stock side wall height on a swamped barrel question

[Jim Curlee]

I was sanding the sides of my barrel channel when I started thinkin, which is a big mistake. LOL
I have the swamped barrel inletted into the stock blank.
I was going to bring the sides down on the stock, but have no idea how far to go.
Do you take the sides down so they run about centered on the barrel from one end to the other, or do you run a straight line from the middle of the barrel on the muzzle to the middle of the barrel at the breech?
One way will give you a "fish belly, the other won't show a lot of barrel, but would be straight.
What's the accepted way?
Thanks
Jim

[smylee grouch]

If you go mid way at both ends you won,t have a fish belly. Go just below that line is my preference.

[jerrywh]

It is the same thing. The centerline don;t change.

[Jim Curlee]

What did I tell you thinkin too much, duh. LOL
I know, take Jim's tools away. LOL

[WadePatton]

What did I tell you thinkin too much, duh. LOL

Exactly.  No straight lines on a swamped bbl, but for the centerline!   Sometimes our thinkin' can be fixed by another perspective and it takes another person to give that perspective to us. Makes this site super handy!

[Stophel]

Centerline... or lower.  If it's a Lehigh gun, WAY lower.   

[flehto]

Don't think that  top of a forestock which is below the bbl centerline  makes a side view  outline of the LR look slimmer if the bbl  has a dark color like the stock.....if the bbl has a lighter color than the stock, then I think  the top of a   forestock that's below bore  center would make the LR look slimmer.

On a swamped bbl  miking the bbl  at the breech and dividing by 2 gives the bore center and doing the same thing at the muzzle and middle of the bbl length  gives the bore center  at those points. From there lines are scribed that include the amount that the forestock is lower than the bore center.  W/ an "A" weight  bbl perhaps 1/32" -1/16"  below bore center would be fine but w/ a "C" weight, possibly a  little more.   As Sophel has said, Lehighs have a lot more.

That said, I always go below the bore center by an amount  depending on the style and side bbl flat width. This   LR w/ a "B" weight bbl  shown below  has the top of the  forestock quite a bit below bore center  which makes for  shorter and  sturdier wood alongside the bbl.