doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DIY Gunsmithing @ doublegunshop.com "Dual Height" Cheek Rest for Drillings/Combo Guns

This unique "Dual Height" cheek rest might be very helpful for those who shoot Drillings, Combination Guns, rifles or slug shotguns with/without a scope based on conditions or the game.

I'm finalizing all the work needed on a pre-war German Drilling I bought at a low price (as it had a split stock, a deep gouge in the buttstock and firing pin indicator pins that didn't work). I've fixed the split stock and completed all the action work, and as I get closer to sighting it in I've realized it has more drop than I want/like, plus it also has claw mounts for a high-mounted scope which makes getting a good cheek weld next to impossible.

I think I've stumbled onto an excellent solution -- a "dual height" cheek rest called the "Accu-Riser Molded Cheek Rest" which has a hard nylon base onto which a 5/8" tall or 1" tall rubber cheek pad (insert) can be easily added. I got it from eBay.

As I will plan to shoot some trap with the left barrel of the Drilling the lower insert will work well for that, or for when I use it without the scope:



(You can also see I added one of those small rubber bumpers to the rear of the trigger guard, as I do on all my double-trigger side-by-sides; they do help if a large number of rounds are fired in one outing.)


And for those times I'll hunt with it with a 1.5 - 6X German Hensoldt-Wetzlar scope attached, the taller 1" insert will be used:
(The lower insert is in the bottom of the image for comparison)




I've completed fitting a .22 Mag 9" barrel insert (called an "Einstecklauf", made by Krieghoff) into the right shotgun chamber/bore and it has been function-fired just fine, so now I can sight-in the scope to the lower 8x57JRS barrel (at 75 or 100 yards) and then adjust the 22 Mag Einstecklauf to match the scope at 25 or 50 yards. (That's the current plan anyway.)

This is a view of the open breech -- those 3 loads are very versatile and will handle anything I could encounter in the fall woods of Maine:




The cheek rest comes with a Velcro strap and double-sided tape for semi-permanent installation, but it also allows 2 screws from the top (under the inserts) to be used for permanent mounting. I'll plan to do that as the fit of the base to the buttstock's curves is perfect, and I need the ability to use both rubber inserts, plus the base itself hides a deep ugly gouge on the other side of the stock (which was another reason why I got the gun for less than market price).

Tight groups!

Old No7

Old No7,
A good cheek weld is very important in a rifle match, especially where the rifle is not dismounted between shots. I have found it not to be as important when hunting. I have been hunting with drillings for 50 years and never felt disadvantaged by lack of a good cheek weld. I learned early to shoot a drilling ,with my head up, like a shotgun because it is a shotgun and is stocked as such. When you shoot the rifle barrel once, either the animal is down or you have to dismount it and load it again. That disrupts the cheek weld and you very seldom need a second one( the animal is usually down or in the woods somewhere). That is one man's opinion.
Mike

Thanks Mike, I respect your opinion.


True, but when sighting in for hunting purposes, I do aim (pun intended) to get the maximum possible accuracy from all of my firearms at the range so they'll perform well out in the field.

Plus, the heads of the Partridge (Ruffed Grouse to others) up he'ah in Maine are small targets, ayuh, so I'm thinking a good cheek weld will help with the 22 Mag.

Cheers!

Old No7

Old No7,
You will just have to do whatever you think is best for you, no one else will be on the stand with you. Remember me when you have to lift your head to be able to see the reticle when "Ol Big Boy" comes out in the last seconds of light.
Mike