Shooting a shotgun with both eyes open

quote:

---

made the switch from closing one eye

---

I never switched because I was taught to shoot everything with both eyes open - BB guns, bows, slingshot, rifle, shotgun, etc.

But, I guess your point is HOW to switch. I'd think just lots of practice shooting that way. Don't do anything abnormal, except keep your eyes open.

quote:

---

How many of you have made the switch from closing one eye when shooting to keeping both eyes open? I know both eyes open is the right way to do it, and I want to try to teach myself how to do it before duck season rolls around. How did you teach yourself? What drills did you try? Did it pay off for you?

---

I tried and fricking sucked so I went back to shooting with one eye closed. I’m right handed left eye dominant and close my left eye

I tried to switch. But I've been shooting 1 eye so long I couldn't hit a Dove. So I went back to what i know.

Y'all will probably laugh, but to me it's like those old seeing eye pictures. As in one eye focuses and the other drifts deeper into the field of vision.

I leave both eyes open and my dominate eye (right) focuses clearly on the target. I can see the periphery with my left buts it's fuzzy. Still good enough to know where I'm going with my next shot if I fold the bird on my first.

quote:

---

Closing one eye to shoot makes about as much sense as swinging a baseball bat or golf club with one eye closed.

---

i mean, yeah.. if you were looking down a tiny hole at the base all or golf ball sure

quote:

---

How do you shoot with an eye closed?

---

This, taught at young age to keep both eyes open.

quote:

---

You point a shotgun and pull the trigger. If your gun fits correctly, look at the target, use whatever type of lead you want, and pull the trigger.

---

This.

I taught myself in the yard with a hand thrower throwing clays up in the air. It took me a few ours of practice to get the hang of it. The worst thing you can do is try to aim. Once I got use to it my shotgun shooting improved drastically.

A good drill is to hold your shotgun off and below your shoulder like you were carrying it but waiting for a fast shot. Then focus on something small like a leaf, etc and without losing that picture bring the gun to your shoulder. Once the gun is firmly mounted then check the beads to see if the gun is pointing at the object you were looking at. If so then now it's just a matter of practicing and trusting that the gun will point where you look. If it doesn't line up it may be a gun fitment issue.

I use to shoot trap competitively and even won a few trophies. Enough practice and repitition and it just becomes second nature. I once had a bead fall off of my trap gun and shot several rounds before someone pointed it out to me. I had never noticed it as I never looked at them. That's another thing that will mess you up is trying to see the bead while swinging on a target. If you bead check 99% of the time you will shoot behind the target. Beads should be used for alignment check only. Outside of something like shooting at a turkey or other stationary target.

Easier for me to keep both open on a shotgun/pistol and keep on closed on rifle - no idea - I've always done it that way. I've been experimenting with both open on a rifle, and will start up again once it cools off. I shoot the rifle about once a month all yr but ramp up when the weather isn't &*(%.