Stock Placement and Cheek Weld In Prone, how critical is it?
This topic assumes a solid prone position (steady hold factors) and good execution of the 6 steps of firing a shot.
If your "talking target" (the feedback received from live fire shots), reveals vertical stringing on the target, one of the main causes for that is cheek weld and stock placement in the shoulder.
On the 25M AQT this may only manifest itself as the top of the 5 ring to the bottom of the 5 ring, however, if it is there....there is an error, and that error will only increase itself at distance (that MOA Thing).
I find that elevation shifts of approximately 1-2 MOA are always cheek weld and stock placement related.
This is critical when competing on circle targets (X/10/9/8 etc).
For me, if I string ANY shots vertically in slow prone after establishing an initial zero on the target....that is ALWAYS stock placement and cheek weld related. Often I watch/score for new shooters and CRINGE when they get on their elevation knob to make an elevation correction, it is not the DOPE on the rifle...it is the dope behind the rifle! LOL
If you experience this, work on becoming more precise and repeatable in your buttstock placement in the shoulder, and having the exact same repeatable head pressure for cheek weld.
I am willing to bet, your groups will shrink.
This is worked on during both dry and live fire. Ensuring that the buttstock is in the same spot for every shot is critical. An error in placement of less than 1/4" will cause vertical displacement.
For those that use a data book, or some sort of record of slow prone shots at distance, a PERFECT score on a KD target to me would be a WATERLINE group....that is only 2 MOA in height, it could be the width of 3 line to 3 line...., but that target with a 2 MOA or less waterline group (regardless of how wide), would reveal to me some SOLID FUNDAMENTALS. The only thing that shows, is that the shooter needs to learn to read wind. Shots that string in elevation greater than 2 MOA, are always the person behind the rifle, and the majority of time that is cheek weld and stock placement.
Give it a try, work on making that placement EXACT every single time, I bet your group sizes will shrink and your scores will rise significantly.
R/
Chris
I should really learn to take my own advice, LOL!
This was yesterday on the MR52 target, 600 yard reduced target at 200 yards. It is a tough target.....10 ring is 4 inches.
No wind, and no elevation adjustments thru the string.
As stated before, all shots displaying vertical dispersion is the nut behind the rifle.
Stock placement is crucial!