Henry Rifle Forums

I shoot my .22 mag mare's leg with the butt piece on my cheek, but is it safe to do this with the larger centerfire calibers? In' particular the .44 magnum is what I'd like to know being as I've seen .357 mare's leg pistols fired from the cheek.

A long stock resting against the shoulder absorbs recoil. Your 22 mare's leg generates very little punch, so you can cheek it. That gun in .357 or .44 will be like getting punched seriously hard in the face.

The 357 with 38s, may be doable, but no way would I go with a 44 mag and standard 240 grain factory loads. My Marlin 1894 44 mag carbine with scope pushes seven pounds and even with a good firm grip, butt stock planted firmly against my shoulder, it's a bucking bronc. If I get lazy with my hold, it let's me know in a hurry. Have actually had it bounce off the bag when I was shooting off a rest for lack of a firm hold.

My 1860 against my face in 45 Colt is not fun either.

RanchRoper wrote:My 1860 against my face in 45 Colt is not fun either.

Really, I'd imagine that would be ok so long as you're not using modern .44 mag equivalent loads.

Must have weak cheekbones I guess. Recoil is fine against shoulder.

RanchRoper wrote:Must have weak cheekbones I guess. Recoil is fine against shoulder.

This guy cheeks it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGxdSEZveeg

You gotta understand though, cause people who try mine make this mistake, don't put the butt pad on your face you put it on your cheek in the way you would a regular rifle. Not saying you do this, but I've seen people do it. What I'm suggesting is much more like the legal method to shoot an AR pistol.

.327 would make a perfect cheek pistol in a centerfire cartridge.

slofyr wrote:A long stock resting against the shoulder absorbs recoil. Your 22 mare's leg generates very little punch, so you can cheek it. That gun in .357 or .44 will be like getting punched seriously hard in the face.

I honestly think .357 touching off while mounted on my cheek shouldn't be bad either given the weight of the gun. I have a Ruger Blackhawk in .357 and even with the hottest loads I can run it the recoil wouldn't be dangerous to my physicality beyond a black eye. Keep in mind this is a much lighter and differently balanced gun. Now some fullhouse .44 could be a problem, but even then I remain skeptical because of how the recoil impulse travels. The barrel rises and the "not stock" lowers with your receiver acting almost as an axial point during recoil. I'll need to screw around with some bigger mare's legs to see if I'm right, but I have touched off an AR pistol with the gun on my face and a 2.23 has a way hotter charge. I'm beginning to suspect that mare's leg pistols are much more practical than armchair gunmen would give them credit for, a sort of civilian PDW.

> I have touched off an AR pistol with the gun on my face and a 2.23 has a way hotter charge.

The AR has a recoil-absorbing spring.

I have used a cheek (and nose) weld on a 38 Mare's Leg without any problem but I would be reluctant to shoot it in 357.

I use the cheek hold style (putting the side of the butt-nub along my cheek) when I shoot my .44 mag ML. No problems at all. Makes the ML a more accurate and viable weapon for me.

slofyr wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 18, 2018 3:57 am

> I have touched off an AR pistol with the gun on my face and a 2.23 has a way hotter charge.

The AR has a recoil-absorbing spring.

Had a friend of mine shoot a Contender in 223 once, he wasn't holding it as good as he should have.
Came back and smacked him pretty good, never wanted to shoot it again.

RP

Barring artistic freedom and being before photography when searching the history of the matchlock rifle a great amount of pictures show what could be called a Mares leg style stock being shot with a cheek weld. I’m still looking but I’m sure that I have seen photos of American Indians with long guns whose stocks have been cut back short. I’ve been shooting a H001 with a 16” barrel and a shortened stock to make a OAL of 26 1/8” using a cheek hold and I have become quite good with it off hand. I’m thinking one of Henry’s single shots in a centerfire might just be my next venture into my short stock craziness.

I have only taken my Henry 357 to the range twice, so far. Shooting 357 has a very low recoil felt. No problem with cheek weld. Firing rested and free hand.
The only thing I have added after first trip is a sling that I use with arm through loop to help support gun when firing freehand.
Have also fired .38 special and it is even less as most of you know. I have been getting my wife use to firing this rifle has only fired the 38s.. She was warry of the 357 mag. So after she gets more comfortable with the rifle firing the 38s.. She will shoot 357, that is when she feels ready.

I changed my shooting style a year or so ago, and have been shooting better I think. I now put the crescent butt between the bicep and the shoulder instead of tucked in tight on the shoulder. Works better for me and I don't have to have my face mashed into the stock. The crescent butt locks in there quite nicely and i can get on target fast with more accuracy. My breathing is more relaxed too as I am not all hunched up. Works for me, maybe not for others.

Interesting, RR. From what I've been able to research, that is the intended use of a crescent buttplate. Also, traditional guns with a lot of drop in the comb, such as the brass Henry's, were not intended to be used with a check weld. You were supposed to keep your head high, not bent down and tucked down on the stock. The idea was for the gun stock to put the iron sights in line with your eye without bending your neck. Shooting styles, like guns, have also changed over the years.

I am hoping this style will work well with the 1885 tang sight (whenever the gun shows up!!!....still waiting)...

I'll put money on it that you and that 1885 are going to be magic, together.

PJM wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 05, 2020 7:49 am

If you want a hoot. Go with a contender in a rifle caliber like 30-30 or find one in .35 rem. If you scope it, make sure the scope has a 2 foot eye relief and don't hug it. It is not a one hand hold!

I used to own a 1st generation Contender Frame when they came out and I had a 22lr, 44 mag, and a 30/30 barrel to interchange on the frame. I think maybe the loudness and extra muzzle flash make people think that the recoil is worse than it is. To me it didn’t feel much different than the 44 mag. Those first barrels were 8 and 10 inches. Boy that’s almost getting back to the time of the matchlocks.IOI