How to Shoot With Both Eyes Open (Made Simple)

 He Shooting with both eyes open might feel weird at first, but it can really help you in real-life situations. Unless you're doing long-range precision shooting, keeping both eyes open helps you see more around you, react faster, and stay aware of your surroundings.

So how do you train yourself to shoot this way? It just takes practice — and a few simple tricks. Let’s break them down.

1. Start With One Eye Closed

The easiest way to begin is by closing your weaker eye like you normally do. Then slowly open it while you’re aiming. Here's how:

• Start aiming with one eye closed.

• Slowly open both eyes while keeping your aim steady.

• Practice switching between both eyes open and just one eye open.

The goal is to get comfortable seeing your sights and the target at the same time with both eyes open. It’ll feel strange at first, but over time, it gets easier.

2. Focus on the Target First

Another method is to look at the target, not your gun.

• Keep both eyes open and focus on the target.

• Then, bring your gun up until your optic lines up with the target.

• Practice keeping your aim steady while looking at the target — not switching focus.

This works especially well if you use a red dot or LPVO.

3. Squint and Open

This trick takes more time but helps:

• Start by squinting your weak eye just a little.

• Then try to open it fully as you aim.

• Repeat until you’re comfortable keeping both open.

You might still close one eye by habit, but with enough practice, it becomes natural.

4. Use Your Hand to Cover One Eye

If you're cross-eye dominant (like right-handed but left-eye dominant), try this:

• Hold your gun with your strong hand.

• Cover your dominant eye with your other hand while aiming with the weaker eye.

This forces your weaker eye to do the aiming. Over time, your brain adjusts, and you won’t need to cover your eye as much.

5. Try an Eye Patch or Chapstick Trick

You can also use an eye patch or smear Chapstick on the lens of your shooting glasses (on your dominant eye side). This blurs your vision just enough to train the other eye to aim.

• Practice with it on for short sessions.

• Slowly use it less and less as your eyes adjust.

It’s a simple way to train your brain to use the correct eye.

6. Practice Dry Firing

Dry fire (no ammo) practice is super helpful:

• Use snap caps and aim at a target on a wall.

• Focus on the target with both eyes open.

• Pull the trigger slowly and repeat.

Since there’s no noise or recoil, it’s easier to train your brain to focus and stay steady.

7. Use a Red Dot or LPVO Scope

Using a red dot or Low Power Variable Optic (LPVO) makes shooting with both eyes open much easier.

These optics let you:

• Focus on the target while still seeing the dot or reticle clearly.

• Keep your peripheral vision wide open.

• React faster in close-range situations.

If you're looking for a solid optic, check out the . It gives you the best of both worlds — fast target acquisition and solid mid-range accuracy. Perfect for shooters who want versatility and speed.

Why Shoot With Both Eyes Open?

Here’s why it matters:

• Better awareness – You can see threats or targets from both sides.

• Faster target acquisition – Especially useful in close quarters.

• More natural – Your depth perception works better with both eyes.

• More flexible – You’ll shoot better with either hand and either eye.

Bonus: How to Find Your Dominant Eye

Not sure which eye is dominant? Try this:

• Make a triangle with your hands.

• Look through it at something.

• Slowly bring your hands to your face — it’ll naturally go to your dominant eye.

Final Thoughts

There’s nothing wrong with shooting the way you’re used to, but learning to shoot with both eyes open gives you more skills and more control — especially if you’re in fast, dynamic situations.

Keep practicing, and if you want to level up your gear, try an optic like the Odin 1-8×24 FFP LPVO Rifle Scope. It’ll make learning this technique smoother, and give you the confidence to shoot fast, smart, and accurately.

If you're learning how to shoot with both eyes open, having the right optic makes a big difference. The Odin 1-8×24 FFP LPVO Rifle Scope is perfect for this because it’s clear, easy to use, and lets you focus on the target without losing your surroundings. Whether you’re at 1x for close-range or zooming in at 8x, it gives you fast target acquisition and smooth transitions — exactly what you need when training your eyes to stay open and alert. It’s a great tool for improving your accuracy and confidence in real shooting situations.