A few ideas on how to adjust your new rifle to fit you

With today's rifles there are som many different adjustments that it sometimes is hard to knmow where to begin. This article will outline one way to adjust your rifle to fit you.

Install sights Start out by installing the sights. Make sure that you tighten the screws enough so they can move around, but not so hard that you might break the threads.
	Adjust Cheekpiece The idea of the cheekpiece is to give you support for your head so you can relax your neck. Start out by taking up the rifle in position and put your head on the piece. Relax your neck and see where you are looking. Change the adjustments until you can relax your head an look straight through the sights.
Placement of pistol grip. With the new aluminum stocks there are an additional dimension to play with - where you want the pistol grip. The idea is that you place the grip so the trigger is perfect on the first joint of your finger and the location of the right arm as comfortable and relaxed as possible. The best advice for an intermediate shooter is to adjust it so it is exactly the same as a normal wood stock. The risk are greater than the benefits until you are good enough to be able to tell the difference. It is easy to get lost by start changing around the grip and something that might feel great might not be as good for your performance. So start out by putting it the same old way as the normal stocks and then you can make minor adjustments as you get used to the rifle
	Length of rifle When you have adjusted the rest, it is time to adjust the length of the rifle. In standing you usually  want a reasonable pressure on your shoulder at the same time as you want a relaxed position. The easiest way to get a pretty good length is to take up the rifle and then put your head towards the sights. Adjust the length until you're eye is about 1/2-3/4" from the sights - this might be hard as you don't know if you have put the sights right. Another way is to try to adjust the length so your left hand can be straight from the rifle down to the hip bone. The third way that might help you is to take pistol grip with your hand and then adjust the rifle so the butt-plate touches the inside of your elbow. After you have done the major length adjustment, you will have to do minor changes to get a balanced and relaxed position.

Copyright Joacim Trybom 2001
Updated 4/15/01