Rifle stocks. The wrong size.

The Singing Stalker

Well-Known Member
I am a lanky thin person who just happens to be carrying too much weight :D. But because my rifle is designed for the ordinary man I have had to put a rubber end pad on and put extra inserts on it to bring it out long enough. I also have had to put a rubber cheek riser from a shotgun and then a material cheek piece on as well. Just to get the rifle to fit correctly. Over all is isn't a good look and the butt pad is too flexible for my liking. I'm using an R8. (Edited it say, no I'm not. I've got an R93. Prat.....)

having handled the Blaser pro success a few times I tend to go oooo twice. Once because the ergonomics of the thumbhole design are great and feel natural to me. (I don't care if you don't like Blasers, this is about me) and a second time at the price. Much as I like them I cannot spend that amount of money on one. Especially as they are still going to be too short.

so I'm starting to think I may need to look at getting a newer/different rifle. My problems are compounded by the fact that I'm left handed as well. No I never want to shoot a righ handed rifle again. I was show a Kricko sniper rifle with adjustable cheek piece and when set it was nice. Trigger was way to heavy for me and would still need a butt plate sorting, plus it was the wrong calibre.

So a standard rifle is out, they just don't fit me correctly.

I need, a left handed rifle,
243 probably. Mainly roe, Munties and foxes where I shoot.
It would need an adjustable cheek piece and adjustable butt pad. This will also allow others to shoot when I bring a guest out with me. I firmly believe that removing all the variables give you more time to focus on aiming and shooting.
oh and a 2lb trigger weight. I don't want something that weight a ton, so AI platforms are out. I mainly walk so the lighter the better.
Going off subject I was talking to a custom gunmaker a few years ago when I was considering one and when I explained I wouldn't be shooting out beyond 150 yards he started trying to flog me a 1,000 yard rifle. Doh.
Thumbhole or pistol would be superb. I find it so comfortable to hold using sticks

anyway, how have you with the long arms and long necks overcome this problem?

btw if anyone has a Blaser R8 pro success in lh with a 243 barrel for a grand .................:rofl:
 
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If you had a wood / walnut stock you could get a shotgun stocker to alter your own by adding length and raining the comb

it's not so easy with a synthetic tho
 
I have the same problem with the very long arms & long neck & I simply can't shoot a standard length stock without risk of cutting myself (& I have done this with rifles belonging to Oompa Loompa's). I have a Sako 75 with an extended stock with a Silvers pad fitted, taking the length to about 15 3/4". At some point I'll get the black extender changed for wood & probably extend by a further 1/8". There's a Swarovski scope on the rifle in the attached photo but that's now off & I'm back to the S&B 6x42. The Swaro has an eye relief of 95mm & I really struggled with this. The S&B is only 80mm so allows me to get my cheek on the stock.

I am fond of wood so I'll stick with that but I did notice that if you look at the Macmillan stocks custom page that you can select the stock length of your choice & also get an adjustable comb raiser built in.

For guests I'd either just get a second rifle or hang out with full-size people.


Stonedge 150701.jpg
 
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I had similar problems but it's worth checking your technique to see if that helps. Most of us grew up shooting open sighted rifles, or air rifles at least, with these a good cheek weld is easy to get. When you mount a scope you need to raise the eye and therefore the cheek by 1.5 inches or more. This can turn what was a nice feeling rifle into something unwieldy and unnatural. When scopes were invented stocks should have been re-designed to add the correct amount of material to the comb to give the same natural position as iron sights. The reason this never happened is that removing the bolt would be tricky and passing a cleaning rod through the breech would be impossible as the higher stock would be in the way. So we're all stuck with rifles that don't fit right... Then you get 56mm objective scopes that only make the problem worse.. One of the reasons I only have 50 and 44mm scopes.

As far as technique goes some people place the butt of the rifle in the pocket of their shoulder but it's better to move it out by a couple of inches, onto the muscle at the top of the arm / front of the shoulder, this allows a little more head tilt and gets you closer to that cheek bone on top of the comb feeling that you get with open sights. I think this muscly area is better at absorbing recoil rather than the bony sinewy pocket.. Give it a try, it may help..
 
grs stock I use on my xbolt 243. Adjustable cheek and butt. more than enough extension id think
 
I think I spoke to you about a stock from SSS, you went and looked at them, I bought one with adjustable cheek and butt, I also am tall, you are more than welcome to have a look at mine, I'm only half an hour from you, cheers
 
I am a lanky thin person who just happens to be carrying too much weight :D. But because my rifle is designed for the ordinary man I have had to put a rubber end pad on and put extra inserts on it to bring it out long enough. I also have had to put a rubber cheek riser from a shotgun and then a material cheek piece on as well. Just to get the rifle to fit correctly. Over all is isn't a good look and the butt pad is too flexible for my liking. I'm using an R8. (Edited it say, no I'm not. I've got an R93. Prat.....)

having handled the Blaser pro success a few times I tend to go oooo twice. Once because the ergonomics of the thumbhole design are great and feel natural to me. (I don't care if you don't like Blasers, this is about me) and a second time at the price. Much as I like them I cannot spend that amount of money on one. Especially as they are still going to be too short.

so I'm starting to think I may need to look at getting a newer/different rifle. My problems are compounded by the fact that I'm left handed as well. No I never want to shoot a righ handed rifle again. I was show a Kricko sniper rifle with adjustable cheek piece and when set it was nice. Trigger was way to heavy for me and would still need a butt plate sorting, plus it was the wrong calibre.

So a standard rifle is out, they just don't fit me correctly.

I need, a left handed rifle,
243 probably. Mainly roe, Munties and foxes where I shoot.
It would need an adjustable cheek piece and adjustable butt pad. This will also allow others to shoot when I bring a guest out with me. I firmly believe that removing all the variables give you more time to focus on aiming and shooting.
oh and a 2lb trigger weight. I don't want something that weight a ton, so AI platforms are out. I mainly walk so the lighter the better.
Going off subject I was talking to a custom gunmaker a few years ago when I was considering one and when I explained I wouldn't be shooting out beyond 150 yards he started trying to flog me a 1,000 yard rifle. Doh.
Thumbhole or pistol would be superb. I find it so comfortable to hold using sticks

anyway, how have you with the long arms and long necks overcome this problem?

btw if anyone has a Blaser R8 pro success in lh with a 243 barrel for a grand .................:rofl:

big boy contact on here calton moor range ask for Mike he is a lefty and has 30 or 40 on the shelf and a place 'not any ole place' but a place to try them failing that come back to me on a PM and I will tell you what I'm now doing, hope to see you again in the dog house?
KimH
 
I am 6'4"
i have extended every single rifle I have owned, usually by at least an inch or more

just a fact of life
 
I bought a new Browning shotgun for clays a couple weeks ago & I must have tried almost every gun in the shop to find something that was as close as possible to a good fit, this being the usual restricting factor for me. They had a sporter with an adjustable comb & the easy stock extension system (a variety of different spacers) & I simply stacked a couple of the bigger ones & hey presto, the first shotgun I've been able to walk out of a shop & actually shoot with, rather than the usual £200-300 for a stock extension & fitting.

Out of curiosity I had a look at the Browning X-bolt for you to see if it operates in the same way & yes, it does. The recoil pad is held in place with 2 screws & the spacers from the Maxus shotguns fit as they share the same recoil pad. This would mean that you could simply remove the spacers for a client, although I would be tempted to replace the screws with bolts if you were to be doing this regularly.

I hadn't owned a shotgun or rifle with an adjustable comb before & I have to say that on something that is a functional tool I'm sold on the idea.They aren't pretty, but then neither is taping something to the stock to make it fit.
 
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Thanks for the replays.
I did look at SSS but I found them too heavy for what I wanted. They certainly look up for the job and if I was doing highseat work I would consider them then.
Mike at a calton moor indeed is a very nice man but unfortunately very very busy. He was going to make me a stock for my HMR but every time I phone him or email he is either too busy with clients so call back in a few weeks or he is away. His range is very nice as well. Top man with excellent facilities.
i had an X bolt. Very nice rifle with a typical browning trigger. Couldn't get it below 3.5 lbs. too heavy for me. And at the time they were only right handed.
maybe a tika tactical is the way forward.
oh, nearly forgot..... GRS. Yes had a look at them. Dispite the fact they have them on the website the importer said they didn't make them for the blaser. When I went back with the link they went, oh yeah, and gave me a long lead time. But I do like the way they adjust and I may have to consider one at a later stage.
but it is not a true thumbhole.

decisions decisions. Maybe I will have to buy a dremmel and some wood. :D
 
+1 on the GRS stocks, I have 2 at present and will buy more when they start doing the synthetic one inlet for the Sako 75
 
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Doesn't matter that it's not a true thumbhole with regards to positioning , the wrist still cants up in same position as thumbhole ....
If it's for personal , authentic reasons then ok.

Try these for price for the GRS even if get hit with customs was still cheaper

And good to deal with

Vertebrae

Paul
 
Beware the GRS stock, the Beserk has a peculiar offset pistol grip that I simply could not get on with. It may be the same for other models too.
I replaced it with a KKC that feels much better. It's not a thumbhole design, but it might float your boat.
Have't you ever handled a Sauer? They feel long and rangy compared to my Tikka / Sakos and might fit you better.
 
Thanks for the replays.
I did look at SSS but I found them too heavy for what I wanted. They certainly look up for the job and if I was doing highseat work I would consider them then.
Mike at a calton moor indeed is a very nice man but unfortunately very very busy. He was going to make me a stock for my HMR but every time I phone him or email he is either too busy with clients so call back in a few weeks or he is away. His range is very nice as well. Top man with excellent facilities.
i had an X bolt. Very nice rifle with a typical browning trigger. Couldn't get it below 3.5 lbs. too heavy for me. And at the time they were only right handed.
maybe a tika tactical is the way forward.
oh, nearly forgot..... GRS. Yes had a look at them. Dispite the fact they have them on the website the importer said they didn't make them for the blaser. When I went back with the link they went, oh yeah, and gave me a long lead time. But I do like the way they adjust and I may have to consider one at a later stage.
but it is not a true thumbhole.

decisions decisions. Maybe I will have to buy a dremmel and some wood. :D

Buy a GRS blank and go with the dremel..... it should be bedded anyway, even over the very good factory machining. Really a very good stock.... and they do LH. Shout me of you want to try my LH (albeit in 22.250) - and the 22LR.....
 
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