APOD Firearms

How to engage a target keeping both eyes open.

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  • SIG_Fiend

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    Visually, it can tend to be a bit tricky for a lot of people. One of the things I find helps a lot, is getting used to using a "soft focus" instead of trying to maintain a traditional hard front sight focus with both eyes open. There's a lot of info in this thread about using a soft sight focus:

    http://www.texasguntalk.com/forums/...-you-need-see-your-sights-accuracy-speed.html


    Here's a good example of what that will look like:

    11676247886_fc7913447a_o.jpg



    Basically, you're just backing off your focus a bit so that you can simply see just enough of the sights to be able to ensure they are pretty much aligned. In some cases, especially at closer ranges, you can actually do this while focusing on the target, while still maintaining accuracy. Everyone does it a bit differently. To give you an idea of some of what's possible, I personally tend to use a soft focus out to ~15yds much of the time, at IDPA matches, etc unless the shot calls for extreme accuracy. Some more experienced shooters have actually been known to use a soft focus even out to 25yds or more. The main trick here is in relaxing your eyes, not straining them by getting tunnel vision focusing hard on the front sight, and simply seeing enough of the sights for what the shot might require. If we're talking about say shooting fairly large silhouettes like an IDPA/IPSC target and keeping it anywhere in the A/B/C zones, then you probably don't have to have a crystal clear sight picture to make your hits at most close ranges. If we're talking about something more like a head shot in the "credit card", and at 15yds or 25yds, yeah you might need to go with a hard front sight focus, maybe even close your non-dominant eye if it helps (nothing wrong with that). Basically, the point here is there are varying degrees of sight picture, entirely based on what the shot calls for.
     

    shortround

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    Once you determine which is the "dominant" eye, getting to "two eyed" shooting is most difficult.

    It has taken me years to overcome a left dominant eye in a right handed shooting stance.

    We automatically close one eye while trying to focus the other on the target.

    Squinting at a target with one eye closed leads to eye fatigue.

    Best to train your shooting eye to ignore the other eye.

    Eventually, I learned to open both eyes with every shot.
     

    rushthezeppelin

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    I personally have not managed to master it with a handgun or any other type of open sights. I suggest starting with a no mag red dot or something similar. It is much easier to train yourself to shoot those with 2 eyes and would probably be a nice intermediate step towards doing it with open sights.
     

    Younggun

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    I've found that over time I'm closing my left eye less. Not by effort, just kinda happening.

    But I've always been able to focus on my dominant eye without closing the other. I learned it looking through rifle scopes while deer hunting so I wouldn't get eye fatigue while waiting for the shot.
     
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    Pull the sights off a BB gun. If you can, pull the sights off the hand gun.

    Shoot cans till you stop missing. All ranges. Over time you'll develop instinctive shooting. Similar to shooting a shot gun.

    After you get the 'feel'. Put the sights back on.
     
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    Pmac51

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    Once you determine which is the "dominant" eye, getting to "two eyed" shooting is most difficult.

    It has taken me years to overcome a left dominant eye in a right handed shooting stance.

    We automatically close one eye while trying to focus the other on the target.

    Squinting at a target with one eye closed leads to eye fatigue.

    Best to train your shooting eye to ignore the other eye.

    Eventually, I learned to open both eyes with every shot.

    To each their own, but with 2 eyes I like to focus on the target. My mother is LEO and shoots cock eyed, I know quite a few people who are great shots who do, lefties and righties. Fundamentals only change slightly as you know have to create tunnel vision and focus. It is an often overlooked mistake to focus on the sights rather then the target.
     

    Pmac51

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    Pull the sights off a BB gun. If you can, pull the sights off the hand gun.

    Shoot cans till you stop missing. All ranges. Over time you'll develop instinctive shooting. Similar to shooting a shot gun.

    After you get the 'feel'. Put the sights back on.

    This used to be taught and is no longer taught. I'd have to agree with the reflexive shooting it does helps with your mental acuity of placement. If you want to shoot well practice, not necessarily the shooting but the motions. Snap caps and the fundamentals and drawing and create the mental muscle reflex memory pathway.
     
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