Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Cheek Weld--how important

Don't say it can't be done. Here is a Pre 64 ,70 with Leupold 2.5-8. The stock I did myself and when I throw it up,I am looking right down the scope tube and I can clean from the reciever end.
The design is similar to the old Weatherby's. I typically shoot 220 gr RN thru this .06 and being 5-6", 140 lbs,the recoil is nominal with this stock design. I also have cast off to it

That stock is just about identical in shape to the 1970s era Winchester m70 stocks. Same comb height ,grip angle - everything.

About as good as it gets for folks who need as much comb height as possible in a sporter.

I just dont think it's as important as people make out.

It may or may not be an issue with shooting from a a rest depending on the shooter, but I am certainly of the opinion that for good offhand shooting for a scoped rifle in the field, a high comb and the solid cheek weld that is being discussed here is not helpful.
Most of my shooting and hunting is done shooting offhand, and I can say that for me, a standard straight stock with high or medium mounts is better, or even the older stock with a little bit of drop so that iron sights can be used works as well, simply because when you put the rifle up you dont have to put your head down and forward to the stock - the gun and sights come straight to the shoulder and your eye is looking down the scope. People insist on low scope mounts - I avoid them. for this reason
And yet, shooting at the range from a rested position I have found it really hasnt made an appreciable difference there.

It may be this is entirely shooter subjective depending on people bodies. I have found that the Monte Carlo style stock fits people with longer necks for example.

As an aside: Why is it that the Winchester 94 fits everybody?

It's about pointability. A stock fitted to a person should come up and they should not have to look around to find the scope center.

Fitting an iron sighted rifle such as the M94 is a lot easier than fitting a scoped rifle to a person.

Ideally a person should be able to mount the gun and tilt the head forward straight down to get the cheek weld and not have to cant the rifle or the head in any way.

That is exactly how low-mounted scopes work for me on most guns.


Could very well be. Or long faces perhaps? Dunno. I just know I like to be able to throw a gun up, open my eyes and see a full sight picture too.

Just having a chin weld (like an AK w/ a Russian scope) annoys me and feels very unstable.

I think cheekweld is important but it's not a reason for missing if you know what I mean. Scores of people shoot highpower handguns at rifle distances without anything to put their head on and they seem to do ok.

I'm in the sector that doesn't think it's all that important. In well stabilized shooting positions, be it sticks or a bench, a solid cheek weld seems to magnify my heartbeat effects. After all, 20% of ones blood flow is directed to his head.

I can correct for parallax, get all bedded down on a bench with a highend scope and a solid cheek weld, my heartbeat becomes quite obvious on target. I can either lighten up on the cheek, or place a large heavy sand bag in the crook of my right arm and against the right side of the stock and eliminate that motion. Perhaps if I got around the right coach and equipment, I could learn to synchronize shots and heartbeat. I believe the olympic shooters and coaches have equipment that simultaneously monitors heartbeat, sight pictures, trigger pull, and point of impact.

Even though I'm old and only been through the school of hard knocks, it would be fun to hang with some world class shooting coaches.

I think it is an issue of repeatability. If one shoots from various field positions regularly, I don't think a proper cheek weld is as important. However, it is all about getting a consistent mount on the fly every time in order to take a shot as quickly but as accurately as possible, be it offhand, prone or sitting. Having to adjust the rifle to get the sights properly aligned wastes time. A good consistent cheek weld (snuggled under the zygomic arch) helps repeatability. Perhaps this is where the AR platform excels.

I used to shoot rifle silhouette with a pre-64 Model 70 with the original stock that had a lot of drop. It was designed in the days of iron sights and gave no cheek weld with a scope. My scores immediately improved when I put one of the later Model 70 stocks with the raised comb on the rifle. I think it makes a difference for field shooting!