LOP

[WayBeau]

How do you accurately, or semi-accurately, measure length of pull? I have never had mine measured and have become increasingly more curious about how my accuracy would be affected if I knew this information and adjusted to it, i.e. proper fit. I've always just 'made it work'. I'm a fairly tall guy with an appropriate wingspan for my height.

So how do you measure for LOP? Is this something I can do myself, or do I need a professional to do it properly?

 

[CoRoMo]

Here's how to measure it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MLCmzpUQKo

 

[Sam1911]

Here's a very good thread on that question: http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=5244287&postcount=11

You certainly can do it yourself. Certainly good enough for comfort with rifles (depending on how you plan to use them), and causal shotgunning.

If you want to have a shotgun perfectly fitted to you, you'll want a professional to assist you.

 

[M-Cameron]

a quick and dirty measurement is the distance from the inside of your elbow to the tip of your trigger finger( when your hand is relaxed).

 

[WayBeau]

a quick and dirty measurement is the distance from the inside of your elbow to the tip of your trigger finger( when your hand is relaxed).

My LOP would be somewhere around 16.5-17"!

I appreciate all of the replies so far. I think I'm going to see if someone at my LGS can help measure me though. I will be checking my guns though to see where my thumb and nose are when I've got it shouldered.

 

[Sam1911]

Well, it's just an approximate. And I wouldn't measure with your hand relaxed. More like measure with your trigger finger curled as if it would land on the face of the trigger.

I'm 6'-2" and mine would tend to be about 14" - 14.25". Folks also tend to do better with a slightly short LOP than too long. Too long makes it hard to mount the gun quickly, harder to deal with changes in clothing (layers/padding), and also can be less flexible for using other positions.

If this is strictly for wing-shooting with a shotgun, you want the very best fit possible, very close to your 'idea' LOP, and also you want the right drop-at-heel and cast-on or cast-off.

If you're potentially thinking about using the gun for more combat-style, action/practical training, 3-gun match type uses, the most modern "best practices" teach a squared-up shooting stance, similar to the modern Isosceles pistol stance, and a considerably shorter length-of-pull works much better for that because you are bracing the gun butt off the "front" of your body, rather that blading your body and cradling the butt back in the pocket of your shoulder.

 

[M-Cameron]

Well, it's just an approximate. And I wouldn't measure with your hand relaxed. More like measure with your trigger finger curled as if it would land on the face of the trigger.

....huh.......for me, that is my hand position when its relaxed.......

but yes, that is the hand position you want.....and yes, it is only an approximation...

i find its a good place to start, then add or remove material to get you to where its comfortable

 

[Sam1911]

Gotcha. Depending on how you hold your arm, though, and how relaxed is 'relaxed' you might gain an inch or two over approximate optimal. I doubt his real length-of-pull is 17". Could be, but WOW.

 

[WayBeau]

OK, with trigger finger curled (as if I was sqeezing the trigger) it came out to around 15". Don't do much wing shooting, if any at all, so the majority of my shooting will be range and hunting.