Bavarian combs, a.k.a. hogsback, in a Sako 85

S

sernv99

New member
being a shotgun shooter who puts in about 600 shells a week for sporting clays, I became schooled in different comb styles for stocks in order to minimize felt recoil. The parallel comb is thought to be the best comb-stock configuration to minimize felt recoil.

With reagrd to rifles, I am looking for a bolt action and am interested in the Sako. I see the Sako 85 is offered in a Bavarian comb, a.k.a. "hogsback".

Does this comb style reduce felt recoil? Is a parallel comb the way to go?

Anyone shoot a Sako 85 Bavarian? I have a longish neck so this Bavarian style is a little like a monte-carlo-ish comb on a shotgun and perhaps would help me with a more heads up position.

Thanks.
 
The reason for the monte carlo comb and others with the forward/downward slope is that the cheek will not be in intimate contact with the comb as it recoils backward and upward. There will be just enough movement to keep this upward recoil from shoving into your face.

If anyone should doubt that the cheek and face leave their position on the comb when the shot is fired, keep in mind all of the scope cuts that occur because the rifles DO slide backwards a bit.

The higher cheekpiece is generally to raise the face position up into the area of the exit pupil of the scope. The slope is to defend the cheekbones. None of it will actually reduce recoil, and it surely isn't going to reduce perceived recoil on the shoulder. it will actually worsen the perceived recoil for some, because the classic low comb allows the recoil to occur more in a straight line. Hope this helps. IIRC, what I have seen of hog back combs, this is also the same intent as the montecarlo
 
The "Bavarian" or hogsback comb is a holdover from the days before optical sights, the higher comb and drop at the heel of the stock was designed to align the eye with the sights. The "Bavarian" stock on the newer Sakos is mostly for looks, it has less drop at the heel than a similarly stocked rifle from 50 years ago.

Even American rifles from before WW2 had a lot of drop at the heel, and for the same reason. The "American classic" stock originated in the 1950s (about the same time as Monte Carlo stocks started appearing) as scopes started becoming more common on rifles, and is desigend to align a shooter's eye with a low-mounted scope. Various gunmakers and stockmakers fielded their own designs, including Griffin & Howe, Brownell, Bishop, and of course Roy Weatherby. The plain old Monte Carlo stock has become less common even as some more sedate and some more radical stocks have become more common.

To answer your other question, parallel combed stocks do reduce perceived recoil because they reduce muzzle climb, but in actuality few stocks do anything to reduce recoil.
 
Had a CZ 550FS with a bavarian stock

Bought it because my neck is higher than ET. Anyway, better pick the right scope and ring combo and keep them both LOW. If your jonesing for a 50mm objective, forget it, there will be no cheek weld. I bought a leupold vx3 with a 33mm objective and the length, balance and height fit that bavarian design like it was born that way. When you go to fit the gun make sure you take into consideration a scope on top. If you were going irons only it is hands down the best for long neckers. If you have to have the gun then drop me a pm if you are interested in a scope, the one I have is brand new with no home at the moment! If you are worried about recoil, drop the caliber or get a pad - IMHO the stock design doesn't matter.

I ended up with a weatherby mark v instead and lovin every minute of it!

Good luck and btw that bavarian sako is a beauty!
 
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