Has anyone used Fieldsport located in Michigan to be fitted? Hear they do top quality work.
RTW on the forum here has, give him a PM.
Karl
Karl. Will do, thanks for the Info!
I did.
Very satisfied.
Std 16 yd pattern plate, tight chokes, try-gun, etc.
If your mount is not consistent, it's a waste of money.
When you leave you will receive a detailed sheet of measurements that if used, will allow you to reproduce your pattern plate accuracy.
Just out of curiosity, what is the cost of something like that?
Sorry to hi jack the thread some observations on gun fitting .Something I did for many years.
1 Providing the overall parameters are correct , you learn to shoot the gun.
2 You can not fit a gun to a man who cant shoot .
3You can not fit a gun to a man who wont listen.
4 Stance and mount and you control of the gun are 60% plus of most problems .
5 Beware the man at the club who knows everything .
6 Until you are sure you need help stay with one type of cartridge and one set of chokes to be as consistent as possible.
7 Dont be fooled by the " expert" who has set ideas as to what you need , ie. I like a long stock and shoot well , so if you have a long stock you will shoot well.
8 Every one is different and its what you need not always what you think you need .
9 We have to face it some of us will never be good shots no matter how much we spend , how many lessons or what you have done or fitted to your gun .
10 If you miss its you , not the gun ,not the cartridge , not the choke , not your glasses . Do not listen to the voice in your head that tells you otherwise.
You are correct, and Thanks!
I was purposefully brief, because it’s a guy’s business, and it’s very popular, and easily contacted.
Brian is a devotee of the Churchhill method of shooting.
He’s been doing it a long time.
So if you like that style, he can help you attain it.
It starts with footwork, proceeds through posture, All the way up through how you hold your head.
Then they work on the leading left hand, and the raising of the gun to the face and the rolling in of the shoulder behind it.
It’s a muscle memory thing, it’s a style thing, and if a person practices it they will become a better shotgunner.
In the competitive arena, where different techniques are best applied in different places, it’s a good place to start but it’s not the be-all end-all.
But when you get done, if you apply the principles, and you adapt your stock to the provided dimensions, you will shoot better.
And look better doing it.
My experience with a gun fitting was with Bill Kempffer at Deep River Sporting, many years ago. Four of us had appointments to have individual fittings. When it was my turn Bill spent adequate time with me shooting the try gun at the plate, making lots of adjustments. Finally, we went inside and he took actual measurements from the try gun and wrote them down for me. I remember telling him I shot mostly S x S guns and he told me to add or subtract a minor amount to a couple of those measurements when going from an O/U, which the try gun was, to a S x S. I also remember he told me in private that my mount was very consistent, so the measurements he did would be very accurate.
Back home I got out my old sporting clays gun, which I had laboriously fitted to myself by shooting dozens of patterns, measured the dims on it and compared them to the measurements I had been given. A couple were exactly the same, and a couple were off by a tiny amount. I was pleased with that, and it was a great confirmation.
I cannot remember the cost per fitting, but I did not consider it high at the time, at all.
SRH
gunman,
Those 10 observations apply to a whole lot more than shotgunning.
I don't agree. I shoot gun down, no pre-mount. If the gun doesn't have enough drop along the comb I'll shoot high every time. I've bent all my old SxSs to the same dimensions - 2" DAC and 3" DAH, 14 3/4" LOP. I stand erect, head erect, weight even on both feet. The guns mount perfectly. I just bought a 410 Dickerson with this GD high stock. Tried bending it [ has through bolt ] and after a week it's right back where it was. I then took some wood off the comb, but it's still not the same as a stock with 3" of DAH. Yes the DAC has increased, but the way the stock angles down is where I think it makes a big difference. It still shoots high. You'll never convince me gun fit doesn't make a difference. If you're not hitting your nose with your thumb and you're looking right down the rib, then the gun fits. Simple as that. JMHO - not wishing to offend anyone.
"8. Every one is different and its what you need not always what you think you need."
I have a little book by Michael Yardley, entitled Gun Fitting. Pretty good little book, IMO.
Yardley's book is indeed good, but I've reading another that, IMO, is the finest one written on the subject. It is Stock Fitter's Bible by Rollin Oswald. it was recommended to me by a forum member here. It is a treasure trove explaining all shotgun stock dimensions, how and why they affect shot placement like they do.
I wish I had found this book 30 years ago., but I don't think it had been written at that time. I believe you would greatly enjoy it, Chuck. It's that kind of book I keep a pen in, so that I can underline stuff for future reference. Covers all different shotgun disciplines, not just trap and skeet. Much space is given to sporting shooters.
SRH
Thanks Stan. I'll get a copy.
Getting back to the question, I spent a great weekend at Fieldsport a decade ago. Brian is a down to earth instructor concerned about student success. I’d recommend Fieldsport.