Need help relearning to aim.

**PAhunter** · May 14th, 2008, 08:01 PM

Unfortunately I am finding myself now losing the ability to sight with my right eye. I have never learned to shoot "both eyes open".

I would like any suggestions you folks may have for overcoming my vision problem and learning to use both eyes.

Thanks for your help, Jack

**Lycanthrope** · May 14th, 2008, 10:35 PM

Start out with a piece of clear tape over the weak eye lens and shoot with both eyes open. When you can do that, use smaller pieces of tape......until you learn to keep teh front sight focus without it.

Edit: I noted you were losing the dominant eye. You could use the same procedure with the dominant side instead. Have you spoke to an optometrist? When this happens a lot of fols move to red dot sights and reflex optics.

Lycansuggestionthrope

**JoeWilliams** · May 14th, 2008, 10:44 PM

If you are flat out losing vision in your eye, it may be worth learning to shoot left handed instead of leaning your head over to shoot with your left eye. I've never figured out how people shoot accurately doing that.

**Brown-Bear** · May 15th, 2008, 01:30 AM

I'll be interested in this as well. A buddy shoots with both eyes open and shoots pretty well to. But I have never learned how to do that with any real accuracy at longer ranges. I used to front site shoot during CQB drills in the military, but were talking across the room type distances here, not hunting related.

**Lycanthrope** · May 15th, 2008, 07:52 AM

No matter what the range, you still focus on the front sight with both eyes. It took me about ayear to get the hang of it and erase bad habits. In the beginning I had to squint the weak eye a lot.

With a scope with a lit retical you can shoot quickly at very short distances using two eyes as well....even with the front scope cover on (occluded).

Lycanyourbrainwillmakeyoureyesfocusonceitunderstan dsthrope

**PAhunter** · May 15th, 2008, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by Lycanthrope

.....
Edit: I noted you were losing the dominant eye. You could use the same procedure with the dominant side instead. Have you spoke to an optometrist? When this happens a lot of fols move to red dot sights and reflex optics.

Lycansuggestionthrope

First, thanks for the reply. I had noticed back in December '07 I was having a difficult time picking up my target while shooting open sights (sighting for deer season). Kind of shrugged it off at the time. In March I got out to the range for some pistol shooting and had a terrible time. My 2 year appt. with the eye doc was due in July but pushed it up because I found I was having a problem.
It seems that age is catching up to me. I already have a bifocal prescription but now it seems the right eye is in the very early stage of degeneration.
The eye doc referred me to a retinal specialist. He is not concerned, only cautious at this point. The left eye is unaffected but the right is my dominate one.

I have gone to laser sights on my carry piece (CTC). That did make a huge difference, shots go where the dot goes

. I would still very much like to learn to use both eyes across the open sights.

I have learned a lesson here, single eye aiming is fine until you lose the use of that eye. Could happen very quickly, just imagine getting dust of dirt in your eye. Now how do you aim accurately?

Thanks again for the tips. I will be out this weekend to give them a try.

Jack

**Hawk** · May 16th, 2008, 01:18 PM

Don't know if this will help but. I'm 50 and over the past 2 years suffered the inevitable curse of presbyopia (the inability of the eye to focus close up). I've been using cheap store bought reading glasses over the past 2 years 1x, 1.25x, 1.50x. Recently I got a real prescription from the optometrist (bi-focals). I told him I was a shooter and asked him if he could adjust my prescription so I could see the front sight clearly. So he kinda split the difference for me to be able to see the front sight without distorting my distance vision to much. I also asked him to move the reading portion of the bi-focals pretty far down on the lens so I wouldn't see the line unless I looked for it. Boy it made a big difference in my ability to shoot both pistol and rifle (iron sights). The nicest thing about them is that the image is not distorted regardless of which part of the lens I'm looking through (like it did on the cheap store bought glasses). One more thing, with regards to aiming with a rifle, it's been debated among the pro's for years about the importance of keeping both eyes open.For combat applications and competitions where you need to quickly acquire a target, yes it's preferred. However, for stationary target shooting the data is inconclusive, some of the best shooters in the world close the non-aiming eye or "blind" it with a device. I personally keep both eyes open when shooting pistols or shotguns (trap) and wink my opposite eye to allow the aiming eye to acquire the front sight. When shooting rifle at fixed targets I always close my opposite eye.

**P89** · May 16th, 2008, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Lycanthrope

Lycanyourbrainwillmakeyoureyesfocusonceitunderstan dsthrope

Or you could focus on this cluster of letters and it may help in eye training.

**PAhunter** · May 16th, 2008, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by Hawk

Don't know if this will help but. I'm 50 and over the past 2 years suffered the inevitable curse of presbyopia (the inability of the eye to focus close up). I've been using cheap store bought reading glasses over the past 2 years 1x, 1.25x, 1.50x. Recently I got a real prescription from the optometrist (bi-focals). I told him I was a shooter and asked him if he could adjust my prescription so I could see the front sight clearly. So he kinda split the difference for me to be able to see the front sight without distorting my distance vision to much. I also asked him to move the reading portion of the bi-focals pretty far down on the lens so I wouldn't see the line unless I looked for it. Boy it made a big difference in my ability to shoot both pistol and rifle (iron sights). The nicest thing about them is that the image is not distorted regardless of which part of the lens I'm looking through (like it did on the cheap store bought glasses). One more thing, with regards to aiming with a rifle, it's been debated among the pro's for years about the importance of keeping both eyes open.For combat applications and competitions where you need to quickly acquire a target, yes it's preferred. However, for stationary target shooting the data is inconclusive, some of the best shooters in the world close the non-aiming eye or "blind" it with a device. I personally keep both eyes open when shooting pistols or shotguns (trap) and wink my opposite eye to allow the aiming eye to acquire the front sight. When shooting rifle at fixed targets I always close my opposite eye.

Hey Hawk, I feel for you. I've got a few years on you but have been down the same road. Unfortunately my problem is behind the eye (on the retina) and lenses won't help. Imagine putting a small smear of Vaseline on your rifle scope then try and pick up your target. My left eye is fine and the doc says my brain uses it to compensate for the right but, when I close the left is when the trouble starts. Peripheral vision is good, just not so good looking straight ahead. Well I guess a few thousand rounds down range will be in order.

I sure don’t want to give up the sport.

Jack