Field shotgun fitting

[islandphish]

Field shotgun, fitting

Folks, my dad is having a problem. I've searched quite a bit and haven't quite found the answer I'm looking for. He has a Citori 12ga Hunter that is about 20 years old. We just got it for him last year. The gun was feeling too short so he put on a different recoil pad and it feels pretty good to him. But he says that though it is real close, he has a little bit of a skew. The gun points a tiny bit left on him when shouldered.

Now I searched for a thread on shotgun fitting and adjustment and didn't have luck. I'd like to ask everybody's help in fixing this specific problem for my dad and also in creating a good reference for shotgun fitting in general.

 

[Dave McCracken]

First, the 101 threads have something on this.

Second, what does the patterning board show?

 

[islandphish]

I don't get it. You want him to pattern the gun before he gets it coming to his shoulder naturally?

Help me out but I thought you would first want the gun to come up and point where you are looking before you would start adjusting where the poa/poi coincide.

Am I wrong here? I did read the stickies before first posting.

 

[ArmedBear]

What do you mean by "skews to the left"?

For a while, I was shooting an old Superposed (similar general stock design to the Citori) with an adjustable comb. Just tweaking the thing to the right or left a bit can really help.

For want of a better picture, here's one on a BT-99.

There are people who will add the feature for you. It's not overly expensive.

You can also bend the stock, but it's a lot easier to mess with the adjustable comb. You can change it with an allen wrench if you don't like it. The only downside, really, is that dirt can accumulate under the thing, in the field.

 

[islandphish]

Had heard that too test the fit of a shotgun one should pick a point, close their eyes and shoulder the gun. Then open your eyes and you should be pointing at your point. Dad has found that he's not looking straight down the barrell when he shoulders the gun. He's pointing off to the left a little.

 

[ArmedBear]

That's hardly definitive.

Maybe he just doesn't mount the thing right when he's closing his eyes. Or at all.

Sounds like he could be mounting it with the butt out on his shoulder, instead of on his upper chest. That's as likely as anything, if the barrel's pointing off to the left a bit.

Do you know anyone who knows what they're doing who can help?

 

[islandphish]

we're just a couple of yokels. We don't shoot trap. I can't think of anyone who could help offhand. The whole county has less than 15k people.


He's been shooting a lot of years(50+) so it would probably be easiest to adjust the tool than the shooter if he is doing it wrong. I'm guessing it is very important that you always mount the same way and that I am confident he is doing. He's normally a fair shot.

I'll look up some mounting technique and talk some more with him.

 

[ArmedBear]

If he's been shooting shoguns for that long, he'd have rotator cuff problems if he'd been mounting too far out.

I didn't know that part. I'm sure he knows what he's doing, then. What shotguns DO fit him?

I just saw your location. Hmmm...

Probably have more game than we have here in the city, but even fewer gunsmiths or stock fitters!

 

[Dave McCracken]

I'd like to see how it SHOOTS for him. It's easy to get a little off when "Storepointing". Sometimes we shoot different than we point without a live round or target.

 

[sm]

Remove the recoil just installed, and put back as it was.

Unload shotgun, and check again.
Have him face a full length mirror , close eyes, and mount gun to face 2 times, then on the third mount open his eyes.

Pay attention to where his eye is in relation to bore.

My guess is, just due to the fact we change physically over time, his body had changed.
1. A gun that used to fit, no longer does.
2. The body does not "do" what it used to do.

One or the other, often times both as one "ages" even from being a teenager to twenties, to thirties...
Recovers from injury, surgery, ...

Now the full length mirror, will assist him, and you, in making sure his form, mounting to face, and correct basics, if fine.

If not, use the mirror to get back to basics.

If need mess with the recoil pad.
Cast off, Cast on might be needed, so for instance stick a matchbook on one other the other edge of recoil pad to see if this helps.

Longer screws and add a sponge in between recoil pad and stock, this is a fast and easy way to check out LOP.

A lot can be done, learned and shared with a Full Length Mirror.
Some find they are not pushing "out" and then straight back, therefore missing the pocket.
This really comes to light in bird hunting, where one has a bird flush, or dove come in with afterburners on.

Then go repeat the eyes being closed with a Pattern Board.
Same box of light target loads.
If need, have the items you used in front of the mirror, to mess with fit.

Now folks know why some places have a Full Length Mirror outside near Patterning Boards.

Also on Handgun and Rifle Ranges...

 

[Rollin Oswald]

I am not sure I understand what's happening. When you say the gun points a bit to the left, do you mean that he is looking down the left side of the barrel or rib or that the gun is canted/rotated to the left/counterclockwise if your dad shoots right-handed?

I ask because two different stock dimensions could be involved, one of which would need correcting to solve the problem. As mentioned above, the stock may need cast (if his cheeks have plumped over the years but pitch could be involved is your father is rotating/canting the gun and is putting the pointed toe of the recoil pad into or nearer his armpit.

You find little information on stock fitting because of the complexity of the subject. Three variables are involved, shooter size and shape, the five basic stock dimensions and the shooting form (stance, gun mount and body posture) that is being used. All are interrelated, i.e. change one and others will be affected.

If you want to learn all about stock fitting and get step-by-step instructions for fitting a shotgun, visit my website at http://www.stockfitting.com.

For reviews on the book, ask what the visitors on www.trapshooters.com think about it. It's a trapshooting website but the book was written with all shooting disciplines in mind. The book, "Stock Fitting Secrets" has sold thousands of copies here in the U.S. and in 17 foreign countries on all continents except Antarctica (where penguins have a very strong anti-noise union.)

Rollin