[TrapperReady]

Summer trap league has arrived. The weather is great and I should be shooting well.

Guess what? I'm not.

The problem is what my gun is doing to my face. Specifically, it's tearing the skin directly below my right cheekbone. Enough to bleed, and it hurts.

This does not occur during winter league, when the weather is typically quite cold (I shot a lot of rounds in 3-5 F degree weather this winter).

However, the last few times I've been out in the warmer weather, I've torn a slightly-less-than-dime-sized patch out of my cheek. It only seems to happen in fast-paced events like 5-stand or trap. Slower-paced sporting clays hasn't been a problem.

I'm shooting a Browning 425 O/U, with light loads (1 oz of #8, loaded to fairly low velocity). I've already had the stock fitted (for length) and had the forcing cones relieved. These modifications made a huge difference, and I no longer get the large "goose-eggs" I did prior to the changes.

Before I develop a flinch, or decide to melt the gun down into slag, I need to come up with a plan to remedy the situation. The following are some things I'm considering, and I'd like feedback on where the best place is to start.

Plan A - Swap guns. I've got other pumps and autoloaders which do not have this effect on me. I can easily use one of those, at least for the time being. I'd still like to figure out the problem I'm having with the 425, as I like how it shoots and the convenience of an O/U.

Plan B - Minor stock modifications. I've thought about adding some moleskin to the place where the contact is taking place. I've also considered placing a small dab of Vaseline there prior to going to the trap line.

Plan C - Major stock modifications. Get a replacement stock for the 425 and reshape it to have a drop and profile more like my autoloaders and pumps. NOTE: All of my autoloaders and pumps have more drop than the 425, and none of them hit like this thing.

Plan D - Give up on the 425, replacing it with a gas-operated Beretta 391 Sporting. Either give the 425 to my father-in-law or sell it.

Plan E - Take my rifle shooting more seriously. Nah!

Any thoughts or comments? Right now, I'm pretty frustrated, but that will go away in another day or so. I'd like to have a specific plan of attack in working with this problem.

BTW, I'm disinclined to think that it is a problem with poor form, since it is specific to this gun. Also, last night I made a very deliberate effort to avoid moving my head over to meet the stock (as I do when I shoot rifles). It still "bit".[B][B]

[Dave McCracken]

A couple of ideas.

First, unscrew the pad a bit and insert a shim between the toe of the stock and the pad. Tighten it up and see if the change in pitch helps or harms.

My guess is there's enough drop to the comb that it slopes from front to back so that the comb is driven into rather than past your cheek. Changing the pitch MAY change the direction of the push enough to leave you not needing grafts.

CheekEez makes a stickon comb pad that slopes t'other way, making it more like parallel. This may do the trick.

Measure drop at nose, cheek and heel on this and your other stocks. You may be able to isolate the problem and cure with a bit of sanding and refinishing.

Wenig's offers a semi inletted stock blank in their New American style. Base cost is about $55. Dimensions are oversize, and you could put this on, sand and rasp wood away until it feels comfortable and hitting where you want it to. Then finish or send the whole thing to Wenig's and have them do it in fine wood to those dimensions.

HTH and good luck. I'd find this incredibly frustrating.

[bamf]

Well sounds like your comb height is too high just as you describe.

Since it doesn't happen when you shoot in cold weather, I assume you wear a rather thick coat. This may have added enough padding, so your face is further back on the stock where the comb is lower. Perhaps another easy solution is to add shims to the lengthen the stock a bit. Or you can hacky with a little duct tape and some creativity.

More permament solutions could be to have a stock guy bend it so it fits or figure out what your drop should be and get an adjustable comb put in.

Since you have other guns that will do the job...I'd just put this guy away until he's properly fitted because, you don't want to develope the F-word.

[TrapperReady]

Thanks for the prompt replies.

Dave McC - How thick do you recommend I try for the shim? Also, what would be a good material to use? I called Wenigs to see about a custom stock, complete with fitting. Yikes! Not even including the trip to MO, it makes the cost of a new gun seem downright reasonable. I may go the route of the stock blank, though.

bamf - I'm seriously considering having the stock bent, or going with an adjustable comb. I just noticed that this month's edition of Shooting Sportsman has an article on stock bending, which I'll have to read this evening. Comparing the 425 to my other guns, it sure seems like bending it down about 1/2" to 3/4" and cutting the butt square would make it more like the ones that don't do this.

Actually, I've talked this over with my wife, and the first order of business is going to be for us to switch guns. About 1 1/2 months ago, she appropriated my Benelli Montefeltro, which I shoot very, very well. Next week at trap league, she's going to try the 425 and see if she likes it. If it doesn't beat her up and she likes shooting it, then we'll simply swap guns and call it good.

If not, I'll probably be contacting a gunsmith RSN.

[Dave McCracken]

I'd use the flap off a shell box, doubled once or twice. It shouldn't take much.

Wenig's does outstanding work, but it costs. One trapshooter I know had his BT99 done, it cost 50% more than the shotgun. He says it's worth the money.

Still, that rough stock is not expensive. If your wood skills are more than minimal,you could end up with a good fitting stock that looks good too.

HTH...