What % Of Shooters

[Jaxshooter]

I took my guns with me for my last eye exam. Prior to that I shot in single vision glasses or contacts that made both eyes equal. After spending about an hour trying different glasses and contacts with the help of my doctor we finally found something that worked.

I am a right handed shooter. My contacts are now set up for the front sight in my right eye(dominient) and distance in the left eye. With this combination I can shoot with both eyes open out to about 20 yards. I slightly squint my left eye on longer targets. The contacts work equally well with my open gun and with long guns and I don't squint at all shooting them.

If your doctor will let you bring a gun do it and see if you can come up with a combination that works.

[bountyhunter]

Both eyes open virtully all the time (open or iron sights).

[oldtrooper]

I was ALL for shooting with both eyes open (and always did, without even trying) for the first five years of shooting, but my left eye has "issues" and I just can't see clearly using both eyes at once. I noticed my shooting accuracy had really taken a nose dive over the past few months so very recently began closing the "bad" eye and using my "good" eye only. Voila! Improvement!! Lots of improvement. I could actually see the sights, the target and proper sight alignment.

*Sigh* I guess it's one-eye shooting from here on out. I miss using both eyes,

but the lady's gotta do what the lady's gotta do.

<--one eye

Sig ... Could prescription glasses rectify the problem??

Having said that, I have a close friend that was one of the most accurate shooters I know with iron / metallic sights, when he got prescription glasses he stopped running into walls and such, but his accuracy suffered with the irons sights, so he switched to optics, so then again seeing might not be the best thing...

Ahh... there might be hope yet (it's hell getting old).

One of my shooting buddys is an ophthalmologist who I use for my eye examinations. He recently introduced me to a concept where I use single correction (as opposed to tri-focal) lenses for shooting.

The dominant eye is adjusted to focus at the front sight while the other focuses at target distances. With both eyes open I can see a very sharp front sight and a fuzzy target (sounds like cheating, huh) just like you have been taught. As your eyes age the focus just won't change quick enough to switch back and forth between the target and sights.

It's great! I can find out the exact specifics if anyone is interested. You can sample the results by having the Optimoligist dial in the numbers and let you hold a pencil out to simulate a front sight. You will be amazed.

I did the same thing several years ago. The ophthalmologist was a high school class mate so I took the hand gun in a non descript case and he actually measured the distance from the lens to the front sight while I held it in the firing position. Works great for old eyes. Like you said the sighting eye lens is set for the distance to the front sight and the off eye is set to focus at infinity. Huge argument however. He was a Navy man and could not understand why I didn't want the target in focus and the sight the oposite. I finally ended it by saying "Who's paying for this Henry".

[Shoepop]

I'm a right hand shooter left eye dominant. I move whatever I'm shooting to the left eye and keep them both open.

[professor]

I was ALL for shooting with both eyes open (and always did, without even trying) for the first five years of shooting, but my left eye has "issues" and I just can't see clearly using both eyes at once. I noticed my shooting accuracy had really taken a nose dive over the past few months so very recently began closing the "bad" eye and using my "good" eye only. Voila! Improvement!! Lots of improvement. I could actually see the sights, the target and proper sight alignment.

*Sigh* I guess it's one-eye shooting from here on out. I miss using both eyes,

but the lady's gotta do what the lady's gotta do.

<--one eye

Sig ... Could prescription glasses rectify the problem??

Having said that, I have a close friend that was one of the most accurate shooters I know with iron / metallic sights, when he got prescription glasses he stopped running into walls and such, but his accuracy suffered with the irons sights, so he switched to optics, so then again seeing might not be the best thing...

Ahh... there might be hope yet (it's hell getting old).

One of my shooting buddys is an ophthalmologist who I use for my eye examinations. He recently introduced me to a concept where I use single correction (as opposed to tri-focal) lenses for shooting.

The dominant eye is adjusted to focus at the front sight while the other focuses at target distances. With both eyes open I can see a very sharp front sight and a fuzzy target (sounds like cheating, huh) just like you have been taught. As your eyes age the focus just won't change quick enough to switch back and forth between the target and sights.

It's great! I can find out the exact specifics if anyone is interested. You can sample the results by having the Optimoligist dial in the numbers and let you hold a pencil out to simulate a front sight. You will be amazed.

I did the same thing several years ago. The ophthalmologist was a high school class mate so I took the hand gun in a non descript case and he actually measured the distance from the lens to the front sight while I held it in the firing position. Works great for old eyes. Like you said the sighting eye lens is set for the distance to the front sight and the off eye is set to focus at infinity. Huge argument however. He was a Navy man and could not understand why I didn't want the target in focus and the sight the oposite. I finally ended it by saying "Who's paying for this Henry".

Shooting both eyes open for everything, since...

I'm nearsighted in both eyes, and have worn glasses since my driving test eye exam as a teenager 50 yrs ago [WHAT other three letters?]. Now that the eye muscle elasticity is shot to hell by age, my eye prescription is stable, but each lens is only focused perfectly in a narrow distance range. For shooting, I've got lenses set for dominant eye focused on front sights and off eye on distance. The head of our USPSA club owns an optical lab and worked up the correct prescription from what my opthamologist put together for reading and distance prescriptions. He also makes up shooting glasses using the cool frames and lenses advertised for eye protection in shooting sports [For computer work, I've got aother pair with both eyes focused at typical screen distance.] This is a much better solution than trying to shoot with bifocals or trifocals [utter disaster, which gives you no peripheral vision of targets and makes it impossible to get head and glasses aligned to see front sights on all the targets.]

[mikey357]

Haras, any luck on finding the "Formula" from the Eye Doc buddy???...TIA....mikey357

[blackdragon]

Bobby,

Both eyes open!!!!!

Ivan

Learn it, Love it, Live it!!!!

I

[boz1911]

I shoot with both eyes open but at times I score as though both were closed.........

[blackdragon]

Ivan

Front sight???? What front sight?????

Ivan

[NMinzghor]

I shot for 15 years or more with one eye. After spending a week at John Shaw's place in Mississippi, I learned to shoot with both eyes open. I find it to be much faster and in the IPSC/USPSA game you have to see fast to shoot fast. Beyond 50 yards sometimes I'll still close an eye but very rarely.

[50GI-Jess]

Interesting reading. Guess my time has come too. Going to have my presciption insert lenses made this week for my shooting glasses. As I understand, the way to go here, is to have the dominant eye to get a sharp focus on the front sight, and the weak eye on the target.

So I guess glasses set up like this, is pretty much only for shooting right. Will I get dizzy wearing them between stages? Can they be used for driving or everyday situations, or will this condition my eyes over time.

Please write about your experience with glasses made this way. Just hate to make the wrong desicion, being a first time user of presciption glasses.

And I shoot most type of action type revolver shooting. Right from SC to Bianchi.

Thanks guys.

Jess Christensen

Edited April 11, 2011 by 50GI-Jess

[No.343]

I spent about half an hour talking to the guys at Decot Hy-Wide glasses for my last pair of shooting glasses. I am very pleased with the glasses I have. I suggest you talk to them.

[Tom E]

As I understand, the way to go here, is to have the dominant eye to get a sharp focus on the front sight, and the weak eye on the target.

So I guess glasses set up like this, is pretty much only for shooting right. Will I get dizzy wearing them between stages? Can they be used for driving or everyday situations, or will this condition my eyes over time.

Please write about your experience with glasses made this way.

My shooting glasses are ground like you're describing. I don't have my full prescription in the left, weak side lense, but more than the right, "front sight" lense. 1/2 diopter difference I think. Too much difference between the two was not good. I use a small piece of scotch tape on the weak side lense too.

Optics, I use my long distance prescription, both eyes open, no tape.

[professor]

Interesting reading. Guess my time has come too. Going to have my presciption insert lenses made this week for my shooting glasses. As I understand, the way to go here, is to have the dominant eye to get a sharp focus on the front sight, and the weak eye on the target.

So I guess glasses set up like this, is pretty much only for shooting right. Will I get dizzy wearing them between stages? Can they be used for driving or everyday situations, or will this condition my eyes over time.

Please write about your experience with glasses made this way. Just hate to make the wrong desicion, being a first time user of presciption glasses.

And I shoot most type of action type revolver shooting. Right from SC to Bianchi.

Thanks guys.

Jess Christensen

Shooting with my prescription set up this way is great. Walking is not a problem. However, neither eye is really set up for reading distance, so if you're going to volunteer to RO, handle the timer rather than the clipboard.

Also, I'm sure that it depends on your prescriptions, but I've forgotten to take off these shooting glasses and driven home without a problem. After all, the non-dominant eye is seeing what you'd normally see with driving glasses set for distance.

With my left eye, I can see my bullet holes out to 15 yds no problem [shooting .45]. Of course, that means I'm making up shots that I'd otherwise not even know I missed, so times are sometimes slower. Aiming is still important.

[pskys2]

You should run a Poll on it.

I've tried but I seem to not have a dominant eye and an Astigmatism. So I shut one eye.

Every time I've tried, once for a whole season, it was ugly. Would be ok for a part of a stage then totally miss targets because I see 2 of everything. If I slowed down enough to sort it out, I was way too slow. Speeding up kept aiming at the ghost.

With 2 eyes open it did seem to help my Auto Reloads, but not enough to give up the points/speed on shooting.

IF it works don't worry.

[coldchar]

I was ALL for shooting with both eyes open (and always did, without even trying) for the first five years of shooting, but my left eye has "issues" and I just can't see clearly using both eyes at once. I noticed my shooting accuracy had really taken a nose dive over the past few months so very recently began closing the "bad" eye and using my "good" eye only. Voila! Improvement!! Lots of improvement. I could actually see the sights, the target and proper sight alignment.

*Sigh* I guess it's one-eye shooting from here on out. I miss using both eyes,

but the lady's gotta do what the lady's gotta do.

<--one eye

Sig ... Could prescription glasses rectify the problem??

Having said that, I have a close friend that was one of the most accurate shooters I know with iron / metallic sights, when he got prescription glasses he stopped running into walls and such, but his accuracy suffered with the irons sights, so he switched to optics, so then again seeing might not be the best thing...

Ahh... there might be hope yet (it's hell getting old).

One of my shooting buddys is an ophthalmologist who I use for my eye examinations. He recently introduced me to a concept where I use single correction (as opposed to tri-focal) lenses for shooting.

The dominant eye is adjusted to focus at the front sight while the other focuses at target distances. With both eyes open I can see a very sharp front sight and a fuzzy target (sounds like cheating, huh) just like you have been taught. As your eyes age the focus just won't change quick enough to switch back and forth between the target and sights.

It's great! I can find out the exact specifics if anyone is interested. You can sample the results by having the Optimoligist dial in the numbers and let you hold a pencil out to simulate a front sight. You will be amazed.

I have used that system of perscription glasses for years. Works great and is a lot cheaper and faster then trifocals.

Jim

[almostold]

I too went to Decot after getting a script from my eye doc - he let me bring the gun in. Decot were very helpful and set me up with dominate eye focus on front site - weak eye to distance. Takes me a few minutes to get accustomed to the two diff lenses but it really works well for me. Best investment I've made for my shooting. I do shoot both eyes but will go to one as needed for longer targets/plates/mini poppers.

[snertley]

To tell the truth I shoot both ways, both open for close targets but at distance I close my left eye. I guess I am somewhat of an anomaly in that I will be 44yrs old this summer and still do not require corrective lenses to see everything. Everyone, I mean all my family (ALL) need corrective lenses to see properly. I guess I am blessed in this regards, but I wish I could hit what I am shooting at!

[ScottyPotty]

I use both eyes most of the time - sometimes I do find my self with one eye closed.

[Dan Hefta]

I was ALL for shooting with both eyes open (and always did, without even trying) for the first five years of shooting, but my left eye has "issues" and I just can't see clearly using both eyes at once. I noticed my shooting accuracy had really taken a nose dive over the past few months so very recently began closing the "bad" eye and using my "good" eye only. Voila! Improvement!! Lots of improvement. I could actually see the sights, the target and proper sight alignment.

*Sigh* I guess it's one-eye shooting from here on out. I miss using both eyes,

but the lady's gotta do what the lady's gotta do.

<--one eye

Jessie Abbate shoots one eyed... so you are in good company!

[6734]

I have a real eye dominance problem, so shooting with both eyes open is really difficult unless I am using an optic (aimpoint or eotech). I have tried the tape over the eyeglass trick to train my one eye to be dominant, but it seems like it is left eye 60% / right eye %40%, just enough to mess with me while shooting. I end up squinting slightly to sharpen the focus on my left eye, but if you guys know of any eye dominance exercises that might help I would be grateful.

I would really like to be able to shoot with both eyes open, but maybe my brain isn't wired for it

[ScottyPotty]

I have a real eye dominance problem, so shooting with both eyes open is really difficult unless I am using an optic (aimpoint or eotech). I have tried the tape over the eyeglass trick to train my one eye to be dominant, but it seems like it is left eye 60% / right eye %40%, just enough to mess with me while shooting. I end up squinting slightly to sharpen the focus on my left eye, but if you guys know of any eye dominance exercises that might help I would be grateful.

I would really like to be able to shoot with both eyes open, but maybe my brain isn't wired for it

i'm kind of in the same boat, slightly left eye dominant shooting right handed. Ive learned to move pistols more to the center left and also tilting my head over slightly to get a good sight picture with my left eye. Rifles I can use my right eye, no problems. shotguns I have problems with and usually end up shooting left handed.........