Fitting a cheek rest to your Remington rifle stock
A proper cheek weld transforms a Remington rifle from a workable tool into a precision instrument. In Australia's varied hunting grounds, from the mulga country of western Queensland to the wet eucalypt forests of Gippsland, getting your eye perfectly aligned behind the scope can be the difference between a clean harvest and a wounded animal wandering into thick scrub. Many shooters chasing sambar deer in the Victorian high country or working dogs on foxes near Wanneroo quickly discover that factory stock geometry rarely matches their individual facial structure.
Cheek rests solve a problem most factory stocks ignore: the human face is asymmetrical and variable. Adding a riser or comb brings your line of sight consistently to the scope's ocular lens, reducing parallax errors and muscle strain across a long day carrying a rifle through the spinifex. Without that consistency, follow-up shots become guesswork when a mob of pigs breaks cover at dusk.
Aftermarket options fall into three broad categories: adhesive-backed pads, screw-mounted combs, and adjustable modular systems. Each has its place depending on how much you hunt, what game you pursue, and whether your rifle wears a traditional scope, a red dot, or a night vision rig. The approach below covers the most common installs on Remington 700, 7600, and 783 platforms.
Before you start, gather your tools, clear a clean workspace on the kitchen bench or in the shed, and give yourself at least an hour. Rushed installs lead to crooked combs and pinched nerves the first time you shoulder the rifle at the range.
Tools and materials you'll need
Gather everything before you remove the rifle from the safe. You will need a torque driver with appropriate bits, a roll of blue painter's tape, isopropyl alcohol for degreasing, a clean lint-free cloth, a pencil or fine marker, and the cheek rest kit itself. Screw-in models also require a small drill and tap set if your stock lacks pre-drilled mounting points. Adhesive-backed combs only need the alcohol and tape.
| Cheek rest type | Mounting method | Adjustability | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adhesive foam pad | Self-adhesive backing | None, fixed shape | Light recoil rifles, budget builds |
| Screw-in comb | Wood screws into stock | Limited, set height | Heavy recoiling magnums, traditional hunters |
| Adjustable riser | Clamp or QD mount | Full height and lateral | Multiple optic configurations, tactical use |
Australian shooters who source components locally should check that any imported combs meet state-level regulations for permanent stock modifications. Some jurisdictions treat a screw-in comb as a non-regulated accessory, while a permanently glued riser may require additional paperwork. Your local dealer near a town like Yass or Sale will usually know the lay of the land.
Preparing the stock surface
Lay the rifle across a padded surface with the action exposed. Remove the bolt if your model allows, and cover the muzzle with a cloth so nothing drops into the bore. Wipe down the entire comb area with isopropyl alcohol to remove oils, old wax, and any residue from a previous pad. Skipping this step is the most common reason adhesive combs peel off after a season in the bush.
If you're upgrading an older Remington that has seen decades of use, take the opportunity to clean the barrel while the rifle is partly disassembled. A quick pass with a bore snake takes only a couple of minutes and keeps leading from building up, especially if you've been shooting cupro-nickel fodder through a wet Tasmanian winter. The full bore snake cleaning walkthrough walks through the technique step by step.
Once the stock is dry and clean, apply strips of blue tape along the edges where the comb will sit. This protects the stock finish from accidental scuffs when test-fitting and gives you a surface you can mark with pencil without damaging the wood.
Mounting the cheek rest
Dry-fit the comb first. Sit the rifle in your usual shooting position, perhaps leaning against the edge of the workbench as a rest, and slide the comb along the stock until your eye sits naturally behind the scope. Mark the final position with a pencil line on the tape. This step matters more than the actual mounting, because once screws are driven or adhesive cures, you live with the result for a long time.
For adhesive models, peel the backing and press firmly along the entire length of the comb. Apply even pressure for at least thirty seconds, then leave the rifle undisturbed for twenty-four hours before shooting. For screw-in combs, drill pilot holes slightly smaller than the screw diameter to avoid splitting, particularly on the laminated stocks found on the 783 series. Drive the screws in slowly and stop as soon as the comb is snug against the stock.
If you're fitting a clamp-on riser, follow the manufacturer's torque specs carefully. Over-tightening can dimple the stock wood under Australian summer heat when the timber swells. A quarter-turn looser than feels right usually sits at the correct tension once the rifle cools in the early morning air.
Aligning with your scope and eye relief
Head to the range with the rifle unloaded and confirm your eye relief before firing a round. Mount the scope as you normally would, shoulder the rifle, and check whether the crosshair appears immediately in the centre of the ocular lens. A correctly positioned comb brings the scope back to your eye rather than forcing you to crane your neck forward or press your cheek harder into the stock.
Many Australian hunters wear broad-brimmed hats or shooting glasses, and a hat brim can subtly change your head position. Account for this by checking cheek weld with the hat on. A comb that aligns your naked eye to the scope may sit slightly low once a heavy felt Akubra enters the equation.
Eye relief issues usually trace back to comb height rather than scope position. If you see a black ring around the scope image, the comb is too low. If your brow pushes against the ocular bell, it is too high. Small adjustments, even two or three millimetres, shift the geometry dramatically.
Fine-tuning the fit
For adjustable systems, take the rifle to the bench and make small changes one at a time. Fire a three-shot group, mark the result, adjust a single setting, and repeat. Skipping this disciplined approach leads to chasing your tail across a whole afternoon without finding the sweet spot.
Pay attention to lateral offset as well as height. A comb shifted slightly to the left corrects for scopes with right-side mounted illumination controls, while a rightward shift helps shooters whose dominant eye sits a fraction off centre. Australian rifles used for everything from driven pig hunts to precision target work benefit from a comb that can be tweaked between disciplines.
Caring for your new setup
Wipe the comb down after every outing, especially after rain or a wet morning in the high country. Salt from sweat and skin oils break down adhesives faster than anything else, so a quick rub with a damp cloth extends the life of both pad and stock. Check screw tightness at the start of each season, as the cycling of Australian temperatures from frosty alpine mornings to forty-degree afternoons works screws loose over time.
If your comb uses a foam or rubber pad, replace it once it loses compression. A flattened pad no longer aligns your head consistently, and you'll notice groups opening up without being able to pinpoint the cause. Replacement pads cost very little and install in minutes.
Store the rifle in a dry gun safe with a dehumidifier running through the humid months along the coast. Corrosion under a metal cheek riser can pit the stock finish if moisture gets trapped between the two surfaces for too long.
Hitting the range for a final check
Book a session at your local range, whether that's a club north of Brisbane or a private facility in the Adelaide Hills, and put a hundred rounds downrange with the new setup. Any issues with cheek weld, scope alignment, or stock flex will surface within that first box of ammunition. Adjust from there with confidence.
Browse the full Remington catalogue and lock in your preferred comb style through your account dashboard before heading to the range. Account holders can track orders, manage shipping to their local FFL dealer, and pick up the cryptocurrency discount that takes a useful slice off the total. The team is on the line twenty-four seven if a question pops up mid-install, so don't hesitate to reach out before drilling that first pilot hole.