You’ve heard of length of pull and know how much of a difference it can make in whether a gun “fits” you or not – but have you given any thought to comb height and the issue of parallax distortion? If not, and you’re having a hard time sighting in, well, maybe you need to consider it.
Here’s what to know.
What Is Parallax Distortion
When you look through a scope at an angle, whether it’s from the left or right, the crosshair may shift its apparent attitude. This is called parallax distortion, and when it does occur, the reticle will appear to be covering something that the rifle isn’t actually pointing at. When you shoot and you experience parallax distortion, you will often miss.
What some don’t know is that parallax distortion doesn’t just occur when you’re coming in from an angle to the sides. If your eye is too high or too low on the comb, parallax distortion can also occur. This raises the issues of comb height.
Comb Height and Eye Relief
The comb is the part of the stock on which your cheek rests when you shoulder the gun. Some rifles have adjustable combs, but many do not. This is problematic for some shooters if, for one reason or another, the comb is too high or (more frequently) too low.
If the comb is too low and you try to shoot over it, you will likely shoot too low (although you could also be missing high). You could also be causing a parallax distortion (as indicated above) that can adversely affect your accuracy.
Eye relief is another thing you need to consider, although it isn’t necessarily affected by comb height. If there is a black ring around the sight picture through the scope’s tube, or a black semi-circle encroaching on the sight picture, that means you are too far away or are looking through the scope at an angle.
Adjust the scope forward or backward, or raise the comb height, until you have a full sight picture.
How Can a Rifle Cheek Pad Help
If the issue you’re experiencing is not one of eye relief, and you justifiably believe the issue is that your rifle’s comb height is too low, there actually is an easy and affordable fix for that.
Just get a rifle cheek pad and install it on the comb. A good one – like the rifle cheek pads available online at Anarchy Outdoors, will be made of non-absorbent, durable closed-cell foam that will offer a comfortable, instant adjustment to your rifle’s comb height. Those in question are even made in the United States and come with an adhesive backing, so you can install one in a matter of seconds.
They are easy to install, practical, affordable, and most importantly, compatible with a wide range of different firearm platforms. You can even install one on a shotgun if you’re into breaking clays and your comb is too low.
For more information on these rifle cheek pads, visit Anarchy Outdoors or get in touch with their customer service directly at 833-980-0333.
