Today I was showing a rifle to a lady. The rifle fits me perfectly. She has arms a little longer than mine. But when she shouldered the rifle her face was on the back end of the cheekpiece. I think that the reason that her face was so far back on the stock was that her shoulders were several inches narrower than mine. It made sense to me that because I shoulder the rifle a couple more inches from the side of my face, my cheek will go further forward on the cheekpeice. I've allways used the elbow to 1st finger 1st joint measurement as a rule-of-fingertip if not rule-of-thumb, but I'm trying to figure out how to include the width of shoulders etc. to help determine a better fit. What help can the experts offer?...................DJ
....Remember that this is all supposed to be for fun!..................
Posts: 3976 | Location: Oklahoma,USA | Registered: 27 February 2004
I fit a lot of women for both shotgun and rifle. One thing I've noticed with women and long guns, is that women mount rifles and shotguns like they are afraid of them. I have women mount the gun as usual, and then I will have them pull themselves forward, up the stock, bringing their face in closer proximity to their hand. I don't use the "hook and cook" method of measuring, I prefer to adjust the LOP to where the distance between the nose and the nuckle of the thumb is about an inch. Also, being that womens shoulders have a tendency to be a bit more sloped than men, I will change the toe angle to produce a more negative rake.
One thing I've noticed with women and long guns, is that women mount rifles and shotguns like they are afraid of them
I noticed that with my wife. Of course my rifle has quite a long length of pull
I'm not sure if it's fear or just inexperience. She also pulls her head back to look in the scope. After I explained to her how to hold a rifle, eye relief etc she holds the rifle a little more normally.
______________________ Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.
It is not just women. Many people hold the rifle incorrectly, probably just because thay have never been instructed about the correct way to hold a long gun.
We all know how to lean into the rifle and have the eye reliefe be a couple of inches (more or less depending on how large you are... jeffe should be about 2.5 inches).
I think it is a matter of learning how to properly hold a rifle versus the actualy physiology of a woman versus a man.
I have seen men hold a rifle just as poorly as a woman, therefore I believe it has less to do with gender as it has to do with what the shooter has been accustomed to.
A try gun for shotgun takes into consideration ,various things .Arm length, shoulder width, neck length etc .The same should be done for a really well fit rifle.
I have fitted dozens of people to shotguns and rifles ,left handers and right handers ,left master eyed people who were right handed and vise versa ! only one woman who to this day stumped me ! after training her to hold dead on target ! She shot 20" to the left off sand bags at 9 o'clock dead center ! I had her shoot with scope and she hit bullseye every time took scope off ! 20" left ! I shot same gun dead center every time ! I asked her a dozen questions but every answer was correct , anyone know what she was doing that I could not see or diagnose ? Yes I stood behind her and she did not pull the rifle !she did not can't the rifle .she has right master eye ,and is right handed .she did not close eyes when shooting .
Posts: 497 | Location: PA | Registered: 24 May 2005
Originally posted by concho: I have fitted dozens of people to shotguns and rifles ,left handers and right handers ,left master eyed people who were right handed and vise versa ! only one woman who to this day stumped me ! after training her to hold dead on target ! She shot 20" to the left off sand bags at 9 o'clock dead center ! I had her shoot with scope and she hit bullseye every time took scope off ! 20" left ! I shot same gun dead center every time ! I asked her a dozen questions but every answer was correct , anyone know what she was doing that I could not see or diagnose ? Yes I stood behind her and she did not pull the rifle !she did not can't the rifle .she has right master eye ,and is right handed .she did not close eyes when shooting .
Obviously she must be doing something different when she is using a scope. If you are standing behind her, how do you know what her eyes are doing? Is she using both eyes, or just one. With a scope she has no choice but to focus using one eye, but without the scope, perhaps she is trying to use both eyes. Have her shoot with both eyes open and then with only her right eye and see if there is a difference.
There are a lot of people who shoot with both eye's open, yet they are able to concentrate solely with the dominant eye, and then there are those who must wear an eye patch to keep one eye focused. Perhaps she falls somewheres here.
It is said that women are generally worse at parallel parking because they can't judge distances as good as men. I don't know.
Malm I stood behind and every where else looking for the answer ! I had her close one eye , I even held my hand over her left eye so she couldn't cheat , and she does shoot with both eyes open ! I'm stumped ? she has a scope and never misses off hand or bench ! Take scope away can't hit a barn 30 ft away !
Posts: 497 | Location: PA | Registered: 24 May 2005
Originally posted by concho: Malm I stood behind and every where else looking for the answer ! I had her close one eye , I even held my hand over her left eye so she couldn't cheat , and she does shoot with both eyes open ! I'm stumped ? she has a scope and never misses off hand or bench ! Take scope away can't hit a barn 30 ft away !
Peoples point of aim differs. By how much I don't know, I've never tested it. What is her point of focus? Does she focus on the target, the front sight blade, the rear, or, does she try to focus on all three?
Draw a dot on a piece of paper and tape it to a wall at a distance. place the rifle in a vise with the sights perferctly aligned with the dot as you would aim it. Next, have her get on the gun without moving it, and draw you a picture of what she sees. I would be curious to know THAT outcome. Good luck!
I'm also 5'1" and my LOP is 12 1/4" - the main thing I've found I have to watch is tending to put more weight on my back leg as opposed to leaning into the gun. It is just natural to try to hold something with any weight to it "up" and that is easier when leaning back. I think shooting off sticks is an excellent way to correct it and I'm working on it - .300WinMag 24" barrel w/brake scope, etc. 8 lbs. 13 oz.
Posts: 659 | Location: Texas | Registered: 28 June 2003
Test completed ! I set up rifle in vise in shop Had lady sight the target and she had it dead zero on center of bullseye ! I quit ! too much for my febal brain !
Posts: 497 | Location: PA | Registered: 24 May 2005
Originally posted by concho: Test completed ! I set up rifle in vise in shop Had lady sight the target and she had it dead zero on center of bullseye ! I quit ! too much for my febal brain !
Adjust her rear sight 20 inches to the right and call it good!
