[Guide] Sight Picture & Eye Dominance: Shoot Better

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It will be easier for beginners to start with closing one eye and using their dominant eye.

However, as you progress, you will likely find yourself shooting better with both eyes open.  It will take a while to train your brain but you’ll see benefits such as increased depth perception and orientation.

Your eye-dominance can often dictate which stance you like better.

For me, since I’m left-eye dominant and right hand dominant, I prefer the Modified Weaver/Chapman stance since it puts my left-eye more behind the sights.

Still with me?

Sight Picture

Aim a gun: Just point and shoot, right?

In the grand scheme of things, yes, that’s pretty much it.  But proper sight picture is one of those fundamental things that makes the difference between a shooter and someone that just plays with guns.

The sight picture is everything you see with your sights and your target.

There are several different types of sights but most firearms will have a notch or circular rear sight with a post or bead as the front sight.  Also very common is the three dot sight.

All of them, no matter what their setup, work on the same principle.  The front sight can be many things but usually is more contrasting than the rear sight to draw in the eyes.

What’s the Over/Under?

You’ll then want to make sure you have proper sight alignment.

This will vary on your sights but mostly will require you to line up your sights. Where you’ll be hitting also depends on personal preference or more likely…how your gun is set up from the factory.

Some people like the first one which is called the “6 o’clock hold” where you line up the bottom of the target with the top of the front sight so you can hit the middle of the target.

The most traditional and called “point of aim, point of impact” where you line up the top of the front sight with where you want to hit.

Where to Focus

The final question is where to focus with your eyes.

There are three choices—the rear sight, the front sight, or the target.

The correct plane to focus on is the front sight, since the bullet will go where the front sight is pointing.  Every expert in the world will tell you that you will get the best results by keeping the front sight in focus while pulling the trigger as it will really help you to keep the gun steady.

This is the main reason why a lot of front sights are distinctly colored.  When you’re correctly focusing on the front sight, the rear sight and target will appear blurry.

The best flow is to first focus on the target and loosely line up the dots on to it.  At this point change your focus to that front sight and line it up with the rear sights as well as the blurred out target.

As you slowly squeeze the trigger, focus on keeping that front sight as stationary as humanly possible.  With that front sight in focus and stationary, your shots will improve greatly.

There are also electronic sights that allow for both eyes to be open and focus only on one object.  Here is an example of a typical “red dot” sight.

Want even more red dot action? Check out some of our favorite Red Dot Sights.

Conclusion

Determining eye dominance is the first step in shooting more accurately. Paired with a good sight picture and you’re sure to be nailing those targets in no time!

Looking for more shooting tips? Try out our How to Shoot Handgun More Accurately guide.