Stock dimensions & their effect on "shooting form"

[Rollin Oswald]

Shooting form describes how shooters shoot - their body posture, gun mount, and how they place their feet, their stance.

Key elements of shooting form are the size and shape of the shooter and the dimensions of their butt stock. Stock dimensions consist of drops at the comb and heel, the length of pull (length of the stock from the trigger to the center of the butt), the cast, which is any angling of the stock to the left or right when viewed from the rear and the stock's pitch, the angle of the butt relative to the rib (close to 90 degrees).

You may have read or heard something about gun "fit." Fit describes the effect a shooter's stock dimensions on the shooting form he or she is able to use. To a great extent, stock dimensions determine shooting form. When they fit, the shooter can use a correct form. When they don't, he/she can't.

In the U.S. generally, shooting form for trap, skeet and sporting clays involves a natural, upright body posture, often with a little more weight on the forward foot, a gun mount that places the butt inside of the shoulder joint with the top of the butt or recoil pad on the collarbone.

The stance (placement of the feet) are shoulder-width apart, is rotated less than 45 degrees in the direction of the gun mount side (clockwise for right-handed shooters).

Shooting form controls swing smoothness and swing accuracy because form has a significant effect on the eye's remaining aligned with the rib during swings until the gun is fired. When the head moves during a swing, the eye also moves as does the pattern. Very little head movement is required to cause a shot to be missed.

Shooters come in many shapes and sizes, too many for off-the-rack guns to fit all of us. This is the reason more and more guns are designed with adjustable combs since the position of the comb is THE most important stock dimension. Still, off-the-rack guns fit only a small percentage of the people that buy them.

"Stock Fitters" are craftsmen who change stock dimensions for shooters to allow them to use the best shooting form. I know nothing about the availability of stock fitters in India bit if you are like Canada and have none, disregard this entire post.

[eljefe]

Welcome to IFG Rollin.
looking forward to to more informative posts from you
Best
Axx

[Sakobav]

Welcome aboard and great post

Cheers

[Vikram]

Hearty welcome to IFG,Rollin, and thank you for sharing your knowledge here. I know you on Shotgunworld and very pleasantly surprised to see your name here.We will be richer for your contributions.Thank you.

Best-
Vikram

[shooter]

shotgunworld comes to ifg. welcome aboard. hope to learn a lot from you and hope to read many many more informative posts from you.