Both Eyes Open

[airgun_novice]

So much info flowing outwards; to quote Brihji ANALYSIS PARALYSIS ! And yet interesting !

Personally, when I started shooting AR open sight, I shot with both the eyes open; without blinder. I still find it tough to shoot with a blinder on or through scope. With AP, I also started with both eyes open and without blinder till dyplopia forced me to eventually choose one eye over the other. So it was first the right eye followed by the left and now (once again) it's the right. Now I close the left while shooting but open it WIDE OPEN after lowering the AP to allow the LE to get all that light in as required. And I also now use the glasses off and on - with absolutely minimum change in the shot placement. Of course through all these experiments my skills slipped and rose only to slip and rise over and over like King Bruce's spider. But well, it's still a WIP for me and yet have miles to go.

For serious target shooters, both with AR and AP, as FF2003 said, I too have observed most of them all use the blinders. May be that's an essential mantra that works. Must try that out sometime during this year.

Can not comment on combat situation since never been there. But methinks, by and large, when it comes to shooting with rifles, it can be divided into two parts - the major chunk would go to the "assault" phase where taking a careful and long-lasting aim and "slow" fire is close to redundant and the minor "sniper" phase where the shooter (sniper) is least bothered about the surrounding flashes or flares or even where the shot gets placed. It's the spotter who would guide him to his point of impact. In any event I do not think the sniper would keep shooting 40-60 shots staying at one place for long - that would be a dead giveaway. So he gets enough time to refocus and readjust his eyes. And my experience with "hunting" is primarily and only when with AP, I lose discipline of SOA and SA and then end up punching a #7 or even a #6 instead of a #9 or #10.

regs
A.

[fantumfan2003]

AGN,

The blinder for you AP shooters is simplicity itself.
A head band and a folded target card slipped into it and over the non aiming/shooting eye.
Do give it a try.
You will be surprised as to how much time was perhaps wasted complicating a matter when a simple solution was at hand and already in widespread use.

M.

So much info flowing outwards; to quote Brihji ANALYSIS PARALYSIS ! And yet interesting !

Personally, when I started shooting AR open sight, I shot with both the eyes open; without blinder. I still find it tough to shoot with a blinder on or through scope. With AP, I also started with both eyes open and without blinder till dyplopia forced me to eventually choose one eye over the other. So it was first the right eye followed by the left and now (once again) it's the right. Now I close the left while shooting but open it WIDE OPEN after lowering the AP to allow the LE to get all that light in as required. And I also now use the glasses off and on - with absolutely minimum change in the shot placement. Of course through all these experiments my skills slipped and rose only to slip and rise over and over like King Bruce's spider. But well, it's still a WIP for me and yet have miles to go.

For serious target shooters, both with AR and AP, as FF2003 said, I too have observed most of them all use the blinders. May be that's an essential mantra that works. Must try that out sometime during this year.

Can not comment on combat situation since never been there. But methinks, by and large, when it comes to shooting with rifles, it can be divided into two parts - the major chunk would go to the "assault" phase where taking a careful and long-lasting aim and "slow" fire is close to redundant and the minor "sniper" phase where the shooter (sniper) is least bothered about the surrounding flashes or flares or even where the shot gets placed. It's the spotter who would guide him to his point of impact. In any event I do not think the sniper would keep shooting 40-60 shots staying at one place for long - that would be a dead giveaway. So he gets enough time to refocus and readjust his eyes. And my experience with "hunting" is primarily and only when with AP, I lose discipline of SOA and SA and then end up punching a #7 or even a #6 instead of a #9 or #10.

regs
A.

[timmy]

Most of the microscopes today are binocular. It is important to adjust the eyepiece holders so that the fields of vision for both eyes converge, or one will get a headache using the 'scope over a period of time. In a past life, I did some of this work for a medical school -- I adjusted about 480 microscopes. I found that a tissue sample of a drunk's liver worked best for this, as an alcoholic's liver deteriorates until about all that's left are fibrous structures and round cavities of fluid. I focused on one of the cavities and, by switching from one eye to the next, could see quickly whether the two eyepieces converged on the same point or not.

Regarding using two eyes: the hardest part had to do with using a scoped rifle, but that, too, is doable -- at least, it was for me. It is a natural thing for one eye to be your "master eye." You can demonstrate this to yourself by standing and looking at something a few meters away, through one eye and then the other. Because your eyes are located in different places relative to what you are looking at, you will notice that the sight picture will move when you switch quickly from one eye to the other. So, which "picture" does your brain register? It cannot register two different ones!

The one that you think you see is the picture from your master eye. So, by sighting with your master eye and having the other one open, you are actually doing what you do when you look at anything else.

However, the trick here is that, when you are using iron sights, you are looking at the alignment of the front and rear sights and this is something that one eye only can see at a time. It is easier to close the eye that's not aligning the sights to acquire the picture, because if your brain thinks you are looking downrange, it wants to switch the "master" to your non-sighting eye. It has a better picture of what's downrange.

However, you know that your front sight is the most important thing and that's the one that must be in focus, so it is just a matter of concentrating on what you should be looking at, anyway.

[brihacharan]

The one that you think you see is the picture from your master eye. So, by sighting with your master eye and having the other one open, you are actually doing what you do when you look at anything else.

However, the trick here is that, when you are using iron sights, you are looking at the alignment of the front and rear sights and this is something that one eye only can see at a time. It is easier to close the eye that's not aligning the sights to acquire the picture, because if your brain thinks you are looking downrange, it wants to switch the "master" to your non-sighting eye. It has a better picture of what's downrange.

However, you know that your front sight is the most important thing and that's the one that must be in focus, so it is just a matter of concentrating on what you should be looking at, anyway.

> IMHO - This sums it up all
> Good conclusion timmy....
Briha

[airgun_novice]

Thank you timmy for the clarification.

[thunderbird1]

Hi all
Initially I was also in to the habit of closing one eye. I couldn't focus properly with both eyes open.
One day while reading some right up on dominant eye , there was an experiment explained to determine which is your dominant eye. You are supposed to hold your your hand outstretched and to focus on an object about 15 - 20 mts directly in front of index finger finger and then move finger back with out taking eye of target.. the finger will come to your dominant eye.
Even though I am a right haqnded person with right dominant eye , to my surprise the finger came to my left eye.. Soon I found out the mistake.. I was holding my head slightly turned to one side and not giving equal distance to both eyes..
Then I clicked my own photos while acquiring target. Yes! my head was slightly tilted to one side. Made some adjustment on stock length by adding a distance piece and Voila! my accuracy improved and I can shoot with both eyes open too..

[essdee1972]

Guys, thanks for all the info. I shoot one eyed. I started shooting in my mid-late 30's, and I wear glasses (minus 7.5 D in both eyes). I too tried the Corbett trick, but Colonel Jim started hunting in his early years (I think he was 9 when he shot the leopard with that double barreled rifle with the stock tied on with lappings of brass wire and one barrel split down its entire length. Plus he himself mentions his eyesight a number of times ("eyes that very few are blessed with").

I do feel the strain after sometime, especially in high light (open air) or high contrast (alternating afternoon sun and shade) situations.

Moreover, I have a bit of confusion here - I am emphatically righthanded, but my left eye is dominant. I tried to shoot ARs with left hand, but it was a bit too much. The system got confused and I kept "twisting" like the disco dancers of the 70s!!

I will try the blinder. My son has a pirate costume, I can borrow the eyepatch! Any other suggestion from you gurus would be most helpful!

[pradeep.kumar]

Wow what a discussion!!
Great start of a topic and lots of expert opinions as well as discussion on pros and cons.

I too have tried shooting with both eyes open. That is, after completing the aim and holding rifle on support, just before pulling the trigger. I did this to try, if I can see the impact on the target. Some times to see if I can spot the pellet flying out of my AR
But never have I done both aiming and shooting with both eyes open. I think I want to to give it some serious thought and try this.
I never knew Jim Corbett used both eyes while shooting.. interesting!!

Again, this topic is great like many of the wonderful discussions in this forum. Feeling blessed for being part of this wonderful group.