I know this hasn't come up in the conversation, yet. However, many modern competition guns have pronounced Monte Carlo stocks or stocks with adjustable buttplates that result in a "drop at heel" measurement of three inches. Drop at heel doesn't mean squat if the face can be placed comfortably on the comb area and the shooter's eye can see over the sighting plane. Many of my older collector doubles with fairly severe drop at heel are quite comfortable to shoot. Some of them would be bad medicine in the hands of a shooter more talented than I. If you doubt that old field guns can be used successfully in competition, attend the Smith versus Parker Challenge at the Southern Side by Side. Of course there are many "also ran" scores, but the shooters who make the cut for team membership are not all shooting high stocked, vent rib, dedicated sporting guns.
