Cheek Pressure

[Tiny Tim]

Just wondering how much cheek pressure you guys use when shooting? Do you put alot of pressure on the comb or as little as possible? Seem to see alot of opinions. Personally, I have found that minimal pressure for me to get a repeatable eye location is best . It seems too much cheek pressure on the stock introduces horizontal dispersion and is probably more an issue of poor stock fit than pressure. Have done a search, but most info deals more with obtaining correct height than dealing with the actual amount of pressure people prefer to place on the stock. How does this affect your impacts, groups, and precision over varying distances? What say you all?

 

[Rick Richard]

I would have to say light pressure since that is about what it takes for me to achieve correct eye alignment.

 

[26Reload]

Jumping....
As for stocks with 'general width' at the top of the comb pressure has to be added to get your cheek over far enough to center your eye to the crosshairs...
I have an Iota Krux....very thin comb area...allows centering easy enough....but...it also has a 4 degree rise...i had been battling the cheek on comb placement due to the angle...
Shoots fine...makes me way more aware of placement now...but i still grab my other rifle and fire it just as well...without thinking....

 

[nksmfamjp]

Pretty light pressure. If I get a little heavy, that eye goes blurry.

 

[Tiny Tim]

Jumping....
As for stocks with 'general width' at the top of the comb pressure has to be added to get your cheek over far enough to center your eye to the crosshairs...
I have an Iota Krux....very thin comb area...allows centering easy enough....but...it also has a 4 degree rise...i had been battling the cheek on comb placement due to the angle...
Shoots fine...makes me way more aware of placement now...but i still grab my other rifle and fire it just as well...without thinking....

I have a relatively high cheekbone, so I often struggle to get a good "weld", especially with large diameter scopes and sloped rails. As you said, with standard width cheek pieces and stocks being built up with stock packs and such, I often have to twist my head or side load the pack. This causes all sorts of issues, some of which manifest more during load development.

 

[browndcm]

Just wondering how much cheek pressure you guys use when shooting? Do you put alot of pressure on the comb or as little as possible? Seem to see alot of opinions. Personally, I have found that minimal pressure for me to get a repeatable eye location is best . It seems too much cheek pressure on the stock introduces horizontal dispersion and is probably more an issue of poor stock fit than pressure. Have done a search, but most info deals more with obtaining correct height than dealing with the actual amount of pressure people prefer to place on the stock. How does this affect your impacts, groups, and precision over varying distances? What say you all?

I use little pressure but concentrate on stock to shoulder placement Never had a problem

 

[tomsd]

GREAT Q. I can honestly say I never thought that much about it - just settle in and shoot - but probably on the lighter side - assuming a good fit !

 

[Tree Farmer]

I agree, great question. I'd like to hear how others approach cheek weld and pressure to consistently shoot small groups. I've never figured out the best technique.

 

[Tiny Tim]

I've seen some videos where they rest the entire weight of their head on the stock. They say it alleviates fatigue when looking through the scope for long periods of time. Doesn't seen to work for me, but I'm probably doing it wrong. Just seems to my way of thinking, the more weight/pressure you put on the stock, the more room for input error.

 

[Tommo64]

I would say cheek pressure needs to be 'snug', i.e., firm but not too hard. Too little may result in inconsistent cheek weld, too much may prevent the rifle recoiling in a straight line, thus affecting your accuracy. Applying too little or too much pressure may mean the shooter is under/over compensating for a poor fit that could be corrected through a change in scope mounting and/or an adjustable cheek rest.

 

[Bravo 4]

However much my head weighs, so probably a lot.
Start at my jawbone and slide down till all the slack is out and resting steady. Can stay like that for extended periods of time, even take little naps if it suits.

 

[bpcrshooter]

Would say you get so many different answers because, there are so many different types of faces out there. What should be important is that it feels comfortable to you, and that you can do it the same.....every time. you dont want to be pushing so hard that when the gun goes off it hits your cheek like a hammer. if you shoot prone you will most likely put more pressure than if your shooting off the bench, and even less when you shoot off-hand. get a level on your scope if you dont have one, level the gun on the rest in your most used position, then adjust your stock accordingly. If you cant adjust your stock, you may have to choose different height scope rings or adjust cheek weld for that rifle.
Not having the same weld every time will affect impact as you are looking thru the scope differently. You will also absorb recoil differently as your body isnt in the same position every time.

If its a wood stock you can sand it down. there are people out there who could possibly add an adjustable comb to your rifle, if need be.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

You do not need any at all. A rifle does not shoot better because your head is on it. The reason consistent cheek weld is important is because its a great way to make bad shots, so if your going to do it, it needs to be very consistent. So Im firmly in the "as little as possible" camp. I will usually go a little higher with my rings if I have any more than a light touch. If I can flex my jaw and see the reticle move, its too much for me.

 

[Rilow]

You do not need any at all. A rifle does not shoot better because your head is on it. The reason consistent cheek weld is important is because its a great way to make bad shots, so if your going to do it, it needs to be very consistent. So Im firmly in the "as little as possible" camp. I will usually go a little higher with my rings if I have any more than a light touch. If I can flex my jaw and see the reticle move, its too much for me.

This is something I just realized this spring, I found I shoot much better with pretty much no pressure at all just using the stock as a reference point n concentrate on sight picture in scope. I figured it went against the norm but works for me. I figure it's one less thing to influence the gun when it goes bang