Cheek rest or rings?

[Grynch31b]

I have a Savage 10 LE Precision Carbine that I mounted a SWFA SS 10x42 on last year, and I haven't fired it often (not that I don't like to, I just don't get a lot of time to go to the range..)

I do have a slight issue that I can't figure out the answer to with the build, however. I used 3/4" tall rings to mount the scope, because as I was tinkering I got paranoid thinking all the shorter rings would cause me to smack the scope (either with my hand or with the bolt handle). So when I sit and get nice and comfortable to shoot the rifle, the scope sits up a bit high and I have to adjust and not get as tight/comfortable as I'd like to be. So, I'm hoping I can get some insight as to what my better options would be.

Experience/opinion/insight welcome. Should I shop around for a cheek rest which allows me to get comfortable and allows me to obtain a good sight picture? (With that option, I should add that I don't have a decent ability to get to a LGS and actually throw a rest on the rifle to test drive it, plus I do not want to get a rest that straps on with a couple of strips of velcro, I want something that would be tight and consistent and would not be prone to variation). Or should I shop around and throw a shorter set of rings on to get what I want? Either way, I'm going to have to do a bit of paperwork to zero again...

 

[Kliegl]

Lower rings are always preferable because they eliminate some of the parallax. Some people insist on putting their scope higher so they can still use the irons, but I think that is incorrect thinking and people simply don't trust their optics.

As for hitting the scope with your hand, improve your bolt grasp so you are holding it by the sides and bottom, not the top. If the bolt itself hits the scope, then higher rings are, unfortunately, the answer, or a reprofiled bolt handle.

I personally think cheek risers are ugly and bad form. One should be able to get cheek weld to the stock, else it is failing you in its job.

 

[M-Cameron]

its mostly personal preference really........personally, i like to mount my sights as low as possible.....and adjust everything to match.....

I personally think cheek risers are ugly and bad form. One should be able to get cheek weld to the stock, else it is failing you in its job.

it really depends.....shooting from prone can may require you to have a different cheek height than in standing.........and shooting from a bench may require a different height than standing......theres nothing wrong with having the ability to adjust the cheek height.

 

[chrome_austex]

You could try a padded buttstock pack / cheek rest. Also, stock packs are nice for carrying ammo, drop cards, pen/paper, etc.

If you have to, you could stick a little extra something under the pad to get a bit more height.

I've yet to see an attractive cheek riser that wasn't built into the stock. BTW, I suppose a gunsmith could just install an adjustable cheek rest in your stock. With the right wood working tools, you could probably do that yourself too, but it would be a bit of a project.

 

[Grynch31b]

Quite in agreement in regards to mounting as low as possible. They're just more aesthetically pleasing. I don't usually crank the bolt handle from the topside, at least that I notice. I was just paranoid thinking I would smack it.

I might hop into a LGS or something tomorrow to see if I can test drive a pair of shorter rings and see where that gets me.

@chrome - my Savage isn't a wood stock, and I work in a machine shop, so any tools I need for altering the stock (polymer) I have well within reach. However, I'd like to avoid that route for now.

 

[WNTFW]

I have a really hard time getting a good cheek weld on most scoped rifles. I need a higher stock. Before doing anything I used an old thick mouse pad & painters tape to test if the extra height worked for me. Add on risers have their drawbacks moreso the more height you need.
I have modified the stocks on two of mine by adding an adjustable cheek piece. Some of my design requirements were to be adjustable while in position and by hand, no tools needed. I can adjust for different positions or drop the height back down to the original height, just not lower. I would not head through dense woods, etc with the cheek piece up. Another design element was to not interfere with bolt removal.
I did a lot of head scratching and looking at things from various angles. The first production hurdle is cutting & inletting the existing stock. 'Packaging' is a big headache and attaching to the stock takes some thought. In the end I am really happy with it. In the middle of it I had some second thought about the best use of my time.

Also on running the bolt I don't hold it with my finger tips. I use motions to open/pull/push/close the bolt without grasping it. My rifle is for paper and F Class T/R and single loading is required any way, so a complete bolt cycle is interrupted by picking up & feed the round manually.

 

[Slamfire]

If you ever shoot in competition you will learn just how important face position is to accurate shooting.

One Wimbleton Cup champ, shooting small bore with us, told me how much difference the thickness of a piece of leather on his Anschutz comb made in accurate shooting.

If you look at the high dollar competition rifles they all have adjustable cheek pieces.

Keeping the same face position is so important to a number of competitive shooters I am seeing more and more "RightSights" installed on rifles.
http://www.stallingsmachine.com/

The guys who have them move the front sight up and down, and only make a couple of clicks elevation changes on the rear. One reason is that their head position does not change throughout the entire match. Going all the way back to 600 yards in Centerfire, or out to 100 yards in small bore.

My recommendation, get the lowest rings you can use without the bell touching the barrel. Press your face against the stock and don't come up for air till after the shot.

 

[Grynch31b]

If you ever shoot in competition you will learn just how important face position is to accurate shooting.

One Wimbleton Cup champ, shooting small bore with us, told me how much difference the thickness of a piece of leather on his Anschutz comb made in accurate shooting.

If you look at the high dollar competition rifles they all have adjustable cheek pieces.

Keeping the same face position is so important to a number of competitive shooters I am seeing more and more "RightSights" installed on rifles.
http://www.stallingsmachine.com/

The guys who have them move the front sight up and down, and only make a couple of clicks elevation changes on the rear. One reason is that their head position does not change throughout the entire match. Going all the way back to 600 yards in Centerfire, or out to 100 yards in small bore.

My recommendation, get the lowest rings you can use without the bell touching the barrel. Press your face against the stock and don't come up for air till after the shot.

I understand the basics and fundamentals of shooting and shooting accurately. I was just looking for info/recommendations/experience for rings or cheek rest. If someone had a great experience with a rest out there I was looking for their insight or a link to a distributor or to a specific cheek rest I should try. Personally, like I said, I'm leaning towards rings, because either way there is paperwork in my future, and the rings are going to be solid with the least amount of work. To install a rest that meets my criteria going to require working on the stock, which I want to avoid.

 

[benzy2]

I suggest you look at guys that have adjustable setups and see how they run them in the positions you want to shoot. They have the ability to mount optics/sights as high or low as they want as well as to raise or lower the cheek rest as high or low as they want. See how they find the rifle most comfortable/accurate to shoot and if interested look for the reason why. Now, clearly you won't be able to adjust a stock in all the ways as a space gun will, but it will show you what the best are looking for in a "perfect" setup.