doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT - Proper rifle fit

My take is that more people shoot shotguns that are too long rather than too short. Of course, trap shooters will say theres no such thing as too long

And trap shooters are goofs of the first water as has been documented jillions of time. Mr. Yardley says that a shotgun stock should be just barely long enough that the thumb doesn't get jammed up the nose. My own experiments w/ a mucho adjusto stock give him high marks. His other criteria is that the trigger hand elbow should make a 90degree or less angle when the gun is mounted. Casual observation on my own again gives it to Mr. Y's instruction.

Course that's all just for shotguns. Rifles you on your own.

HTH

Dr.WtS

I agree Chuck. I just had almost one inch chopped off my to go gun. I got tired of over extending the thing for an unexpected flush of birds. It is now an even 14". Years ago my Dad told me to get a rough idea for LOP I should hold my arm at a right angle, put the butt plate in the crook of my arm, and my trigger finger pad should be in the right spot on the front trigger. Maybe it was Dad's way of keeping me from his 10 bore Remington. I know it seemed like forever before I got to use the thing.

I want to thank everyone for their input. I finally got the cosmoline all cleaned out of the Mosin Nagant and I cleaned out the barrels of both the N/S and the little Mossberg 22 my friend gave me. Then it was off to the range for the first serious rifle shooting in perhaps 40 years. My, how the years have changed things. While a freshman in military school, I shot on the rifle team and was a damn good shot. With the 12/20 vision I had then it was easy to focus on both sights and the target literally at the same time, not anymore� With my present 30/20 vision and age hardened optics (Presbyopia), focusing on both the sights and target was impossible. I guess I�ll be investing in a scope. Shooting the M/N at a 100 yard target at 25 and then 50 yards, I did manage to keep my shots within the 8 ring, but that was about it. This aging business sure does suck! The little Mossberg .22 was accurate enough, but the comb was way too high making it really tough to line up the sights at all, much less comfortably shoot it.
Thanks again to all who posted. I won�t concern myself with LOP in my rifles, I�ll just work on adjusting the comb for more comfortable shooting and maybe mount scopes on the rifles to accommodate my deteriorating eye sight.
Steve

When it comes to scopes, just be aware that aging-related farsightedness and, moreover, wearing corrective eyeglasses, may well play havoc with using a scope. This, because the image you're looking at in the scope is only a couple inches from your eye. Focusing slowed by age will make it even worse.

I've been having a heck of a time seeing the image in a scope while wearing my glasses, which I need for anything more than arms-length away. Helpng a friend sight in his rifle earlier this fall, I had to ditch my eyeglasses to see the target through the scope, which would have been impossible in a hunting situation. I've always tried to shoot with both eyes open, especially because I don't want to create bad habits for shotgunning, and that gets awkward with one eye on the scope (seeing a very clear image) and one looking downrange (seeing mud). I'm actually considering ditching the scope and going to a ghost ring sight for my rifles. Most shots here in Maine are under 100 yards, so I don't think I'll be losing out going that route. The other alternative would be going to a scout-style setup, but that means drilling new holes, something I'd rather avoid.

A 14" pull is not short, except for a very tall man. I favor slightly shorter pulls on field guns as opposed to sporting comp guns which I premount. I can shoot a 14 3/4" pull field gun very well, in a shirt only, and I am 6'2" with a 34" sleeve. As temps drop, and the bulk of clothing increases, pull must needs be less. A shooter of average build and under 6' should be able to shoot a 14" pull gun pretty good in the field, if all the other dimensions are decent.

SRH

I'm 5'9" and using my Dad's idea, a 14" LOP is just right. Maybe my arms are too long for my height.

A high quality CQB (Close Quarters Battle) style 1-4x scope, like a Nightforce Compact NXS 1-4, set on 1 power, may be the optimum sight for reasonably close range shooting. It can be shoot both eyes open, just like a shotgun, quickly and accurately. There should be no problem in using the scope with eye glasses on as long as it is adjusted properly.

vangulil,
The Nightforce scope looks perfect, unfortunately I'm one of these people known to the world as frugal (though my late wife preferred the word "cheap" to describe me). I'd have a problem spending $1200 for one of those bad boys. I guess my own God-given optics will have to do for at least a few more years.
Steve
PS I prefer the word frugal because whereas I won't necessarily pay extra for a name, I will pay extra for quality.

Rockdoc. I'm wondering if you might be a little mixed up on this frugality issue. For me, with an luxury the sky is the limit but with necessity items I'm CHEAP!!