Whether you shoot a crossbow, compound, or traditional bow, you might be wondering how many eyes you should aim with.

[caption id="attachment_6281" align="aligncenter" width="300"] How many eyes should you aim with is a question many archers ask.[/caption] Some questions may never be settled. What came first the chicken or the egg? If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, will it make a sound? What's the deal with Bigfoot? And, of course, there is that question about woodchucks. Another questions that shooters have probably debated since the beginning of time is how many eyes should you aim with? In my mind I can see two paleo hunters after constructing their first bow arguing over the question.There are definitely proponents of both sides and here is how each side typically argues its case.

One Eye Open

There are quite a few shooters out there who shoot with one eye open. I would venture a guess this might be the most natural form of aiming. This seems to be the case when you think about kids either shooting BB guns, bows, or just pretend shooting with their finger. Most kids shoot with only one eye open, and don't have any bias on the subject. Or do they? Perhaps kids aim that way since many adults also aim that way and they emulate what the see. Whatever the case the biggest advantage of aiming with one eye open besides the fact it seems most natural, is the apparent improved accuracy. Several high profile shooters shoot with only one eye open. With only one eye open you can more clearly focus on the target, and it eliminates a lot of distractions in the sight window. One eye shooters have been around for a long time, and I wouldn't look for them to go anywhere.

Two Eyes Open

To start, I'll admit I used to be a one eye kind of guy. it started with my first BB gun, carried with me into adulthood through rifles, shotguns, and then my archery equipment. Then I was reading a book put out by the legendary Howard Hill and it made me change my ways. Hill was a renowned archer of the mid 1900's whose unbelievable accuracy and hunting exploits have been well documented. In his book Hill encouraged archers to adopt a two eye aiming method for several reasons. Hill argued it is easier to "stay on" your target by using two eyes. He also suggested that shooters could easily learn to focus on a target with two eyes open with a little practice. I decided to take Mr. Hill's advice and began shooting with two eyes open years ago and haven't looked back. Shooting with two eyes open makes the transition from spotting your target to aiming on your target a seamless process. I use this method with my traditional bow, compound bow, and shotgun. I seldom shoot a scoped rifle these days, but when I do I acquire my target through the scope with both eyes open, then transition into a one eye open aim. Some habits are hard to break. Two eyes open seems to be the most popular aiming method for the most accurate shooters. Byron Ferguson, Levi Morgan, Randy Ulmer, and Olympic medalist Brady Ellison all shoot with two eyes open. This method had proven itself overtime. In the end there is no concrete answer to the question "how many eyes should you aim with?" Accomplished hunter and target shooters have been successful using both methods. One eye makes it easier to focus, while looking at things with two eyes is the most natural way to look at something. The general rule in archery seems to be to practice something enough and it is bound to work. I think the same goes with the number of eyes to aim with. Follow the author through his facebook page or on twitter. NEXT: 1 DRILL TO BEAT TARGET PANIC