Does your shotgun fit you?

[Rupestris]

As an informal poll, I’d like to know what other shooters have done to improve the fit of their shotgun. I’d post a poll but I’d rather have more information from you. If you could, give me a brief answer to the following questions:

What is your height and build?

Have you increased/decreased LOP?

Have you changed the pitch? Comb height? Drop?

Have you had a stock custom fit to you?


I've been using a bone stock 870 and the factory stock is obviously designed to fit the "average" shooter. I’m 6’ 2”, 180lbs, left handed, and thin in the face. After doing some internet searches and re-reading Bristers book, I think my shooting can be improved by a proper fit.

Thanks for your time,
Chris

 

[sm]

Aw hell Rup, it is a shotgun-you can't miss with all them pellets
Where did you come up with this nonsense about gun fit?

I do not have all the exact numbers; specifications. Yes some guns were/ are set up a bit different.

6' 170 #'s, "lanky", 33/34 sleeve length, hands are size 7.5 in surgical gloves with thin fingers (if I were to wear rings be a size 8 or 8.5 on left ring finger).

Some: IIRC were 14 3/4" - 15". Palm swells, drop at comb "raised" from the norm, cast, pitch altered. Toe and heels rounded, and inside of Pachmyer Decelarator contoured on the inside ( more rounded). There is only one recoil pad, this Decelarator IMO. Oh I have the factory pads, still use them for general principal, and because I can - still the Decelarator is the only real one. Been using these since the earth was flat. Have tried newer offerings...no thanks! Marketing and hype do not make a shooter - shoot better.

I shoot from low gun, I stand more erect than most, gun comes up in one fluid motion , mounted to face, slides into pocket, and the gun is a natural extension of me. If I am looking at something - it is felled. I like this simiplicity.

Weather plays a part, because of clothing. LOP and such is altered with clothes. I also do not want anything to snag , or get in the way of a fluid, smooth gun to face mount.

Now with a properly fitted gun, I can close my eyes, and mount the gun repeatedly, If looking at a mirror when I open them, my eye is in the same place everytime. If a light/ laser is mounted, that light / beam is at the same place I am looking - everytime. Makes no difference if I am "rested" , have done 100 repetitions before, or have run around getting heart rate up - the gun fits, and goes to the same place every single time.

I have less percieved recoil, I don't get fatigued, meaning I don't get a flinch...

Good form, LOTS of hours handling the gun, hundreds of thousands of rds fired...with a proper fitted gun and one really can get where you can "hit 'em with a stick" - all you gots to do is "paint 'em out of the sky".

It really really pays off to have a gun fitted by someone that really understands not only gun fit - but how the shooter , shoots.

It really pays off to have correct basic fundamentals down pat. When the correct basics are down, you are being evaluated in your shooting style by a professional - and said professional truly understands shooting, and can take all this information and adjust a Try gun, and and take that to fit your gun...it is a thing of Art and Science.

The person doing the fitting is not going to make you change your shooting style - he may have other preferences, HE does understand Correct Basic Fundamentals differ from low gun/ premount. Sustained lead/ Pass through...all the stuff that some differ about - one thing is constant, the Correct Basic Fundamentals, a gun that fits, and loads that pattern.

Quick, turn around and point at the light switch behind you. See-you pointed directly at the switch, no scrunching, fidgeting, or adjustment needed - well a fitted shotgun is like that - it becomes a natural extension of you.

Same thing applies to Rifles and Handguns too!

Now I keep Scholl's Moleskin patches in a range bag. I put this on guns not mine to raise the comb. Has enabled many a shooter to shoot their own guns better as well.

Bone stock 870s - I need to raise the comb,(moleskin works) 870s with target/ Monto Carlo stocks fit me better. 1300s fit out of the box 99% of the time as far as comb height. Just to cite some examples for me.

Reason why I suggest folks try different guns before buying - not the brand name - the gun fit. 870, 1300, or Mossberg...you will hit better if the gun fits- not because of the Mfg name on the receiver.

Hence one of the reasons I prefer a wood stock. Fit.

It is worth buying the sodas, even lunch , to be at a range, and be allowed to shoot a variety of others folks' Guns, at moving targets. Especially if considering a purchase, be it shotgun, handgun, or rifle. Just taking a shotgun and shooting a pattern board will reveal a lot about POA/POI...not always the gun and loads - shooters form and gun fit is revealed as well.

Art and Science Yeah Brister knew a thing or two.

So did Fred Misseldine.

Regards,

Steve

 

[IDriveB5]

im 6'3 200, no inches to pinch

increased LOP with a slip on recoil pad ontop of the factory recoil pad.

i plan on buying a walnut monte carlo stock for my gun.

--870 Express Super Magnum, Synthetic stock.


i find if i get the gun mounted to my face correctly, the butt is too high on my shoulder. i think the monte carlo will help this greatly.

 

[huntsman]

I’d like to know what other shooters have done to improve the fit of their shotgun.

just added to LOP

I'm not a target shooter(skeet/trap) so my comments pertain to field shooting only.I believe that most shooters (righties only) should only be concerned about LOP,

Why? Because most don't shoot the style that gives full advantage of proper stock fitting.

If you’re not shooting instinctive or modified Churchill then your not really using a fit stock to its fullest potential which is the eye is your rear sight.

This also brings to a point about style or type of gun, the English SXS or game gun is what was designed for instinctive shooting so it works the best. Does this mean you can't use an American pump or auto? No but you don't get the full potential out of the system.

It should all come together: type of gun/style of shooting and custom stock fit a total package.

So if you shoot like most (rifle stance) and aiming (seeing the target and gun at the same time) then only concern yourself with LOP and maybe drop at comb for fit and you should do about as well as could be.

 

[LHB1]

I have two Browning Citori O/U shotguns, 20 ga Grade VI and 12 ga Grade III. Had to shorten stocks and install new recoil pads. The guns shot high so I removed 1/4 inch from the combs and both guns now shoot dead on. Had to refinish both stocks completely including fore ends so finish would match. Scores picked up on both birds and clay targets.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

 

[Dave McCracken]

6'2", well nourished, 36" shirt sleeve.

Shooting best now with the TB's M/C stock extended to 15 1/2" and the pad dropped another inch. Had reduced drop with shims, now I've taken them out to increase the drop to match my longer dimensions for a heads up shooting style.

Frankenstein's LOP runs about 15". I want to use that one with heavy waterfowling gear. Pad's dropped here also.

Shooting less well with Number 6, standard 14 1/4 LOP. Worse yet with the 20 gauge YE here, 13 1/2" lop and little drop. I can make it work, but it's tough.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Nope. Four of the 870s here- the shotguns I shoot most- don't fit me at all.

They fit my wife. I'm 6'3", she is 5'4" with short arms to match. Her dedicated go-to-war 12 ga. 870 plus the three house guns/travelling artillery are set up with 12.5" length of pull, a first class recoil pad and a standard field size forearm to fit her. It's easier for me to adapt to a gun that fits her than vice versa. She has a 20 ga. Youth Model 870 also, as well as a 12 ga. Mossberg 500 adapted to fit her.

Everything else is box stock, no changes.

lpl/nc

 

[9mmMike]

There is only one recoil pad, this Decelarator IMO. Oh I have the factory pads, still use them for general principal, and because I can - still the Decelarator is the only real one.

I concur.

I have been fiddling with fit for awhile. I have found that my 870's with rifle-sights pretty much fit perfectly. Good weld, good alignment on the sights and nice full contact at the shoulder.

I am slowly adding length to my '55 plain barrel'd WM as I am still getting a bruise on my cheek once in a while. I may need to round off the tow a skosh as well or I need to raise my elbow more to keep this gun flat in the pocket.

I am 5'10"ish and about 210 lbs. My arms are not especially long nor are they short. My hands are a little bigger than average but not huge either.

For whatever reason I cannot get my eye down far enough to feel comfy when I look towards the bead on a plain barrel. Maybe I shot rifle-sighted guns too long but my mount is just too high on my non-rifle-sighted guns.
I tend to mount too high against my shoulder (and then cheek) in an effort to have my eye low enough. Lengthening the stock has helped quite a bit.

Mike

 

[Scottmkiv]

I'm 6'4", and I had my LOP bumped to about 15.5" on my 870 with hard plastic spacers.

The downside is that almost no one else can use my shotgun, nobody else has arms long enough. Its pretty close to pointing where I am looking when I shoulder it with my eyes closed and then open them.

 

[BozemanMT]

Have it fitted.
it's like a whole new world
I had mine totally fitted and it's amazing. It always come up right (well, if I do my part) and it doesn't hurt because the rear angle is correct.
Had the wife's cut down and angled correctly and even that makes a ton of difference for her.
We just figure in teh cost for a new gun.
And really, I'm pretty close to the standard 14.5 LOP, etc
It's that couple MM difference that is amazing.

 

[riverdog]

What is your height and build?

Have you increased/decreased LOP?

Have you changed the pitch? Comb height? Drop?

Have you had a stock custom fit to you?

5'9" 165# Not fat.

Answering your question takes more than yes/no. I bought a Wenig New American Style stock (Monte Carlo type stock with an offset parallel comb, closer grip, and toe out, with Palm swell) for my 870 and found that with a bit of fitting I could make it perfect. After I smoothed it up I found that the design was near perfect with the offset comb putting my eye directly in line with the barrel. The raw LOP was excellent so I had a shotgunsmith cut the stock the thickness of the Pachmyer pad so the LOP wouldn't change. Score improved immensely next time out.

My Browning 525 was a great fit out of the box. I'm not touching it.

 

[Rupestris]

Answering your question takes more than yes/no.

Thanks riverdog. Yes/no answers are not what I was looking for. If you feel like going on, please do.

It is worth buying the sodas, even lunch , to be at a range, and be allowed to shoot a variety of others folks' Guns, at moving targets. Especially if considering a purchase, be it shotgun, handgun, or rifle. Just taking a shotgun and shooting a pattern board will reveal a lot about POA/POI...not always the gun and loads - shooters form and gun fit is revealed as well.
Art and Science Yeah Brister knew a thing or two.

Steve.
Again, I have to blame you. If it weren’t for you I’d have never picked that book up. Its that whole “For want of a nail…” thing.

I do have plans to move forward with this fit stuff. My brother-in-laws father just received his 30-year pin/certificate from the Grand American in Ohio this past summer. He’s the kind of guy that can find a Perazzi under the couch cushions while looking for the TV remote and not remember buying it. He’s had some health issues but he’s willing to help me out with a lesson or two as soon as he feels up to it. His Singles Average hovers around .94 with his doubles at .86 (ATA). Think I should trust him?

'Til then it'll stay as-is.

Lee, I've only got 2 870's. one is my 12, the other, my sons 20ga. with the youth stock. That 20 has it out for me. Put anything heavy through it and it does all it can to break my nose. (I gotta remember to keep the thumb down). I've done pretty well at "moving my head around the rifle" so far. There isn't much I cant snuggle up to. Since the 12 is mine alone I figure it might be time to start "moving the rifle (SG) around my head".

Thanks everyone, for the replies. Keep 'em comming.
Chris

 

[TrapperReady]

5'7" - need to lose about 25#.

Out of the roughly dozen or so shotguns my wife and I shoot, there are a few with no modifications at all -- mostly due to not wanting to mess up the collector value. Those guns are "close enough" and for the use they see, I can scrunch around on the stock and make them work. There are also a couple which aren't modified, because they just plain fit well from the get-go.

We've also got a few shotguns which have been had the fit fine-tuned, but only using the adjustments which came with the gun. For example, on my Beretta 391, I used the thinner of two recoil pads and played around with the factory shims to get it pointing in the correct direction.

On our dedicated HD gun I trimmed the LOP to match my wife's sporting clay gun, and changed the pitch so that it didn't point high any longer. I also installed a much better recoil pad.

The two most altered guns we have are the O/Us we use for competition. In my wife's case, she had Kolar Arms trim a substantial hunk of wood off the end, fine-tune the pitch and install a better recoil pad. The recoil pad (a Kick-Eez Rocker) not only does a better job of absorbing recoil, but it fits my wife's shoulder pocket more completely, so that the recoil isn't concentrated in a single spot (like it had been with the original pad). My Browning 425 was worked on by Kolar as well (LOP trimmed, pitch change, pad), but I ended up doing a lot of work on my own afterwards. It now has about 1/8" trimmed off the front of the comb, the face of the comb thinned slightly, and a thin shim added under the toe of the recoil pad (to raise POI which was lowered by lowering the comb).

 

[Hawk]

The fitter at a local shop found an "off the rack" that fit me.

It had "cast-off" - I'd guess 3/8" to 1/2". LOP 14.5. I'm 5'-12" and 200.

Does the heavy cast-off mean I'm too "jowel-y"?

 

[sm]

Not necessarily.

Has to (can be) sleeve length, biceps,chest , shoulder pocket, neck...etc., and how all these antatomy parts are fit together on you.

Ya could quit "puffing your cheeks" - or stick the Red Man chewing tobacco in the off side cheek before you shoot and see if that matters any...

 

[stevehaun]

6'1'' with long arms (sleeve length 36+") and huge paws. I had the LOP increased to 15 1/8" on my browning bps. Has made a world of difference.

 

[plateshooter]

I'm 5-6, no fat 155 lbs. I like my length of pull at 13 to 13.25". I can work with a standard length stock without a coat. With the shorter stocks, I just have to look at the target rather than sight down the barrel.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Rupestris,

With extra short stocks I find it better to keep the thumb on top, a la' Louis Awerbuck, to keep from getting all teary- eyed when your nose gets busted in recoil. A 'memory spot' of skateboard tape, about the size of a fingernail and applied to the top tang, is a great way (for me anyway) to help develop a tactile memory re. where the offending thumb goes.

lpl/nc

 

[NMshooter]

No.

I need a short stock, something that I can manuver indoors with.

Only kind of shotgun shooting I plan on is the indoor turkey hunt...

After reading numerous threads about every stock under the sun I have determined that what I really want does not exist.

Side folding with adjustable LOP.

I can have one or the other, but not both.

Seems about par for the course for me...

 

[Chuck R.]

6’ 200 lbs, Stocky.

I’ve got two trap shotguns that I had the LOP altered.

The only gun I’ve had “fit” and custom restocked (increased LOP, right cast-off, drop at heal) is an A.H. Fox 20 GA that I had rebuilt by Doug Turnbull and upgraded with engraving and fancy walnut. I had the fitting done while wearing my upland coat. It’s now one heck of a quail gun.

For me it makes sense on an upland bird gun, for trap and ducks, I can “make do” with an “off the rack gun”.



Chuck