Teaching/Learning to shoot w/both eyes open

[SDMF]

Kiddo does reasonably well w/Red Ryder (pink actually) open sights as issued. She figured out the Savage Rascal peep right away. What she hasn't figured out is to keep her left eye open as well. I'm toying with the idea of a reflex type sight on her 22 as a means of only having to line up the dot and the target and hopefully being able to train "2-eyed" shooting.

I HATE the idea of relying on any electronic device attached to any firearm as the sole aiming solution. I hate even more her giving up 50% of her FOV and nearly 100% of her depth perception.

I'm hoping someone can supply a little dequandrification.

 

[KDM]

Might try putting a pink teddy bear or some such off to the side, out of the field of view of the sights/scope and tell her to make sure to keep both eyes open and that she can see both the target and the teddy bear before she shoots. Haven't a clue if it would help. Just spit ballin' here.

 

[Ericb]

I like KDM's idea. For me breaking the one eye habit. I had a large target I would focus on the target and then bring the rifle scope into view. This doesn't have to be done with live amo.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

I like KDM's idea and maybe you could role it into partially a safety thing as well. That might help her to focus as I am sure that you have been teaching firearm safety already.
Good luck

 

[remm]

Honest question, I was taught to shoot with an eye closed by people who were taught the same thing. I've never had much trouble shooting that way, even learned that was how to shoot a shotgun as well. Took me quite a while to be able to shoot shotgun with both eyes open and that has been in just the past few years. Do you shoot a bow with both eyes open as well? I wouldn't be able to hit a dam thing with a rifle or a bow with both my eyes open. Right or wrong, I guess that's how I've always done it. Guess I'm probably teaching my kids the wrong way too.

 

[SDMF]

Honest question, I was taught to shoot with an eye closed by people who were taught the same thing. I've never had much trouble shooting that way, even learned that was how to shoot a shotgun as well. Took me quite a while to be able to shoot shotgun with both eyes open and that has been in just the past few years. Do you shoot a bow with both eyes open as well? I wouldn't be able to hit a dam thing with a rifle or a bow with both my eyes open. Right or wrong, I guess that's how I've always done it. Guess I'm probably teaching my kids the wrong way too.

I shoot everything with both eyes open. I use spotting scopes and rifle scopes with both eyes open as well. There's an awful lot to watch out for, especially if you happen to have a moving target. Obviously target, distance, and lead. But, during say deer gun season there's a lot more to worry about regarding what's behind your target because the projectiles go so much further, especially if a person misses and skips a bullet off into the wild-blue yonder. There's nothing ever to be gained by voluntarily giving away 1/2 of your vision.

 

[PrairieGhost]

To me nothing is easier to shoot both eyes open than a small red dot. I see right now on natchez shooters supply that the Weaver is only $35. I have two of them. I use one on a handgun and one on a shotgun with slugs. They may be inexpensive, but they are a good red dot. Small too, about the size of the Fastfire III. On and off fast and retain zero.

 

[remm]

I shoot everything with both eyes open. I use spotting scopes and rifle scopes with both eyes open as well. There's an awful lot to watch out for, especially if you happen to have a moving target. Obviously target, distance, and lead. But, during say deer gun season there's a lot more to worry about regarding what's behind your target because the projectiles go so much further, especially if a person misses and skips a bullet off into the wild-blue yonder. There's nothing ever to be gained by voluntarily giving away 1/2 of your vision.

Yep, I realize that, and teaching someone how to shoot with both open from the start would be much easier than trying to convert. I'll have to ask Grandpa who the hell taught him how to shoot.

 

[Duckslayer100]

There was an old shooting instruction video I watched where this old guy showed his grandson how to train to shoot with both eyes open. He threw out a bunch of ping-pong balls in the yard, and then gave him a Red Ryder lever action BB gun. The idea was to see how many balls he could hit and how fast he could do it. It was incredible. That little kid never hesitated. Just chink, bong, plunk....chink, bong, plunk...chink, bong, plunk (that's the action, trigger pull and sound of a BB hitting a ping pong ball, if you didn't know). Kid hardly missed. He said it was a great practice and fun that prepared him for wingshooting with a shotgun because he got used to a sight picture and muscle memory, etc. Trusting his instincts. That sort of thing. It was very, very interesting.