Cheek hold

[Elkeater]

I think most shooters, like me, pull a rifle back firmly to shoulder. I have not read or heard discussion on cheek pressure.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I don’t know if I put a lot of cheek on pressure on the stock but I like the stock snug against the cheek to avoid a slap when the gun is fired. Id rather be pushed than slapped. A bonus is if the stock fits well enough to mostly line up the eye with the sights.

 

[Gene L]

The Japanese matchlocks were designed to be fired from the cheek. Since firearms were introduced to Japan from Portugal (I think) and never evolved, it's possible that those early Europeans were as well.

 

[Irish lad]

It sure helps if the gun fits the shooter.
Looking at some of the originals with a lot of drop I wonder how fellas got their cheek on the stock.
Irish

 

[Gene L]

Yep. The Portuguese match locks (at least some) appear to be cheek fired guns.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Po...8KHdCTBbsQ9QEwAXoECAMQBA#imgrc=qknh8ASrYlgsSM:

 

[tenngun]

There are Japanese prints showing all manner of positions for holding these guns. Some look almost impossible to do in real life.

 

[Gene L]

Take a look at the Miroki matchlock in the Pre-flint forum. There's only one way to fire that gun, or one way to aim it. It's too short in the stock to be fired any other way.

 

[necchi]

I have not read or heard discussion on cheek pressure.

Well, because there is no such thing?
When we speak of "cheeK" as it applies to long guns and shooting,, it means at least 4 different things in relation to the subject.
A section of the guns butt stock is called a cheek.
Of course we as humans have a cheek or as some call jowls ,, as well as a zygomatic bone or cheek bone.

I have seen many discussions about cheek position,, and how the rifle cheek affects the shooter and his hold.

Personal example,, the TC Hawken has a pronounced raised section of butt stock cheek with a curved butt plate.
If I shoot one of those rifles,, it beats the manure out of my cheek bone,, it hurts!!
The TC Renegade has a different butt stock shape and plate and I can shoot one of those all day long.

So "Cheek Pressure" is kind of a funny topic,,(?)

 

[Elkeater]

Looking at some of the originals with a lot of drop I wonder how fellas got their cheek on the stock.
Irish

To be clear of the cheek bone of big heads, long faces.
Seems I can't run my belt sander enough to avoid a contusion under my cheek bone.

 

[Elkeater]

I'm talking about the human cheek bone. How to avoid a prominent one from getting banged up when sighting in and developing a rb load.

 

[dodger]

It sure helps if the gun fits the shooter.
Looking at some of the originals with a lot of drop I wonder how fellas got their cheek on the stock.
Irish

In most cases they didn't .
They shot with their heads up.

 

[Elkeater]

With head up ya still gotta steady your eye. With your jaw?

 

[necchi]

I'm talking about the human cheek bone. How to avoid a prominent one from getting banged up when sighting in and developing a rb load.

Ok,
It's all about fit to the individual.
I can not shoot a TC Hawken without damage to my face,, it doesn't fit me.
The CVR Mountain Rifle is fine, the TC Renegade stock is fine.
The ever popular Lyman Great Plains, (that many of my friends shoot), just plain feels funny for me to even shoulder!!
My point is, and I have always tried to advise this to those new members that show up looking for a good gun. Go find the model your interested in at a store and handle it, shoulder it, better yet go to a vous and approach the shooters and ask questions.
Bottom line, if the rifle doesn't fit you,, no amount of adjustment to the hold make it work.
If it's a cheek slapper.
Sell the gun.

 

[jon math]

I’ve never heard it referred to pressure but having your cheek on the stock consistently in the same place (stock or spot weld are the terms you hear used) does make a huge difference in accuracy as it sets your eye relief to your rear sight or your eye becomes the rear sight on a fowler or shotgun.
Attempting to “flatten the rib” by really driving your cheek into a shotgun stock will reward you with a stout blow to your face when you pull the trigger too.

 

[Elnathan]

With head up ya still gotta steady your eye. With your jaw?

I have a couple modern guns (for given definition of modern) that do indeed require a jaw weld. British design...

Whether your head is held forward or pulled back also has an influence on the way a stock fits.

 

[Vaino]

Early on I did a lot of hunting for ruffed grouse and went through a few shotguns before finding one that "fit me" ....had Browning O & Us, various SXSs, heavy autoloaders and finally found that the plain Rem 870 pump came up quickly and req'd no adjusting to get on the grouse....no time to do that.

Shotguns are different than rifles, but the LRs I build do mount quickly and the sights align w/o adjusting. Only a light contact w/ the cheek is req'd to be "spot on" w/ the sights.

The worst MLer for fit was my TC Hawken which tried to give me "bad habits" by changing my mount....until I remodeled the buttstock's comb and cheek areas. Ill fitting guns cause bad habits to form and that's the reason guns w/ crescent shaped Bplates aren't present on modern guns. Shooting off the arm isn't
an efficient way to mount because the eye isn't naturally aligned w/ the sights and if the eyes are aligned then all sorts of bodily contortions are necessary to achieve a sight picture......Fred

 

[Scipio]

I think most shooters, like me, pull a rifle back firmly to shoulder. I have not read or heard discussion on cheek pressure.

COEE:

Probably because of two things. First, pulling the rifle into the shoulder will stabilize the rifle easier and more positively than pushing down on the stock with the cheek. And second, muzzle loaders tend to have curved stocks and a lot of drop so the shooter isn't able to EASILY put a lot of downward pressure on the stock with his cheek.

I look at cheek pressure as a means of assisting in stabilizing a position. Positions are basically isometric holds on a firearm. Non firing arm holds rife up / cheek pushes stock down. Pull into shoulder and upper body resists the pull. All four kind of hold the receiver and stock like a multi directional vice.

Not to be confused with the overemphasized notion termed 'cheek weld', which says to put the cheek in a stock location that is consistent so the sight alignment is also consistent.

Muzzleloaders tend to have a lot of drop in the stock and for somewhat good reason. They are shot primarily offhand and the sights are about 1/2 inch above the barrel so a lot of drop in a stock lets the shooter bring the sights to the eyes easily, and being able to have sight alignment without cocking the head around is a good thing for balance and seeing clearly.

Scipio

 

[Artificer]

I’ve never heard it referred to pressure but having your cheek on the stock consistently in the same place (stock or spot weld are the terms you hear used) does make a huge difference in accuracy as it sets your eye relief to your rear sight or your eye becomes the rear sight on a fowler or shotgun.
Attempting to “flatten the rib” by really driving your cheek into a shotgun stock will reward you with a stout blow to your face when you pull the trigger too.

CO Elkeater,

As Jon mentioned in his post above, it is very important for target shooting and well aimed shots to have your cheek in as close as possible to the same position for each shot you fire. This means you will be looking through the rear sight as close as possible to the exact same way for each shot and that will give the most uniform/consistent accuracy.

Have to admit I never thought about how hard I was pushing my cheek into the stock, but rather "settling in" my cheek to the same position for each shot. So I don't think it is as much about how much cheek pressure you use, but where it settles in naturally to the same position AND you can see the rear sight the best.

If you are using a lot of cheek pressure force, I imagine that is going to vary without you thinking about it, in a string of 10 shots and perhaps as few as five shots. That means your eyes will be in a different position as the cheek pressure varies and that won't give as good of accuracy.

"Uniformity" or "Repeatability" in everything you do for shooting, gives you the best and most consistent accuracy.

Gus

 

[BrownBear]

To be clear of the cheek bone of big heads, long faces.

That's it for me, though in fact it's better indicated by comb height. I have prominent cheek bones and TC stocks just knock the holy manure out of them. TC stocks were designed with a high comb for scope shooting, a popular option at the time. I've shot friends' versions with scopes and with my head up higher for the scope they're a maiden's kiss on my old cheek bones. But nestle my mug down low for open sights and watch my eyes tear up after a few shots.

Lyman GPH stocks and similar with lower combs are back in the maiden's kiss category, though interesting enough the TC lovers in our crowd complain about the stocks.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Fred makes excellent points, as usual. That's why it's important to make yourself a try stock for each style of gun you are going to build. And when I say style, I mean mostly butt style. You're going to mount a shotgun butt differently than you are a deeply hooked crescent, and also guns of different weights and balance points. Just to pick a couple of extremes; I guarantee you that you will hold and mount a 14 pound .22 free rifle differently than you will your Daisy Red Ryder.

I just wonder why someone hasn't come up with a commercially marketed try stock yet? You know the big "name" English gun makers use them a lot:hmm: