By Lorraine Lawrence
National Sporting Clays Association Certified Level I Instructor
When I mention gun fit to a lot of people, particularly casual shooters, they give me blank stares. The conversation usually comes up at a charity or “fun” sporting clays event where shooters are randomly put together into teams. One or two of the ‘team’ will be lagging far behind in broken targets and really having trouble hitting much of anything. To a trained instructor you may see several easy to correct problems. Mostly poor mount position or changes to their hold point are easily corrected but at the root of some of these troubles is gun fit. Or lack of it.
On having conversations with a few owners of ill fitting guns I’ve come to discover many people think they must adjust to the gun. When in reality it is the other way around.
Gun makers manufacture most shotguns to “fit” the average size man. For most gun makers that means the gun most shops carry is designed for a man of about 5’ 8”.
Any look at a squad of shooters will show we aren’t all the same size. I’m 5’ 6” but regularly shoot with a friend that is 6’ 9”. What are the chances that the same gun will fit us both well?I’ve seen people going through a rack of guns (both rifles or shotguns) testing each to see how the gun feels. For a few things like the general weight and balance that is fine. But I hear things like “I really like the Winchester, but this Browning fits better...” it can be any brand.
Any look at a squad of shooters will show we aren’t all the same size. I’m 5’ 6” but regularly shoot with a friend that is 6’ 9”. What are the chances that the same gun will fit us both well?
I’ve seen people going through a rack of guns (both rifles or shotguns) testing each to see how the gun feels. For a few things like the general weight and balance that is fine. But I hear things like “I really like the Winchester, but this Browning fits better...” it can be any brand.
The idea that guns can be adjusted to the user seems new to a lot of people who have been self taught or have perhaps been using a gun inherited from a family member. Many chain retail shops are mainly interested in selling you the gun, not with the service or satisfaction after the sale as they do not have on staff gun smiths. That is really up to the owner to discover. Though if you are interested in becoming a good shot, learning about good gun fit and having a good stance and form which are dependent on a good fit are critical issues. If you are in doubt about fit help is as easy to find as your closest certified instructor or gunsmith that is well recommended. There are gunsmiths that specialize in gun or stock fitting which can be done at a relatively low cost. When you consider the length of time you expect to keep and use your gun, it is well worth the money to shoot better and more comfortably. Not to mention more accurately.
Most people know to look for a correct “length of pull” or LOP. That is from the correct mount placement on your shoulder to the pad of your finger on the trigger. This should be a relaxed and comfortable feeling thing. You should not feel you have to look or feel for the trigger, nor should you be stretching to reach; you should have the full tip joint centered on the trigger. At the other end of the spectrum you shouldn’t feel crowded or scrunched up on the gun either. If it is comfortable you should be able to support the gun entirely with your trigger hand for a few moments to be well balanced and adjusted.
Additionally you should be able to easily bring your gun straight up from a relaxed or neutral low position (where you would hold the gun while waiting for a bird) you should be able to bring the gun up level (resist a “see saw” or leaver motion where the barrel points up first followed by bringing the stock to your cheek). If you find yourself pushing the gun away in order to get the gun in proper position it may be too long for you. You should be able to brig it up to a good mount with the stock moving smoothly up to your cheekbone. You should feel it slightly ‘push’ the skin of your cheek when you are “into the gun”, but you should also be able to lift your head and slightly lower the gun into a position for a “soft mount” (useful for seeing a slow incomer or slow bird more clearly) and then bring the gun up again without extra movements or contorting into awkward positions.
A long gun can be cut to fit and mount comfortably. Excess length taken off of the end of the stock. A synthetic stock can also be adjusted by a good gun smith. A short gun can have spacers added or thicker recoil pad that is longer to add length. There are some slip-on stock extenders that can be very useful in seeing if you need to add to your stock if you are a tall shooter. My tall friend can comfortably shoot several of my guns with this simple addition. Some shooters like an adjustable recoil pad. Take time to think about what you will typically wear when using the gun. If it is primarily a duck gun you may be wearing thicker clothes. Be sure to take along a coat or jacket for a good gun fitting if you plan to wear a heavy one.
If you have had shoulder trouble or if you are a woman the choice of recoil pads can make a vast difference in your shooting. Typically guns have a recoil pad that sticks out at the top and bottom. They fit comfortably for many men but create a nasty little bruise for most ladies. A more convex shape or “Rocker” pad can make a gun much more comfortable for a lady. The same pad can also be much more comfortable for a man that has had a shoulder injury. The simple change of recoil pad can make a world of difference in the fit of a gun. However resist the temptation to have it be your only way of fitting your gun. It is only one tool in making you shoot better.
Occasionally weight can be changed to create better balance to a gun. Other more subtle adjustments involve the “Cast” of the gun which is the angle of the stock which will effect the alignment of the shooters eye over the rib of the gun. Once properly mounted your eye should line up perfectly down the rib and right at the bead or sight of the gun. It is important that you practice a good and correct mount before you have a gun adjusted or fit. This fit will eventually have you shooting in a natural way where you no longer have to look at the gun before you see the target. Muscle memory and good eye-hand coordination will take over and you will be able to hit targets while rarely looking at the bead on the end of the gun. The key to breaking targets or hitting birds is keeping your eye on the target. Not on the end of your gun.
The third factor of gun fit is the drop which involves the comb or top of the stock of your gun. This can effect your head position. You should be in a face forward, heads up position looking comfortably down the rib of the gun at the target.
Problems caused by poor gun fit are many but a good fitter or gunsmith can help cure these by making small changes in the measurements of your stock. Overall you should feel very comfortable with your gun mounted. You should not have to make compensations to have your eye line up down the rib and you should be able to see a target clearly without having to lift your head off the gun. Picking up your head can come from two reasons; you can’t see the target well or you have a flinch caused by being smacked by a poor fitting gun. If you are being slapped every time you pull the trigger and you are sure you are making a good solid mount, having your gun fit can help correct this.
Fit is particularly important when you are looking at a gun for a youth where you may want to discuss how a young shooter will grow into a gun (an adjustable recoil pad may be just the thing) with a good gun smith. Ladies also benefit greatly from good gun fit. As most off the shelf guns are set up for that average size man, many woman will find they are a bit too long, fore end heavy and have entirely the wrong recoil pad. If you are trying to encourage a lady to enjoy this sport they by all means start her out with equipment that fits properly and won’t hurt after a few shots. There is an old way of thinking that you destroy the value of a gun or somehow “spoil” it by having the stock “cut”. Very few guns are actually of such high value where this is true. A gun is worthless if it doesn’t do the job for which it is intended… hitting the target.
There is a lot of information on fitting a gun. I do want to caution you against the “do it yourself” approach here. Tinkering can lead to a lot of frustration as the change of a tiny bit of angle can make a huge difference in how a gun shoots.
Aside from working on a good stance and mount, patterning your shot gun (shooting at a pattern board) and understanding where your shot actually hits is a very useful thing to know and something many shooters misunderstand. Most guns are designed to place more shot above the bead than below. People have also got a misconception that they need to correct for the left or right barrel of a side by side. That has already been worked out for you by the maker of the gun. A little reading or a DVD on the subject can be extremely helpful and time well spent. The same as a little money spent on good fit with a good gun smith can have you enjoying your sporting clays and bird shooting much more. I often explain the gun fit like having a suit tailored for you. You have the pants hemmed and the sleeve length adjusted for a good fit. The overall effect is like night and day. I have had an older gun I have not been happy with for years turn into a gun I enjoy shooting with a few small changes in fit.