Shotgun coach Nick Penn states much of common shooting wisdom is incorrect. He helps shooters “shoot straight” with both eyes open. Posted on 08/31/2017 6:41:00 AM PDT by w1n1
Shotgun coach Nick Penn states much of common shooting wisdom is incorrect. He helps shooters “shoot straight” with both eyes open.
According to U.K. shooting coach Nick Penn, half of the people who take shotgun shooting lessons are wasting their money. Why? He says it’s because they’re told to shoot with one eye shut. Penn maintains that shooting with both eyes open is essential.
But there’s more to it than that, Penn says. You should go by feel—more than barrel or bead reference—when you pull the trigger.
He says shooting is the only sport in which the proper techniques and form haven’t been thoroughly researched.
"With shooting, no one has ever come out with a proper explanation as to how it works," he declares. "And this is how it works."
Throughout the video, other shooters reiterate Penn’s take on effective shooting, also denouncing commonly taught shooting techniques.
"I don't have a barrel on my gun anymore," laughs shooter Andrew Blackwell. "You don’t look at the barrel, you don’t look at the bead, you don’t look at the lead…you look at the bird." See the full shooting with both eyes open video here.
The bird moves so quickly that you don’t have time for lining up. The job is to keep your eyes fixed on the target while keeping the barrel in peripheral vision. You see the barrel as a cloud or a shadow. Reflexes work, once the shadow touches the target the beast inside you will pull the trigger.
Setting goals, calculations are counter-productive after you’ve cried out “Pull!”. One’s mind should stay clean, shooting clays is a sort of meditation. Nothing like bullet shooting.
And yes, shouldering is done at home before a mirror.
Is there any other way?
With double vision in both the vertical and horizontal planes I’ll stick to one-eye aiming. :)
“Ruger LCP is a handgun, isn’t it? No wonder that the shotgun approach hasn’t worked.”
I’m talking about the “pointing a finger at” thing. That’s how many train to shoot the LCP. It has (had) negligible sights. So they say “Just point your finger at the target and the pistol is aligned”
then I shoot someone else’s target or something equally ridiculous.
AIM your gun.
In contrast, I haven't been able to shoot handgun effectively with both eyes open at all. I know many people do just fine with handguns having both eyes open, but I just can't focus on the front sight without closing my weaker eye.
One catches on quite quickly. Once that is mastered, after a few tries, then graduate to smaller and smaller targets.
FYI. That is how we were taught in basic training so long ago.
Also, when we were given our rifles, we were told to keep both eyes open. That allowed one to sight with one eye and keep awareness of our surroundings and situation.
Hitting with one or two shots is enough to break up a clay target. A shotgun target is fast-moving and near. Therefore one needs quick but not so accurate aiming.
A bullet must be placed far more accurately since its caliber is nowhere near the shotgun spread diameter. A typical bullet target is still and far. Therefore shoot a rifle with one eye closed, a shotgun - with both eyes open.
Maybe you just shoot that way because you shoot that way.
I’m right handed and my true eye is my left eye.
When I was about 13, I bought a pellet gun and couldn’t hit anything because I was closing my left eye and aiming with my right eye.
My Dad asked one of my uncles to help me. This uncle had been a sniper for the army in WWII in the Pacific. Turned out that he had the same true eye arrangement. He had me do the blocking the telephone pole test with my index finger extended and blocking the pole with both eyes open.
Then, I closed my left eye and the telephone pole was not blocked. When I closed my right eye, the telephone was blocked. That meant my true eye is my left eye.
He taught me how to shoot my pellet gun, a 22 rifle, a shotgun and a pistol with both eyes open. I didn’t miss. I have broken a hundred several times shooting skeet or trap.
I haven’t missed a deer shot even with the deer running. I nailed an antelope moving at about 100+ yards. Pistol shots are in the inner circle, quickly and accurately. If the ducks or geese can be deked/called in, limits are easy. Passing shots in range are easy with ducks and geese.
One adult son has the same miswiring, and he is a great shot with anything. So is my grandchild, his child. This son batted right handed and his average was over 400*. This son has basically gone to archery for more of a challenge. He has harvested white tailed, Mule Deer, Coastal Deer, Elk, antelope, wild pigs and wild turkeys with his compound bows.
*Ted Williams, apparently had the same miswiring. If your true is your left eye and you bat right handed. You get to see the ball a little quicker than a right eyed/right handed batter. Many pro switch hitters hit better, when their true eye is facing the pitcher.
A wonderful thing about being an American, you can shoot with one eye or both eyes. Whatever, you feel is best for you. The best system is the one that works with you.
I am left eye right hand dominant. I shoot handguns with both eyes open. O just modified my stance a bit with left foot a bit forward, head slightly cocked to right and handgun straight out but slightly left of centerline. Can onky shoot AR with both eyes open if it has a red dot.
I've googled a picture of the Ruger LCP. It's a short-barreled pistol, probably not much longer than a man's finger, so I can understand why they have said to you the same words. But shooting a pistol isn't like shooting a shotgun, probably the model isn't fit for all people.
I do basically the same with my left foot extended pointing at the target as I I am left eye ~ right hand dominant.
All of my pistols are revolvers. I cradle the pistol with my left hand and hold the gun with my right, and fire with my right hand. I have a laser pointer that can attach to any pistol for quicker aiming.
A friend suggested practicing without a gun/pistol in my hand and aiming the laser with my fingers and “firing” at with a quick aim at any target.
Again with both eyes open. The first “shot” is usually on or close. The next “shots” are dead on. A low cost way to practice inside.
If you’re cross-dominant, tape a piece of paper over your shooting glasses on your dominant side. If you are shooting all day and keep one eye closed, you’ll get a headache.
Amazing how that works. After reading your comments, I went to my gun safe and took out my Rem 742 with a 3x 6x scope on 3x.
I did a couple of snap aims at trees 40 yards and 100 yards+ with both eyes open, and everything worked as well as it did years ago. I couldn't really get focused using my true left eye open and right eye closed. Also, with both eyes open, I can see things around the target.
I don't know how this works, but it does. My Opthamologist and my wife's Optometrist are both shooters, and they confuse us with their explanations of how this works. The Optometrist is like an extra son and still hunts with the son/hunter with his true eye being his left eye. His explanation confuses that son, who is an engineer and loves physics and math.
Sometimes.. I can’t hit at All.
But I seem to vindicate myself
when presented a Varmint!
Appreciate the feedback, both eyes open has been frustrating so far, I may have to go back to one eye.
Glad it helped you. But you are correct on all accounts. Being able to see the whole field is a big plus!
I have been shooting with both eyes open for 6+ decades.
About 4 years ago, I had severe cataracts. The eye doc took out the cataracts and put in the accommodating lenses. I don’t need reading glasses or vision glasses. Those lenses are like good adjustable lenses on a camera. They adjust from 12 inches to infinity automatically.
I had not used my rifle with a scope since the lenses were put in my eyes.
Your reply made me decide to dry sight my deer rifle to see if it still worked. It did and maybe even faster. My field of vision around the targets seemed to be bigger and clearer. I was just starting with the cataracts the last time I used that rifle.
I texted both of my eye docs about was happening and how this worked. One will try to explain it to me on my next visit. The other was dove hunting with my son with the same left eye dominant and right handed. He supposedly told my son, and that son will tell me later. Too much data to text. Not being an eye doc or an engineer, I will still probably not understand how both eyes still work with the accommodating lenses in my old eyes. The good news, both eyes still work with a scope.
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