A comb raiser lifts your cheek — and therefore your eye — higher above the stock, so you look along the rib instead of into the back of the action. It is the cheapest useful fix in gun fit.
Do you actually need one?
If you are consistently shooting under birds and you have ruled out lead and gun speed, a comb that sits too low is the usual culprit. With the gun mounted properly and your head down, you should see the rib and a little of the bead. If you are looking at the back of the receiver, the comb is low.
The honest way to check is a pattern plate at 16 yards rather than guesswork on a driven day. Mount naturally, shoot at a mark, and see where the pattern centres.
Choosing a height
Stocked in 5mm, 10mm, 12mm and 15mm from GMK, plus a 10mm stick-on pad from Bisley. Start with the smallest that gets you there. Over-raising the comb pushes your eye above the rib and moves the problem the other way, and it can also change how the gun sits into your shoulder.
Rubber stick-on raisers bond to the stock and are the tidiest option; they will come off, but expect to clean the residue. The Bisley leather slip-on recoil pad is a different tool — it goes on the butt to soak up recoil and adds a little length of pull, and it will raise the comb marginally as a side effect rather than as its purpose.
Related
See also game shooting accessories, gun spares, gunstock care and hearing protection.
