Thread: Rifle Stock Comb Height

Does anyone else struggle with the standard factory stocks having a super low comb? Am I right in thinking they’re still based on the open sight days? I’m pretty much looking down the bore on a Tikka or Remington if I have a decent cheek weld. I, like many people pack up the stock with foam etc but I wonder how much shooting would improve in general with better fitting stocks. Or is it only really important on higher recoiling rifles over bigger distances?

Yes, once I go to a scope with a 50 mm or greater objective.


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Probably the greatest improvement in shooting my hunting rifles has come from adjusting the comb height for best fit to the scope line-of-sight and is a very worthwhile modification. Top of the comb in line with the bore is a good starting point, so if this is a permanent or semi-permanent modification be sure to allow enough space in front for fitting and removing the bolt.

Scope mount height is a big contributor to the issue on many rifles I see .
I've spent hours and money getting my scopes as low as possible and it is one of the best performance improvements I've done .

Ken

Have a go with a 98/30 mosin sniper varient, chin weld but they can shoot

I'm sure you are right that stock shapes still hang back with open sight tradition. If you're using a 1" tube and x32mm objective it's often OK too. For 30 /34mm and x50 obj a higher comb does enable better shooting.

Advantages of high comb:
Quicker alignment for snap shooting
More consistent total body position for all shooting.
Less tendency to parallax error due to head alignment and "crescenting" - this is more critical in long range shooting (>300m because fixed parallax scopes are often set around 100m) but can be mitigated by adjusting the parallax setting for each shot.

Disadvantages of high comb:
Heavier stock weight
Difficulty getting cleaning rod and bolt in/out.
Other people with different shaped faces may not be able to use your rifle. I've had this.

As a basic fix I have tried some foam and duck tape. Then I moved on to a Twin-Needle Stock Pack for myself and a cheap clone for my son to get an extra 10-20mm of height.