<div>
(quadancer @ Apr. 03 2007,17:52)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">For some people the barbell press overhead uses more triceps than delts, because of the outward push on the bar. (me.) Dumbells have a way of isolating the delts a little more, but as Sci said, they're pretty much one and the same. Feel them out and compare.
If you like the barbell more, try and do them narrow as is comfortable, to lessen the outward push, and lengthen the ROM.</div>
For me, behind neck presses target the lateral delts a lot more than OH presses from the front, which hit the front delts a lot. I also seem to have slight DOMs in my traps almost all the time from OH pressing. It seems to hit my traps quite well, even tho it's static for them.
Obligatory warning: some people have trouble with BN presses, but I never have. Probably best, though to exercise some caution and see how they treat your shoulders. If you have no problems with them, they are great.
The only time I had shoulder problems from OH pressing was doing regular OH presses, I think from either being too jerky at the start or getting the bar too far out front and thus putting too much strain on my RCs.
I do think it's very important with any OH pressing to keep your core tight, your scapula and upper back tight, and be cautious about "jerking" the bar at the start. It's hard to get the first rep started since you begin in the eccentric position under full load, so you need good solid form from the start of the lift.