Whatever Hunting Rifle You Choose...Make sure it fits YOU!

[Bfh_auto]

Over many years, people have come to me complaining about rifles that don't fit, or kick the snot out of them.

Some of the problems with gunstocks that cause extra FELT recoil, pain, inaccuracy include:

1. Wrong buttstock angle. Stocks that don't have much drop, especially when used with scopes don't feel as bad to the shooter.

2. Too low a comb or the wrong angle. The comb should best be sloped forward a bit or parallel with the bore, but not backwards, if possible. That way, recoil pulls it slightly away from the cheek instead of smashing itself into it.

3. Wrong buttstock length for the user. If it's too long for the shooter, the person will have to lean back to shoot it from standing, instead of leaning slightly forward. Leaning away from the shot direction makes the gun recoil more upward and makes second shots slow and usually too high. This is important for both rifles and shotguns. Sometimes the thumb on the trigger hand will impact the cheek or eye, causing pain and flinch on the next shots.

4. Butt wrong angle, narrow, hard. Perpendicular to the bore is usually best, resulting in lower felt recoil, quick recovery, more accurate rifle shots. Accomodates best to various shooter positions. Many older stocks have toes that are back farther than the heel. That's bad, but too far forward is also detrimental.

5. Recoil pad...Has great benefit besides dampening felt recoil, but reduces slippage on the shoulder as well. Mounted correctly, can provide better fit, absorb recoil, and increase accuracy by reducing slippage.

You may or may not agree, but look at your rifles with these situations in mind. You may be able to correct the situation by strap-on cheek rests, recoil pads, or length changes. A good gunsmith or knowledgeable shooter can help...if you ask.

JP

Preach on. This is definitely the most common issue.

 

[labnoti]

I kindly beg to differ:
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/savage-110-hunter-bolt-action-rifle

That is an adjustable stock. There are many rifles sold with adjustable stocks and adjustable stocks are actually what I was advocating, but I can see how it might have been missed if that post of mine wasn't seen as a continuation of what I wrote in post #3. What I was claiming in my continuation in post #14 was that Savage does not sell stocks of different sizes for the same model rifle. I cannot order a Model 110 with a fixed 12.5" length of pull and another one with a fixed 14 inch length of pull. I can either order an adjustable model, which is what I was advocating in post #3, or a fixed model of a single size.

 

[George P]

It's not difficult to cut a stock butt flat and add a recoil pad. I just did it for a young woman who received a 28 gauge O/U from an old friend who passed, actually extending it a little more than 1/2". I like doing stuff like that for people, but not as much these days.

Many times women need to address the issue of pitch, drop, and toe to account for longer necks, bosoms and slender frames.

 

[Picher]

Sometimes, like the 28 gauge double I extended, fixing "everything" that was wrong would destroy the value and beauty of a gun. That's usually a concern and often we make concessions to those factors on valuable guns, or historic pieces. We're often better off either buying a new gun that fits, or making it fit instead of the historically-valued or monetarily- valuable gun.