Both eyes open?

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dreamwaters

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I know that all the books say that shotgunning (wingshooting) is supposed to be done with both eyes open, shooting on the side of the dominant eye. I just assumed that I was doing that, but recently bought myself some material (book and DVD) on the Churchill Method of Instinctive Wingshooting from the Orvis WIngshooting Schools. While working through the material I thought more about the both-eyes open thing, so the next time out with clays I made a concious effort to keep both eyes open. Turns out that I shoot with one eye shut after all (even though if you'd asked me before I'd have SWORN I shot with both eyes open), at least for clays. Probably this is true for waterfowling as well, but not sure about when I snap off a fast shot at upland birds.
What about the rest of you wingshooters out there - do you know whether or not you close your non-dominant eye? Do you care (i.e. if it ain't broke, don't fix it!)? If you have a minute to pull your favourite shotty out of the safe and shoulder it a few times wiht both eyes open I'd be interested to know how many of you actually naturally shoot both eyes open. I've been watching a few hunting DVDs with my finger on the pause button to see how "the pros" :rolleyes: do it. For the record, the guys on DU TV both shoot wiht both eyes open, but Thomas Pigeon from Canada in the Rough closes one eye...
 
I shoot with both eyes open. it takes "alot" of practice to get there if (like me) you got used to shooting with one eye closed. at the end of the day if your hittin the targets why reinvent the wheel? :)
 
I wingshoot uplands and ducks with both eyes open. (Point and Shoot) I aim at turkeys and shoot them with one eye (bead site)
I shoot a rifle with both eyes open also. I'm just focusing through the scope with my right eye, but the left is still open.
 
You may not have one eye that is significantly dominant over the other. My right eye is only slightly dominant so i have a hard time shooting with both eyes open. There are different ways of training your eyes so you can shoot with both open and not get double vision. I've always closed one eye when aiming (rifle or shotgun at deer/turkey) and both eyes open when wingshooting. Like someone said earlier, if it works, dont bother trying to "fix" it.
 
diemaco said:
There are different ways of training your eyes so you can shoot with both open and not get double vision.
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This is true. If you have a problem with double vision, try looking through a scope with one eye while the other is closed. Aquire your target and then slowly open the other eye.

You can get it down to a science where you can change your focul eye, and eventually you can look through the scope with one eye, and sort of "swap" to see the "big picture" with both eyes.

I suggest the training in small doses as to not drive yourself crazy and get "Barney" eyes...

I can look though a scope with the left or right eye with both eyes open...although only shoot right. I practice focusing both ways.
 
Patrickshot said:
I just tried to use both eyes open and I am seeing double, is this normal?
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I suffer from this as well. I've had lots of people tell me different ways to accomplish shooting 2 eyes, but it would always result in double vision.

What ended up working for me, and what I've been doing for 10+ years is to put a patch on the left eye of my shooting glasses (I'm right handed).

The patch allows me most vision out of my left eye, except for a small circle going straight down the bbl.

Brad.
 
It's one eye closed for me. No matter which method I use to determine a dominant eye, I can't do it. Either can my brother, maybe it's a genetic thing. The optometrist says it's my right eye but I can't tell. Both eyes open means seeing double. I shoot right, and if I open both eyes my right eye is looking down the barrel while my left is looking at the side of the barrel. I've been messing around with this for twenty-five years and find it better to just close one eye and give 'er hell. I know this flies in the face of all expert advice but this is just me.
 
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