Is it completely vital to shooting accurately? I mean what about handguns, they dont need a cheek weld and they can shoot fairly accurately. Granted i know there is a difference between a rifle and a handgun but the same fundamentals Still apply, as long as you get the same sight picture every time you squeeze the trigger. With my ar to get my 2 power scope to clear most of the front sight I can only get a "chin weld".
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Is cheek weld really that important?
- Thread starter Pops1085
- Start date
Captains1911
New member
To achieve a consistent sight picture, a consistent cheek weld is needed.
shootniron
New member
It's overall importance is dependent on the task at hand and the desired results. For many hunting situations, cheek weld is not overly critical. I have a couple of rifles that I hunt with that allow for virtually no cheek weld and for the places and ranges that I use them, there is no discernible consequence of that.
One's cheek weld force on the butt stock determines how much pressure there is on the stock. That effects how much the bore axis moves off its direction to the target when the primer fired and the bullet's going down the barrel. Different cheek weld pressures means the rifle's movement during the bullet's barrel time will be different. While the inheirent accuracy of the rifle and ammo are still intact, it centers at different places on the target with different amounts of pressure on the stock from us humans.
So does putting the butt pad at different places in ones shoulder from shot to shot. As does different sling tension.
So does putting the butt pad at different places in ones shoulder from shot to shot. As does different sling tension.
One's cheek weld force on the butt stock determines how much pressure there is on the stock. That effects how much the bore axis moves off its direction to the target when the primer fired and the bullet's going down the barrel. Different cheek weld pressures means the rifle's movement during the bullet's barrel time will be different. While the inheirent accuracy of the rifle and ammo are still intact, it centers at different places on the target with different amounts of pressure on the stock from us humans.
So does putting the butt pad at different places in ones shoulder from shot to shot. As does different sling tension.
Bart hit the nail on the head. I would like to add that your cheek wield is very critical when shooting through iron sights, since it changes perspective. However with modern optics, as long as they are used correctly, they should be parallax free. Cheek wield is now more about maintaining consistent recoil. So it is not as important as it used to be, but it can still affect accuracy.
sc928porsche
New member
Yes. Especially when shooting the magnums with a scope.
allaroundhunter
New member
When shooting a firearm, any type, for the best accuracy all points of contact need to be as consistent as possible.
Cheek weld is indeed one of these points of contact when shooting a rifle so it is important. Your cheek is not a point of contact when shooting handguns (unless you are doing something very wrong), so it is not as applicable to that situation.
Cheek weld is indeed one of these points of contact when shooting a rifle so it is important. Your cheek is not a point of contact when shooting handguns (unless you are doing something very wrong), so it is not as applicable to that situation.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Absolutely.
And, if you're shooting a hard kicker and you don't have a good cheek weld, you'll likely find yourself looking at a whole galaxy of stars, birdies, and other things people see when they've taken a hard shot to the head...
Years ago I had a .300 Weatherby jump up and bite me because I didn't have a proper seated position.
That was my object lesson for keeping my face down on the stock.
And, if you're shooting a hard kicker and you don't have a good cheek weld, you'll likely find yourself looking at a whole galaxy of stars, birdies, and other things people see when they've taken a hard shot to the head...
Years ago I had a .300 Weatherby jump up and bite me because I didn't have a proper seated position.
That was my object lesson for keeping my face down on the stock.
Strafer Gott
New member
The cheek weld seems to come natural to me. It's that sling tension thing has me concerned. Seems I have to shoot the rifle a bit to get comfortable with how hard I'm slinging. I always prefer the sling, but it can make problems.
Every part of the steady hold is important. I use a few shots to let the rifle get good and comfy on my body. Then I'm good for a couple of strings.
Every part of the steady hold is important. I use a few shots to let the rifle get good and comfy on my body. Then I'm good for a couple of strings.
Bart,
While the parallax knob is often used to 'focus' the target at different distances. That is not the actual purpose of the function, and is actually an incorrect use for it. The parallax adjustment is meant to put the optics in the same plane as the target. Which in turn makes your sight picture parallax free.
With iron sights, the cheek weld is even more important than with modern optics because there is no way to make it parallax free. If your cheek is in a different position than your last shot, your looking through the sights from a different place and your not aiming at the same spot any more, even if you line up the sights correctly. You can test this by using your fingers as mock sights. Line them up in front of you so that one tip is directly in front of the other. Notice the spot that you are 'aiming at' in the background. Now move your head without moving your body. After you line them up again, you are not aiming at the same thing again. This is parallax.
With the parallax option in modern scopes, that is no longer an issue as long as you adjust the setting to where moving your head around doesn't move your cross hair on the target. Once this is done, no matter where your eye is in relation to the scope, as long as you have a full sight picture, you are aiming at the same spot.
As long as your target is clear enough that you can aim at it, you can be just as accurate with it out of focus. Parallax on the other hand can be the difference between a hit and miss. Just because you focus the image using the knob, doesn't mean your parallax free.. and vice versa. Those two optical properties are mutually exclusive. Being parallax free is the more important one.
While the parallax knob is often used to 'focus' the target at different distances. That is not the actual purpose of the function, and is actually an incorrect use for it. The parallax adjustment is meant to put the optics in the same plane as the target. Which in turn makes your sight picture parallax free.
With iron sights, the cheek weld is even more important than with modern optics because there is no way to make it parallax free. If your cheek is in a different position than your last shot, your looking through the sights from a different place and your not aiming at the same spot any more, even if you line up the sights correctly. You can test this by using your fingers as mock sights. Line them up in front of you so that one tip is directly in front of the other. Notice the spot that you are 'aiming at' in the background. Now move your head without moving your body. After you line them up again, you are not aiming at the same thing again. This is parallax.
With the parallax option in modern scopes, that is no longer an issue as long as you adjust the setting to where moving your head around doesn't move your cross hair on the target. Once this is done, no matter where your eye is in relation to the scope, as long as you have a full sight picture, you are aiming at the same spot.
As long as your target is clear enough that you can aim at it, you can be just as accurate with it out of focus. Parallax on the other hand can be the difference between a hit and miss. Just because you focus the image using the knob, doesn't mean your parallax free.. and vice versa. Those two optical properties are mutually exclusive. Being parallax free is the more important one.
Pops, I agree with everyone about the importance ...
of cheek weld.
There is an easy fix to your problem depending on the type of stock on your rifle.
The fix is the same regardless of stock: raise the height of your comb on the stock. It is very easy to do on a standard stock. They make kits which consist of foam pads of different thickness and a nylon wrap that goes around the stock to hold them in place. I bought one from Cabela's and used it to raise the height of the comb on a shotgun that wasn't patterning the way I wanted.
If your rifle has a collapsible stock I am guessing you could do the same thing with the right thickness foam pad and duct tape or electrical tape.
of cheek weld.
There is an easy fix to your problem depending on the type of stock on your rifle.
The fix is the same regardless of stock: raise the height of your comb on the stock. It is very easy to do on a standard stock. They make kits which consist of foam pads of different thickness and a nylon wrap that goes around the stock to hold them in place. I bought one from Cabela's and used it to raise the height of the comb on a shotgun that wasn't patterning the way I wanted.
If your rifle has a collapsible stock I am guessing you could do the same thing with the right thickness foam pad and duct tape or electrical tape.
reynolds357
New member
OK, I am about to be the oddball out, but cheek weld is not necessarily that important. One of my thousand yard rifles I shoot without contacting anything except the trigger. I set it up, look through the scope without my cheek touching the stock, move it to get my cross hairs on target, verify the rifle is on target without touching anything, then tap the trigger. No cheek weld. No shoulder contact. Just a very heavily powdered stock contacting very heavily powdered rests.
allaroundhunter
New member
Reynolds,
When shoulder firing a rifle, yes, cheek weld is important because it has to be the exact same every time for the best accuracy.
I will relate it to your situation. If instead of backing off of your rifle after sighting the target, if you were to keep your cheek on the gun you would slightly change the harmonics of the gun, and yes, the shot would be out of the group. It is important. For you, the importance of cheek weld is to not have it... odd, but still a consistent cheek weld (or lack thereof) is what you are doing.
When shoulder firing a rifle, yes, cheek weld is important because it has to be the exact same every time for the best accuracy.
I will relate it to your situation. If instead of backing off of your rifle after sighting the target, if you were to keep your cheek on the gun you would slightly change the harmonics of the gun, and yes, the shot would be out of the group. It is important. For you, the importance of cheek weld is to not have it... odd, but still a consistent cheek weld (or lack thereof) is what you are doing.
timelinex, I disagree with your premise in the following:
But I'll address in in a new thread titled "Parallax Knobs; A Misnomer???" so this thread won't be hijacked.While the parallax knob is often used to 'focus' the target at different distances. That is not the actual purpose of the function, and is actually an incorrect use for it. The parallax adjustment is meant to put the optics in the same plane as the target. Which in turn makes your sight picture parallax free.
OK, I am about to be the oddball out, but cheek weld is not necessarily that important. One of my thousand yard rifles I shoot without contacting anything except the trigger. I set it up, look through the scope without my cheek touching the stock, move it to get my cross hairs on target, verify the rifle is on target without touching anything, then tap the trigger. No cheek weld. No shoulder contact. Just a very heavily powdered stock contacting very heavily powdered rests.
Seems like you agree then... Your consistent cheek weld is no cheek weld.
Sweet Shooter
New member
I think it's overblown and I glaze over when someone starts talking about it.
A perfect sight picture is a hundred times more important in my not so humble opinion.
-SS-
A perfect sight picture is a hundred times more important in my not so humble opinion.
-SS-