What is it with curved buttstocks?

[Woody Morgan]

I admittedly have never shouldered a long gun with the curved buttstocks of old but are they comfortable? They look to me like a good way to put a hole in your shoulder if not mounted just right.

wm

 

[Bnewberry]

A very curved butt is usually meant to be place on the junction of arm and shoulder right above the bicep.

 

[Flintandsteel]

Are we talking buttstocks, or buttplate?
I love the curved, graceful lines of a Lehigh.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

My last build is a Tennessee with interchangeable barrels in .40 and .50. The .40 is a delight to shoot with impressive accuracy and mild recoil and I'm really not aware of the pointy heel and toe. However, a stout charge in the .50 barrel will provide an instant reminder regarding where to mount the butt. One reminder is quite sufficient.

 

[hanshi]

A crescent butt plate and a deep shoulder mount don't go together. Mounted on the arm just outside the shoulder ball is where the crescent butt plate goes.

 

[Bluegrass]

I’m no veteran flintlock longrifle shooter but in my experience, you’ll have to change your stance quite a bit to shoot one properly offhand. My background is in 50 foot small bore competition so the crescent butt plate and relatively barrel heavy balance point still throws me for a loop.

 

[Cattywompuss]

They were the first sort I shot at age 6. Since I got a wide flat non-crescent style, I won't go back except to maintain historicity on say, a Hawken of some sort.

 

[Justin.44]

Bob McBride has a short video on the subject you might want to check out.

 

[troy2000]

Bob McBride has a short video on the subject you might want to check out.

Very well done. He pounded on an important point that isn't always well-explained: with a crescent buttstock you shoot across your body, with less squaring off to the target.

 

[tenngun]

You will find it very comfortable and natural once you learn the stance

 

[Cattywompuss]

You will find it very comfortable and natural once you learn the stance

I didn't, and I started shooting em when I was six. Everything ent for everyone.

 

[Cattywompuss]

Very well done. He pounded on an important point that isn't always well-explained: with a crescent buttstock you shoot across your body, with less squaring off to the target.

Or get a different style of rifle if the crescent ent for you.

 

[Cattywompuss]

And in fairness, I'm a big Bob McBride fan, but having shot crescents my whole life, I am happy to leave them behind. Them Pennsylvania Dutch Yankees knew how to make a rifle comfortable to shoulder.

 

[troy2000]

Or get a different style of rifle if the crescent ent for you.

How would you know if it's 'for you' or not, if you haven't learned to hold one the way they were designed to be held?

 

[Cattywompuss]

How would you know if it's 'for you' or not, if you haven't learned to hold one the way they were designed to be held?

I can only speak for myself: I have known exactly how to hang a crescent butt from my shoulder for over 30 years, and last year I learned that I prefer virtually any other style of butt.

 

[troy2000]

I can only speak for myself: I have known exactly how to hang a crescent butt from my shoulder for over 30 years, and last year I learned that I prefer virtually any other style of butt.

No disrespect intended. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. After a lifetime of mostly shooting relatively modern bolt action rifles, my .40 cal Kibler SMR is the first gun I've ever owned with a crescent buttstock. And shooting offhand, it fits between my bicep and shoulder as comfortably as though I'd been holding guns that way for years. Would I feel the same if I were shooting a .58 cal rifle? I really don't know.

 

[tenngun]

No disrespect intended. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. After a lifetime of mostly shooting relatively modern bolt action rifles, my .40 cal Kibler SMR is the first gun I've ever owned with a crescent buttstock. And shooting offhand, it fits between my bicep and shoulder as comfortably as though I'd been holding guns that way for years. Would I feel the same if I were shooting a .58 cal rifle? I really don't know.

I had the Mowrey Allen and Thurber in .50. That was in the 1970s and that’s where I learned the upper arm hold. I shot some pretty stout loads in it and the 300 grain plus maxie balls( I didn’t know no better). Those were heavier then a .58 ball and I found it pleasant to shoot

 

[LawrenceA]

I like mine. It was my first longrifle. A garage gun. A scratch build but not what I would call custom.
I can now see many errors but I still like it.
The curved comb is fine until you put a little to much black. Then it hurts your cheek.
Sweet at 50gns smacks at 100gns.
But as mentioned above you need to know how to hold any of the latter styled guns with the buttplate more on the arm than shoulder.
With this stance comfortable and stable for offhand as designed

 

[necchi]

I admittedly have never shouldered a long gun with the curved buttstocks of old but are they comfortable?

Yup, very much so.

They look to me like a good way to put a hole in your shoulder if not mounted just right.

Well, that would be silly wouldn't it,?
I mean, I guess you could "force" that butt plate into your shoulder to "make" it hurt when you shoot, but it's actually much easier just slide it into a natural position an let'er buck,,(?)

When ya grow up,, we'll let ya try a swamped barrel with a cant,,

 

[rickystl]

I never understood why the crescent style butt plates became popular in say the 1840-60's rifles. But they were. I only own one. No problem shouldering/shooting with it. But I like others better. Just don't see it as an advantage.

Rick