doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com seasonal gunfit differences

You know this stuff (if you're a gun guy) but it never gets fully considered until you're trudging along and you suddenly realize that something is very different. Case in point: my post-Christmas trip to the "old country" this year. I had on a borrowed coat because the weather was "normal" for the first time in about 3-years and what I had brought wasn't quite sufficient. Meaning that it was "real" winter there, the wade in the snow kind of winter. Accordingly, I was wearing long underwear (both tops and bottoms), a heavy shirt, a vest, and a very substantial coat. This significantly affects what length of pull you will need on a shotgun for wing shooting. My Dickinson 28-gauge, which normally fits me shockingly well at 14 3/4-inches, was something of a challenge to mount. If a grouse had flushed at that moment, it would have been dammed-ably hard to hit him.

My solution to all that was thankfully simple (in a part of the world where nothing seems to be simple anymore), and it took the form of a sweet 1939 Ithaca M-37 in 16, a change of shells in a pockets of my game vest, and a short re-familiarization with the mechanics of a pre-war pumpgun. No big deal right? OK, what do you do when you know you're slightly faster with a double and you really want (or need) to succeed the next time a bird launches? With the 37, I took it off-safe in the grousiest of covers to help myself a little bit in the speed department (Pennsylvania grouse never dawdle), but that is seldom a good option (for a number of reasons we also all know). A nice, light game gun that has the appropriate length of pull to mount properly over heavy cloths is clearly the ideal solution here, but how many folks are ready to saw about three quarters of an inch off of their favorite fine birdgun? Not many here, I'm sure. Waterfowlers never have to even consider this particular issue, because the weather is almost always challanging and they dress and equip themselves accordingly. That's not always the case in the uplands.

Is there an ideal solution here (other than buying yet another gun, which I just did)?

If you're a hunter have stock lengths proper for most hunting conditions. Add a removable pad for clays and nice weather. A short LOP and a bit more drop than clay shooting works wonders to add weight to the game bag

My solution has been to acquire a different gun for every possible combination of clothing and shooting condition .... which is probably why I shoot like rubbish but they almost all fit me at some point with some stance
Jeremy

Lloyd, if I shot purely at the range in nice weather, my LOP would be about 14 3/8" to 14 1/2". But I mostly shoot while hunting and living up where I do my hunting can be either shirt sleeves or bundled up for sub freezing weather. Thus, my LOP assortment for guns I use regularly ranges from 13 3/4" to 14 1/2". I don't get my shirt in a knot about LOP unless it is less than 13 1/2" or more than 14 1/2".

I'm with Barlett. Another reason for an assortment of guns.

Most of my vintage doubles are not long enough for me as is, so I add a 1/2" leather lace-on pad. Simple matter for me to pull it off when I have to layer on a lot of clothes, which isn't that often down heah'. Especially this "winter".

SRH

I usually just walk off to the side somewhere and throw the gun up a few times to feel if there's any hold adjusting to do. I think for pretty much any hunting, I'll take stuff off and on through the day. Especially with duck hunting, I'll rarely start off wearing the full gear, gotta cool off a bit after lugging and trudging. Then, I might add some more later, otherwise the hunt might have to be cut short if some weather front blows in.

It is sad to admit that as I get older I not only match type of gun, gauge, ammo, shot size, choke or choke combination, stock selection from several choices for most gun choices, all to my outfit. Such vanity is not attractive but I am such a slave to fashion. I envy my simpler youth with one gun choice, maybe two choices in shot size and of course keen eyesight and reflexes of my youth.

I think we all think too much about what we need to be perfect. Right gun, right ammo, right hunting jacket. Some of my happiest hunting memories are of things which clearly could have been better planned or just happened inspite of my efforts. But if you must by all means buy another gun. Lord knows I've done it before and will do so again.

As I discovered on the final pheasant hunt of the season 2 weeks ago (high single digits when we started), not only is a shorter than normal LOP a good idea, but also a single trigger. If it's cold enough to wear gloves with much insulation at all, a ST is much easier to operate. So out came the old SKB 12ga; couple roosters in the bag.

My 16 gauge RBL came with two recoil pads that come off easy and switch in no time flat.

if you're one of those people who like recoil pads you can install a 1" recoil pad at 14 3/4" LOP, then install a 1/4" plate for hunting making the LOP 14". Easy to swap.