I’ve been going back and forth myself and definitely shoot my shotgun and rifles better closing my weak eye. However with my pistols with dots, I’ve become far more proficient shooting with both eyes open. I’ve also moved to get better with both eyes open with my AR’s equipped with EoTechs.

I gave up trying to shoot both open on my shotguns at birds or clays

 

Ill shoot with both eyes open sometimes. I feel im more accurate though when my left eye is either closed or squinted. In archery, its easier for me to track the arrow with both eyes open, but, same as shooting a pistol, im more accurate with just the one eye. If im going for distance, one eye for sure.

 

I shoot both eyes open, but its like being able to do monovision. Not everyone can do it. Fwiw, i’m 68, terrible vision without correction. I will squint me left eye if trying to make a more accurate distance shot, like beyond 25-30y.

 

Both eyes open with everything, long guns, handguns, iron sights and scopes, but I was taught that way as a kid.

Here’s a technique I’ve taught new shooters with a handgun and had good luck with.( Assuming a right handed shooter but if you’re left handed, just turn to the right.)

Keep a paper plate sized target somewhat close, close enough to where you know you can hit it easily, maybe 10-15ft. at the most to start with. Bring the gun up in a 2 handed isosceles grip, keep both eyes open and turn your head to the left pointing your chin about over your bicep, just far enough that your right eye can still see the sights, then rip a few shots off. You should be able to eventually straighten out but if your shots start missing the plate or you get start getting goofy vision just turn your head to the left again.

A gun with a laser grip works well for practice at home also. Just cant your head and aim your unloaded gun at your target, activate the laser and see if you’re still on target.

 

I shoot with both eyes open. A bit of advise if I may. If you are moving to both eye open shooting try putting a small piece of semi transparent tape on the lens of your non dominant eye. Use it as you need it, makes the transition a lot easier, at least it did for me.

 

I shoot irons and dots both eyes open.

Put masking tape on the front of the optic lens and work at it until you can see both the dot and the target.

 

I shoot irons and dots both eyes open.

Put masking tape on the front of the optic lens and work at it until you can see both the dot and the target.

Yep. And black tape works best. Note, however, that about 5-10% of the population has eye problems that make shooting occluded either impossible, or VERY hard. In the dot class I took from Doug Grieg yesterday, we had 1 guy who absolutely couldn't shoot with his dot occluded and another who found it VERY difficult, but may improve with practice. For me, by the time we ran the two last drills of the course, I didn't even notice my dot was occluded.

 

For my shotguns and pistols both eyes open. Rifle with scope or steels, one closed. Red Dot on a rifle, both open. For the pistol dot, keep both eyes open on the target and allow the dot to break the plane of the target into your sight picture. Squeeze the trigger when the dot is on your intended point of impact. As you are figuring out, presentation of the pistol is everything. I've found that I flattening out the presentation out of the holster is kind of key.

 

Both eyes open on everything except shooting a scoped rifle past 200 yards. Then I do better if I close my left eye.

 

Eye dominance is not binary, ie left or right, it is a continuum, with some people having no dominance. I am weak right dominant, my wife has no dominance.

For RDS/holographic I shoot both eyes open. Target focused.

For pistol irons, I shoot with less-dominant slightly obscured unless pretty close (like 7’ish yards - maybe 10 yards). Sight focused

Shotgun is similar to pistol irons, both open on close fast targets - less-dominant slightly obscured on more distant targets (target focused).

For scoped rifle, I’ll shoot both eyes open at 100-1000 yards. Left (less-dominant) eye looks at level, right eye recticle focused. The level , mounted on the left side of the scope, appears superimposed in the upper right quadrant of the recticle.

 

If I shoot both eyes open I see two sets of sights.

 

I've always shot, both rifle and pistol, closing my weak (left) eye. Lately I've been trying to shoot both eyes open with my pistol with a dot. It's been a challenge to do so after about 50 plus years (I'm 62) of shooting one eye closed, old habits are hard to break. But, I think I'm gaining ground on it. I've been doing dry draw strokes just to get my sight picture and live fire to get the full effect.

I'm curious as to how many shoot one eye open or two eyes open.

I learned to shoot with both eyes open many years ago. It doesn't take long to get not only used to it, but nearly unable to shoot the old way again.

 

I've always shot, both rifle and pistol, closing my weak (left) eye. Lately I've been trying to shoot both eyes open with my pistol with a dot. It's been a challenge to do so after about 50 plus years (I'm 62) of shooting one eye closed, old habits are hard to break. But, I think I'm gaining ground on it. I've been doing dry draw strokes just to get my sight picture and live fire to get the full effect.

I'm curious as to how many shoot one eye open or two eyes open.

I shoot one eye, even with a red dot sight. I know I'm supposed to shoot two eyes open but kinda don't care, one eye feels better. I'm not kicking in doors for a living so I kinda dgaf about peripheral bad guys sneaking up on me in my 1000 sq foot house. "Wait, where did YOU come from, were you hiding in the bathroom? I JUST came from there!"

 

Both open on everything and I also switch eyes with both still open to match the "other main hand" when shooting weak hand or mirror image. I forced myself to do it after a couple years of shooting with one eye closed. I felt I was going to handicap myself too much in the long run by not learning it early.

It ended up only taking a few weeks of forcing it and figuring out what was the true image by using dry presentations with both eyes open then closing one to confirm what I was really seeing, and then a couple live fire sessions to build confidence in it. I taught myself on irons and used it exclusively for a number of years before switching to shooting more optics. But it is a lot easier to do with optics, I will admit.

 

If you're using a red dot, look up "Ben Stoeger occlusion" on YouTube. He describes it in detail but it's basically putting tape on the front of your optic so that if you focus on the dot you don't see the target at all, which forces you to focus on the target. Basically your dominant eye lines up with the dot but the target is blocked by the tape; your non-dominant eye can't see the dot but focuses on the target; and your brain superimposes the two images. It's by far the best training aid I've come across.

 

Both eyes open for everything... pistols (irons and dots).... and even scoped rifles at longer distances. Once you "get it," you get it. Some hints for acclimatization have already been mentioned in previous comments.

 

With a handgun, I don’t believe one shoots stationary targets better with both eyes open. However, by closing one eye you loose about 30% of your peripheral vision which is important in action shooting likke IDPA. Obviously you are disadvantaged in a gunfight.

 

With a handgun, I don’t believe one shoots stationary targets better with both eyes open.

Some 19 year old kid from China would say otherwise (note the muzzle flash). He took the silver in , I think the PanAm games in rapid fire pistol.

P.S. To answer the question, I shoot with both eyes open.

 

Both eyes open with handgun, rifle, or shotgun.

The last time I shot with one eye closed was when I was about 12 years old. Somebody who had been in the Marines told me you're supposed to keep both eyes open, so I started doing that. Get used to it and it's a lot easier than closing an eye.

 

I've been training with both eyes open for years. Better field of view. Important if you are facing a threat.

 

I can't remember the last time I squinted when firing a weapon. Probably before the Corps.

I am sorta left handed, but I shot rifles and pistols right handed because my master eye was my right. Fast forward a half century and my right eye is getting old(er) faster than my left, so I trained my left eye to be my master eye. Now I shoot everything left and/or right handed, situation dependent, and can use either eye to sight with. It was weird for a bit but the brain figured it out.

My primary weakness nowadays is trying to see the rear sight on a rifle with irons. Pretty fuzzy, but I can sorta make it work at moderate and close in ranges.

 

I DRIVE with both eyes open. Why wouldn't I shoot with both eyes open?

 

Well really apples & oranges there. Not everyone can front sight focus with both eyes but pretty simple to focus on the wide view of the road.

 

Sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight.

 

Enter Glock.

 

My interest in handguns has always been self defense. I found, early on, that peripheral vision is much better with both eyes open. Shooting with one eye closed limits what you can see approaching from the closed eye side. Just one reason to practice both eyes open.

Makes the transition to red dots easier too.

 

LOL

 

I shoot hand guns with both eyes open. I’m right handed and left eye dominant. I just turn my head to the right and use my left eye. Don’t know if it’s textbook or not but it works. Been doing it so long I don’t even think about it.

 

No one wants a guy on their team that shoots with one eye closed. They'd get the boot.

 

All pistol shooters need to learn with both eyes open. long guns for distance and precision shooting I am conflicted with the issue. Shotgunning I think I shoot best with both eyes open but I’ll close one eye at times. Cross eyed dominant people really suffer. Anything close quarters and life and death needs both eyes open.