both eyes open and eye relief

[Nik S]

I've heard for a long time that you should keep both eyes open when looking through a scope, but whenever I tried it, I'd get double vision, and it was really hard to make sense of what I was looking at through the scope. I figured I was cross dominant, and spent the rest of my years shooting with one eye.

Along the way, I tried my hand at a "scout" scope with extended eye relief, and I was able to keep both eyes open quite successfully when the scope was further from my eye. It worked quite beautifully. I attributed the long eye relief allowed my eyes to focus differently to bring the images together.

Yesterday, I purchased a new rifle scope, and lo and behold, I can also make good sense of what I'm looking at through that scope too, with both eyes open.

Now this is leading me to a question. Originally, I'd assumed extended eye relief was "solving" my double-vision with the scout scope, but the eye relief on my original and new scopes are pretty close. What could be going on here?

• Original scope (double-vision with both eyes open), eye relief 3.5"
• Scout scope (clear with both eyes open), eye relief 8.5"-14'
• New scope (clear with both eyes open), eye relief 3.75"

Nik

 

[ken4570tc in WY]

Check the focus ring adjustment of the original scope. Could be that it was never set correctly and was causing your eyes to go whonky.

 

[Nik S]

That sounds about right. Can't recall if I ever did that. Was just starting out, and probably didn't.

I'll have a chance to check that tomorrow!

 

[acudaowner]

I had to use a string felt a little stupid , but with in a month or two i could use both eyes while looking through a scope with out any blur at least till me eyes get tired then I just take a 5 min break and start up again It helped with scopes and my pistol shooting a lot . I used cheap twine and two nuts and bolts worked the same as string and beads .

 

[wade2big]

The more dominant your dominant eye the easier it is to shoot with both eyes open. Just do what works for you when looking through a scope. The non sighting eye open or closed really doesn’t matter. If you were wingshooting with a shotgun or throwing a football this answer would not apply.

 

[jcam]

I’m able to shoot pistol iron sights and carbine red dots both eyes open, but can’t seem to do the same when looking through a riflescope.