How to Shoot With Both Eyes Open: Easy Tips for Beginners

How to Shoot With Both Eyes Open: Easy Tips for Beginners
By Molly He | May 22, 2025

If you're not doing long-range precision shooting, learning to shoot with both eyes open can really help — especially in fast or real-life situations. It gives you a better view of what's around you and helps you react faster. But if you're not used to it, it can feel a bit tricky at first. Don’t worry — here are some easy ways to practice and get better.

1. Start With One Eye Closed
If keeping both eyes open feels hard, start simple:

Close your non-dominant eye and aim like normal.

Then, slowly open both eyes while aiming.

Keep practicing, switching between one eye and both eyes open.

The goal is to help your brain get used to aiming with both eyes open.

2. Look at the Target First, Then Bring Up the Gun
This method helps a lot:

Look at your target with both eyes open.

Without moving your eyes, bring the gun up until your sight lines up with the target.

This helps your hands and eyes work together naturally.

3. Try the Squint Trick
Can’t keep both eyes open right away? Try this:

Squint your non-dominant eye instead of closing it completely.

Slowly open it more and more over time.

With enough practice, your eyes will adjust.

4. Block Your Strong Eye if You’re Cross-Eye Dominant
If you’re right-handed but your left eye is stronger (or the other way around), it can be tough. Try this:

Hold your gun in your strong hand.

Use your hand to block your dominant eye while aiming.
This teaches your weaker eye to take over. Over time, you’ll need to block it less and less.

5. Use an Eye Patch or a Quick Glasses Hack
Another way to train your non-dominant eye is to use:

An eye patch (just while practicing)

Or rub Chapstick on your glasses on the side of your weaker eye

This gently forces your brain to focus through the eye you’re training. Later, remove the patch or clean off the Chapstick little by little.

6. Practice Without Ammo (Dry Fire)
This is a safe and easy way to build the habit at home:

Make sure your gun is unloaded (or use snap caps)

Pick a safe “target” on the wall

Aim and press the trigger slowly, with both eyes open

Dry fire training helps because there’s no noise or recoil — just you and your focus.

7. Use a Red Dot or LPVO Scope
Still having trouble? Try using a red dot or a low power scope. They make it much easier to shoot with both eyes open. You just focus on the target — not the front and rear sights.

One great option is the Odin 1-8×24 FFP LPVO Rifle Scope. It’s perfect for fast aiming and gives you clear vision at both close and mid-range distances. At 1x zoom, it feels just like a red dot — super helpful for shooting with both eyes open.

Why It’s Worth Learning to Shoot With Both Eyes Open
There are a few good reasons to learn this skill:

You’ll see more around you. Great for close-quarter situations.

Better depth perception. Our eyes work best together.

More flexibility. You can shoot more easily with either hand or eye.

Quick Tip: Find Your Dominant Eye
Here’s a fast way to figure it out:

Make a triangle with your hands.

Look through it at something in the distance.

Bring your hands to your face — the eye it lines up with is your dominant one.

Final Thoughts
Learning to shoot with both eyes open takes time and patience. But once you get the hang of it, it’ll make you faster, more accurate, and more confident. Just keep practicing — and consider using a good optic like the Odin 1-8×24 FFP LPVO Rifle Scope to make the process even easier.

If you're learning how to shoot with both eyes open, having the right optic can make a big difference. The Odin 1-8×24 FFP LPVO Rifle Scope is perfect for this kind of training. At 1x zoom, it feels like a red dot, letting you aim quickly and clearly while keeping both eyes open. As you improve, you can easily switch to higher magnification for longer shots. It’s a great choice for beginners and experienced shooters who want a clear, fast, and reliable sight picture in any situation.