by Kiger2 » Wed Jan 03, 2018 3:08 pm
OK,
Just got back from being out of the country.
My sincere apology to Ryan for confusing him with Rowdy, I would never intentionally confuse Ryan with someone who is so closed minded as Rowdy.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
Averageguy.
The only thing in the stock fitters bible I have found not to be accurate is the cutting a 1/4 inch off the the stock moves the cheek an inch. When i set up my first custom stock on my over under I was sure the LOP was too long but I was afraid to cut it without some verification. I went to get a lesson and the instructor wouldn't let me shoot because the LOP was too long for me. He didn't have a gun that fit ( I have a very short LOP) so he sent me home and said to cut off an inch. I did and my cheek didn't move 4 inches. But other than that Ive never seen anyone challenge what was in Rollins Book.
Since getting educated on fit many years ago, my friend and I have helped many of our hunting partners with fit. In fact,we don't like to have anyone hunt without checking their gun if at all possible. No point in shooting if the gun doesn't fit. Its hard enough shooting well out of a layout blind or on a rock slide if the gun does fit well, nearly impossible without a great deal of luck. Doesn't make sense to work your tail off climbing around chasing chukars with a gun that doesn't shoot where you think it is.
One of the things that quickly became apparent was that if someone didn't mount the gun consistently, we couldn't determine with any accuracy how far off they were when shooting the pattern board. So one does need to have some basic mechanics down before we can start making educated changes to their stock dimensions.
Thats where the flashlight drills come into play. You don't need to worry at all if your eye lines up with the barrel, just that you develope a repeatable mount. Then you should be able to put your shots on the pattern board consistently in the same location. Then stock adjustments can be made.
As mentioned, most manufacturers of autos and pumps have made shim kits a part of their product. While they are a great improvement, they do have limitations. In general, they give you a choice of A or B, but what if you need something greater or in between?
My friend has had really good success fine tuning the shims by carefully sanding them to get the desired change in the stock.
Cast . Most right handers will need to have the comb moved away from their face in order to get the eye aligned properly. Left handers the opposite. There are some shooters though that will need to have the stock moved towards them. In this case some simple padding may be all that is required.
Stock bending is not just for SxS. Doesn't matter what the gun is, your eye needs to be in the correct position. I bent the stock on my over under but found it was uncomfortable to shoot. So i got a semi custom stock from Wenigs with a parallel comb.
Gonehuntin. Picking a spot and having your eye line up will tell you that you are really close. But only shooting the pattern board and then ultimately clays will tell you if it is perfect.
One other thing that needs to be addressed. When we shim or bend a stock, the stock is at an angle where it hits the cheek. When you shoot, the stock may be driven into your cheek. For myself, I have found a parallel comb much more comfortable to shoot as it slides more along the cheek than into it. Also, it reduces greatly the effect of clothing changes or miscounts as the comb is parallel to the barrel and as your cheek moves forward or back the eye position stays the same in relation the barrel.
Another thing that should not be neglected is checking the gun to make sure the barrel is straight. You can do this by shooting the gun like it was a rifle off the bench. Doubles should especially be checked to see if they are well regulated, that is both shooting close to the same POI.
Lastly, Like or hunter, I always have perfect stance when hunting.
