Thanks to all for your help.

When I first posted this question, I didn't think that it would receive so many, and so varied, responses.
I guess that the advice "what works for you" applies here.
I am taking three things away from the posted responses.
1. Since I am left eye dominate and shoot right - handed, shooting with my right eye closed is what most responders in a similar situation do.
2. I will try to shoot with both eyes open, as many have suggested, since most can be trained to do that. I'll give it a try. Before I posted my question, I believed that everyone closed one eye.
3. JeffWard made a very good point. In a defensive situation, it is wise to keep both eyes open for obvious reasons.
Great discussion ! Thanks.
Hanagan

 

yes. it's how I learned.

breaking a habit I've had since I was 4? yeah...not happening.

 

I am left handed and left eye dominant. When I shoot IDPA and steel challenge, I have both eyes open, except for the targets farther out, 20 yards or more, which require better aiming. Then I find I have to close my non-dominant eye to make better hits.

 

I am right handed and shoot with my left eye. I have my right eye (non dominant) closed. If both are open my vision is blurred and I can not focus it on the front and rear sight no matter what I try. One eye for me.

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While I can shoot either way, I shoot with the non-aiming eye closed by choice. It is a result of my experience from actual operations.

In a controlled environment of a range with good lighting and no clutter in between the target and shooter, both eyes open with dominant eye being utilized to overpower input from the non-dominant eye can work for most.

The problem is that in an environment where light condition is noot good and there are dynamic light sources, and there are visual clutters in between the shooter and the target, both eyes open method can generate too much visual clutter. Then it is not just the light ghost image of the gun being the problem. There will be double image of whatever is seen between the target and the sights. An operator may have to shoot under a table or between security bars of a fence, etc. A light ghost image of the gun fron the non-dominant eye may be subconsciously ignored with training, but not so light double image of wires, bars, table legs, etc., projected over the target can be a problem, especially when the target is not so well illuminated that the operator can just manage to identify the target and the target's action but not much more.

Also, the light conditions or background contrast can create situations where the input from your non-dominant eye cannot be overpowered by that of the dominant eye.

Another problem is using cover. With both eyes open method, the dominant eye must see the target. That means the shooter has to expose more head until the dominant eye has a line of sight to the target when the side edge of the cover object is on the dominant eye side.

 

I have to sometimes force myself to use both eyes.
This is because I point shoot at 25' and under or if I aim at all it's by looking at the rear end of the slide or along the top of the slide.

 

The other thing that I've not seen mentioned is fatigue. Using only on eye can increase the fatigue factor in the open eye.
Other than that, because of my astigmatism, I wanted to just use one eye, until I read a book on shooting which explained why it's better to use both eyes.
Then I forced myself to keep both eyes open and my brain,(or what little I have left), adjusted. Now, it's not a problem to use both eyes.

 

I shoot both eyes open. When I got my first pistol as a teen almost 40 years ago (actually it was a revolver), that is how I was taught to shoot it so I never thought about closing an eye that I can remember.

 

New guy here, age 71, wear glasses, I'm left handed but do an awful lot of things right handed. I bat right handed but catch and throw left handed, shoot rifles right handed, hand guns mostly right handed but comfortable left handed, play golf right handed, but would play tennis left handed. So I'm all messed up. Being a new member here I don't feel as though I should try to impart my 71 years of knowledge on the subject but just the other day came across this really great article that should help. Age and now poor eye sight have forced me to concentrate on using both eyes and have found it to be the perfect method of getting on the target.
pistol-training.com » Vision

Andy

 

Thanks for sharing the article Andy, and welcome!

 

Both eyes open is a trainable skill for 99% of people who have tried it and failed. Try shooting a few rounds into your berm/back-stop with NO TARGET, just focusing on the front sight motion. Focus on keeping both eyes OPEN (don't blink). Just track the front sight through recoil.

Teaching yourself to shoot with both eyes open and NOT BLINK with the concussion of the gun going off is critical. In a defensive situation, having binocular (3D) vision, and a full field of view is VERY important at seeing multiple threats. Closing one eye eliminates 1/2 your field of vision. Fine on the range, deadly in the street. And as a competitive shooter, having your 2nd eye open allows you to transition to the next target MUCH faster. Again, depth perception, field of view, and awareness. Just like in a defensive scenario.

Regarding KEEPING your eyes open (blinking), if you're looking to shoot fast pairs, if you can't see the front sight return to the rear (because your damn eyes are closed!) you can't shoot fast.

Enjoy...

JW

 

Both eyes open is a trainable skill for 99% of people who have tried it and failed.

That is correct for people who are NOT cross dominant, as I am. If your master eye and the side you shoot from are the same, then yes, having both eyes open is an advantage.

 

I always shot with one eye closed at the range. The day I did my first IDPA classifier, for some reason I kept both eyes open. It wasn't even a conscious decision. Ever since, I keep both eyes open.


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I shoot pistols, shotguns, red dots, scout scopes with both eyes open. I close my left eye when shooting iron sights on rifles or high powered scopes on rifles.

 

I'm cross-dominate and have exotropia, where my left eye (my dominate one) darts outward to the left. I see two of everything when I shoot! Still run both eyes open, though. I don't know how I do it, but it works!

 

I shoot with both eyes open when it comes to my handguns, but I know quite a few people that could never make the adjustment.

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Learned to shoot both rifles and shotguns with non dominate eye closed, kept up the practice when I started shooting handguns. Started shooting sporting clays and was picking up tips from others and one of the tips was shooting with both eyes open. Took a little bit to untrain myself but have a better sense of my surroundings and my scores improved so I transferred that over to handguns. On rifles it depends, open sights,red dots and low magnification both eyes are open. My varmit gun one eye, have not been able to shoot a higher magnification scope with both open. Hope this helped.

 

I have a dominant left eye and shoot right handed. If i close my right eye, using left and shoot right handed, my shots are consistently low. Now i shoot both eyes open or point shoot. If i shoot one eye, has to be left close right open, right handed. Both eyes open is difficult at first, but in my opinion, worth it. I make sure to practice eyes open now. It's becoming more and more comfortable.