cheek piece adjustment (.22 prone)

[jedin]

I have an EC stock with Grunig and Elmer buttplate, so there are a bazillion things I *could* adjust.
I've been having difficulty for a while with discomfort on the cheekbone and getting my head to rest comfortably, so a couple of weeks ago I thought I would try just loosening all the cheekpiece screws and push it into what felt comfortable in position, then tightening them again.
One result of of this is that the cheekpiece now slants in the horizontal plane: the front is closer to my head than the rear.
On the one hand this feels much more comfortable, and it seems somewhat consistent with the shape of heads; on the other hand, it presumably means that I have to be very careful to put my head in exactly the same place, to avoid left-right displacement; on the gripping hand, I should be doing that anyway, and arguably it's easier if a backward/forward head displacement will also cause an easier-to-see left-right displacement.
However, wooden stock cheekpieces are fairly straight, and whenever I see high-end shooters using metal stocks, the cheekpiece seems straight.
Am I being foolish?

[Tim S]

Jedin,

No, you aren't being foolish. You are right that a slanted cheekpuece adds more variables: if you move your head backwards or forwards, the cheekpiece cams it sideways too. Having the cheekpiece parallel to the barrel is definitely easier. But, what if that doesn't fit your head? I found years ago that a straight cheekpiece doesn't locate well for me; I have a broad jaw and almost no cheekbone at the side. Slanting the cheekpiece is about the only way to get any good contact.

Some top internationals do use a slanted cheekpiece: 2008 Olympic Champion Artur Aivazian, and Torben Grimmel come to mind. It can be done, but I suspect they have to pay a lot of attention to it.

[jedin]

Thanks, that's reassuring. I'll stick with it for a while (if my elbow lets me:)

[1845greyhounds]

I suggest you build a position that doesn't require you to search for proper head position. This is relatively easy with a free rifle. Just do what you described and set the cheek piece with the cheek pressure of your head resting on the stock (not hovering above or pushing against it). If the cheek piece is slanted, it's slanted. You should be able to achieve consistent head placement through consistent shoulder placement and simply laying your head on the rifle. If you have to shift your head about, then you won't have consistent head placement and you'll have off-call shots.

A supplement to what I previously described is to find (or add) a contact feature on the stock to act as a stock weld. The trick is for the stock weld to be positioned such your head must be properly aligned to touch it.

[Tim S]

I suggest you build a position that doesn't require you to search for proper head position.

That's quite true, if a bit glib, but remember the OP is almost certainly shooting on multi-bull targets. Negotiating these, even with excellent technique, subtly changes the relative position of one's head and shoulders to the rifle. A position that's perfect on the first target won't be absolutely perfect for no 10.

[jedin]

Yes, Tim is right. Most of the time, I can group well within the 10-ring on a single target - it's the moving around targets that is the hard part.

[1845greyhounds]

Glib? Really? Sometimes the obvious isn't obvious to everyone. Judging by the number of shooters I see sawing and craning their heads, it was worth stating.

As for shooting multi-bull targets, my understanding and experience is that NPA must be changed for each bull. I mostly shoot prone and my position moves about my support elbow. My support elbow stays in a fixed location while I rotate my body left / right to change columns and scouch forward/rearward for elevation. The goal is to keep my head position and orientation on the stock constant for a consistent view through the rear sight.

[Tim S]

Glib? Really? Sometimes the obvious isn't obvious to everyone. Judging by the number of shooters I see sawing and craning their heads, it was worth stating.

As for shooting multi-bull targets, my understanding and experience is that NPA must be changed for each bull. I mostly shoot prone and my position moves about my support elbow. My support elbow stays in a fixed location while I rotate my body left / right to change columns and scouch forward/rearward for elevation. The goal is to keep my head position and orientation on the stock constant for a consistent view through the rear sight.

Yes, glib. You are right that a good position, where the head is supported in a natural position aligning the eye with the sights is critical. However writing "make your position perfect" without making any suggestion of how to achieve that in this case, isn't as helpful as it could be, or perhaps as you intended it to be. That's why I described your advice as glib.

How you describe adjusting NPA for new targets is how it is taught over here. I absolutely agree that NPA must be changed for each bull. But, the vertical change in particular (nearly 6in on the British 25 yard target) can necessarily change your head position minutely. From experience, that's where a slanted cheekpiece can be at a disadvantage. I think a parallel cheekpiece is a little more forgiving in that regard, but if it doesn't fit I think a slanted cheekpiece is the better compromise. As you say if it's slanted, it's slanted.

[Peter_Scant]

I don’t have much of a cheek bone on the side as well. My solution was to start with a flat parallel piece of wood and notched it so that it would clear the side of my face enabling the cheek bone towards the front of my face to sit on the cheek piece.

It took a while but I eventually got a shape and location that enables me to completely relax my head and sit perfectly behind the sights.

I also swap actions on my stock to shoot small bore and full bore and have no problems with my head position using the same cheek piece.