One Eye or Two

[Mick]

My recent poor shooting form has me wondering, how many of you shoot with your off eye closed? When I started shooting, I instinctivly closed my left eye (right handed shooter) and I thought I shot pretty decently. But over the last couple of season, based on "expert" advice, I have been trying to shoot with both eyes open and I can't hit Sh**. I am just a desperate man looking for more "expert" advice.

[Wingman]

One eye open has always worked for me...until I bought Estate shells. Now it seems I hit better with both closed

I'ver never been able to shoot with both open.

Wingman

[Coot]

Mick,

I had a similar experience. Assuming your fundamentals are good and you shoulder the gun consistently...

Everybody has a dominant eye and it can be an absolute pain in the neck if you're a right handed shooter with a dominant left eye because you instinctively sight with the dominant eye. Try pointing your gun at a distant target with both eyes open, then close your left eye. I'd be willing to bet you won't be pointing at the target anymore (you'll probably be pointing low and left, which is where you will miss). If so, you are left-eyed. You can retrain your right eye by working hard on fundamentals, making sure the gun is shouldered properly, and shooting a lot of targets. I also practiced by sighting through my rifle scope with both eyes open because the scope forces you to sight with the right eye. It worked for me, but I shot game one-eyed until my eye dominance switched.

Have you ever heard a better excuse? "I'm retraining my eyes."

Coot

[Anatidae]

You may shoot off the right shoulder, but your left eye may be dominant.......which causes 'cross-firing'.

Test for eye dominance........focus on an object across the room with both eyes open . Point at the object with your right finger without taking your focus off the object. You should see be aware of 2 images of your finger. Close your left eye . If your finger moves, you're left-eye dominant. If your finger remains in-line with the object, you're right-eye dominant.

If your right eye is dominant, a right-shouldered shooter should be able to learn to shoot with both eyes open. It just takes a little gettin' use to.

Now.......you have to trust your eyes to guide your hands to the target. You can't be lookin' back at the bead. Just be 'aware' of where the bead is in relation to the target without loosing your focus on the target.

What happens when a 2-eyed shooter looks back at the barrel, is your primary focus shifts to the foreground (eyes converge on the bead), meanwhile your secondary focus (target) becomes a double image. Your brain can't process the information such that it can relay which way you hands need to move to get the gun in the right place to intercept the target.

Do the same drill.......focus on an object across the room. Point at the object with one finger, keeping your focus on the object. You will notice 2 images of your finger. Now, shift your focus from the object to your finger and remain focused on your finger. You will notice a double image of the object across the room. That's what happens when you focus on the bead......you got 2 images out there and your brain can't pick-out which one it wants to tell your hands to move toward. That usually results in a flinch and/or miss because it throws your timing way-off. It doesn't look right and there is hesitation.......when that happens, you usually stop your swing, too. 'Jes got too many things workin' against you to hit the blame target, ya see?

'Hope I didn't confuse you. Good Luck!

[hawkeye]

I have always shot with both eyes open, whether it be a rifle, shotgun, or bow. When shooting my shotgun, I lay my left hand under the forearm stock with my index finger pointing straight away from me i.e. pointing straight down the barrel. I try to point my finger where I want to shoot. Hey might seem weird, but it works for me.

[bluwtr]

I really can't tell you how I do it. I think I shoot with both eyes open, but I shoot from instinct so I really don't notice. I do know that I shoot a rifle with my left eye closed, but I have tried to stop it. I have found that I get a better sight picture and a more comfortable eye relief by doing that. Here is a little bit of sage advice that really works--"Aim a rifle, point a shotgun".

Hope this makes it clear a mud for you.

Wes

[Anatidae]

I think I shoot with both eyes open, but I shoot from instinct so I really don't notice.

Say WHAT???

[bluwtr]

Come on Ana--you know I trying to say what I think I was gonna say but then only thought about it but typed it instead.

I'm saying that I really don't notice if both eyes are open or not--you ain't never heard of instinct shooting--you know, it just happens automatically.

Wes

[ShovelerChef]

Whatever it takes to knock 'em out of the sky, eh? If you can pop 'em consistently, what does it matter if both eyes are open, one closed, or if you shoot from the hip? If the end result is a limit of green heads (or shovelers ) then go with what works!

[Mick]

Thanks for the advice. I checked and I am definetly right eye dominant. I think I got it in my head so bad now, I am going to have to go back to one eye closed until I gain back some confidence.

[SWAG]

My son is right handed and has a dominant left eye. Should I start him shooting left handed or what. He is seven and has shot a BB gun for a couple of years. We have been trying to get him a deer and he has shot several coons out with a .22. All the guns he has shot, when he aims, he lays his head all the way over the stock, and looks down the barrel or sights with his left eye. He hits fairly well.

[Anatidae]

Mick.....I switched from one-eyed to 2-eyed. It's not one of those things you can gradually work into if you want to succeed at it. You just have to make the commitment and stay with it.

What I would suggest is do some gun mounting at home (with an empty gun of course). Just pick-out some objects in the yard or inside your house and focus on them and mount your gun. Stay focused on the object until it feels and looks right, then subconsciously notice where the bead is when you think you're lined-up on your target. Don't focus on the bead......you'll be able to see it in your secondary focus. Then close your left eye to check and see if everything's in line. If you have trouble getting everything to line-up consistently (without any adjustment) then your gun may not fit you properly.

Your gun HAS to fit YOU. One way I check this is close your eyes and shoulder your gun, kepping you rhead on the stock. Then open your eyes. If you're line of sight is in line with the barrel and you are looking right down the center of the rib, then the 'cast' is correct. If you see too much rib, the gun is too high and you may need more 'drop' in the stock. If you see the back of the reciever and no rib or bead, you got too much 'drop'.

What kinda gun is it? I had a chance to buy a Superposed Pigeon grade 20 years ago, but it was cast for a left-handed shooter. 'Sure wish I'd bought it anyway, now. I coulda had it restocked and STILL made about $2M. (Shoulda, woulda, coulda)

Anyway, check this and let me know what you come-up with.

'SWAG'.....I'm not an expert, but if your boy is left-eye dominant, and is only 7, I'd switch him to the left shouler NOW!.....before he has a chance to create some really bad habits later. I don't think he'll EVER learn to shoot as well as he could if you don't switch him, early-on. 'Might even try letting him bat left-handed and throw the ball from that side, too. Hangin' yo head over a gunstock is a sure-fire way to get 'tagged' by recoil. That's liable to lead to flinching and overall lack of confidence in his shooting. Otherwise, he's gonna have to clse one eye to shoot right-handed (effectively). Just my opinion.

[GulfCoast]

If you are shooting with BOTH eyes open, and want to convert to ONE EYED, we can just have Goosebruce whack ya upside the head with a paddle. He won't even charge ya nuttin for it, either!

[jdbuckshot]

i have the same problem, or used to.

i shoot right handed and am left eyed. i start with one eye closed (left)when cheeking the gun, then i find the target in my swing, open both eyes, focous only on the leading edge of the target and pull the trigger following the bird down, that is when i hit it!

[goosebruce]

hehe.

One eye, two eye, brown eye, blue eye. Mount yur gun right, and use the force. If ya mount yur gun right, and swing the gun, you'll hit more than you miss (unless yur a cross eyed freak or sumthing). If you mount yur gun poorly, or stop your swing, you'll always miss. If you used to shoot good, now you aren'r, dont look for your eye dominace for a problem, its most likely your gun mount or swing.

All else fails, just shoot all yur bullets and claim you hit everything. travis