The Art of Keeping Your Eye Open During the Shot Process

Master the ability to maintain visual contact with the target throughout the shot process and beyond. Keeping your eye open during the shot and recovering from recoil is an art that requires practice, determination, and understanding of the shooting mechanics. 
Why Keep Your Eye Open During the Shot Process?
The adage "keep your eye on the target" holds true, especially in precision shooting. Closing your eyes or losing sight of the target during the shot process can lead to several detrimental consequences:

1. Reacquisition Time: If you lose sight of the target, you'll need to reacquire it after the shot is fired, wasting precious moments. This is critical when spotting your shots or engaging multiple targets when timing is essential. Hunting and timed competition are the most frequent uses.
2. Shot Follow-Through: Maintaining visual contact helps you maintain proper shot follow-through. Understanding how the bullet impacts the target or misses will allow you to make real-time adjustments if necessary.
3. Calling Your Shots: Keeping your eye open enables you to "call your shots" accurately when you press the trigger and break the shot. This means you can predict where the shot will land before it reaches the target, helping you assess and correct your shooting technique.
4. Enhanced Shot Placement: Visual contact allows you to observe any deviation in the sight alignment, trigger pull, or breathing during the shot process, leading to improvement of your shooting.
5. Consistency and Confidence: Practicing this skill builds consistency in your shooting, leading to increased confidence in your abilities as a precision marksman.

Practical Tips for Keeping Your Eye Open

1. Dry Fire Practice: Start with dry fire exercises to build muscle memory and get comfortable with the idea of keeping your eye open during the shot. Focus on maintaining visual contact without blinking when squeezing the trigger.
2. Use a Spotting Scope or Binoculars: Observe others during live fire. Use a spotting scope or binoculars set up close to a partner's shooting position. This way, you can observe the shots and train to muzzle blast without moving your head or taking your eye away from the scope.
3. Record and Analyze: If possible, record your shooting sessions. Reviewing the footage allows you to identify any lapses in keeping your eye open or other areas that need improvement.
4. Mental Visualization: Mentally rehearse the shot process with your eye on the target before even shouldering the rifle. During live fire, take the time to dry fire to visualize the shot during the shot process. This practice can help solidify the habit.
5. Relaxation Techniques: Prior to shooting, practice relaxation techniques to calm your body and mind. A tense shooter is more likely to blink or lose focus during the shot process.

Conclusion
Keeping your eye open during the shot process and while recovering from recoil is a fundamental skill for precision rifle shooters. With consistent practice, you can master this technique. Remember, it's not just about hitting the target once but maintaining visual contact to hit it multiple times with precision and accuracy.

Happy shooting!