After putting my first bolt action rifle together, it quickly became evident I needed additional cheek rise. It was also evident that lowering the scope would not work as the 50mm objective was ¼” from the barrel, and I needed .35” - .40” cheek rise. Besides, I already had the lowest Burris Signature Zee rings, and a low rail, and things were just not going to get any lower.
The next step was looking for a solution. I did not want to drill holes in the stock so that ruled out the popular Karsten product or custom stock work. I did not need a tactical style riser that straps on, nor did I trust or care for the types that stick on to the stock. I finally stumbled across the Bradley Cheekrest (Bradley Cheek Rest for M1A and SOCOM Rifle remington 700) line of products. Devoid of the tactical pouch found on many products, the Bradley product looked like a good fit for my needs. At first, I was a bit turned off by the straps, but resigned myself to the fact that there really is no other good way to hold the cheek riser in a semi-permanent way. But, I also don’t think the stock with the strap will slide very well in my rear Protektor bag.
Bradley offers the B24, M1A/SOCOM, an adjustable model, and the BUL. The BUL looked best for me as it offered 1/2” rise, more than the .35” I needed, but felt I could compress the padding a bit to get the desired rise. I also liked the relatively clean look, and the fact that you could use it without the rear strap (according to website photos), which made it look less busy.
I had a question about the BUL fitting my Bell and Carlson Tactical Medalist Style II stock. My stock shape was different than the ones on his site so posed that question on the BradleyCheekRest website. Within hours, Bradley responded. He told me he would look for my order and throw in some extra straps in different lengths to ensure proper fitment. I ordered the BUL, and it was here in two days, by USPS priority mail, with the extra straps as promised. The BUL arrived in the smallest Priority Mail box. I first thought, “it actually fits in there”? I opened it and the BUL came in a nice little burlap sack with a military theme. The extra strap was there as well. Opening the burlap sack, I was shocked at how small the BUL looked. It seemed tiny. The quality was quite fine, the Kydex exterior slightly rough for cheek grip, the interior smooth with a ½” thick neoprene pad. The pad was not glued in. The straps fit through loops on the Kydex. The loops may look weak, but they seem durable enough in use. Time will tell.
I tried fitting the BUL to my stock and unfortunately, found that it really did not fit. The BUL is made for a narrower, thinner stock that has more of a peak at the comb. Fitting it to the wide B&C stock resulted in contact at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions which forced the bottom of the BUL to splay out before the top of the riser was fully seated. Because of that, it also sat too high at about 7/8”.
I contacted Bradley at BradleyCheekRest and advised of the fitment issue. He immediately sent out a prototype Kydex BUL to try, as well as a custom thick pad, and a thinner pad, plus more straps. After some experimentation, it was clear the thin pad was the answer. The custom Kydex worked, but in the end, I felt the original Kydex piece and the thin pad worked slightly better. It gave me about .35” - .40” cheek rise, exactly what I needed. Secured in place, I was surprised at how rock solid it was. This is no doubt due to the non-slip pad that is used. The BUL is narrow enough so that your eye is not pushed off to one side, permitting an aligned sight picture. It is also large enough for your cheek with some extra room, but also small enough so that the bolt on my Howa 223 could be removed without interference.
Installing and removing the BUL may or may not be required when using a cleaning rod depending on your rifle, but on mine, the riser has to come off. The Velcro straps can be resistant to coming apart (its Velcro), but at least it is not necessary to disconnect the rear strap. On my stock, the rear sling attachment point is in the way of one of the attachment straps, but this may or may not be an issue for your rifle and is dependent on where the BUL is placed on the stock. I don’t use a sling, so I just removed the sling stud. The Kydex can be a bit slippery in some conditions, which can be solved by gluing on some grippy material of your liking.
While I don’t need a cheek riser on my AR-15 with the standard A2 stock, I tried a test fitment. The BUL fits very nicely with either the standard thick pad or a thinner pad. It fits well due to the constant radius on the top of the comb and flat sides of the A2 stock. And, the BUL is small enough where the charging handle can be pulled all the way to rear without interference. Your scope position and eye relief may be different, so can’t promise that will work for everyone.
Bradley’s customer service is top-notch and his responsiveness is measured in hours, not days. He tells me he is ordering the B&C stock to take measurements and produce a product that fits that stock exactly. But at present, I am very pleased with how the current BUL fits (w/thin pad).
BUL Dimensions and Weights
BUL Kydex w/3 straps (no pad): 2.54 oz
Thick Pad: 1.00 oz
Thin Pad: 0.70 oz
BUL w/Thick Pad: 3.52 oz
BUL w/Thin Pad: 3.21 oz
BUL Cheek Rest Area Length: 6.125”
$69.95
For more information, see www.bradleycheekrest.com
*I am no way affiliated with or have any business interest with Bradley CheekRest (Bradley Cheek Rest for M1A and SOCOM Rifle remington 700).
Rifle is Howa 223 Remington, Bell & Carlson Tactical Medalist II stock, Vortex Viper PST 6 - 24 x 50 scope, Burris Signature Zee Rings (30mm) and Murphy Precision stainless steel rail.
PHOTOS!
If you need about 7/8" cheek rise, this will do it, but fit is not the best with this thick pad on this stock.
Yes, the sling stud is in the way, at least where I have the cheek rest positioned.
The fit in the rear is excellent.
Left side with thin pad.
Right side, thin pad. Looks like I had the rear strap crooked. Oops!
Front view.
Top view.
Front view again.
AR15. BUL w/thin pad. The piece on the bottom of the A2 stock is an Evolution Gun Works "bag rider". Its purpose is to allow the stock to better slide in a rear bag. The BUL strap would fit better if the bag rider was not there.
AR15. BUL w/thin pad.
The next step was looking for a solution. I did not want to drill holes in the stock so that ruled out the popular Karsten product or custom stock work. I did not need a tactical style riser that straps on, nor did I trust or care for the types that stick on to the stock. I finally stumbled across the Bradley Cheekrest (Bradley Cheek Rest for M1A and SOCOM Rifle remington 700) line of products. Devoid of the tactical pouch found on many products, the Bradley product looked like a good fit for my needs. At first, I was a bit turned off by the straps, but resigned myself to the fact that there really is no other good way to hold the cheek riser in a semi-permanent way. But, I also don’t think the stock with the strap will slide very well in my rear Protektor bag.
Bradley offers the B24, M1A/SOCOM, an adjustable model, and the BUL. The BUL looked best for me as it offered 1/2” rise, more than the .35” I needed, but felt I could compress the padding a bit to get the desired rise. I also liked the relatively clean look, and the fact that you could use it without the rear strap (according to website photos), which made it look less busy.
I had a question about the BUL fitting my Bell and Carlson Tactical Medalist Style II stock. My stock shape was different than the ones on his site so posed that question on the BradleyCheekRest website. Within hours, Bradley responded. He told me he would look for my order and throw in some extra straps in different lengths to ensure proper fitment. I ordered the BUL, and it was here in two days, by USPS priority mail, with the extra straps as promised. The BUL arrived in the smallest Priority Mail box. I first thought, “it actually fits in there”? I opened it and the BUL came in a nice little burlap sack with a military theme. The extra strap was there as well. Opening the burlap sack, I was shocked at how small the BUL looked. It seemed tiny. The quality was quite fine, the Kydex exterior slightly rough for cheek grip, the interior smooth with a ½” thick neoprene pad. The pad was not glued in. The straps fit through loops on the Kydex. The loops may look weak, but they seem durable enough in use. Time will tell.
I tried fitting the BUL to my stock and unfortunately, found that it really did not fit. The BUL is made for a narrower, thinner stock that has more of a peak at the comb. Fitting it to the wide B&C stock resulted in contact at the 10 and 2 o’clock positions which forced the bottom of the BUL to splay out before the top of the riser was fully seated. Because of that, it also sat too high at about 7/8”.
I contacted Bradley at BradleyCheekRest and advised of the fitment issue. He immediately sent out a prototype Kydex BUL to try, as well as a custom thick pad, and a thinner pad, plus more straps. After some experimentation, it was clear the thin pad was the answer. The custom Kydex worked, but in the end, I felt the original Kydex piece and the thin pad worked slightly better. It gave me about .35” - .40” cheek rise, exactly what I needed. Secured in place, I was surprised at how rock solid it was. This is no doubt due to the non-slip pad that is used. The BUL is narrow enough so that your eye is not pushed off to one side, permitting an aligned sight picture. It is also large enough for your cheek with some extra room, but also small enough so that the bolt on my Howa 223 could be removed without interference.
Installing and removing the BUL may or may not be required when using a cleaning rod depending on your rifle, but on mine, the riser has to come off. The Velcro straps can be resistant to coming apart (its Velcro), but at least it is not necessary to disconnect the rear strap. On my stock, the rear sling attachment point is in the way of one of the attachment straps, but this may or may not be an issue for your rifle and is dependent on where the BUL is placed on the stock. I don’t use a sling, so I just removed the sling stud. The Kydex can be a bit slippery in some conditions, which can be solved by gluing on some grippy material of your liking.
While I don’t need a cheek riser on my AR-15 with the standard A2 stock, I tried a test fitment. The BUL fits very nicely with either the standard thick pad or a thinner pad. It fits well due to the constant radius on the top of the comb and flat sides of the A2 stock. And, the BUL is small enough where the charging handle can be pulled all the way to rear without interference. Your scope position and eye relief may be different, so can’t promise that will work for everyone.
Bradley’s customer service is top-notch and his responsiveness is measured in hours, not days. He tells me he is ordering the B&C stock to take measurements and produce a product that fits that stock exactly. But at present, I am very pleased with how the current BUL fits (w/thin pad).
BUL Dimensions and Weights
BUL Kydex w/3 straps (no pad): 2.54 oz
Thick Pad: 1.00 oz
Thin Pad: 0.70 oz
BUL w/Thick Pad: 3.52 oz
BUL w/Thin Pad: 3.21 oz
BUL Cheek Rest Area Length: 6.125”
$69.95
For more information, see www.bradleycheekrest.com
*I am no way affiliated with or have any business interest with Bradley CheekRest (Bradley Cheek Rest for M1A and SOCOM Rifle remington 700).
Rifle is Howa 223 Remington, Bell & Carlson Tactical Medalist II stock, Vortex Viper PST 6 - 24 x 50 scope, Burris Signature Zee Rings (30mm) and Murphy Precision stainless steel rail.
PHOTOS!
If you need about 7/8" cheek rise, this will do it, but fit is not the best with this thick pad on this stock.
Yes, the sling stud is in the way, at least where I have the cheek rest positioned.
The fit in the rear is excellent.
Left side with thin pad.
Right side, thin pad. Looks like I had the rear strap crooked. Oops!
Front view.
Top view.
Front view again.
AR15. BUL w/thin pad. The piece on the bottom of the A2 stock is an Evolution Gun Works "bag rider". Its purpose is to allow the stock to better slide in a rear bag. The BUL strap would fit better if the bag rider was not there.
AR15. BUL w/thin pad.
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