LOP help

[Scouse]

I know there is a great wealth of experience on sporting shotguns on this forum, so I wonder if you gents (and any ladies) could help me,

I am wondering if there is a general rule of thumb for ideal length of pull for a shotgun stock based on height/body type/any other physical characteristics?

I am sure there are no hard and fast rules here, but just to give me an idea so I don't get handed something several inches too long or short and be so absorbed in it I don't think about it.

Hopefully I will be taking my sister clay shooting for her 21st birthday in a few weeks and I haven't been behind a shotgun in a while, mostly because I haven't had the money and time required to do so when you live in a city in the UK, and I want to make the most of it.

Anyway, I am about 5ft8inches tall and weigh 139/140Ibs. So, pretty skinny really, though not quite a stick man.

I would appreciate any help anyone can offer.

Thanks,

Scouse

[BigJimP]

Our friend TheKlawMan posted this the other day ....in a link below...

http://www.herosarms.com/Selecting.htm

It'll give you as much info as you need....scroll down to the Fit section...

but remember, its a general thing....because personally I'm 6'5" and 290 lbs...and the LOP on my guns are all at 14 3/4" vs the 15 1/2" or so the graph in the attached would indicate....

all of my shotgun stocks ...were 14 1/4" -- 14 3/8" lop ....so I've added 3/8" - 1/2" spacer to all of my Over Unders....but again, in general.....for general shotgunning...I like a gun at about 8.5 lbs, 30" barrels on an Over Under...(skeet, sporting clays, bird hunting).......but for Trap -either singles or doubles I go to a heavier gun around 10lbs and 32" barrels in an Over Under....

so again in general - I think length of pull -- is by far the most flexible of the Fit issues....I could probably shoot a gun with 14 1/4" lop ...if the weight and balance was right ...or even 15" ..../ a lot of "standard field grade guns" in the Browning line of O/U's as an example come with 14 1/4" lop ...and a lot of their target guns like Citori XS Skeet come at 14 3/8" ..same on the XT Trap Citori ...

For a smaller framed person....you might want to find something a little shorter...but you won't find many below 14 1/4" except in Youth models...

[Scouse]

Much obliged BigJim, that is a great link, might just spend a while looking through all that.

That graph reckons I am after just shy of 14 1/2, sound, just wanted to get a bit of an idea really. I have noticed some shotguns are drastically more or less comfortable than others and hope to one day understand 'fit', as at the moment I am just happy with anything that doesn't leave me with a bruised cheekbone after a string!

Thanks again.

[BigJimP]

thank TheKlawMan....he's the one that originally posted it.

[Scouse]

Then TheKlawMan - thankyou!

[TheKlawMan]

I just posted what a friend e-mailed me! Scouse, you are about my heigth and size when I came out of Marine boot camp in the mid 60's. A skinny guy will tend to take a longer LOP than a beefy guy with the same body frame.

To give you an idea, I am 5'8" but have 50 pounds on you. My gun is set up with a 14-1/4" LOP and a stock fitter is talking about cutting it to 14". the problem there is I have been dieting, am down over 15 pounds, and should I manage to drop another 15, I may need that 1/4" back. I might add that my arms are just a trifle on the short side and my hands aren't too large.

If you wish to understand fit, order a copy of Rollin Oswald's book from Amazon.com; "Stock Fitters Bible"

[Scouse]

Right, yer that makes sense that a skinny person with all else being the same will need a slightly longer pull than a more muscled or fatter person.

I will mark that book down for the future. Eventually I hope to be able to justify such a purchase by shooting regularly.

Good luck with the dieting TheKlawMan, thanks again both of you.

[Dave McC]

Length is just one factor in good fit, cast and drop are equally important.

Ensure your shotgun is unloaded, then mount. If there's about 2 fingers width of space between your nose and thumb, you're in the ballpark for length.

We can adjust somewhat to a stock that's a little short or long by where we place our forward hands.

Next, while you're mounting, note if your head's level and you're looking right down the rib,all centered. That shows proper cast.

Do you see all the rib, none of the rib or just the bead? If the last, drop's all right.

[Scouse]

Thanks Dave McC, useful stuff.

[Dave McC]

Scouce, you're welcome.