What is a good length of of pull for hunting rifle with thick clothes on? I'm 5'10" tall. My gunsmith told me to get a 13.25 lop on my rifle for hunting, and during range work just where a recoil pad, he said it would feel better and I would not have to crawl towards the scope.Is it a good length or should I go for a little longer? It is going to be McMillan Rem mountain hunter.
Thanks Elmer

If someone is cutting wood than that someone should be measuring you for that length. Perhaps you are dealing with the wrong person? roger

smart move is to but a steyr prohunter mountain rifle.
it has adjustable LOP via spacers. so when i am hunting in 90 degree weather i can add spacers and when its 25 degrees i can take them off.
plus the fact that they are light accurate and probably less expensice than the remington.

The single most important measurement on a rifle stock is the distance from the tip of your nose and your thumb. It really sucks to give yourself a nosebleed because the two have a "meeting". If you need to crawl the stock you have two options, shorten the stock some or move the scope closer to your eye. The 13.25" stock doesn't sound out of line depending on your build, neck, and arm length. Ask for a "try" stock at that length and pay attention to your thumb and nose, about 1" is a good minimum depending on the caliber.

13.25" sounds about right. A few of my rifles have 13.5" and my Weatherby is 13.625" and all of these fit me fine. I've never honestly given any consideration to the specific number; I always just went on how it feels when mounted. If you need to tell him a specific number, grab one of your guns that fits well, and you could use that. I haven't ever found LOP to be too much of an issue with the heaviest of clothes on, but YMMV.

What build are you? What caliber rifle? If you are a slender fellow with a longish neck, then that LOP will likely be too short if you're shooting anything more than an '06. This is especially true if you've got a decently shaped comb to the stock.

The comb should be sloped slightly toward the muzzle so that as the rifle recoils, it doesn't slam into your cheek. This causes a minor problem for guys with longer necks. For mroe normally necked folk, the rearward movement of the recoiling rifle shoves against their shoulder and moves them backward, neck, head, and all, so that their nose and their thumb (and their eyebrow and their scope) never meet. With a longer neck, your shoulder moves back but your head stays put, resulting in painful contact.

To sum up, without doing some gun fitting, you can't accurately predict what the proper LOP is. A gunsmith isn't the same as a stock smith. It sounds like you need someone who specializes in stocks.

I am 5'8", heavy, not much neck, shoot with head erect, prefer small or no cheek piece, and prefer 13 3/8ths LOP.

No set rules for L.O.P. Shooting style, even stock layout can change what "feels" right.

Terry

I prefer shorter lengths of pull however fit is very personal and based on a number of factors. I would keep in mind whether the bolt is going to hit you in face when you cycle it: i.e., offhand versus sitting and prone--they are all different. I think you can get away with a shorter LOP on a short action. My LOP's are usually 13"'s and I am 5'11" and one at 12.75". A common technique particularly sitting or prone is the twist the rifle to the right when cycling to avoid getting hit in the face.

I fit about 13.5 and I'm 5'9", you're the only one who knows what fits. I tend to lean into a rifle, so probably use a bit longer stock than I should.

quote:

Originally posted by DuaneinND:
The single most important measurement on a rifle stock is the distance from the tip of your nose and your thumb. It really sucks to give yourself a nosebleed because the two have a "meeting". If you need to crawl the stock you have two options, shorten the stock some or move the scope closer to your eye. The 13.25" stock doesn't sound out of line depending on your build, neck, and arm length. Ask for a "try" stock at that length and pay attention to your thumb and nose, about 1" is a good minimum depending on the caliber.

I couldn't agree more. I had a buddy bloody his lips on my 470 because of a nose to mouth shot. The LOP on the rifle is an inch and a half short for me and about the same for him. I'm 6'3", 200 lbs, and I prefer an LOP over 14 inches. 14.5 is perfect for me in warm weather.

quote:

Originally posted by HFlashman:
My LOP's are usually 13"'s and I am 5'11" and one at 12.75".

Really good example of why there is no pat answer. I'm 6' and usually need a minimum of 14.25" LOP on most bolt rifles and 15" on double rifles. Any shorter than that and the thumb knuckle of the shooting hand will belt me in the nose.

You really need to be individually fit to the gun by somebody that knows how. Even knowing the exact LOP of a gun that fits you well isn't enough, as LOP is a static measurement that won't guarantee the same fit for length between long guns of different types, or even different models of the same type. For good fit, there really isn't a rule of thumb or shortcut here.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."