# Sighting with both eyes open



## jim p (Oct 29, 2003)

I started shooting with only one eye open about 2 years ago. I did this because of bad eye sight and my left eye wanting to become the dominant eye. It appears that this caused a couple of problems. 

One problem was disorientation caused by just looking through a small 3/64 th inch peep and the other problem was a balance problem. Without seeing the surrounding, my balance was off and I would not be able to stand without rocking. 

About 2 weeks ago I started shooting with both eyes again and it was like a light came on.

Have any of you noticed this. I would like to know how you feel about the advantages of shooting with both eyes open.


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## chiefjason (Mar 22, 2016)

It's like shotgun, you hear both sides. I draw, start to settle with both eyes open. Then squint or close my left eye until I take the shot. Shooting clays I start with both open and close my left eye to make the shot. But just got a sight blinder to try shooting both eyes open, which I only do occasionally now with very close and fast shots. I think it's as much personal as right/wrong.


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## catcherarcher (Sep 23, 2014)

I will never shoot with one eye closed. I will always shoot with both eyes open. Better for balance. I just use a double vision blocker on my scope.


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## jim p (Oct 29, 2003)

The balance part was the most telling. As we get older our balance deteriorates. It is a slow process and can sneak up without warning.

My sight picture is much worse with both eyes open, but it is offset by being able to hold so steady. To bad that I can't have the benefit a good sight picture and being steady.


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## Army3244 (Sep 1, 2014)

I was messing around at the range yesterday and was shooting with both open and really liked it. Although, when I drew and anchored in I would close one eye and look through the peep to get aligned with my scope housing then open both for the shot. If I didn't do this my poi would be to the right about 6". I'm not sure moving my sites would help if my alignment was off.


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## sawtoothscream (Apr 19, 2008)

Switched year ago, I don't know how I shot with one eye open ever. Balance was Fi e with one eye but both open is just better all around ESP when its getting g dark


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## youngguy (Aug 23, 2010)

I used to shoot one eye open as well cause my left was over dominate but I shoot right handed. Now they kind of evened out and I shoot better with both open now. There is a little double vision but I can tell which is the correct picture.


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## jim p (Oct 29, 2003)

My eyes are not as good as they once were and I sometimes get double vision. At this point I can blink my left eye and things come back in place or I can just concentrate on the target to the right and be on target. Now if I go for the left target it is a miss.

It can require a higher level of concentration at times.


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## Toxo-Philite (Nov 17, 2015)

I shoot with both eyes open, when not using a lens on my scope. with a lens, you get double vision, so it won't work. A couple years ago, I opened my other eye, and suddenly the sight in my scope became a lot more clear. After a few shots with both eyes open, I started liking it. When I got home, I Googled "Shooting archery with both eyes open" and came across many hits like: "The best kept secret in Archery", etc., and how it is better, as your sight picture is brighter, the other eye can track the arrow's flight, etc. It may not be for everyone, but you won't know unless you test for yourself.


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## SonnyThomas (Sep 10, 2006)

I am left handed and left eye dominant, but somewhat ambidextrous. Drink, eat, write and shoot left handed. Bowl, throw, use a hammer and shoot a bow right handed. Can't throw a ball left handed to save my life, that awkward. I once tried to go left handed with a bow. So entirely awkward I tore something around my shoulder blade. It was bad. Muscles swelled so bad that the nerve to my arm was clamped/crushed to that I couldn't use my left arm and so then nerve jitters, my arm would go nuts and had to be restrained. So bad was the swelling that my neck was pushed out of place. Spent time in traction, my head pulled up to help my neck go back in place. Six weeks later, healed up, that left handed bow was sold. Never again will I try shooting a bow left handed.

Real fast, no thinking, look at anything real quick. Did you look with one eye or two? Betcha you didn't look at a real pretty girl with just one eye. Probably had both eyes wide, wide open.

Growing up I never thought about my eyes and seeing anything, whether shooting guns (lefty) or my Fred Bear recurve (righty). About 26 years old I started Trap Shooting and the world changed, Lord! Yep, aiming with one eye and going after a flying disc. I suffered and suffered, but kept shooting and hoping something would take hold and then shoot with the Big Boys. Well, I was talking with one of them and he gave; "God gave you two eyes, use them." I tried it and it seemed impossible as I saw two sight beads. So I practiced both eyes openand pretty soon not only was I busting targets, but making them turn to dust. Okay, good paying job and liking reloading (far less expensive than store bought shells) I practiced daily. Soon I was shooting with the Big Boys and making it rough on them or outright beating them. Four years in a row I was club Doubles Champion and took 3rd and 2nd for Singles Champion.

And then came archery. I was 50 years old. This proved tough, but then "God gave you two eyes, use them" took hold. Yes, I had to squint my left eye, but soon got use to that and soon forgot my left eye. Yep, I just haul back and shoot. Don't even think about squinting my left eye, but there are times I have to correct with only adjust my thought train and I'm on. Going on 15 years of archery competition (clubs and state sanctioned events) I've collected something over 150 awards/trophies (3rd place and better). Okay, several injuries and surgery I was sidelined something over 2 years. 
Try learning to shoot again with a rebuilt bow hand with artificial wrist/thumb joint. Try learning to shoot again after major rotor cuff surgery. Rotor cuff tore in two places, one shredded area, two partial tears, bicep and scapula detached. 

During the years I had to have glasses. My eyes are weird. Left eye top, straight glass. Right eye top, some magnification. Left eye bifocal, 175. Right eye bifocal, 150. I also nearly went blind from diabetes.
Glasses. I need them to set my sight frame and take them off to shoot.
Kid with glasses shooting at the archery shop I worked at; He had problems. So I worked with him. First, he'd draw, nudge his glasses to see and then shoot. Watched him for a while and then asked how well he could see. He told of the target looking kind of blurry without glasses, but could see it. So I had him take off his glasses. Well, habits are something else. He'd draw, nudge the glasses that weren't there . So, after a few shots that habit was broke. When we finished that night he was in tears of joy. Never in his life had he shot so well. He even forewent glasses when hunting and took a deer that year. 
Glasses are a pain. The nose piece or frame for the lens gets in the way. Well, there are relative cheap flip up magnifiers that clamp on the bill of a ball hat so you can read your sight frame and then flip up to shoot. Expensive, but there are companies that will make custom glasses and lens.


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## MisterGrubbs (Sep 11, 2009)

I'm a right handed shooter, left eye dominant. The ONLY way I can shoot left eye open is if I have something to completely block my left eye. Otherwise, chit gets crazy. I cant focus on the pin whatsoever and God only knows where it's going to shoot. Really wish I could shoot both open, though. It helps a ton with pistols, I'm sure it'd correlate the same way for archery!


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## dangeruss (May 10, 2010)

i am a bit of a switch hitter. My left eye is dominant so I shoot left even though my sight from it is garbage. Everything else i do is right. However the extra strain you put into your form trying to squint can (I feel) cause inconsistency. Its very hard to adjust your shooting style, and learning how to focus the dominant eye rather than the opposite is challenging as well. But no matter what you do, if both open or one closed works best and you feel comfortable and proud of your accuracy, that is important too. Good luck!


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