To Sight or not to Sight

[Flip]

With a handgun, even aimed fire should use both eyes. Closing an eye in a stressful situation only increases tunnel vision.

Which eye is your dominant eye? I am left-eye dominant, and I hold my head a little different than most people because I have a right-handed grip on my handguns when shooting. If I held my head in the "normal" position, I would have to close my dominant (left) eye to get a good sight picture.

OK. I'm a left-eye dominant right hand shooter. Is it better for me to let my left eye droop and shoot right-eyed or shoot both eyes open but right handed? I've talked to quite a few people about this and usually get the answer "shoot how you've always shot." In a high-stress situation, however, I'm guessing that I'd likely shoot left-eye right-hand.

I'm open to advice here ... especially from you guys who teach and/or have significant experience.

Thanks,

Flip

[ttousi]

Under stress blood flow to the dominant eye is increased and it will take over the sighting automatically even if both eyes remain open.

[jgalt]

And with a handgun, the whole dominant eye thing is much less important than it is with a long gun. I too am a left-eye dominant, right-handed shooter. When holding a handgun at arms length, the difference between using your right eye vs your left eye for aiming is either a couple of inches worth of movement of your hands, a slight tilt of your head, or more likely a smaller amount of both.

I also spend a lot of time picking out a spot on a wall (in my home, unloaded of course), and simply 'pointing' the gun, then 'looking' to see how close I've actually come to where I was looking. In not too much time, I've gotten so that I'm pretty much spot-on when I do this, almost every time. Now, I have no idea what my trigger control is like, as I don't get to the range anywhere near as often as I'd like to or should, but I'm pretty confident that some bad guy is at least going to be looking directly down my barrel...

[Pinnacle]

And with a handgun, the whole dominant eye thing is much less important than it is with a long gun. I too am a left-eye dominant, right-handed shooter. When holding a handgun at arms length, the difference between using your right eye vs your left eye for aiming is either a couple of inches worth of movement of your hands, a slight tilt of your head, or more likely a smaller amount of both.

I also spend a lot of time picking out a spot on a wall (in my home, unloaded of course), and simply 'pointing' the gun, then 'looking' to see how close I've actually come to where I was looking. In not too much time, I've gotten so that I'm pretty much spot-on when I do this, almost every time. Now, I have no idea what my trigger control is like, as I don't get to the range anywhere near as often as I'd like to or should, but I'm pretty confident that some bad guy is at least going to be looking directly down my barrel...

WIthout firing a shot one can work on trigger control - it is called dry practice.

Start with an UNLOADED gun with NO AMMO in the room and work on your fundamenals. Place a target on a SAFE object (wall in a corner on the basement or somehting) Draw from the holster - using good sight picture - egage the trigger and press through the break so that you cannot see your sights move off of the target - repeat over and over.

Point In - Slack out the trigger - press for a suprise break.... Click.... Reset - and DO AGAIN. I do this for 30-45min/week and have done such for the past 7 years.

ET Said it best - slow is smooth - smooth is fast. Worry about fundamentals prior to skipping right to unsighted fire.

[David]

I've talked to quite a few people about this and usually get the answer "shoot how you've always shot." In a high-stress situation, however, I'm guessing that I'd likely shoot left-eye right-hand.

I didn't realize I was left-eye dominant for years. An instructor pointed it out eleven years ago, and my shooting got dramatically better that very day. I don't think it's ever too late to make these kinds of changes in your shooting.

[VikesFan1]

WOW. Lots of invaluable advice here!

[Pinnacle]

WOW. Lots of invaluable advice here!

Yeah you know what they say about things you hear on the internet........

[goalie]

WOW. Lots of invaluable advice here!

Yeah you know what they say about things you hear on the internet........

It's ALL true?!?!?!?

[ComradeBurg]

Well I only use one eye to aim a handgun. It's because I can only use one eye at a time (a problem from eye surgery way way back when), although I can actively select which one I'm getting input from (they are both open but I'm only receiving usable input from one or the other).

When at home I like to do draw and practice drills through. I pick an object to be the target, draw my gun (unloaded for obvious reasons), and site it in as fast as possible. I recommend anybody who plans on using a handgun in a defensive mean try doing this, it really helps speed up target acquisition.