Shooting With One Eye Open or Two

When learning how to properly shoot a pistol, you’ll likely be taught to shoot with only your dominant eye open. However, shooting with both eyes open is becoming increasingly popular. Learning to shoot with both eyes is considered an advanced technique, as it requires lots of practice and discipline.

Is this skill necessary? That depends largely on your shooting goals, skill level, and the type of firearm activities you engage in.

Learning the basics, including how keeping both eyes open can enhance your field of view, can help you decide whether to practice this technique.

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What Does Shooting With One Eye Open Mean?

Shooting with one eye open is the traditional method most beginners learn first. You have to use your dominant eye, which is usually the same side as your dominant hand. However, there are some exceptions. You close your non-dominant eye and align your sights using the open eye.

Learning to shoot with one eye open is considered one of the fundamentals of marksmanship. Along with concepts such as sight picture, sight alignment, and trigger control, aiming with one eye is essential to hitting your target.

Think of shooting with one eye open like walking before you learn to run (shooting with both eyes open).

What Are the Benefits of Shooting With One Eye Open?

Shooting with one eye open is easier to learn.

There are other benefits, such as:

• A simpler sight alignment process.
• Less visual confusion or distractions.
• Great for beginners.
• Useful for precision shooting.

Shooting with only one eye is also the preferred approach when using a scoped rifle. The one-eye or two-eye question primarily applies to pistol shooting. However, some large-aperture rifle optics allow you to shoot with both eyes open.

If you are brand-new to pistol shooting and still learning how to line up your sights on the target, using only your dominant eye will be far easier. That way, you can focus on trigger control, sight picture, and sight alignment.

Are There Downsides To Shooting With One Eye Open?

Yes, and those drawbacks can become more obvious as you progress toward advanced shooting techniques.

The most notable downsides include:

• A reduced field of view.
• Limited peripheral vision.
• Slower transitions from target to target.
• Increased eye fatigue.

If you are going to be shooting for a long time, your dominant eye can become fatigued, which can cut your session short. The good news is that most of these drawbacks don’t become a factor until you are ready to move from static shooting to more dynamic drills.

When Should You Shoot With One Eye Open?

You should go with the one-eye-open technique when:

• You’re a new shooter learning the basics.
• You’re working on tight groups and precision.
• You’re shooting longer distances.
• You’re still developing a consistent sight picture and sight alignment.

Walk before you can run, which means nailing the basics of marksmanship and learning how to consistently put rounds on target with just one eye open. Once you’ve developed a consistent trigger squeeze and have a good grasp on the fundamentals, you can transition to a two-eye open technique.

What Is a Dominant Eye Test?

A dominant eye test helps you determine which eye you favor. Everyone naturally favors one eye or the other. The majority of people favor the eye that corresponds with their dominant hand.

For example, if you are right-handed, you are most likely right-eye dominant, and vice versa. However, some people are cross-eye dominant, meaning they favor the eye that is on the opposite side of their dominant hand.

The good news is that the dominant eye test is quick and easy.

Here’s how to do it:

• Extend your arms and form a small triangle with your hands.
• Focus on a distant object through the triangle.
• Close one eye, then the other.
• You’ll notice that the object is centered on one eye.
• Whichever eye keeps the object centered is your dominant eye.

A light switch on the other side of the room is an easy object to use for finding your dominant eye. It’s small enough for the test and something easy to focus on. All About Vision provides a more detailed breakdown of the dominant eye test.

What Does Shooting With Both Eyes Open Mean?

Shooting with both eyes open is exactly what it sounds like. With practice, you can train your brain to prioritize the dominant eye, while still processing information from both. It’s a technique used by more experienced shooters.

What Are the Benefits of Shooting With Both Eyes Open?

According to NRA Family, shooting with both eyes open can reduce eye fatigue and help you acquire targets more quickly.

Other benefits include:

• A wider field of view.
• Better peripheral vision.
• Faster transitions.
• Improved situational awareness.
• Reduced strain.

You can also improve shooting accuracy on follow-up shots once you get the technique down. The two-eye-open technique is especially useful among military personnel and law enforcement officers, as they need to be aware of threats to their periphery.

What Are the Challenges of Shooting With Both Eyes Open?

Shooting with both eyes open can be surprisingly hard, especially at first.

You may encounter challenges like:

•   A visual overlap.
•   A steep learning curve.
•   Complications lining up your target.

The key is consistency. Accept that you aren’t going to be good at it at first. Take purposeful shots and practice. Over time, you’ll get the technique down.

When Should You Shoot With Both Eyes Open?

You should learn this technique when:

•   You want faster target acquisition.
•   You’re shooting at short to mid-range distances.
•   You’re using a red dot or reflex sight.
•   You’re training for defensive or tactical shooting.

If your goal is to improve shooting accuracy in dynamic environments, it’s beneficial to learn to get rounds on target with two eyes open.

Should You Shoot With Both Eyes Open or One?

There are benefits and drawbacks to each option. Focus on shooting with one eye open first and then transition to the more advanced two-eyed technique later.

Applying other shooting accuracy tips can also help you become a more proficient marksman. However, you should nail down the basics first. From there, you can explore other techniques, consider adding a red dot to your pistol, and practice advanced drills.

How Can You Practice Each Method?

Becoming proficient in aiming and target acquisition is especially important if you plan to exercise your 2nd Amendment rights[FM1] . As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

Start by practicing with one eye open.

You should:

•   Take slow, deliberate shots.
•   Use a small target that challenges your skills.
•   Work at slightly longer distances (15 to 25 yards).
•   Pause between shots to reset the trigger and acquire the sight picture.

After you are ready, start working on the two-eyes-open method by:

•   Starting close and gradually working back.
•   Focusing on target acquisition.
•   Practice transitioning between targets.
•   Let your dominant eye lead.

When training, make sure you follow the shooting range safety rules.

Want To Improve Faster? Get Professional Coaching

Are you ready to practice sight alignment and target acquisition? Check out shooting experiences at The Range 702’s state-of-the-art facility.

The Range 702 also offers private firearms training in Las Vegas. Book a session today.