One eye, both eyes, does it matter?

[ips]

indeed ?

 

[Filski]

I have been shooting with my left eye closed, think it’s from the time when I used to shoot rifle in the good old cadets.

 

When I had my first shotgun lesson I was asked the question If I shot with both eyes open or one closed. I was then told to look at the tower in the distance with both eyes open, then quickly bring my hand up and point at it. Then was told to close my left eye and see where I was pointing and it looked like my hand was slightly to the left of the tower. From this was told that as my left eye is dominant that meant that if I shot with both eyes open (which I find very unnatural and uncomfortable to a point where I’m seeing two barrels ) I would be shooting in front of the clay.

 

So I shoot with gun in right shoulder with left eye closed and find it most natural to me and tend to get a lot of clays this way.

 

Hope that helps.

Fil

 

[donna]

I too am right handed but left eye dominant and shoot off my right shoulder. If I keep both eyes open I end up seeing 2 barrels, 2 clays, in fact 2 of everything so I always close my left eye.  If I have a long time between calling for and seeing the target I have both eyes open and  I bring gun up I close my left eye.  If on rabbits for example or very fast targets I close left eye before calling for target.  Not perfect for everyone but suits me, just means I have to really work on the hold point etc.  I also think as you get older (and I'm getting there) the muscles in your eyes don't work as quick and it takes a while for me to focus on things.  As you shoot more you will soon realise what works for you on certain targets, it's just hard remembering it all.

 

[jwpzx9r]

How would you feel if you had the handicap of having only one eye ? The answer to the question is simple providing you are shooting off the shoulder of your dominant eye... both eyes open. You would be mad to do anything other than that because all you are doing is dumbing your god given senses. The human brain is used to putting what the eye sees into a perspective if you remove the use of one eye you limit the brain's input and make that job harder for it to do.

 

[Westward]

 If I keep both eyes open I end up seeing 2 barrels, 2 clays, in fact 2 of everything so I always close my left eye.

Everyone sees 2 barrels - just like anything else viewed at very close range - but by centralising vision on the clay, the brain some learns not to notice the 'ghost' barrel. If you really do see 2 clays then you're either not focussed on the clay or you have a vision problem, because beyond a couple of feet your vision should correctly resolve everything from both eyes.

 

[westley]

Everyone sees 2 barrels - just like anything else viewed at very close range - but by centralising vision on the clay, the brain some learns not to notice the 'ghost' barrel. If you really do see 2 clays then you're either not focussed on the clay or you have a vision problem, because beyond a couple of feet your vision should correctly resolve everything from both eyes.

I don't, but THAT is where the semi auto has advantages  !     :angel:

 

[adam-f]

That old chestnut... and it's bugging me - one eye or both? Everyone keeps saying both eyes open for better speed/depth perception. But I've been trying a bit of both and it seems that some targets are just better for me with one eye shut.

I'm right eyed and left handed - and I shoot from the right shoulder so my dominant eye is looking down the rib (I've shot this way for years before picking up a shotgun, so it comes naturally anyway)

Does it really matter? Or just go with what works for you?

I am central vision and shoot of my right shoulder. Now im no expert but the many sections of books I read on the subject all suggest that if your dominant eye is the one you shoot off then its best to shoot with both eyes open.

If however your dominant eye is not the same side as the shoulder you are shooting off then you should shut the dominant eye and let the eye that is looking down the rib take over.

This also applies for central vision so I always shut one eye when I mount my gun just before a shot is taken in sporting. In DTL when i shoot with a premounted gun I still shut my left eye when I mount the gun. I did consider using a patch but in sporting I prefer to acquire the target with both eyes before mounting the gun.

At first shutting my eye at the correct time was another thing to think/worry about, but after a few weeks it becomes natural.  

 

[danq]

I shoot with both eyes open on most targets but rabbit I close my left eye , I can straight a rabbit layout with one eye and miss most of them with two eyes I sometimes use one eye on high crossers from a tall tower to get the lead accurate enough to hit the bloody thing

 

[diver682]

i have always struggled with eye dominance(i am right handed) various instructors have looked at me over the years , one said i was right eye dominant another left and one said i was central . After trying all the gadgets available for eye dominance none of which really worked for me i started mounting the gun with my left eye shut once happy opened the left eye and called for the target , using this method i have had much better results 

 

[Jeremy Baker]

I have always closed my left eye. 

I normally shoot gun down and acquire the target both eyes open.

Mount close eye shoot. Or something like that. 

I was given duff information when I started shooting about eye dominance which made me close an eye. 

Hindsight being 20-20 I would shoot both open. 

The targets I miss are nothing to do with my eyes. 

 

[Hamster]

I am central vision and shoot of my right shoulder. Now im no expert but the many sections of books I read on the subject all suggest that if your dominant eye is the one you shoot off then its best to shoot with both eyes open.

If however your dominant eye is not the same side as the shoulder you are shooting off then you should shut the dominant eye and let the eye that is looking down the rib take over.

This also applies for central vision so I always shut one eye when I mount my gun just before a shot is taken in sporting. In DTL when i shoot with a premounted gun I still shut my left eye when I mount the gun. I did consider using a patch but in sporting I prefer to acquire the target with both eyes before mounting the gun.

At first shutting my eye at the correct time was another thing to think/worry about, but after a few weeks it becomes natural.  

Not in my case, my left eye can read the bottom letters on the opticians test sheet, right eye falters somewhat sooner and I am most definitely left master eyed but after messing around with gadgets and advice back in the 80's I just ignored them all one day and taught myself to shoot with both eyes open and just let the right eye do the shooting. Very occasionally I might shut the left eye on a dodgy quartering rabbit but I believe the reasons are more to do with arresting barrel speed than eye alignment. 

Master eye problems are one of those issues that the shooter him/herself needs to understand fully and it helps no end if you luck into the right coach, unfortunately I do believe many otherwise decent, knowledgeable shooters/coaches can give fairly worthless advice when it comes to eyes. 

 

[ips]

I wear reading glasses, not because there is anything wrong with my eyesight its just that my arms are no longer long enough...

 

[ips]

i have always struggled with eye dominance(i am right handed) various instructors have looked at me over the years , one said i was right eye dominant another left and one said i was central . After trying all the gadgets available for eye dominance none of which really worked for me i started mounting the gun with my left eye shut once happy opened the left eye and called for the target , using this method i have had much better results 

a top Italian ot shooter mounts gun then you see him look down at the side of the barrell just before calling for target. apparently this is his way of relaxing the dominant left eye so that the none dominant right eye takes over. That is what I am lead to believe anyway.

 

[adam-f]

i have always struggled with eye dominance(i am right handed) various instructors have looked at me over the years , one said i was right eye dominant another left and one said i was central . After trying all the gadgets available for eye dominance none of which really worked for me i started mounting the gun with my left eye shut once happy opened the left eye and called for the target , using this method i have had much better results 

I have to mount the gun with left eye shut for the gun to run straight from my right shoulder along where my right eye looks. Failure to shut my eye results in the gun mounting pointing across my face with the barrel crossing my nose and the end of the barrel pointing nearly in line with my left eye "so that eye can have a look" as the man in the gun shop put it. 

I did shoot for a fair while before this was noticed and am not even sure my shooting suffered because of this. I may have been adjusting my sight picture to compensate. 

 

[gothicsera]

Been playing around with one eye vs both eyes today - I think I'm starting to get the hang of both eyes now and keeping my focus on the clay.

I do tend to mount with one eye shut and then open both, I think it's a comfort thing at this stage, as I rarely find I need to adjust my mount at all - it's starting to become second nature now after a lot of practice at home.

Today was also my first attempt at a some proper sporting targets - some at extreme ranges that I haven't come across before and to be honest my skeet chokes probably did me no favours on some of those either. Although I did manage to break at least one of each different type of target I tried including a rather nasty mini teal which shot off like a rocket and some distant loopers. A long way from good, but I'm pleased for a first timer.

 

[Damo]

How would you feel if you had the handicap of having only one eye ? The answer to the question is simple providing you are shooting off the shoulder of your dominant eye... both eyes open. You would be mad to do anything other than that because all you are doing is dumbing your god given senses. The human brain is used to putting what the eye sees into a perspective if you remove the use of one eye you limit the brain's input and make that job harder for it to do.

Hi 

My beloved  does. She is blind in her right eye  but right handed.  She shoots from the left shoulder and to my annoyance  :wink:  she still shoots better then me. Also when I ask about how much lead she gives a bird, she says and I Quote " Don,t think about it, I just shoot it"

Don't get me wrong neither of us are competition grade,  we do it for fun.  But it does make me think  that because of her disability she has just got on with it and not over analysed  it. 

Damon

 

[525kev]

I'm right handed and right eye dominant and have decided to stop naffin about and stick with both eyes open now, it's one less thing to worry about.

 

[Wonko the Sane]

Pistol and rifle shooters with open sights learned long ago that closing one eye for shooting leads to early visual fatigue and sometimes headaches.  The simple cure was to block the vision of the unwanted eye and leave it open.  Trap shooters do it all the time with the magic dot things or some foggy tape that blurs/block the vision in the off eye.  There are as well a large number of other blocker gizmos that I've seen recommended.  

Anyway, keep both open and just restrict the one if necessary.

a top Italian ot shooter mounts gun then you see him look down at the side of the barrell just before calling for target. apparently this is his way of relaxing the dominant left eye so that the none dominant right eye takes over. That is what I am lead to believe anyway.

More then one does that same thing, some even closing one eye until calling for the target

 

[jwpzx9r]

Hi 

My beloved  does. She is blind in her right eye  but right handed.  She shoots from the left shoulder and to my annoyance  :wink:  she still shoots better then me. Also when I ask about how much lead she gives a bird, she says and I Quote " Don,t think about it, I just shoot it"

Don't get me wrong neither of us are competition grade,  we do it for fun.  But it does make me think  that because of her disability she has just got on with it and not over analysed  it. 

Damon

I think there is a lot of truth in what you are saying here ... but your wife has no option and of course as you say there is nothing for her to think about! If she had both her eyes and the dominant eye was the one she currently has would she be shooting from the shoulder she currently shoots from ?

What I am getting at is I see as many as fifty percent of the people I shoot with shooting from the wrong shoulder for their dominant eye to be doing the seeing because they have the option to use their correct handedness. I agree with Charlie both eyes open even if it means using a bit of opaque tape to blind your strong eye... far less tiring than squinting.

 

[Wonko the Sane]

might be worth checking out

http://www.bernell.com/product/3119/Occluders