shooting with both eyes

[Guest cookoff013]

find a coach.

i have no eye dominace, either eye can take over. i have normal vision though, no glasses.

but when i pull up a shotgun i can have 3 images,side of gun, rib, and a blend of the 2.

 

i close one of my left eyes, and hey presto, rib and all.

 

i went through a bad 6 months trying to shoot with both eyes open. coudnt hit daylight.

 

then went back to basics, and re-learned to shoot how i wanted, that got results.

[dougall]

Cookoff..

''I close one of my left eyes''.....wow that that would be tricky to correct,are you a bluebottle??!

[Fisherman Mike]

No I haven’t changed my view at all… .just trying to point out that focusing on the target is paramount when rifle shooting where you line the sight up with normally one eye be it dominant or whatever. Just wondering why this should be not so with a shotgun, particularly an over under. Presumably when shot guns developed from the single barrelled hand cannon to the musket and then the long barrelled wild fowler to a double barrelled gun where two shots could be fired in quick succession someone must have decided it would be better to keep both eyes open rather than close one for the single barrel. Indeed some musketeers were issued with eye patches to obscure the non aiming eye and afford some sort of protection. I can see the logic behind keeping both eyes open when using a SBS but not for an OU which is essentially a single barrelled gun albeit with the barrels in a different plane.. Do you see what Im getting at.? At some time in history somebody must have decided that to use a 2 barrelled SBS you must keep two eyes open and that etiquette has stuck and we now have a medical reason for it called Eye dominance but would that have been the reason back then. During the American Civil war when Cavalry regiments were issued with DB SBS shotguns I would assume that they had to keep both eyes open not just because they were riding but because the spread of the shot was so effective it wasn’t necessary to concentrate the aim on one single point as with a musket. I don’t suppose the gun makers at the time were too concerned about fit LOP and cast! What Im saying is that it isn’t necessary to keep both eyes open when shooting. It may be the proper thing to do and if one wishes to be coached to do this then fine be it. My Golf swing is terrible but I had a 8 Handicap at 18 !

[dougall]

Fisherman Mike,

Did you play golf with 1 eye shut? When you chose to watch the ball sail to the green/rough/pond did you shut 1 eye?

Rifle and shotgun are so similar(ie a gun) yet a million miles apart.A rifle is a fixed position at a fixed static target(usually).You look at the sight the target the Sight.2 dimensional as it were/

A shotgun is like a Gun turret(a swivelling torso) shooting at a moving target(usually).You look at the target the target the target...... where is it where is it going..if you like 3 dimensional.

Imagine a snooker ball,stand at one end of a snooker table and you have a mate at the other end moving another snooker ball with his hand along the cushion,you have to hit his hand ...you will look only at his hand and let instinct do the rest(ie dictate speed/forward allowance).

If I then gave you a Cue and I ball and said hit it in the far pocket you would look at the ball then the pocket then the ball. The former my friend is shotgun shooting the latter is rifle shooting.

At 18 if you went to Leadbetter you would be in Augusta this weekend,..as it is here we are bantering about guns..its your fault!!

ATB.

[Fisherman Mike]

Fisherman Mike,

Did you play golf with 1 eye shut? When you chose to watch the ball sail to the green/rough/pond did you shut 1 eye?

Rifle and shotgun are so similar(ie a gun) yet a million miles apart.A rifle is a fixed position at a fixed static target(usually).You look at the sight the target the Sight.2 dimensional as it were/

A shotgun is like a Gun turret(a swivelling torso) shooting at a moving target(usually).You look at the target the target the target...... where is it where is it going..if you like 3 dimensional.

Imagine a snooker ball,stand at one end of a snooker table and you have a mate at the other end moving another snooker ball with his hand along the cushion,you have to hit his hand ...you will look only at his hand and let instinct do the rest(ie dictate speed/forward allowance).

If I then gave you a Cue and I ball and said hit it in the far pocket you would look at the ball then the pocket then the ball. The former my friend is shotgun shooting the latter is rifle shooting.

At 18 if you went to Leadbetter you would be in Augusta this weekend,..as it is here we are bantering about guns..its your fault!!

ATB.

 

 

I wish.... Ive been to Augusta sadly not to play golf...I have to concede you do have a point well argued. However I will continue to close one eye...Im a bit old to learn any other way, and as I say it works for me.

 

Cheers

[HDAV]

I wish.... Ive been to Augusta sadly not to play golf...I have to concede you do have a point well argued. However I will continue to close one eye...Im a bit old to learn any other way, and as I say it works for me.

 

Cheers

no problem but for those who have been shooting less than a couple of years ITs best to start off on the best footing go and see a good coach ( high lodge is in Suffolk ) has your eye dominance changed mike it can in later years.... Having recently tried pistol shooting it is so different to shotguns particularly ESP

[yickdaz]

im with you on this timps if your left eye dominant and shoot off right shoulder you will miss most that you shoot at. not all, but most.

can,t agree with that not claiming to be a top shot or anything so don,t take me the wrong way, i shoot with my left eye closed all the time at game and when i actually get round to shooting clays,and going off my scores i think don,t do to bad, had a number of straights at skeet,but generally hit around 22,23 on average best sporting score of 90,but hit around 80 on average so i,m not missing most of what i shoot at.

[WoodyPopper]

I think everyone has pretty much covered everything. But you might be interested in this. It's from a book called Bicentenary of a Gunmaker that Cogswell and Harrison sent me when I wrote to them as a kid. It shows the author,John Peskett using his "eye corrector." It allows a left-eye dominant shooter keep both eyes open.

So, tradition or not, at least one top-grade gun maker thinks shooting with both eyes open is important.

[beretta]

can,t agree with that not claiming to be a top shot or anything so don,t take me the wrong way, i shoot with my left eye closed all the time at game and when i actually get round to shooting clays,and going off my scores i think don,t do to bad, had a number of straights at skeet,but generally hit around 22,23 on average best sporting score of 90,but hit around 80 on average so i,m not missing most of what i shoot at.

 

 

the context is, if you had both eyes open you would miss most targets, with a left master eye and shooting off the right shoulder.

if you shoot one eye closed you can get very good indeed, i know people who have shot olypics with one shut and a gb fitasc shooter who only has one eye.

[Whitebridges]

It is possible for a left eye dominant person to shoot off the right shoulder with both eyes open extremely well. A friend uses a B25 and has done for years (30 best guess). He's just got used to the gun and his sight picture. Never had a lesson in his life because his father was a gamekeeper.

If you are unhappy with your shooting best get expert help I say.

[yickdaz]

the context is, if you had both eyes open you would miss most targets, with a left master eye and shooting off the right shoulder.

if you shoot one eye closed you can get very good indeed, i know people who have shot olypics with one shut and a gb fitasc shooter who only has one eye.

[kacy]

Wow! i`m really confused with all the different opinions, so do i go to a good coach ( poss high lodge )to see if i can improve with both eyes open or do i stick to one eye , i think i will go for the first option to get a pro advice

 

Thanks for all the comments from obviously well experienced guys it`s been interesting to say the least

 

Great Site Kelvin

[timps]

Go to a good coach.

 

Shooting with both eyes open is definitely a benefit but if its not possible for you to shoot with both eyes open due to what ever reason then it just means you can still get very good by other methods or staying as you are. But its best to explore all the options early in your shooting life.

[Fisherman Mike]

I think everyone has pretty much covered everything. But you might be interested in this. It's from a book called Bicentenary of a Gunmaker that Cogswell and Harrison sent me when I wrote to them as a kid. It shows the author,John Peskett using his "eye corrector." It allows a left-eye dominant shooter keep both eyes open.

So, tradition or not, at least one top-grade gun maker thinks shooting with both eyes open is important.

 

 

Sorry Im a bit confused.

 

Isnt that akin to wearing an eye patch or indeed closing one eye ? :unsure:

[WoodyPopper]

Here's what the book says: "....it's effect was to cut out the vision of the left eye, almost invariably developing with age as the master eye, so that the right eye took control whilst still allowing both eyes to follow the target. The alternative method of correcting the master left eye by fitting a cross-eyed stock was, with the use of the Eye Corrector, eliminated."

 

Interesting about the left eye almost always becoming dominant with age. That certainly seems to have happened to me.

 

The book goes on to say "Many testimonials have been received by sportsmen who, with the use of this device, have improved out of all recognition, their percentage of clean kills."

 

Though, despite all those testimonials, I doubt any of us has ever seen a gun with one of Mr Peskett's Eye Correctors.

 

The most interesting point is that is that gunsmiths have gone to great lengths (cross eyed stocks etc) to enable people to shoot with both eyes, despite many of us finding (including me) that closing one eye makes us shoot better. I guess it probably means that on balance, in most cases etc etc, a good shot with both eyes will tend to do better than a good shot with one eye. Equally true is that there will always be one example of someone who does everything wrong but still manages to shoot straight. They're called ********!

[Fisherman Mike]

Here's what the book says: "....it's effect was to cut out the vision of the left eye, almost invariably developing with age as the master eye, so that the right eye took control whilst still allowing both eyes to follow the target. The alternative method of correcting the master left eye by fitting a cross-eyed stock was, with the use of the Eye Corrector, eliminated."

 

Interesting about the left eye almost always becoming dominant with age. That certainly seems to have happened to me.

 

The book goes on to say "Many testimonials have been received by sportsmen who, with the use of this device, have improved out of all recognition, their percentage of clean kills."

 

Though, despite all those testimonials, I doubt any of us has ever seen a gun with one of Mr Peskett's Eye Correctors.

 

The most interesting point is that is that gunsmiths have gone to great lengths (cross eyed stocks etc) to enable people to shoot with both eyes, despite many of us finding (including me) that closing one eye makes us shoot better. I guess it probably means that on balance, in most cases etc etc, a good shot with both eyes will tend to do better than a good shot with one eye. Equally true is that there will always be one example of someone who does everything wrong but still manages to shoot straight. They're called ********!

 

 

Thanks I found that very interesting.

[HDAV]

Eye dominate is a tricky subject which I have had my own struggle with opticians in my experience know little about a good coach will set you straight gizmos may work for you they didn't for me!

[TaxiDriver]

I've only done one 80 bird sporting round and hit a paltry 13 out of 80 and that was with both eyes shut

13 out of 80 though :unsure: what was going wrong there

[COACH]

Just about everything I should think.

[Spara Dritto]

I shoot both open, tried once a few years ago with one eye closed but didn't work out too well!

[COACH]

Did you close your right eye......?.....thats why.

[Farmer-of-the-Futre]

Hi all .

I`M fairly new to the sport and when i first started i wasn`t too bad of a shot with one eye shut but listening to some experienced guys they have all said shoot with both eyes and now i miss more than i hit ,what am i doing wrong ??????

 

ive been shooting for two years and i have had the exact same problem.. i first thought it was beacuase i have grown out of the gun as i am only in my teens however the gun was from a 40-50 year old who still used it then so i doubt it haha! anyway im going for some lessons soon so hope they will tell me what im doing wrong. Now i better read the other replies to see if there is anything helpfull

[TaxiDriver]

I've only done one 80 bird sporting round and hit a paltry 13 out of 80 and that was with both eyes shut

13 out of 80 though :unsure: what was going wrong there

Had another go this week and someone asked if I closed one eye ?

I do, I shoot right handed and close my left eye, looking along the rib with my right eye.

 

It was suggested that I should keep both eyes open otherwise I'll never hit anything

 

I tried with both eyes open, honest I did, really I did, When I do this I go cross eyed and it looks to all intense and purpose as if I am trying to spot the clay through the blurry ends of 6 sets of barrels

 

Ahh well, yesterdays score was a pathetic (but improved) 23 out of 80 and a great morning out in good company

 

The only saving grace is they don't make you suffer the humiliation of having to go collect your missed clays.

[HDAV]

YOu should go get a lesson with a decent coach mate one who understands eye dominance issues and take it from there, much better to spend £50 on good lesson to set you up before your hitting 50/80 but have loads of really bad habbits that arent easily corrected!