Newbie Question: One Eye or Two?

[garry]

My wife and I just took the NRA First Steps pistol course. The instructor said the "NRA way" (his words) is to have both eyes open, focus on the front sight. When I try that, I end up seeing double (two targets). If I close my left eye (right eye dominant, right handed shooter), everything is great. Shots go where I want with (according to him) good grouping for someone that never shot a pistol before (2" groups at 15 feet).

So what's up with this seeing double thing? I'm 52, don't wear glasses normally, but do use driving glasses (a little near-sighted) when riding my sport bike, and wear 1.25 cheaters to read comfortably.

The instructor said that some people just can't shoot with both eyes open and will wear a patch on their shooting glasses. Maybe I'm one of those people, but being an engineer, I want to understand what is happening.

Thanks in advance for any insights...

[Metz]

Do the patch or start practicing with one eye closed. It's better than seeing two targets. In time start involving your non-dominant eye. It will come to you.

[gascolator]

Let's see--- with the "NRA Way" you miss half the time.

With your way you hit the target.

Seems like a no-brainer.

(That's not the only thing the NRA has been known to be wrong about.)

[MostlyHarmless]

Depends on what you are training for.

If you want to get high scores making holes into paper targets, then put a patch on your shooting glasses.

If you ever intend to shoot for defensive purposes, you want to train with both eyes open. That double target is normal that way and something to get used to, but you will have your full field of vision at least. Remember that in a defensive situation, you may not have time to get your patched up shooting glasses and put them on. And being half blind in a defensive situation isn't good anyway.


Regards,
Jan

[bob308]

shoot what ever way you shoot the best. i close my left eye. i am right handed.

[Sikth]

I shoot pistols with one eye closed, I can never get a good sight alignment with both eyes open. I feel like i'll just be projecting bullets down range not hitting anything. Does anybody have any tips (or videos would be great) to help me overcome this?

[Lycanthrope]

You have to train your mind to do it. After a while, you don't see double anymore.

A small patch of skotch tape (or a dab of vaseline) in front of the pupil on your weak eye side of the shooting glasses will help you feel more natural with both eyes open. Once it becomes comfortable, make the patch smaller....until it isn't needed.

Lycannotmagicthrope

[dragonman]

I too had issues with seeing double when shooting with both eyes open. I used the method explained by Lycanthrope and eventually the double vision was no longer an issue. I did not limit my use of the glasses to range sessions, I used them during simple tasks such as mowing the lawn and hiking.

Learning to shoot with both eyes open will assist you in picking up the front sight quicker during transitions,shooting on the move and tracking the sights.

[Gun Wielding Nut]

Hmmm, it seems to me that you are focusing on the sites, rather than seeing through them and focusing more on the target. As we all know, when you focus on a near object, the things in the distance tend to double, and vice versa. What you want to do is keep both eyes open, and focus more on the target, allowing your sights/gun to be the things that become doubled. Then you look down the sights with your dominant eye. Hope this helps.

[Lycanthrope]

Focus on the front sight.



Lycan.thrope