How far back do you mount your scopes?

I learned to favor a longer eye relief with my heavy hitting calibers even at the expense of a slightly less than ideal sight picture. I too got popped in the eye but only because I was wearing my prescription eye glasses, AND my "over the glasses" type sunglasses. I've seen a few new bench shooters at our 600 yd range get too far up on the scope in the prone position and get a 3rd eyebrow from an -06 or a bigger magnum's recoil.
 
Ouch !!!

I got my half-moon eyebrow cut when I fired a .30-'06 off the roof of my buddy's car.
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Last year, a good freind of mine did just that, only it was on his cheek. He had his finger in the trigger as he was going to his cheek weld. He also took this with a grain of salt but these cuts can be nasty. .... :mad:
But I did not put the big dent on the roof from the muzzle blast - he did that all by himself.
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Then another hunting partner did just that while prairie dog shooting out west. he had a grey truck and fortunately hs also had some duct tape. He is the same guy who put a divet in the basement carpet with a 30-06. I know his wife's temperament and stayed away for a couple of months.. ... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Something I have not heard anyone mention for a hunting rifle, I mount my scope so I can shoot dominent and weak sided. I mainly do that since I don't want to limit myself to not being able to take that monster that walks out to my wrong side and I have to "quietly" move my body around and not get spotted.
 
"Scope eye" can certainly be aided by not enough eye relief on the scope's end- but it's usually due to improper form and not shouldering the rifle correctly.

The stock needs to be firmly pressed into the shoulder to manage recoil, so that the body absorbs recoil forces and moves back with the rifle.

If you don't allow any "slack" between your shoulder and the rifle, they both move together. Loose shouldering is a sure recipe for scope eye- the rifle will take up the "slack" between the butt and your shoulder while your eye stays in roughly the same spot.

Bam.
 
If there's any chance the rifle will be shot prone, I set the scope up prone (and on full power of course). That generally means leaning into it from other field positions, which I'm OK with - it certainly doesn't hurt stability.
 
Turkey neck and cheek weld, then set the scope distance.

You want to stretch your neck forward (not unnaturally stretched, but definitely not slack) when you get your cheek weld so that your neck follows your shoulders back during recoil, preventing scope-eye. Remember, your head weighs about 10#, so if there is any slack in your neck, your head is going to move toward the scope when the rifle recoils. This also gives the best repeatability in eye position.

I usually set eye relief in prone which is a good compromise between seated (head furthest forward) and standing (head furthest rearward). One rifle that I shoot off a bipod has the scope further back because I'm always squared off to the stock with that one instead of indexed like with my other rifles.
 
Update: Got out to zero in recently and I'm pretty happy with the positioning, shot nicely and did not feel like the scope would kiss my eyebrow, so all good, the shut your eyes and get comfy, then move scope to suit process works a treat.


But I did not put the big dent on the roof from the muzzle blast - he did that all by himself
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Hey never thought of that, how big a dent can a muzzle blast do? I'd love to see some pics!

Cheers all.
 
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