In field shooting, how high in magnification can you go before you cannot shoot with both eyes open?

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I cannot shoot with both eyes open with any type sight. My problem is that I don't have a dominant eye. I can shoot right or left handed with equal ease. With iron sights I have great difficulty shooting with both eyes open. Everything will work ok for a shot or two, then a wide miss because I am looking at the rear sight with one eye and the front sight with the other eye. It saves me much confusion to just close one eye.

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I have a couple weaver 1-3 power model v3 scopes set up on my brush guns. Ones a 308BAR and the other a 45/70.
I might think that everyones eyes are different but for me it is very comfortable using both eyes open up to about 2x power. After that it's a bit confusing pretending i have a shot at running game.
I love the scopes. They weigh about 9oz so they add very little wt. They track well and don't fail on these guns. At 100 yds on 3x power the crosshairs do cover the target some but I can still easily shoot 1.5" groups with either gun.
For our brushy whitetail hunting they are really really nice. And in a twilight comparison I found them as clear and bright as a previous leupold varix III. (I think it was a 1.5-5 but not sure..it did have a 20mm bell)

I always keep both eyes open but I've never used a scope with greater than 14x magnification. I am also very strongly left eye dominant.

Wow, JBLEDSOE!

I don't believe I have ever heard that one. I guess that would present a whole different dilemna to deal with.

Thankfully for me, unlike some, I am right handed AND right eye dominant.

Right, right for me and shoot everything both eyes open, including 16x off the bench

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Hey Jeffpg,

I shoot right handed, because guns are made that way.
I have trained myself to do most things as a right-hander because we live in a right-handed world.

Don't have anything over 10x, but I shoot them all with both open....can't say about running game as I've not tried to see how high I can go on it but I know 6x works with both eyes open and a coyote loping at about 125 yards.

I'm in the same boat, no dominant eye, so I have to at least partially close one.

scoutman,

I don't know what distinction you are making with stating "field" shooting, but I shoot at targets with both eyes open with 14x, and I don't remember for sure but I think I shot my deer this past season with both eyes open at 9x, the highest magnification on that scope (I practice both with both eyes open and with one eye closed, so both ways are comfortable for me).

If someone has trouble with their eyes crossing up the sight picture, it seems like low magnification would exacerbate the problem since the two images, one looking through the sights and the other to the side of the sights, would not be as distinctly different at 1x as they would be at 9x. I have more trouble with a "shifting" sight picture with both eyes open without magnification (e.g., with iron sights) than I do with substantial magnification (e.g., 9x). BTW - I shoot scoped rifles right handed even though my left eye is dominant, and the cross dominance doesn't seem to matter to me when looking through a scope at 9x.

Everything, including iron sights, are used with both eyes open.

I can't shoot with both open for the reasons stated previously.

most I have is 32X and its with both eyes open.

There may be an advantage to both eyes open, but I haven't found it yet. I can do so, but don't as I can concentrate on the cross-hairs with one eye and not be distracted by the other eye.

Someone here must have lizard eyes, where each eye focuses independently. I'd like to see that.

I tend to shoot with both eyes open, but am strongly right-eyed and right-handed, and do a lot of shotgunning as well as rifle shooting.

My wife is right-handed but her eye dominance is iffy, like JBLEDSOE's. In fact sometimes her left eye will even be dominant, other times it's the right. If she shoots with both eyes open it often screws things up. This is probably why she prefers at LEAST 8x for any kind of scoped-rifle shooting, even deer hunting at pretty close ranges.

Left eye almost always closed! If I am shooting from the bench or target shooting with iron sights, I can consciously keep both eyes open. If I am hunting and have a snap or even moderately quick shot to make, that left eye will slam shut as the stock hits my shoulder. This happens despite my trying to correct it.

About the only time they both consistently stay open is wing shooting with a shotgun. I guess it is just impossible to hit a bird with one eye open so the left eye is forced to cooperate.

That being said, I don't know if it has been much of a handicap. I have made a fair number of remarkable shots on running game with a low enough number of misses that I think doing it with one eye has not been a problem. All the 'experts' say that both eyes open is the proper method, so I have been working at doing it that way.

Hook: Most "experts" see things from their point of view. If you see no difference or improvement over what you have been doing, why change? Chris

Chris, I keep looking for the advantage of doing it that way, hoping that it would be an improvement. If it does eventually lead to better shots....great! If not, I'm no worse for the wear. To be honest, at age 62 I doubt that I'll be able to make the change even if it would be better.

I've tried to change to both eyes also and just haven't been able to discipline myself to make it stick.

I shoot both eyes open, unless shooting from the weak side at least. Magnification makes no difference to me.

Thanks for saying that, JBLEDSOE. I'm in the same boat but thought people here would think me crazy so I didn't post about it.

Anyone shoot with both eyes closed?

I find it mitigates recoil quite a bit.

We don't have to get too far into beat the experts to death on this one. IF you want the best visual performance, you leave both eyes open. Close one, and the other one is sympathetic to an extent as they are used to being a pair and working as such. Then the single open eye the pupil dilates which leads to less clarity. At least tahts how its explained to me and when you research it, it makes sense.

The issue though is how much is good enough for most of us? Shooting the average target, lets say 150 pound whitetail, at 75 yards and probably wiht a 9x scope.... you just ain't gonna see a difference with one eye closed or both open because your target is so huge.

Turn that around and demand a tiny group at a long distance and you need every plus you can get on your side.

Mostly for whats done by the average joe, it really doesn't matter as long as don't use the wrong eye and sight back and forth.

Leaving both eyes open reduces eye strain. But I'm pretty sure I have seen shooters who have dark lenses on their shooting glasses for the non-dominate eye.

Another non-dominant eye guy here. If anything it leads more strongly to the left--never the right (I'm right handed).

So handgun, rifle (irons or scope), shotgun, etc have to be one-eyed. Makes that pirate patch I bought for Halloween a real bargain, though.

Right handed and close the left eye lid partially. Just happens automatically.

Much over 6x from the bench and two images often appear. Some days it is more prevalent than others.

TFF!

I usually shoot better with both eyes closed....

I don't have a dominant eye either, and it's impossible for me to 1) shoot with both eyes open and, 2) explain to someone with a dominant eye why this is true.

Predictably, there are experts telling all of us that we'll shoot better if we keep both eyes open.

Shooting with both eyes open really helps in shotgunning, and some kinds of iron sight shooting, especially where the front sight is large enough that it helps to see the target with both eyes.

But for most scope shooting about the only advantage is the off-eye relaxation that Jeff mentioned. In fact, even when using a spotting scope for long periods I've found it helpful to place a strip of tape over the left lens of my eyeglasses, so I can leave that eye open. But obviously it really doesn't help in seeing the target, as it does in shotgunning and iron-sight shooting.

Well this is a refreshing thread, here all this time I've thought I was the only one with this problem. I'm ready to come clean now:

"Hello, my name is Jim and I'm a non-dominant..."

Welcome, Jim and thank you for sharing.

Mule Deer,

Do you use transparent/translucent tape or opaque tape on your glass lens that isn't looking through the spotting scope? I would guess you use the clear "Scotch" tape like some people use to just "blur" the view a little when shotgun shooting, but I'm curious.

I use opaque tape, usualy duct tape or electrical tape, then leave the tape stuck to my scope afterward.

I really can't do both eyes open. When I try it there's this alternate, not quite parallel universe cluttering up my sight picture.

mathman,

You've taken the first step on your journey of enlightenment. The next step is to forgive those who think they know what's best for you, but really don't have a clue.

I see 2 positive aspects to keeping both eyes open. 1st. I'm aware of everything, especially movement, within my entire field of view. I.e. if a second unseen elk shows up in the background, I'll see it. With the off eye closed, all I will see is the target.

2nd. and it's rather unique, was/is the exercise of shooting edgewise playing cards with 22LR's and iron sights. One can not actually see the card, but with light from one side or the other, he can pick out the shadow. One then goes after one side or the other of the shadow depending on light direction. When aligning front and rear sights with my dominant right eye, the subtleties of the card's shadow essentially become invisible. With my left eye open, the shadow becomes visible, and the brain is able to mesh the left and right eye images into a proper sight picture.

Exact same situation here. But if I wait too long for the shot my closed eye grows twitchy.

Frosted tape is correct really. But we are picking nits unless its competition shooting.

I have blinders for my off eye. I have both an opaque one thats like a milk jug, and and adjustable polarized one for variable light conditions.

Ideally for the least strain you darken or blur just enough that the eye can't focus. Anything more is gettin closer to closing the eye. BUT not closing the eye even with black electricians tape on it, is much better than closing the eye.

I can't comment on shotgun, as it takes me boxes of shells to shoot a limit of doves, Id' be better off throwing the gun at em mostly. I have a benefit sporting clays shoot Sat Am. If I were in rare form I MIGHT scare 50% of them...

But as noted in rifle i know it can make a difference, but like we've said, it depends on what your accuracy needs are. But I do know others that roll with elect. tape ready to flip on their off lense for hunting because it helps. Me, I don't worry to much about hunting shots, put it where it'll hit the brain somewhere or the lungs somewhere and let the gun go off. Long as the wobble area is small enough I"m not striving for perfection on those shots.

John,

You should know by now, that here at the Fire, if the tape is not blue, it is no good at all.

Can't believe you missed that.

Blue tape forever!!

Steve


But on the other hand, I do us black electrical tape on my rifles.

I think many more of you would have been able to keep your second eye open if you were exposed to the concept when you began shooting. I can thank my father showing me when I was eight years old. He placed a BB rifle in the shop vice. He explained how the sights should be aligned looking with the dominant eye with the other eye closed. He then said I should slowly open my eyelid while concentrating on the sights with the dominant eye.

Later on in biology class we use single occular microscopes where the teacher encouraged keeping both eyes open.


I suppose a strong dominant eye would help. My right is mildly dominant but I can shoot a handgun with either hand with both eyes open which is the most difficult of any shooting for me.

This is an interesting topic. For years I used to teach all my students how to figure out their dominant eye in my shop classes. I also talked about using both eyes whenever possible. I wonder how many students were started on the path to shooting with both eyes open.

When I shoot my BR rifle it has a 45X scope. I shoot with both eyes open to enable me to see the windflags with the off eye. I was just trained that way.
I probably shut both when hunting, who knows?
Butch

Damn you people...Been shooting rifles for over 20 yrs and after reading this post I had to open the safe, pick up a rifle & look thru the scope.

I shoot with left eye closed.
With both eyes open, I see 2 cross-hairs.

I taught myself to shoot about 40 years ago.Something like 10 years of doing it wrong I met an old guy that taught me how to shoot much better.Re-learning is hard.I had some pretty bad habits to overcome.I have been shooting both eyes open about 30 years now.

My eyes switch as well, left eye is dominant 60-70% of the time but than they'll switch up for a day or two.

Shoot predominately right handed, but I can shoot left handed

The eye dominance switch is interesting. I don't think I've heard of it before.

When I shoot left handed (weak side) I MUST close my right eye.

Eye dominance switching is called Omni-ocular.

If I don't close my left eye "some of the time" or when I keep both eyes open on purpose then about half way through the round my eye dominance will shift when I put my cheek down on the shotgun and block a portion of the sight of my right eye.

For some guys who have it they put tape on a pair of glasses so that it blurs the bottom half of thier vision on there left eye.

I shoot both handguns and rifles with the classic left eye closed as open blurred things up..Since I got my new eyeball(Toric) I can actually see the cross hairs clearly without a blur and not having to wear glasses for minute accuracy at paper.

Not much talk of eye dominance when I started learning the ropes..Interesting,none the less..

Jayco

It's mental. I'm right handed, left eye dominate. I just keep both eyes open and keep on shooting. May not be picture book perfect but it works for me.

O

I shoot a handgun with both eyes open, but have to close one eye when shooting a rifle.

Mag..,

Shooting handguns I start out using my right eye, but if it's a long session, I wind up shooting with my left eye almost every time. But so what? I always shoot strong side then weak side any way. I need the practice and mostly hit what I aim at.

O