Crescent Buttstock

[N.Y. Yankee]

As you mentioned, modern guns go on the shoulder while those with a crescent buttstock go more where the shoulder and arm meet, not as far down on the arm as the bicep...

THIS!

You don't have to shoot across your body with a crescent BP, just turn the shoulder slightly offline with the butt seated at the shoulder junction (as noted above), and lean your head into the line of sight.

Remember, practice makes perfect.

AND THIS!

 

[Okie Hog]

i currently have one Hawken style rifle. The butt plate curvature is not as pronounced as most Hawken rifles. It is fired from my shoulder like all my rifles.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

There is SOO MUCH misinformation and wives-tales concerning black powder shooting.

 

[11Bravo]

No M/L with the crescent butt, but I have a 1920s .22 short gallery gun that makes a lot of sense for it having the crescent. You stand sideways to the table shooting straight away. It is always natural for it fall right into the upper part of the arm.

 

[1971fx]

Early Turner Kirkland rifle with small crescent buttplate

 

[tenngun]

Does the recoil hurt your upper arm if you fire it that way? Also, maybe it also explains cast built into stocks.

Oh no, or yes for sure. I built a full stock Hawken with a 42”x1” .54. I shot charges as high as 140 grains 3 f and .526 ball. At the time I thought large charges made the gun more powerful down range. And it was very comfortable. My gun was a fantasy piece flint lock and bulky wood.
On the other hand I built a Leman style. The butt was slim and pretty minimal wood. It was a 15/16 barrel in 36”. It was uncomfortable to shoot with mild chargers. 70 gr and .526 ball. The buttplate was not only crescent but knife blade thin. While the Hawken was more meaty and the heavier barrel absorbed much

 

[TFoley]

Cast in a stock is there to allow the sighting done the barrel or along the sights to be more in line with the dominant eye. A right-hand shooter has a cast [bend] in the stock to the right, and a left-hand shooter the opposite.

For those who have lost sight in one eye, but can not change their 'handedness' there is an odd-looking stock form called, here in UK, a 'cripple stock'. It has an extreme amount of offset to allow the right-eye-blind shooter to bring the gun up to his right shoulder, but look down the barrel with his left eye - the opposite holds true, of course.

 

[Josephg]

I've shot just about every type of buttplate shape ever made. I like them all. On the upper arm or on the shoulder makes no difference to me.
I do get an extra kick out of shooting this Austrian percussion schuetzen rifle right handed with my left eye.
My German stalking rifle with cheek plate is right handed but with cast on. Seems strange to me.

 

[sportster73hp]

Guess i never realized i shot at a 45. The only time i face off to a target is with a handgun, bp or modern.
A kibler smr is the only crescent buttplate i own and it isn’t that extreme in my opinion.