Pros/cons of an adjustable cheekpiece

[powderbrake]

My prairie dog guns are both McMillan stocked with adj. cheek pieces. It allows me to get a simple, repeatable alignment of my eye to the scope. I have a screw adjust model and a slip fit model (which is easier to adjust) I have made spacers for each, so I can return them to the preferred position easily.

Disadvantage is : can't remove the bolt for cleaning without lowering the cheek piece. (here is where the spacer blocks come into play when returning the cheek piece to the shooting position.)

 

[byrddog]

I primarily shoot F class and some steel safari type matches. With the way I am built, tall, thin face, long neck, good looking etc., I can't hardly shoot without an adjustable cheek piece. I have tried to shoot with it all the way down and in F class i have too much fatigue in my neck muscles to run without one. I know there is something to be said about not touching the stock and increasing consistency from shot to shot but I have also seen adjustable cheeks being shot very well. I think comes down to your intended use and what works for you. With the additional cost, it may be a waste of money by putting one on and not using it, but you also have it there to experiment with your entire set up to see what works for you.

 

[Dans40X]

Best to make the rifle/stock fit you instead of vice versa!

Pro's-
Warner Tool Company adjustable cheek piece hardware is second to none.
Cast on & Cast off adjustable
NO thumb or set screws for making adjustments
No backlash in thumb screw.
Slip the cheek piece out of the stock for bolt removal & reinstall afterwards-no adjustment required.

Con's-
Cheaply manufactured adjustable hardware w/ permanent magnets for easy removal or thumbing all the way through screw length for removal are....junk.

You'd be better served not to install shotgun hardware for match rifle use.

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

you will never be comfortable trying to make you fit the stock. Many years a gunsmith friend told me, be it handguns or rifles/shotguns; when you shoulder it, or point it with both hands, it should line up on the target. Scope complicates things, but it is much easier to get a long gun stock with an adjustable cheek piece to fit to suit.

 

[Endyo]

Just out of curiousity:

PR&T Cheekpiece = WTC Cheekpiece

They look suspiciously the same...

https://warner-tool.com/collections/rifle-hardware/products/wtc-cheekpiece-hardware-assembly
http://www.precisionriflesales.com/for-sale/

 

[Dans40X]

Just out of curiousity:

PR&T Cheekpiece = WTC Cheekpiece

They look suspiciously the same...

https://warner-tool.com/collections/rifle-hardware/products/wtc-cheekpiece-hardware-assembly
http://www.precisionriflesales.com/for-sale/

WTC- no magnets in the construction.
Compare the thumb wheels.
PRS- copy of WTC w/ magnets to ease removal.

 

[Endyo]

WTC- no magnets in the construction.
Compare the thumb wheels.
PRS- copy of WTC w/ magnets to ease removal.

Thank you. With that said you feel the WTC is superior even without the magnets?

 

[Blackthorn]

Thank you. With that said you feel the WTC is superior even without the magnets?

I have installed used both and prefer the WTC. I like the WTC's ability to adjust for cast off. I do like the post and spring better than the magnet. I found that while lowering the cheek piece the magnet would sometimes disengage and I would have to push down i down to re-engage the magnet. I also like the streamline wheel on the WTC over the large flat wheel on the PR.
The only thing I find lacking about the WTC is there is no way to positively attach the wheel housing to the stock unless you drill holes for screws. I do this with mine and it makes the base rock solid.

 

[Phil]

The only thing I find lacking about the WTC is there is no way to positively attach the wheel housing to the stock unless you drill holes for screws. I do this with mine and it makes the base rock solid.

For those of us experiencing technical difficulties, would you please post a few pictures of this, to straighten us out.......

 

[Endyo]

I have installed used both and prefer the WTC. I like the WTC's ability to adjust for cast off. I do like the post and spring better than the magnet. I found that while lowering the cheek piece the magnet would sometimes disengage and I would have to push down i down to re-engage the magnet. I also like the streamline wheel on the WTC over the large flat wheel on the PR.

I assume the WTC's post and spring does not allow for a quick disconnect like the PRT with magnet?

 

[Blackthorn]

I assume the WTC's post and spring does not allow for a quick disconnect like the PRT with magnet?

It does allow for quick release. You just pull up on it just like the PRS. When you put it back it just snaps in place when you push down. Positive lock.

 

[Blackthorn]

For those of us experiencing technical difficulties, would you please post a few pictures of this, to straighten us out.......

As you can see in the first photo this is what the base looks like. In the second and third photo you can see the holes I have drilled for screws to mount the base into the recess. I have tried mounting without them but found the cheek pieces to have a bit more movement than I like. I will say that the PRS system already has this in place.

 

[Phil]

Thanks for the visual, it really helps......

 

[Dans40X]

The WTC upper piece that is inlet into your cheek cut-out has the option of cast off/on &/or to remove a small spring & clip for removal.
The leade screw & thumb wheel stays into the stock inlet when cheek piece is removed.

I also drill/countersink the lower housing as pictured in post #32 into the stock and epoxy bed it,basically for fixturing purposes.

 

[mauser284]

If you are able to make your own stock why would you want one?

Far better to just build the stock to fit you and your optics.

Things like BearTooth Comb Kit have been around for over 20 years that I know of as a practical non-permanent means of adjusting a stock built for iron sights for use with optics. It is neoprene and foam and allows you to add comb height to any stock even a 150 year old lever action or a Brown Bess from 1770's or 1812.

They add a lot of weight and complexity that is not needed or allowed in some classes or various shooting sports. Having adjustable comb, butt and hook on a rifle is great for prone shooting and if you are allowed to use a shooting sling, hand stop and shooting jacket standing they can be helpful. If you watch BR shooting you seldom see any comb on the rifle and never any adjustable stock devices on the rear of the rifle. If you look at most of the PRS and Silhouette you will not see them much and never in hunting rifle or production rifle classes.

You used to see them all over NRA High Power X Course rifles and Palma along with hand stops, slings, shooting jackets, shooting gloves....The younger generations think they need that stuff and it is all the rage with mall ninja's and tact-i-cool types. My oldest son is no exception but if you look back over the past 200 years this sort of stuff has really not been that relevant prior to the last 40 years where it has steadily gained more traction. Right now aluminum and plastic chassis are all the rage. For example the Tubb2000 makes perfect sense for a top tier competitor for everyone else it makes almost no sense at all. When looking at the insanely heavy multi piece bolt together designs for popular rifles like the Remington 700 they make very little sense in spite of how trendy they are and again in spite of their popularity in PRS they do not add anything to the weapon package in terms of a competitive advantage that more traditional materials do not offer. Ultra Light Arms had their composite stock down to 3 ounces. Look at how many M24 and M40 rifles survived insane use that no competitor or hunter would ever put a stock through and survived. Other than weight look at what a laminated maple stock can survive.

You have to have some wood working skills and some power tools or hand tools to install those things on a stock. Buying a stock that has really high quality versions of those parts is also usually very expensive. The more affordable stocks with them seldom have much adjustment and they will normally have cheaper hardware a lot of plastic etc....

 

[joshb]

Gone are the days of custom , truly custom , fitted to you and only you gun stocks .

Hey! All you have to do is show up!