Smash, Smash: Shooting with Both Eyes Open
I shot with a father and son who both had been closing an eye and aiming the shotgun. The son was getting into SCTP and his father asked our advice about guns and what to do to give him an edge. I suggested the Knowledge Vault and to come out and shoot with me for an hour.
The father is a fishing and hunting guide and he too has always closed an eye when shooting a shotgun. Both of them were apprehensive about shooting with both eyes open. But after showing them the animations and getting them to understand the sight pictures, we went out.
The son went first. He stumbled on a few shots, way too far in front. But when his eyes and brain saw the stable picture, man did it latch onto it. He could not believe it. He did not miss for the rest of the first box.
On the second box, I took him back to 40 yards from 30. Smash, smash, smash. Then to 50 yards. Smash, miss, miss.
“Stop looking at the lead.”
Smash, smash, smash.
So then it was the father’s turn. He was apprehensive but open-minded. Smash, smash, smash. He could not believe it and wanted his son to shoot. So I threw him a variety of left-to-right targets: chandelles, flat crossers, quartering… and he could not stop smiling about how much easier this was.
So now to right to left and across the barrel sight pictures. The son looked at the picture with two targets on the ground and said, “Man, that is strange.” I made him do three dry runs and as usual, he was way too far in front on first and second and was perfect on the third. I told him to shoot the next one. Smash, smash, smash. Big smile. He did not miss a right-to-left target and I varied the presentations from close to far, quartering to crossing, fast, slow – it didn’t matter.
Dad was beaming and wanted to try it. And guess what? He did the first three dry runs and hit all the targets himself. Both were amazed.
I sent them off to James at ASC to buy an over and under 32-inch gun of his choosing and we are going to get together in three weeks after the flashlight drill and three-bullet drill. We’re going fishing with the dad on Monday and will shoot with them on Saturday. Man, I can’t wait.
