Lining up properly for your shot is one of the most important steps in rifle shooting. Proper eye relief needs to be maintained and you need a proper cheek weld to do so. For a couple years I have used a makeshift cheek rest on my Remington .270 and this year I needed an upgrade. Including my homemade build, I tried three types out with very different results. While this is a comparison of what I tried and tested, I am sharing this as a full review of the Hawkeye Custom Cheek Rests.
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| My homemade cheek rest didn’t fare so well. You can barely see it! |
When I inherited my .270 from my uncle, I added a new scope with high rings. While the stock has a built-in cheek rest, I needed one that would elevate my head a bit more for proper alignment. I had some extra foam table edge protectors, so I cut a piece to length and slid an Allen buttstock bullet holder over the top. This cob job worked for a couple years, but it certainly wasn’t the best solution. It really needed some duct tape to keep things in place. This year it all fell apart and wouldn’t stay put. I needed a better option.
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| The Voodoo Tactical cheek rest kit. This didn’t work well at all. |
I searched online and checked out many different options. My first choice was to save some money and purchase the Voodoo Tactical Buttstock Cheek Rest with Ammo Carrier Case on Amazon for around $15.00. Reviews were decent and a few tips and tricks made it sound like this would work well. I installed it and ran into issues right away. There was Velcro everywhere that wouldn’t cinch down correctly. It was bulky and awkward, and it was really high. I removed some of the foam inside the unit, Velcroed everything back together and tested it. The cheek weld worked, but the front of the rest would not cinch up tight enough. I had options like tucking the Velcro strap in the back, or simply cutting it off. No matter what I tried, I was not satisfied, so I sent it back for a refund.
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| The Hawkeye Custom Cheek Rests with the 60mm bolt kit. |
After more research and deciding I needed to suck it up and find something worthwhile, I found family-owned Hawkeye Custom Cheek Rests. I emailed them and explained my situation and asked them what they would recommend. Their website allows you to choose Kydex cheek rests in three different thicknesses; Elite – .125″, Operator – .080″, and Standard – .060″ mil thickness. Austin recommended that I try one in the Operator and one in Elite. I knew that in order to utilize one of the Hawkeye cheek rests that I would need to drill into my stock to mount it properly. Honestly, that didn’t bother me with a synthetic stock. I chose the Operator in gun metal gray, and black for the Elite. After my order, I had them in two days (and they were shipped from the East Coast). Super fast turnaround.
Inside the box you get:
- (1) Kydex Cheek Rest .080″ (Gunmetal)
- (2) 60mm low profile black bolts (black)
- (2) Knurled steel thumb knobs (black)
- Neoprene Washers
- Installation Instructions
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| Measure twice, drill once. I took great care in lining up the holes. |
I read the installation instructions twice, measured twice, and followed the recommendation to use masking tape as a guide. I made my marks, did my drilling and followed exactly what the directions stated. I used smaller drill bits at first and worked my way up. The major issue I had was the fact that my synthetic stock has a built-in cheek rest. I opted to try the .080″ rest and it conformed perfectly. The .125″ was far too thick and, as stated on the website, would not bend well. I got the cheek rest set exactly where I needed it, tested it out and I was in business. I am very happy with the Hawkeye Custom Cheek Rest!
The Operator retails for $33.99 and the Elite retails for $38.99. I think the Elite would work well for a uniform stock, but for those with odd shaped stocks or just want a solid cheek rest, the Hawkeye Custom Cheek Rests in .080″ work the best. I have not tested the .060″, but it only comes in black and I wanted a different color. I highly recommend these guys for great customer service and also offering a great solution in the cheek rest category.
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