Curved buttstock placement on the arm/shoulder..........

[ETipp]

Did a net search on this and came up with nothing. Its been said that the proper buttstock placement on the body is on or close to the biceps. Does this mean directly in the center of the biceps, on the side of the biceps, or between the shoulder and the biceps?

Its also been said to keep the rifle close to the body while doing so.

So, what exactly is proper form when shooting the old style, curved buttstock ML? Does anyone have pics they could add to aid in explaining this?

 

[Uncle Miltie]

With a rifle I recommend placing the buttplate where the bicep muscle just starts to rise on the side closest to your shoulder. Keep your arm high, about 90 degrees from your body.

 

[oldwood]

I build the occasional flintlock for me. When the type rifle sports a heavily curved , and pointy butt plate , a bench vice , and 20" wrench or two , can take a lot of the bends out of a pointy butt. Also , a battery powered hack saw will do miracles , too , to remove recoil pain from shooting the rifle , with pointy ends on it. Bending a cast butt plate , is not difficult , just be slow and judicious. ......oldwood

 

[Tumbledown]

Curved butts should rest outside of the shoulder socket with the body turned to the side.

 

[oldwood]

Good illustration , for curved butt rifle.

 

[ETipp]

Curved butts should rest outside of the shoulder socket with the body turned to the side.
View attachment 192157

So to be clear, the guy in the pic is turned slightly away from the rifle?

 

[ETipp]

With a rifle I recommend placing the buttplate where the bicep muscle just starts to rise on the side closest to your shoulder. Keep your arm high, about 90 degrees from your body.

Thank you. That splains it pretty well. My two new ML are my first dealing with curved buttstocks.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

where the bicep muscle just starts to rise on the side closest to your shoulder.

This is where the buttplate goes.

I also line myself up with the target in such a manner that if you were drawing a line from the muzzle to my shoulder, and then across my chest, it would be roughly a 45 degree angle. Shoot across your chest, not perpendicular to it. you will see how much better it fits the anatomy.

 

[chorizo]

Curved buttstocks are best placed in the garbage I believe the man who invented them should have his fingers repeatedly slammed in a door jamb!

It definitely takes special, out of the norm placement to shoot them right. If you shoot a medium to a heavy load they can be punishing without the absolute proper placement. All the above recommendation are correct, but for me, even using those recommendation, I cuss every time I shoot one.

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

I like the curved plates on a small caliber/light load application. To me it seems like it helps carry some of the weight and makes for a well stabilized point when shooting offhand. When it comes to the heavies, I definitely want more of a military or shotgun style butt. Plus that spur is nothing but trouble when trying to throw up a quick shot.

 

[chorizo]

I like the curved plates on a small caliber/light load application. To me it seems like it helps carry some of the weight and makes for a well stabilized point when shooting offhand. When it comes to the heavies, I definitely want more of a military or shotgun style butt. Plus that spur is nothing but trouble when trying to throw up a quick shot.

Great for Squirrel guns. Out west with big game and heavier loads, a guaranteed recipe for an ouchy bruised shoulder.

Mind you I am not a traditionalist, rather a hunter of game. I lean towards the single triggers like the renegade hunter models, the White Mountain Carbines and the CVA Frontier Hunters or clones.

A matter of taste and while the curve looks traditional and pretty, they make my eyes water just looking at them.

I do enjoy reading about the proper placement of the crescent butt....it goes against every training and practice I have ever learned on long range precision shooting and shotgun shooting.....especially hunting

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Curved plates go between the frontal deltoid and bicep, arm raised and shooting across the body

 

[akroguy]

The crescent of doom butt plate is one of the reasons I won’t build a southern style rifle (at least for my own use). My GPR is bad enough and I’ve entertained selling it lately. They are pretty though from a stylistic standpoint but unpleasant in use especially in larger calibers.

 

[Robby]

I was all set to try and explain this but not being a typist my brain shouted YouTube!!!! Quick search I found this.

To me, at my age, it is a steadier hold, allows me to hang on longer, and I actually prefer this stance now.
Robby

 

[64Springer]

The gunsmith who designed the curved butt plate looked to antiquity for inspiration.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Illustration from the frontispiece of a book written in the early 1840's and published shortly thereafter. Showin' how it's done!

 

[Grenadier1758]

The curved butt plate rifle stock is best used for offhand shooting. It can be the most stable of shooting positions. The butt is locked into the socket between the shoulder and the bicep. The rifle is supported across the chest. The supporting arm is braced on the side of the chest and holding the forestock. Using the support from the skeleton and the body will reduce wobble as one holds on the target for the shot.

 

[ETipp]

I was all set to try and explain this but not being a typist my brain shouted YouTube!!!! Quick search I found this.

To me, at my age, it is a steadier hold, allows me to hang on longer, and I actually prefer this stance now.
Robby

That covers it well. Thanks for posting that.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

I have a number of guns with crescent buttplates... both muzzleloaders and an unmentionable in 25-20.

They work just fine with lighter loads, try something like a heavy No Excuses bullet and a heavy charge of powder, and you will get punished whether or not you place the gun butt correctly. They can be shot though, remember, it's a muzzleloader. If you are hunting, you are only going to shoot once or twice.

All that said, I'd love to see somebody make a crescent buttstock for an AR platform rifle....

 

[andy52]

I have many rifles with different styles of butt plates SMR, Plains, Pennsylvania, etc. The few original rifles I own are by far the worse. They have the same crescent you see on repros but they are much smaller from top to bottom, I find it difficult to get them seated on my arm and shoulder without the top or bottom digging into my arm.