Simple stock question

[Tom]

Why does a stock have a drop from the comb to the heel ? Why would it not be parallel to the barrel that way where ever you put your face when you mount it the relationship to the barrel would be the same ?
I am sure this is a simple question for you guys, but this is something I don't understand.
Thanks, Tom

[OH Osthaus]

your cheek and shoulder are not in the same plane


or as someone once said "he has a good head on his shoulders, too bad its not on a neck"

[B. Dudley]

Yes, cheek is higher than your shoulder.

When one wants more of a straight comb... that is why the monte carlo style comb is used. It provides a relatively straight comb or at least one with a very slight drop. But still has the lower mount point for your shoulder.

Typically it is the drop at comb dimension that is more important than drop at heel since your cheek mounts closer to the comb than the heel. I usually like to shoot a 1.5" and 2.5" drop stock. Give or take 1/8" at times. But I have found even if the heel drop is 3", as long as the comb is still near 1.5" it still fits me ok.

The LOP comes into play a lot too in the equation.

[Kevin McCormack]

Monte Carlo style stocks are not necessary to compensate for identical drops at comb and heel. I shot a factory 30 " Pigeon Grade Browning Superposed Lightning Trap with identical measurements at comb and heel (1 1/2" x 1 1/2") at Olympic (bunker) trap for over 10 years. It was a "dead-on" shooting gun; no "60/40"special trap patterning, no "built in" vertical lead, etc. It shot exactly where you looked. It proved especially deadly on the zero angle, 1-meter altitude straightaways, which always appeared to be gently floating away from the lip of the bunker - at around 90-95 mph!