I really do have that add-on cheek-riser done up just right to take the stock travel (i.e. running start to collide with my face) out of the equation, the gun rears up and shoves me back with "grown-man loads" but doesn't bruise me anymore, doesn't HIT me at all just a real good shove. eye relief wouldn't come up in that regard, actually I like to be right up on a scope (depending on the cartridge and stock that is), BUT I'd want the scope ahead of the hammer and a smallish fixed power would do that, plus it'd make my gun all scout-rifle tacticool then too. light gathering capability better than my eyes, huge exit pupil, more precise than irons, etcetera .... man, maybe I should just neglect the .243 for awhile and just priss up my 45-70 till it's a safequeen. the more I think about it, the more I think it's thirsty for red again!
I know what you mean though, I used to have a sock full of birdshot number nine and a limbsaver over the factory pad to shoot it, but now I am fine just because of that rubbery piece I glued, screwed, dremeled, sanded, and finished onto the stock to monty carlo it. ps I'll NEVER again get a handi in a straight stock unless it's a shotgun with a post sight. back to the subject of actually having a centerfire VARMINT gun for once in my life instead of too big or small. do you know of any relatively distant relief 3-9 or 4-12 on the cheap that are crystal clear, spartan on features, cheap.... I'm poor, and don't like fancy reticles for the most part, really don't like disrupting a good zero to "dial-in" a shot either. I want medium/small size tube, below 5x minimum power, monotube, good picture, stabile zero once set and left alone, a reticle I can actually pick out with minimal fanciness but not a fat thick one that obscures targets. heck I could probably get a super cheap scope to do all that except the monotube and zero reliability.
