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| Shotgun Fit: What You’re Missing |
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A proper fitting shotgun is so important that some folks are willing to spend $90,000 and more to get it. For that $90,000, you can take possession of a bespoke Purdey side-by-side custom fit to you much as the company did to the British landed gentry in the 19th century. But for shooters who don’t have the money or the time to wait 12 long months for their shotguns, you can fit an off-the-shelf shotgun to your frame in ways that will enable you to hit plenty of targets -- consistently. Ask the experts about purchasing a shotgun and the first thing they’ll advise is to make sure it fits. In this section you’ll find everything necessary to help you understand the dynamics of a well-fitting shotgun…
What the heck is going on? You’re shotgun doesn’t fit you properly. By a proper fit, we’re talking about a shotgun that allows you to comfortably mount it in the same place every the time so that you can become a consistent shooter. The idea shotgun fit is very personal. It has to do with your gender, body shape and eye dominance. And since most guns are made for right-handed shooters, the lefties of the shooting world are presented with the challenge of finding a good left-handed gun with an uncompromising fit. It’s not much easier for women whose arms are usually shorter, their cheek bones higher, necks longer and whose breasts can be sort of an obstacle in trying to accommodate your average off-the-shelf shotgun. Shotguns for the Rest of Us That’s because shotguns are designed for a male right-handed shooter who is 5-foot-9, weighs 165 pounds, with a 33-inch arm length and wears a size 40-regular suit. For women, lefties and the rest of us, chances are you’ll be paying a visit to a master stock fitter or gunsmith sooner than you expect. There’s simply no getting around it: if your shotgun doesn’t fit you properly, your shooting (and your ego) will suffer mightily. Not all of your shotguns are designed fit you the same. It depends on whether the shotgun is for skeet, trap or sporting clays, for example. The swings are different, the target sight picture is different and generally the stocks and ribs are different to the extent that each shotgun will require individual fitting. All of these idiosyncrasies in fit will cost you targets -- and they can all be fixed with a good gun fitting. Adjustable Shotguns That Fit The shotgun industry knows this. That’s why you’ll find shotguns with adjustable combs that allow you to raise or lower your face on the stock; and you’ll find adjustable recoil pads that can be canted to virtually any angle and adjusted to the proper height. Many shotguns feature adjustable triggers that can be moved forward and backward. And adjustable ribs that can be raised or lowered with a thumb wheel are becoming increasingly popular. At the most extreme, you can swap out your stock for this:  Called a Precision Fit Stock, it can:
Admittedly, it is a bit radical. But there’s a real good chance you can get your shotgun to fit you well enough with a good adjustable recoil pad, a stock cutting (if it’s too long) or by having an adjustable comb cut into the stock of your shotgun. The Try Gun A qualified gunsmith or stock fitter should have a so-called “try gun.” These try guns ain’t pretty. They’re simply tools for determining your measurements so that your gun can be fitted to you. The try gun will determine your length of pull, cast, stock drop and other measurements that help ensure the perfect fit. 
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