I believe that Barsness said it as well as any. It depends on the type of build you have and how far from the 5-10/170 lb. norm you are.
I'm a little short, 5-8, but have rather square shoulders, long arms and neck. A slightly longer rifle stock in either shape work pretty well for me. What doesn't work well for recoiling rifles is a rifle with lots of drop at the comb and the heel. Stocks like the pre-64, M70 Winchester and the older Remington 760 stocks. These stocks were designed for iron sights as well as very low mounted scopes.
A stock that slopes away from my cheek as it recoils and comes straight back seems to work best from field positions. It needs to have full contact with my shoulder when I shoot it. But it also needs to line up easily when I shoulder it in a hurry.
So, there is no "best" for everybody. E
