Fun fact about NRA's Publications division: About 10 percent of the editors have a fine, hair-thin scar through the eyebrow over their dominant eye. Whether you call it "scope bite," "scope eye" or even a "Bushveld tattoo," shooting a long gun with a scope can sometimes result in a sharp blow to the brow bone from the optic as the gun recoils back. It's a problem that experienced shooters and newbies alike can experience from time to time—and it can be enough to make some people "gun shy" (if you'll forgive the phrase). It doesn’t have to be that way, though; as long as you follow a few precautionary steps, you’ll be just fine. Part of it is about assembling a shooting system—the correlation of shooter to gun and optic—that works for your intended purpose and your personal physique. Part of it is about your handling of the shooting system.
The Fit
The Fit
No two shooters are the same. And with that there are some rather specific guidelines to follow when selecting a rifle and its intended purpose. Your ideal shooting system doesn’t necessarily have to begin with expensive gear. There are lots of options out there that will fit your budget. However, for new shooters, we need to talk about more than the monetary investment.
First, we have to talk about recoil, because that's part of what causes "scope bite." How a rifle distributes recoil a combination of several variables. The trick is to match those variables to the shooter. The variables include: bore axis in relation to the stock (high bore axis means more perceived recoil); stock design (wood and composite stocks will transfer energy to the shooter differently); stock fit to the shooter (a good fit will limit the physical effects of perceived recoil); scope selection and custom scope installation matched to the shooter (ensures safe shooting and proper form); cartridge selection for intended purpose along with load selection (which offers variances in recoil energy).