Starting off, i have long arms and a long neck. When i stretch my neck out, i can put my cheekbone pretty much on the back of the receiver of my M1. With my long neck and the way the comb is shaped i can't find a repeatable cheek weld anywhere. I can shoot good groups with it, but they're never in the same spot. I'd like to take it to garand matches at some point so i don't want to modify the stock. Surely i'm not the only one to encounter this, what am i missing?
Try reducing your target index angle and face more square to the target.
Quote from: AJ Gonzales on June 08, 2019, 11:36:06 PM
Try reducing your target index angle and face more square to the target.
Exactly!
Try and rotate your body 10 degrees closer to directly behind the rifle and see if that moves your head far enough back.
Quote from: TomMPR on June 08, 2019, 11:27:51 PM
Starting off, i have long arms and a long neck. When i stretch my neck out, i can put my cheekbone pretty much on the back of the receiver of my M1. With my long neck and the way the comb is shaped i can't find a repeatable cheek weld anywhere. I can shoot good groups with it, but they're never in the same spot. I'd like to take it to garand matches at some point so i don't want to modify the stock. Surely i'm not the only one to encounter this, what am i missing?
When I learned how to shoot the M1 and later the M14 at Quantico, we used a spot weld which guarantees, as much as possible, the same sight alignment. Cheekbone to thumb. You will find it discussed in some of the older marksmanship guides. I still use a cheekweld for all open and peep sight shooting, if practical.
Quote from: CarrollMS on June 10, 2019, 12:02:58 PM
Quote from: TomMPR on June 08, 2019, 11:27:51 PM
I still use a cheekweld for all open and peep sight shooting, if practical.
Correction- I still use a "thumb-to-cheek-bone weld" on the M1 Rifle, Carbine, and similar stocks with peep sights. A little discussion here at the link from some men of my generation and marksmanship training. Be confident that the grip on the stock with the trigger hand is consistent, and the weld of my cheek bone to the thumb is also consistent -- thus will the eye relief and relative position of the head for sight alignment be consistent. I have often seen Appleseed steady hold factors taught with the thumb along the side of the stock as a partial remedy for dragging wood. Use of that form (which was new to me before Appleseed) will not allow the cheekbone to thumb weld. Careless application of the spot weld may result in a bit of pain, and bruising, perhaps; especially if one is not careful in assuring the spot weld. I consider this type of approach in obtaining consistent sight alignment to the nose-to-charging handle technique for the M16 stock.
https://m14forum.com/m14/84996-proper-cheek-weld-prone-position-iron-sights.html
see photos i skimmed from the internet of an old timer with a bolt action and nose to charging handle
Another thing you can try is adding a slip-on recoil pad over the end of the butt to effectively make the stock longer. "Hickock45" of YouTube fame is quite a tall man, and he'll often mention that he adds a slip-on pad to his rifles when he shoots them, for this very purpose.
Spot weld is the answer, with or without the thumb. With enough dryfire you know how the stock should feel in your cheek and what the sight picture should look like. You master it.
Getting further behind the rifle has helped, we're on the right track. Thanks for all the ideas