One eye or both?

[skipsfirearms]

I am right eye dominant but keep both eyes open when I shoot. I started learning the "Both Eyes Open" technique by partially closing my left eye. Soon I was able to keep it completely open and my shooting did improve. But if you shoot well one way or the other, then you should probably develop the skill that works for you.

[Guest Fuel]

OK, this will sound stupid but how do you shoot a pistol with both eyes open? I've always shot with one eye closed. When I try aiming down the barrel with both eyes open everything gets fuzzy. With one eye closed I can get everything in focus, with two eyes it's just a blurry mess. I must be missing something.

[Guest Hyaloid]

OK, this will sound stupid but how do you shoot a pistol with both eyes open? I've always shot with one eye closed. When I try aiming down the barrel with both eyes open everything gets fuzzy. With one eye closed I can get everything in focus, with two eyes it's just a blurry mess. I must be missing something.

No two eyes are the same. You may have significantly different prescriptions in each eye (anisometropia) ,with different demands on your focus system (accommodation). Farsightedness (hyperopia), nearsightedness (myopia), the natural decrease in the ability of the focus system (Presbyopia), and astigmatism can all affect how the eyes see, and how they work as a team together.

This is not to mention any ocular or systemic pathology that can affect your eyes.

It can be potentially dangerous to assume that what works for one person, will work for another.

If you have not had your eyes examined recently, I would find an eye doctor who knows at least a bit about firearms and their practical applications. Ask the staff when before you make an appointment if this is something the doctor is comfortable with.

[Guest Fuel]

If you have not had your eyes examined recently, I would find an eye doctor who knows at least a bit about firearms and their practical applications. Ask the staff when before you make an appointment if this is something the doctor is comfortable with.

Well, I'll be forty here in a few months. I'm really not digging some of the things that come along with that. One being I have finally admitted I need an eye checkup.

[Guest Hyaloid]

Well, I'll be forty here in a few months. I'm really not digging some of the things that come along with that. One being I have finally admitted I need an eye checkup.

Happens to the best of 'em.

At least there aren't any shots... usually.

[Guest Mugster]

I alway recommend shooting defensive firearms with both eyes open. When you are in a lethal confrontation, you are NOT going to have one eye closed! They will both be WIDE OPEN.

Since I train Armed Professionals, support hand only shooting with short and long gun is mandatory. There are three ways to do it.

PRACTICE< PRACTICE< PRACTICE!!!!

There is about an 80% chance if you take a round in a gunfight, that you will lose the use of your primary gun hand.

NOW DO YOU WANT TO PRACTICE SUPPORT HAND ONLY???

If i take a round in a gunfight, i'm 80% likely to lose the use of my primary hand? Doubtful.

I tend to use both eyes open when shooting strong hand. I don't practice weak hand much, but when i do i have better luck closing my weak eye and rotating my head around a little.

[G27]

If i take a round in a gunfight, i'm 80% likely to lose the use of my primary hand? Doubtful.

Statistics actually bear this out, as when someone is shooting at someone who is armed, they tend to focus (and therefore aim) at the weapon...

[Guest Mugster]

Statistics actually bear this out, as when someone is shooting at someone who is armed, they tend to focus (and therefore aim) at the weapon...

Can you give me a link or a paper/book reference to this? If not, I call BS.

[Guest Mugster]

Can you give me a link or a paper/book reference to this? If not, I call BS.

Also, seems like if your using a modified weaver and not shooting one handed, seems like you'd get hit in both hands at once or at least a 50/50 probability with your weak hand.

[Guest unreconstructed1]

the only time I shoot with both eyes open is when I'm practicing my macho tacticool double gun shooting....

okay but seriously, I have never been able to adjust to shooting with both eyes open. I have tried, but for some reason, my performance always suffers due to it..

[Guest gsbell]

I cannot shoot both eyes open with iron sights, with a dot sight no problem for me.

[John Wall]

Dear Mugster,

Simple research and common sense will bear out that during a lethal confrontation, the defender will focus on the threat. Even trained Law Enforcement will do the same, and NOT shoot Center Of Mass (COM).

The "Miami Shootout" was a good example of this. According to a Forensic Analysis of this firefight, SEVEN wounds to primary gun hands and arms occurred.

http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs7.htm

According to a brief in the Tactical Firearms Institute site,

"If you hold both your arms out in front of you as if you were holding a handgun in a two handed shooting grip, you’ll observe that a bullet will have to pass diagonally through approximately 4-5 inches of forearm muscle (assuming the bullet doesn’t strike bone) before it exits to penetrate your chest."

http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs5.htm

There are many other articles and reports of this, if you care to document them yourself. I am also thinking of time I have spent in Simunitions and Airsoft training with Law Enforcement. A majority of shots ARE to the gun hand and primary arm.

I have already spent more time on this than I intended, for your benefit.

"People of integrity expect to be believed. When they are not, they let time prove them right.";)

[Guest Mugster]

Dear Mugster,

Simple research and common sense will bear out that during a lethal confrontation, the defender will focus on the threat. Even trained Law Enforcement will do the same, and NOT shoot Center Of Mass (COM).

The "Miami Shootout" was a good example of this. According to a Forensic Analysis of this firefight, SEVEN wounds to primary gun hands and arms occurred.

http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs7.htm

According to a brief in the Tactical Firearms Institute site,

"If you hold both your arms out in front of you as if you were holding a handgun in a two handed shooting grip, you’ll observe that a bullet will have to pass diagonally through approximately 4-5 inches of forearm muscle (assuming the bullet doesn’t strike bone) before it exits to penetrate your chest."

http://www.firearmstactical.com/briefs5.htm

There are many other articles and reports of this, if you care to document them yourself. I am also thinking of time I have spent in Simunitions and Airsoft training with Law Enforcement. A majority of shots ARE to the gun hand and primary arm.

I have already spent more time on this than I intended, for your benefit.

"People of integrity expect to be believed. When they are not, they let time prove them right.";)

People of integrity use proven facts from solid sources when they make claims about wound patterns.

Your best bet for information is

here:

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm#leoka

or I looked through this year and searched for hand in the report, which annoyingly also stops on "handgun".

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/killed/2006/index.html

The FBI doesn't keep (or at least, doesn't release) statistics on where guys get hit. You can find some incidence of officers getting hit in the hands...and more than a few cases of officers getting shot in the back as they were running away.

I find no reason to believe your 80% figure is valid in 5 minutes of skimming. None whatsoever. 20-25% tops, and thats being generous.

[RWF]

i shoot with both eyes open the wife does not.

[MemphisMechanic]

I myself being right handed, use my right eye for aim when shooting strong side. Now when I switch to weak (left) side, I close my right eye and use my left.

Why? Hold the gun in your left hand, and stick it in front of your right eye. Your arm will reach, I promise. Try it.

I recently moved my shooter-cam to the centerline of my body (underneath the bill of a hat in the center). It was on my right earmuff before. It's suddenly become blatantly obvious that I'm a lefty, and that the gun comes up in front of my right eye. Kinda neat.

(That final stage is the only decent run I had that night. 10.97 seconds, zero points down)

It's always puzzled me how shooters figured out they were opposite-eye dominant, and suddenly couldn't figure out how to shoot. I guess I got used to shooting that way before I knew it was supposed to be a problem...

Evan

Edited July 9, 2008 by MemphisMechanic

[Guest jackdog]

well I started out as a lefty and shot that way for most of my life. Had a severe nerve injury to my left arm and had to go righty. the change with hand guns was quick and easy... rifles and shot guns took a bit longer. Body is back to normal 3 years later, but i still carry right handed most of the time. Guess I really don't have a weak side, there about equal. but shooting both eyes open sure made the change over a lot easier.