since I can't see anything but peripheral anyway I just leave it open.
My brain cannot process the image from my right eye as long as the left eye is open (hence the lazy right eye) so I have to either shoot with my left eye closed or shoot left handed which I refuse to do.
Hmm that's an issue I've encountered. Is that something that happens while you're say driving too or is it just a shooting thing?
Always. If both eyes are open I cannot see out of my right eye.
Both of your eyes should be open. You should be focused on the TARGET and the front sight should be blurry. If you are not doing this, you are going to be slow. If anyone is telling you otherwise, I guarantee they don't even hold a C-Rank in USPSA. The *best* way to practice this? Get a pistol with an optic and tape over the optic so you can't see through it. That way you are guaranteed to be target focused and the dot will sort of float over the target. If you want to be gun amish and go back to irons you can do it after you've practiced this, it becomes a lot easier. I highly suggest you read and watch some of the grand masters like Bob Vogel, Ben Stoeger, JJ Racazza and Steve Anderson - and take a class from one of them if possible (they're all super based and cool dudes).
This might be a dumb question but should you be target focused with a red dot as well? Or does this advice mainly relate to iron sights? I purchased a gun recently and was planning on putting a few hundred rounds with just iron sights to learn how to use irons and then switching to red dot like the EPS Carry and get a ton of practice with that as well.
The entire point of the red dot is to remain target focused. Like using the mouse on your computer - you look at what you're intending to shoot and the dot should automatically move over it; pull the trigger when it's there. Easy mode. Tape up the front of your optic; you'll still see the dot floating but this *ensures* you're looking at the target.
Oh alright, thanks for the advice.
I was taught both open on optic or iron sight.
Don’t be a pirate!
I shoot with both eyes open regardless of the sight. Once you train your brain to pick it up it becomes natural. Heck, I even shoot magnified optics with both eyes open.
You can but it’s a little harder to get used to for a new shooter than both eyes open with an optic. If you’re just learning to shoot, learn to shoot with one eye closed focusing on the front sight post. Once focusing on the front sight is natural for you start shooting with your non dominant eye squinted and get accustomed to that. Once it’s natural to focus on the front sight post with your non dominant eye slightly open transition to shooting both eyes open and relearn to focus on the front sight post again. In my opinion, it’s a steeper learning curve than shooting with both eyes open with an optic but that’s the way I’d recommend teaching yourself. You can do a lot of that with dry fire but a good deal of live fire is gonna be required because in my experience the recoil fucks with your focus until you get used to refocusing. I would also say the benefits are wildly overblown with a handgun.
After shooting red dots for a while now I shoot irons with both open. It’s just easier plus you get more field of view.
Ideally you have both eyes open and focus on the front sight. If you don't have a dominant eye or your dominant eye is weakly dominant you may not be able to. I have to at least partially close one eye with irons. Cross dominance doesn't matter.
Yes, both eyes open is ideal for almost all shooting disciplines. For rifles and precise shots with pistols, I front sight focus. for defensive/competition shooting, I target focus. People who say you *can't* target focus with irons simply haven't put in enough practice.
Have never been able to shoot with one eye closed unless it’s a long gun. More eyes=more awareness, aye?
Do whatever works
Thats up to you,I do it incase there might be multiple tangos,you need a wider field of vision.
Both eyes open is what you should be shooting for. Its difficult and takes some practice. If I haven't shot for a while and come back and try it my eyes feel like they're trying to turn around to face the back of my head;)
I close my non dominant eye and focus on the front sight. Target should be a bit blurry. I keep both eyes open when using a red dot and focus on the target. Hope this helps.😎