Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

Gun, shooting and equipment discussions unrelated to CHL issues

Moderator: carlson1


Topic author
Glock4ever
Banned
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 77
Joined: Mon Dec 12, 2016 6:28 pm

Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#1

Post by Glock4ever »

Do you shoot your handgun with both eyes open or one eye closed? As a shotgun shooter I am used to having both eyes open and I am considering doing the same for handguns. Tried a little yesterday at the range and it seemed to work OK.

longtooth
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 12329
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2005 3:31 pm
Location: Angelina County

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#2

Post by longtooth »

Both eyes open for Personal Defense. Target accuracy one eye.
Image
Carry 24-7 or guess right.
CHL Instructor. http://www.pdtraining.us" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
NRA/TSRA Life Member - TFC Member #11
User avatar

BCGlocker
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 295
Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: El Paso, TX
Contact:

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#3

Post by BCGlocker »

Both eyes open all the time.
Texas LTC Instructor
Texas SSO Instructor
USCCA Certified Instructor
Range Master Certified Instructor
User avatar

bmwrdr
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 2
Posts: 1083
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:05 pm

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#4

Post by bmwrdr »

I shoot handguns with both eyes open. My dominant eye is left and I am right handed.

:tiphat:
I scarified political correctness to preserve honesty ︻╦̵̵͇̿̿̿̿══╤─
User avatar

WhoWouldGuess
Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 46
Joined: Sat Jun 15, 2013 11:46 am
Location: Houston

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#5

Post by WhoWouldGuess »

Both eyes open. You get better depth perception and awareness of what's near your intended target. Helps eliminate tunnel vision.
Last edited by WhoWouldGuess on Mon Jan 16, 2017 6:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar

longhorn86
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 383
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 5:49 pm
Location: Schertz, TX

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#6

Post by longhorn86 »

bmwrdr wrote:I shoot handguns with both eyes open. My dominant eye is left and I am right handed.

:tiphat:

This^^^
NRA Life Member
User avatar

Liberty
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 2
Posts: 6343
Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2006 8:49 pm
Location: Galveston
Contact:

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#7

Post by Liberty »

One eye, unless I concentrate and try to shoot with both. I need to break myself of this.

But I shoot my scoped .308 with both eyes opened without thinking about it.
Liberty''s Blog
"Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom." John F. Kennedy
User avatar

bmwrdr
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 2
Posts: 1083
Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:05 pm

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#8

Post by bmwrdr »

Liberty wrote:One eye, unless I concentrate and try to shoot with both. I need to break myself of this.

But I shoot my scoped .308 with both eyes opened without thinking about it.
To break the habbit I'd cover the dominant eye for a while when the situation allows. It will re-shape your vision and finally help shooting with both eyes.
I know this sounds strange but it worked for me.

:tiphat:
I scarified political correctness to preserve honesty ︻╦̵̵͇̿̿̿̿══╤─
User avatar

Skiprr
Moderator
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 6458
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2006 4:50 pm
Location: Outskirts of Houston

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#9

Post by Skiprr »

Both eyes open for me with a handgun, shotgun, and with reflex or red dot sights on a rifle. With a low power (2-4) optic on a long gun out to 50 yards or so, generally both eyes open. Higher magnification and longer distances, both eyes open doesn't work for me unless I have a blackout lens for my non-dominant eye. BTW, I'm same hand and eye dominant, not cross-dominant.
Join the NRA or upgrade your membership today. Support the Texas Firearms Coalition and subscribe to the Podcast.
I’ve contacted my State Rep, Gary Elkins, about co-sponsoring HB560. Have you contacted your Rep?
NRA Benefactor Life Member
User avatar

goose
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 881
Joined: Sun Feb 27, 2011 11:20 pm
Location: Katy-ish

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#10

Post by goose »

Gah. I hate this topic. Because I hate what it says about my diligence on the topic. I do work on it some but I am nowhere near where I need to be.

Sheepishly admit, still a "one eye."

Edit: Cross dominant.
Last edited by goose on Mon Jan 16, 2017 8:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
NRA Endowment - NRA RSO - Μολὼν λάβε
User avatar

Jusme
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 5350
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2016 4:23 pm
Location: Johnson County, Texas

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#11

Post by Jusme »

Always, never been able to to shoot otherwise. I am also cross dominant, but it only affects me with long guns. I have tried blackout patches, and they work for a while but then I revert back I guess. If I just have to concentrate more with long guns, but both eyes are still open.
Take away the Second first, and the First is gone in a second :rules: :patriot:

treadlightly
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 1335
Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2015 1:17 pm

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#12

Post by treadlightly »

Either eye, either hand. I prefer to shoot with one eye closed because of parallax between my eyes.

Always with the front sight in sharp focus, as best as I can focus these eyes sharply, and the target fuzzy.
User avatar

TexasJohnBoy
Banned
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 1999
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2015 4:21 pm
Location: North Texas

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#13

Post by TexasJohnBoy »

Both eyes open, although occasionally I fall back into bad habits and close my left eye. When I notice myself doing that I make a conscious effort to keep both open.

Right handed, right eye dominant here.
TSRA Member since 5/30/15; NRA Member since 10/31/14
User avatar

allisji
Senior Member
Posts in topic: 1
Posts: 969
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 10:44 am
Location: Seabrook

Re: Do you shoot a handgun with both eyes open?

#14

Post by allisji »

I always try to train myself to aim and fire with both eyes open. I still feel more confident aiming with one eye. But I know that in self-defense I will be much better off being proficient with both eyes open.

right handed, left eye dominant.
LTC since 2015
I have contacted my state legislators urging support of Constitutional Carry Legislation HB 1927
Post Reply

Return to “General Gun, Shooting & Equipment Discussion”