Poll: How do you shoot? With an optic.

[Ura-Ki]

That' the one disadvantage to holo sights, that's why I co wbitness

 

[AK0perator47]

Ok, who here wears glasses and shooting with them sure makes a difference on how you see.

 

[etrain16]

Ok, who here wears glasses and shooting with them sure makes a difference on how you see.

I do. And they change things a lot for me. I tend to do shoot with one eye open with any kind of glass, and with most iron sights. Pistols, though, I tend to shoot both eyes open, especially for defensive shooting, where I just want to get that hit on center of mass. Haven't had a lot of luck using 2 eyes with glass.

 

[AK0perator47]

I have reasons for why I asked.

First: new people to shooting may have some of the same issues.

Second: I am building a new AR15 and I am debating on what optic.

Third: I went shooting today and at 200 yards my accuracy was not as good as I would like.

Now you can say it is a bunch of stuff on why but, I didn't do good until I figured out how I zeroed it.

I have on my Bushmaster AR a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6, on my RRA Ar10 is a 6-25, and on my Spikes Tactical is my Swarovski 3-10. I also have a Romarm Sar1 being shipped and need an optic. I also have my Tikka T3x coming in a couple weeks.

I am a firm believer in having an optic that if the battery dies then I still have etched glass. I have tossed around the idea of the Trijicon Accupoint for this very reason. I appreciate everyone's help!

 

[titsonritz]

So then what should a person buy? A scope or red dot? What about a holographic? If they have a limited budget.

I have more than one rifle but, I am just saying for the new purchaser. One that may be on a fixed budget.

A quality red dot will cost less than a middle of the road LPVO. An Aimpoint PRO w/ MBUS would get my vote for a serious but budget optic setup.

 

[rcnpthfndr]

just my opinion and like everything else in life experiences differ.
if you have bad eyes or aging eyes like a lot of us here. in my opinion you should be looking at the other end of the spectrum from budget glass. with aging eyes strain is caused by well being Old but looking through sub par glass with poor uneven or missing coatings that doesn't transmit light efficiently adds to the issues. I am not saying you need to go top tier like Tangent Theta, S&B, March, USO etc. but something that works at transmitting the information through the optic to your eyes in the most efficient manner possible causing less eye strain.

this is what I notice, when looking through an old simmons, Weaver k4, Unertl, etc compared to my higher end optics.

 

[oli700]

Low power variable with a lit reticle , 0-50y , I shoot with the front lens cap closed and both eyes open.
Any magnification , open front lens cap , one eye closed

Any red dots/holograph both eyes open

occluded technique ....works for me awesome
Occluded Eye Aiming - Using Your Scope Like a Red Dot

 

[American123]

So then what should a person buy? A scope or red dot? What about a holographic? If they have a limited budget.

I have more than one rifle but, I am just saying for the new purchaser. One that may be on a fixed budget.

Variable optics have come a long way. The primary arms 1-6 is $289 less coupons if you have them and at 1x is easily used with both eyes open and at 6x provides what is very helpful for taking longer shots. If I were on a fixed income and I wanted something that was more utilitarian I would save until I could purchase one of those.

 

[American123]

I have reasons for why I asked.

First: new people to shooting may have some of the same issues.

Second: I am building a new AR15 and I am debating on what optic.

Third: I went shooting today and at 200 yards my accuracy was not as good as I would like.

Now you can say it is a bunch of stuff on why but, I didn't do good until I figured out how I zeroed it.

I have on my Bushmaster AR a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6, on my RRA Ar10 is a 6-25, and on my Spikes Tactical is my Swarovski 3-10. I also have a Romarm Sar1 being shipped and need an optic. I also have my Tikka T3x coming in a couple weeks.

I am a firm believer in having an optic that if the battery dies then I still have etched glass. I have tossed around the idea of the Trijicon Accupoint for this very reason. I appreciate everyone's help!

Just putting it out there. 200 yards isn't really all that far. If we are talking about from bench. Shooting 200 yards and a decent group should be relatively simple even with irons as long as the fundamentals of marksmanship are followed. (Decent group depends on each person's ability and their rifles capability)

Also as you said, "had to figure out the zero first" - yes - the zero you keep for your particular rifle and cartridge will drastically change where a bullet impacts at extended ranges. I believe 99% of problems today experienced by people who enjoy shooting is that they seek a remedy through purchasing additional gear when their problem is actually needing more practice in the fundamentals of marksmanship.

Good luck with your search for whatever it is you decide you are looking for.

PS - shooting with both eyes open or one eye closed is more a question of eye dominance than anything. There are many people who are cross eye dominant and that leads them to have to close what would be their eye not behind the scope because their brain is prioritizing the information seen through that eye instead of the one behind the scope. Some people seem to have a harder time with it than others. If I was cross eye dominant, I would train to learn to shoot left handed with rifles so I didn't have to deal with that.

 

[titsonritz]

PS - shooting with both eyes open or one eye closed is more a question of eye dominance than anything. There are many people who are cross eye dominant and that leads them to have to close what would be their eye not behind the scope because their brain is prioritizing the information seen through that eye instead of the one behind the scope. Some people seem to have a harder time with it than others. If I was cross eye dominant, I would train to learn to shoot left handed with rifles so I didn't have to deal with that.

I have found the opposite to be true with a red dot. I am left eye dominant, shoot left handed but with an Aimpoint I have been able to shoot right handed no problem with both eyes open.

 

[11Charlie]

It all really depends on the scope and weapon that it is mounted to. I have several different ones and each is a little different. If I am going long distances then usually one eye. IF its for speed and closer distance then both eyes open.

 

[American123]

I have found the opposite to be true with a red dot. I am left eye dominant, shoot left handed but with an Aimpoint I have been able to shoot right handed no problem with both eyes open.

A red dot isn't really a scope, it's a reflex sight designed without magnification. If you close the cap and look through it you'll also be able to use it because your brain can piece both images together because they are the same magnification regardless of eye dominance. Magnified optics's are a different story.

 

[titsonritz]

A red dot isn't really a scope, it's a reflex sight designed without magnification. If you close the cap and look through it you'll also be able to use it because your brain can piece both images together because they are the same magnification regardless of eye dominance. Magnified optics's are a different story.

Depends on the scope. A LPVO with an illuminated reticle will act as a red dot, as will a TA33 ACOG
Review: Trijicon TA33 – The Most RDS-Like Magnified Optic Available?

 

[Joe13]

That 4x leupold scope i mentioned worked great with 2 eyes open.

One eye saw the whole area and the other eye got a 4x magnification of what the gun was pointed at.

Worked well for hunting at least.

 

[American123]

Depends on the scope. A LPVO with an illuminated reticle will act as a red dot, as will a TA33 ACOG
Review: Trijicon TA33 – The Most RDS-Like Magnified Optic Available?

True, some can, and its also dependent on each persons eyes. I shoot both eyes open all the time even when I am staring down a scope at 18x, and I have met other people who need to close an eye to be able to focus through a scope at minimal magnification. I should have elaborated more on my last comment. It ultimately boils down to each persons' eye dominance and brain piecing together the information. Some can do it easily, some can't.

I personally really love variable magnification optics with my two standards right now being the Primary arms 1x8 ACSS and the Leupold Mark AR Mod 1 3x9. I also appreciate the trijicon accupoint 3x9 because the green mil dot functions similarly to a red dot a 3x.

 

[tac]

I'm fully ambidextrous and have no master eye. As a former part-time shooting instructor with long gun, handgun and bow it was very useful to be able to use both hands and eyes to help teach the handicapped - my daughter included.

I have both right-hand and left-hand action rifles, and have right and left grips for my Olympic style airguns, although I tend to shoot them both left-handed for the loading ergonomics.

I've always shot with both eyes open, no matter what I'm shooting, and just de-focus the non-sighting eye. I can also see stereo in paired photographs without using a stereoscope. It's nothing clever, just a trick that anybody with two working eyeballs can do with a little practice.

tac

 

[KKG]

I only see(actually focus) with one eye at a time but I do see out of both eyes. Because of this I have pretty much always shot Optics and Irons with both eyes open. I feel it's important to do a final check of the area around the Target. My particular vision makes that easy to do. When I'm instructing I really try to teach that method. But, it's pretty much whatever works for the individual.

 

[Boboclown]

I use both eyes open, but to be fair the scope with rhe highest magnification is the 3-9x Leupold I'm currently using. Typically I use a fixed scope that is either 3x or 4x.

 

[JimBob]

I have a couple of issues with my eyes that necessitated some unusual practices by me. Being left-eye dominate, I have always shot rifles left handed. Being self taught, I did not even know that until I joined military. However, I shoot pistols right handed, but with right eye closed. It's a bit awkward, but works for me. I have REALLY tried to practice two eye shooting with 1x optics, but found my eyes do not line up perfectly causing blurred or double vision (which is likely the source of my left eye dominance).

Point is, we are all pretty smart and adaptable monkeys. If we want something bad enough, we find a way to make it work.

 

[Cerberus Group]

Point is, we are all pretty smart and adaptable monkeys. If we want something bad enough, we find a way to make it work.

Yesssssss