Originally posted by collector:
@larryshores
I am going to set the bar for what is considered high volume....if someone barely shoots a case or two (250 to 500) rounds a year for hunting/clays then they can skip what I am about to write here.
A fine suit is always fitted to you by a tailor. You never want to wear pants that are too long, or too short, or a jacket that is tight at the waste, or has arms too long. So the same principle applies for a shotgun. It has to, it must, fit you in order for you to shoot it correctly.
The biggest advantages of a properly fitted shotgun are:
#1) Ability to shoot with both eyes open, as God intended man to shoot the shotgun with both eyes open. If someone shoots a shotgun when squeezing the trigger with one eye closed (like shooting a rifle) then they have my sympathy. It is not their fault....they were never educated properly on the use of a shotgun, and by the way their fault can be corrected.
#2) Wear and tear on your body. A properly fitted gun will not beat your hands, arms, face, nose, cheeks, etc, up.
This is usually not a concern for occasional shooters who may shoot opening day for doves, may hunt grouse and woodcock in fall, go on weekends for duck hunting in the States.
By wear and tear I mean the punishment you may receive at an Argentinian high volume shoot say a 3 day shoot with 3,000 rounds per day = 9,000 rounds in a short period of time. Or an intensive Sporting Clays tournament where you are shooting couple of cases of shells over a few days. Some of us Sporting Clays shooters shoot over 50,000 rounds per year. 4 cases per week, that is 1,000 shells per week, is quite normal for someone who is practicing hard to make the NSCA State Team, Zone Team, or All-American team in a given year. So 2 to 3 cases for practice and 100 to 200 rounds for a tournament over a weekend are the norms for a focused Master class shooter.
A shotgun is a dynamic weapon of movement and the proper gun fit maximizes the process of the gun mount. It helps maintain your body's balance throughout the shot. There are many variable which a professional gunfitter has to keep in mind when fitting your gun to you. Here are some of the important ones:
- Determining Eye-dominance
- Length of Pull
- Drop at Heel
- Drop at Comb
- Cast
- Pitch
- Grip
- Comb Thickness
- Point of Impact Shot placement i.e. fit for 60/40; 70/30; or 50/50
A good gunfitter will bring in a gizmo called a "Try-Gun" which he (there are no female gun fitters so you will need to deal with a male
) can constantly adjust to get your correct fit.
Idea is that after the gun-fitting session is over, and he gives you your personal dimesnions sheet, which you can then take to a shotgun manufacturer and get a gun fitted to you. Even off the shelf guns can be sent to people who specialize in fitting them to your dimensions.
So a gun-fitting session by a certified gun-smith is probably the most important thing that you should treat yourself to. The British have been doing this for couple of decades longer than us. Luckily there are many top of the line British gun-fitters right here in the USA. A gun-fitting trip to a master gun-fitter is probably as exciting as a trip to Argentina for a true shotgun enthusiast. The one I highly recommend is Mr Chris Batha....a true gentleman and one of the best in my opinion.
http://www.chrisbatha.com/customgunfit.html.
