Gun Fitting
This page is just for general information. I'm assuming you're new to shooting, so let the gun shop who sell you first gun worry about these measurements!! I have also simplified the descriptions.
When you come to buy a gun, the shop will often offer to fit it for you. Once fitted, the gun should come to the right place in your shoulder and you should be looking down the barrel without having to adjust your head. The advantage of fitting a gun therefore is that it allows you to mount the gun quickly and consistently.
When you come to have your gun fitted, you should aim to wear similar clothes to those you normally shoot in. For example, if you plan to only shoot game in the winter, don't get your gun fitted whilst wearing a summer t-shirt!
Don't rush out to get a gun fitted too quickly, especially if you're new to shooting. Hopefully you won't have bought a gun that is really unfortable so any alterations should be small. Get to know the gun first, and above all ensure you have a consistent gun mount. It's impossible to fit a gun to someone who mounts it differently every time they shoulder it.
When you come to have your gun fitted, you should aim to wear similar clothes to those you normally shoot in. For example, if you plan to only shoot game in the winter, don't get your gun fitted whilst wearing a summer t-shirt!
Don't rush out to get a gun fitted too quickly, especially if you're new to shooting. Hopefully you won't have bought a gun that is really unfortable so any alterations should be small. Get to know the gun first, and above all ensure you have a consistent gun mount. It's impossible to fit a gun to someone who mounts it differently every time they shoulder it.
Length of Pull - when holding the gun the distance between the thumb on the hand holding the stock and your nose should be about 3 fingers width. A taller person would normally want a longer LOP. The LOP is varied by adding spacers or cutting off some of the stock.
Drop at Comb - effects your view down the rib. The higher the comb, the more you will be looking down onto the rib. This can be important for shooting disciplines with primarily rising or falling targets.
Drop at Heel - effects the height at which the stock is mounted into the shoulder, and as such can have an effect on how far you have to move your head up or down to mount the gun correctly.
Drop at Comb - effects your view down the rib. The higher the comb, the more you will be looking down onto the rib. This can be important for shooting disciplines with primarily rising or falling targets.
Drop at Heel - effects the height at which the stock is mounted into the shoulder, and as such can have an effect on how far you have to move your head up or down to mount the gun correctly.
Hopefully this picture illustrates the need to keep your head down on the stock. Many people raise their heads to get a better look at the target, and end up missing over the top.
Cast - as my (rather extreme) picture on the left hopefully demonstrates, cast aids the shooter to align the rib of the shotgun directly in line with their eye. If the cast is incorrect then you will find you will shoot the left or the right when shooting quickly.
The biggest consideration is for left handed shooters when using guns with a lot of right hand cast. This is shown (in extreme form!) in the picture on the right. Cast can be altered by bending the stock. This isn't normally a problem unless there are faults in the wood of the stock in which case it may crack. It's better to find a left handed gun if required than alter one. |
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