fitting a shotgun

[BusDog]

I am very interested in sporting clays. I have been twice and I loved it. First time with an older Browning o/u. Did not do so great, I shot in the low 50's. It was made clear to me by some more experienced shoters that the gun did not fit me. The second time I went I rented a Beretta 3901 20 gauge and shot in the 70's. At one station I shot all targets. I think I could improve if I found a gun that fit me (and, of course, shot more often). I'm 6'4" with a sleeve length of 37". I really like the Beretta autos and I understand that shims can be used to make slight adjustments, but not to the extent I require. Can some one explain how one "fits" a shotgun? Are there available after market stocks to accomidate length? Also, I am still debating over the Beretta 391 vs an o/u in the $1000-$1,500 range. Leaning toward the auto. I borrowed a friends Benelli once shooting 5 stand and it was just okay. Really, I'm looking at the Beretta vs. a decent O/U, but really need to hear about fit.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Oldnamvet]

Without going to a stockmaker and getting fitted, you best bet is outlined in chapter 7 of Bob Brister's book "Shot Gunning, The Art and the Science". Check your local libraries. Printed in the late 70's, it goes into detail on how to fit a shotgun to yourself. It may require actually shaving wood off the stock or adding bulk to the comb to make it fit. A few models, like the Mossberg 930, come with spacers to adjust the stock somewhat to fit you. It is best if you can find one that already fits, as long as it is a reputable brand, rather than buying one that doesn't fit and then trying to fit yourself to it when you balk at modifying the stock, ruining the finish, having to refinish, etc.

 

[RNB65]

Shotgun fit is one of those topics that comes up constantly in shotgun discussions. Every time someone starts a thread inquiring about getting a shotgun, someone chimes in with the obligatory "make sure it fits" comment. There's certainly no doubt that good fit helps to improve shotgun shooting and mimimize recoil vs an ill fitting shotgun.

The problem with shotgun fitting is that finding someone who really knows how to do it is extremely difficult. There are only a handfull of people in the entire country who really know how to properly fit a shotgun. If you happen to live close to one of them, great. If you don't, then getting a shotgun fit becomes a very costly proposition. It's not something where you can just toss the gun in a box and ship it to them. Shotgun fitting is a dynamic process that reqires owner participation.

Some guns offer a bit of a "do-it-yourself" option. Beretta 391's, for instance, allow you to slightly adjust the cast and drop using plastic spacers. You can adjust length of pull using thicker recoil pads and spacers. But there's an awful lot of guesswork involved and you still can't easily change comb height or pitch for a true fit.

If you really want to drop some coin, there's always the option of a custom made stock. Someone like Fred Wenig can give you a custom made and fitted stock that will make even a cheap shotgun look like a million bucks.

Good luck.


<edited for spelling>

 

[mswestfall]

In this, I make the assumption that Beretta makes a field version of the AL 391....

To get an idea of how "fit" can change you might start by going to a gun shop that sells a variety of 391s. There are a number of versions. I'm a trap shooter so I concentrate on the "Parallels". Ask the gun salesman if he can show you an AL 391 and and AL 391 Parallel. This refers to the comb being parallel to the barrel or rib. (This is what the spacers adjust.) Look down the rib and notice if you see rib before the beads, if the beads stack like a figure 8 or if one bead is directly behind the other. This tells you where the shot is going to go. If you see a lot of rib (back bead below the front) the gun will shoot high. Therefore you will have to point below the target.

Then ask if they have a youth model and compare it to an adult model. This will show (to an extreme) the importance of the length of the stock. Ask the salesman to explain the importance of the distance between your nose and the thumb on your trigger hand. I believe that you can accommodate for a stock that is slightly long but it is much more difficult to deal with a stock that is too short.

With each gun also notice how hard you have to press your face against the stock to line up the beads. That too is important. You want to be able to get "behind" the beads but don't want to lean over the gun stock. Try to keep you eyes parallel to the ground as much a possible.

I would also recommend that you notice how the gun balances in your hands as you swing it from side-to-side. Notice if it is barrel is hard to get moving (barrel heavy) or if the barrel "bounces" around in circles (stock heavy).

This one will get some arguments but... You should try to stand behind a shotgun rather than wrapping your body around the gun. This is a function of all of the above and (most importantly) where the gun mounts on your shoulder. I actually mount my trap gun on my collar bone. I need to buy an adjustable recoil pad but just haven't made that leap yet.

Again AL 391s are great for trying out a gun's "fit". They make a bunch of different kinds and they make stock and magazine weights too. You can put a different recoil pad on any one of them.

After you get an idea of what is commercially available try as many of these configurations at your local shooting club as you possible can.

I'm not saying that an AL 391 is for you. I am saying that they make it a little easier to test different fits.

Good luck and most of all.... come back and tell everyone what you end up buying. Pictures are good too.

 

[Chuck R.]

I’ve adjusted the drop and LOP on a couple of shotguns, but I’ve only had one “custom” fit. A Sterlingworth Fox 20 Ga SxS that’s been in my family for three going on four generations. I had the gun completely redone, engraved, and restocked a few years ago.

I went to a gentleman that specialized in high end sporting clays guns. While wearing my upland coat and normal undergarments, he used an adjustable “try” stock and fit the stock to me. It was about a 40-minute process total. I then sent the dimensions to a custom stockmaker and had the gun restocked.

This was not cheap. The fitting alone was over $100, but the gun comes up on a flushing bird like a dream.

For duck guns, I’m an off the shelf kind of guy.

Chuck

 

[BusDog]

Thanks for the replies.

Keep 'em coming. Too bad the beretta does not offer longer stocks.

 

[squekie]

Dog , How long do you need one? I have 4 Berettas with 15 1/4 LOP