Advanced Marksmanship Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

[breezernate]

I have a Bell and Carlson adjustable stock, the one with the adjustable cheekpiece. "Model 2094- Remington 700 BDL

Varmint/Tactical, Short Action", according to B&C.

http://www.bellandcarlson.com/newproducts.html


I find the cheekpiece is too wide and too flat on top, without a steep taper toward the sides. When I place my cheek and get a good "chipmunk cheek", with the full weight of my head on the pad, my right eye is still not centered in the scope. This requires me to cant my head slightly to the right (right-handed) to move my eye to the right to center in the scope.

I notice some cheekpieces such as the McMillan a-3 and Manners (http://mannersstocks.com/) t5A have a chamfer near the top and are more slender.

Has anyone else had this problem, and if so have you modified the cheekpad to fit you better?

Nate

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

Some cheek pieces will move laterally. I can't recall if yours will. If it does not, then you will need to get over it. I do not mean that as it sounds, you need to literally get your cheek on top of the comb, then adjust it to a height which will allow your eyeball to be squared up with the eyepiece. You may also need to adjust the butt-plate upward and cant it too for a muscularly relaxed position.

 

[breezernate]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

My cheekpiece does not move laterally.

If I have good contact with the stock as it is now, are you suggesting I move the pad down and adopt a new cheek placement that moves my head toward the center?

I may play with canting the buttplate to see what I can do.

Nate

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

Call the company that made the stock to determine if the adjustable comb is solid or hollow. If it's not hollow, you can grind, file, or dremel off as much material as necessary to get you a muscular relaxed condition.

Before you do any grinding however, from the standing position with the rifle across your chest tuck the comb under you chin and aim. this will give you an understanding about a stock weld "resting" over the comb.

 

[breezernate]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

I don't think I want to shoot with my chin atop the comb. Perhaps I misunderstood.

I have considered using a table saw or chop saw or grinder or mill to remove material from the left side.

Nate

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

You do a chin-up on the comb then turn the head for a good chipmunk cheek. I left out the part about turning the head, sorry.

 

[breezernate]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

So, let's see if I understand...

For right-handed shooter,

Face left side of rifle, muzzle to the left.
Place chin atop center of cheekpiece, head facing straight ahead, rifle near chest but pointing to the left.
(How much chin should overlap comb, 2 inches? first chin or the double chin? just kidding about the double chin).
Rotate head 90 degrees to the left to then align with scope.
Achieve chipmunk cheek, then come to rest with right eye perfectly centered in scope?

Nate

 

[Headgear]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

Nate,

I don't know how to help you but for what it's worth, I feel your'e pain. I had the same problem with McMillan's and others They were all just too thick at the comb and the radius of the side was way too rounded for me. Even the beveled comb on the McM's just gave me too much area on the top which caused me to have to roll or cant my head to the right to get a good sight picture. I loved some of those stocks for other reasons but they just did not fit my melon.

I was lucky enough to become friends with a Hide member who needed to use up some vacation time. He drove six hours, brought about six or seven different customs and spent four days fitting them all to me so I could see what I liked best before buying my first custom. Love this guy! Anyway, it did not take long to see that the only one that was going to work for me was the AICS. It seems to have a thinner cheek piece with a tighter radius from the top to the side. That allows me to drop my cheek down on the comb and it fits perfectly up under the cheek bone without having to rock my head at all to get a perfect site picture. It is also adjustable vertically and horizontally.

I'm not trying to talk you into trying another stock, just sharing my experience. I guess everyone has a different facial bone structure requiring different comb contours. I have 12mm's of lift plates under my cheek piece and my brother takes them all out when he shoots my rifle and he prefers the McM A5 over my AICS.

Have you checked to see if Bell and Carlson have any other cheek pieces that fit your stock? Probably a dumb question.

There may be a business opportunity here for someone. It just seems like someone would make after market cheek pieces.

Wish I could be more help. Hope you get it worked out.

David

 

[Guest]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BigNate</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Has anyone else had this problem, and if so have you modified the cheekpad to fit you better?</div></div>

Yep, on H/S PSS stocks and one B&C. None have been factory adjustable as that would be easier to mod for cast either way.

On both HS/P stocks I took a 1" piece of Gates Green strip hose 7 1/2" long and with the bandsaw removed approx 25% of it length ways. Then put the cheek side back threw the bandsaw while it was set for a 45* cut. Placed it on the stocks and shimmed up to correct eye with strips of rubber I had. After cleaning took rubber glue and glued it all up. Then took velcro to the top of the stock an bottom of the rubber riser. Made sure when I removed an replaced it for bolt removal everything was GTG, an it was. Placed it on the stock then took electrical (always have some for whatever)tape an taped the front and rear down. Now no more heart beat in the glass, head is where it should be, and removes and installs fast. Plus you have the ability to either have cast on or off with it depending your body type vs stock/glass ect.

While not a Tacti-cool item or having the wow factor, many safe queen drivers demand, it works for me***. Better, than anything I've tried from the 60's to date, and I've tried all the names. The ability to spend lots of dollars will be along shortly, for the safe queen drivers. Who are the gear queers company's love.

Trap shooters have had the adjustable riser with cast on/off ability in their stocks for many, many years. Browning XT's have a good one. Full on customs are out there, as well as many stock guys that will install a custom unit in your stock, for a "Price" I might add.

When you get it right you can close your eyes, bring the gun up to you, open your eyes and you have a perfect look thru the scope. No head movement or slight adjustment needed.


*** I've never had any target complain about being shot by an ugly gun.

 

[breezernate]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

I may indeed begin producing adjustable cheeks for B&C.

Nate

 

[breezernate]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

I modified my B&C cheekpiece by grinding some of it off with a bench grinder and wire wheel. I then noticed exposed fibers, perhaps fiberglass, that poked my cheek. I sanded the pad lightly and applied 2 thin coats of polyurethane with sanding between coats. The fit is now much better.

Picks up within a few days, hopefully.

Nate

 

[breezernate]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

Pics of mod are up. I plan to clean up the "precision ground" area with Duracoat at a later date, after I make sure I have everything the way I like it.

The coat of polyurethane keeps the prickly exposed fiberglass from poking my delicate facial skin.

Nate

 

[Redmanss]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

The poly should work well, but also you can use a piece of moleskin attached to that area. It also really helps prevent slippage when it turns hot out and the sweat starts rolling.

 

[breezernate]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

I plan to Duracoat the area later to match the other paint.

Good idea with the moleskin.

Nate

 

[BigMahi]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

I had the same problem which is why I went with a Bell and Carlson A2 (no cheekpiece) and got a Karsten cheek rest. The benefit with Karsten is that its kydex plastic so you can mold it to your cheek with just a small heat torch. Apply the heat. torch to soften it up, put a cloth over it and press your cheek into it for a custom fit. Kinda like boiling and biting into rubber mouthguards.

 

[BOLTRIPPER]

Re: Cheek Weld with Bell and Carlson

its always better to look good than to shoot good.............for fucks sakes!!