BINOCULAR SHOOTING.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2966, 17 August 1878, Page 4

BINOCULAR SHOOTING.

A correspondent of the Chicago Field, one of the best jouraals published in the interest of field sports, writing from San Diego, sets forth some views on the question of aiming with one or both eyes,. which are of abstract if not of practical value. He says: "I find I can shoot a gun just as well with both eyes open as one, although I learned to shoot with only one, and ,1 believe I still do so, except when I leave tooth open purposely. But while I shoot a gun as well, I cannot shoot a whit better of quicker with both eyes. The solution of this question appears to be this: that when we shoot with both eyes open, we, in reality, aim only with one and disregard : entirely the effect of the other. We all know the differerce between seeing with the eyes only and seeing • with the brain through the eyes. The hare in his form that you vainly try to show to the unpractised eye of your verdant frieDd, must necessarily produce the same picture upon the retina of his eye that it does upon yours. The difference is in his unpractised brain, which fails to distinguish that particular part of the picture from "the similarly colored surround-, ings. When in a reverie or brown study "we do riot notice things directly before our eyes, which must necessarily be pictured all the time upon the retina, just as we fail to hear the clock strike, although the ear must have heard it. Now it is just as easy for the mind, with a little practice, to disregard the telegraphic reports from the optic nerve of one eye, and concentrate its attention upon the picture on the retina of the other eye as it is for the mind to allow its attention to be drawn away from both, or as it is for the mind to disregard in a few moments the roar of the surf or the rumbling of the mill which at first disturbs us on going to bed wearied after being accustomed to silent nights, and this I think the mind does. Although both eyes are not in fact open, one is in effect closed by the mind disregarding its communication. To test this question thoroughly, take a rifle and lay it on a table or other dead rest, and sight it at a mark with both eyes open. Then, without moving your head, close the left eye. If you are a right hand shot, you'will find that you have'been sighting,it with the right eye entirely;; if a left-hand shot you will find that you" have sighted with the left eye, every man using for this purpose one eye- in preference to the ether; though whether men are right or' left eyed by habit (Jr nature I do not know, though it is doubtless mainly by habit. Now, • placing your shoulder to .the rifle, get directly behind ik and sight again with the rifle next to your breast. You will find it still done with one eye, and that you J have unconciously moved your head so as to bring your favorite eye in the line of the sights. To prevent this, place the butt against your chin, -keeping your head perfectly, straight. You will now find it impossible to sight it as before without turning the head. Now, if you have seen some sliells loaded with very light or round conical balls so as to prevent recoil, you will see just what kind of shooting can be done by using both eyes equally.for this is the only way you can:do it. By fixing your attention on the mark you will see the rifle barrel double with the mark between the two pictures of the barrel, and by guesswork can make . a tolerable shot when close by. This is, to my view, the only true t»ro-eyed shooting that is possible."