TargetTalk

I need to bring my rifle up quite a ways to head while in the standing position. I normally adjust the buttplate on my air rifle all the way to the lowest position, but find I would benefit from it going even lower.

I am about to purchase a smallbore target rifle, and was wondering how the MEC butt plate compares to the either the latest or recently discontinued Anschutz butt plates. I'm interested in units with a butt hook. Would the MEC plate allow for a greater vertical adjustment than the Anschutz? How do the units compare in general?

Thanks!

No the MEC buttplate will not go any lower then the Ans buttplate. In smallbore you are allowed to lower you buttplate about twice as much as in air. I use the newest Ans hook buttplate and for the most part I am happy with it but the hook part on my will not tighten down so that it can not move with out alot of torque on it. The hook has come off in the middle of a match. I do know that alot of people like the MEC buttplate. Hope this helps.

<>Brian<>

The adjustment is about the same, as the last poster said. The MEC Free Position is fantastic, the other one worth looking at is the System Gemini, great range of adjustment and absolute genius engineering but a bit more expensive than the other two.

I absolutely love my two System Gemini butt plates. I have two only because it is so difficult to, one, remember the adjustments on this thing for each position and two it really isn't that easy to adjust it on the fly. But once you get them set up tighten down all the screws and it is the best thing in the world.

I have the new Ans and the MEC Free Position plates and the MEC is a better system than the Ans.

I think my MEC can adjust lower than my ANS, but I'm a prone shooter so have never "gone the other way" with it.
Mike

---+---

You may want to look at the ESP also. It has more vertical adjustment than the Anschutz - and at about 1/3 the price - you could get one for each position.

Tom S. wrote:You may want to look at the ESP also. It has more vertical adjustment than the Anschutz - and at about 1/3 the price - you could get one for each position.

Thanks Tom, where can one get the ESP?

Bill Earnest (Earnest SHooting Products) can be reached at 570-797-4872. I have not used his buttplates (I have the MEC Free Position), but I see quite a few of them and those that use them seem to like them. If I didn't have the MEC (Came with the rifle I bought) I would buy one of his. In his 2006 catalog the list price for the free rifle model with the butt hook is $175 complete

What is so great about the System Gemini butt plates? It does not seem to have that much adjustability. Will the hook even move? Is it possible the pic does not do it justice.

<>Brian<>

My FWB 2602 buttplate allows for more vertical drop than I need but I took a different initial setup approach than some. I raised my sighting equipment on blocks to raise the sight plane and allow my rifle to sit a bit lower. I use a closed fist in standing to support the rifle and a fairly contemporary stance in all my positions. The blocks helped a lot. I arrived at this solution by holding the rifle pointing into a mirror, eyes closed, find normal point of aim, good comfort, open eyes....my head position was considerbly higher that I expected. By using the blocks to raise the sight equipment it allowed for less neck extension. HTH

B.T.Carstensen wrote:What is so great about the System Gemini butt plates? It does not seem to have that much adjustability. Will the hook even move? Is it possible the pic does not do it justice.

<>Brian<>

The picture doesn't do it justice at all. The hook is movable in about 5 different ways. Every single part of butt plate is adjustable, not easily adjustable, but, very adjustable. Everything can be adjusted independently of everything else. It would really be a good idea if you are planning on buying one to find a good friend to help you adjust it. Doing it yourself will drive you crazy. Get it fit to your shoulder and/or arm first then get into position with it and have someone else get it set for maximum contact.

The gemini buttplate is fantastically adjustable. They can be set to fit almost any size of shooter.

The heel and toe sections (where the hook and top angled bit mount onto) can be angled away from the bore line independently of one another. They can also be rotated through 360 degrees around their fixing bolt. There is also a choice of fixing point on the carrier plate, left centre and right; the toe and heel plates don't have to go into the same alignment.

The hook can be moved up and down the toe plate, and also rotated 360 degrees around its fixing. The hook itself can be moved in and out and again rotated to suit.

The top plate on the heel section, can again be moved up and down and rotated. Rob Knibbs the designer added an extra cantilever sction to this a few years ago (the red bit in the photo) this lets the top plate follow the curve of your shoulder very closely.

The carrier plate can be offset laterally (not sure the MEC can) and also angled for cant. Obviously the height can be adjusted.

The gemini butt is very popular in the UK even amongst shooters not using Gemini stocks, from club level up to international level (I think the majority of British shooters at the Commonwealth games used a Gemini butt).

As the last poster said, the System Gemini is the most adjustable there is. Developed by shooters for shooters

Look at the stock they make!

http://www.hps-tr.com/images/ultraStocks/fr703.jpg

Cheek-piece adjustable WHILST IN POSITION, perfect balance, extra low profile... the list goes on.

The buttplate is used a heck of a lot here in the UK, regardless of the price.

Ryan
Intershoot.co.uk

TargetShootingShop.com wrote:As the last poster said, the System Gemini is the most adjustable there is. Developed by shooters for shooters

Look at the stock they make!

http://www.hps-tr.com/images/ultraStocks/fr703.jpg

Cheek-piece adjustable WHILST IN POSITION, perfect balance, extra low profile... the list goes on.

The buttplate is used a heck of a lot here in the UK, regardless of the price.

Ryan
Intershoot.co.uk

Vary nice what kind of action can you put in that? It looks like I should take a better look at that buttplate when I see one.

<>Brian<>

The FR703 will accept pretty much any small-bore action, most will obviously be inletted for Anschutz, but I think Rob Knibbs would have it made for what ever. The now superceded Ultra could be had for Anschutz, Unique, Walther and possible Diana (the 20xx used the Concept stock). However I'm not sure the FWB will fit, something about the size or shape of the trigger mechanism.

At Bisley this summer I did see a shooter using a Remington 40X .22" in a Gemini TR701 stock, normally intended for Swing and RPA 7.62mm full-bores. I presume that the owner had wanted a newer stock, but not a modern pistol grip, as this model has a special thumb-over-wrist grip (intended for more traditionally minded British full-bore shooters).

As for the butt plate it will fit, or can be made to fit, prety much any stock. It will bolt onto the carrier plate of Anschutz and Walther stocks.

They aren't cheap, but they are very well made (not far shy of bomb-proof). The butt-plate is a truly fantastic piece of kit. The stocks are sometimes considered unforgiving, which is rather unfair. When set up they give excellent results; I think in part the criticism comes from their novelty compared to tarditional wood stocks, and the need to set them up precisely.