The Benefits Of A Shotgun Fitting

The benefits of a shotgun fitting include more fluid pointing and shooting and enhanced recoil comfort, for a better overall experience in the field. A shotgun fitting is like a suit fitting—few jackets and pants fit correctly right off the rack, and instead require a bit of adjusting to fit well. We’ll explain why you should be fitted for a shotgun and how the fitting process works.

How A Shotgun Fitting Helps Your ‘Point’

When a shotgun fits, the process of pointing and shooting is natural and effortless. Because a properly fitted shotgun matches your body's dimensions, it rises right to your shoulder and cheek and aligns instinctively with your shooting eye. This makes the gun shoot right where you're looking, where your forward hand is pointing, and where your target is flying.

This is meaningful because shotguns are pointed, unlike rifles, which are aimed. To shoot a shotgun well, you need to keep your eyes on your game (a flushing bird, an arcing clay) and raise, mount, and fire all in a single, fluid movement. There's no scrunching down on the stock to find your sights or align the barrel with your target. Bird goes up, gun goes up, boom!

A Properly Fitted Shotgun Is More Comfortable

One way to manage the unavoidable recoil you feel when firing a shotgun is to be sure your shotgun fits. When you pull the shotgun trigger, lead shot pushes out of the barrel and the entire gun pushes back into you. Regardless of what you do to a gun, you cannot reduce the recoil a load generates. All you can do is manage the way this ‘felt recoil’ actually feels.

Another way to manage it is shooting a semi-automatic shotgun. Semis siphon off a portion of the recoil and use it to reload and cock the action. You can also manage felt recoil by adding weight to a gun and/or adding a soft pad or other recoil absorber to the butt of the stock.

But a properly fitted shotgun adjusts how the stock impacts your body and makes felt recoil easier to deal with and as comfortable as possible.

The Most Important Shotgun Measurements

When you’re fitted for a shotgun, its stock measurements are adjusted to the proportions and shapes of your body and the type of shooting you do. The stock measurements include:

• Length of Pull (LOP): This is the distance from the middle of the trigger (the front trigger if a gun has two) to the middle of the end of the stock. LOP determines where your cheek meets the stock, how your eye aligns with the barrel, and how naturally the gun mounts. It's a byproduct of the length of your arms and the build of your chest and upper body.
• Drop at Comb (DAC): This is the distance the stock's "comb" sits below the barrels. The comb is where you rest your cheek. To measure DAC, imagine a straight line extending from the barrel (or barrels) and out over the back of the stock. The distance between this line and the front edge of the comb is the Drop at Comb. DAC affects how your shooting eye aligns with the barrels. It's determined by the distance between your cheekbones and your eyes.
• Drop at Heel (DAH): This is the distance the stock's "heel" sits below the barrels. The heel is the top of the butt of the stock and it sits highest on your shoulder when you mount a gun. You measure DAH just like DAC: by imagining a straight line extending from the rib of the barrel (or barrels) out over the back of the stock. The distance between this line and the top of the butt of the stock is the Drop at Heel. Like DAC, DAH also affects how your shooting eye and the barrel align. It's a byproduct of the length of your neck and how you position your head when you mount your gun.
• Cast: This is how far a stock bends to the right or left compared to the barrels, and measuring it requires a special tool. Cast aligns your shooting eye and the gun from side to side. It adjusts the stock to match the shape of your face. Stocks bent to the right are said to be "Cast off" and to the left, "Cast on."
• Pitch: This is the angle of the of butt of the stock, which presses against your shoulder when you mount the gun. Pitch adjusts how a gun shoots up or down and affects how recoil is distributed across your shoulder and chest.

The specific combination of these measurements is different in everyone, and a single change here or there can make the gun shoot lower, higher, more to the left, or more to the right.

How To Find The Right Shotgun Fit

Achieving the right shotgun fit requires an experienced shotgun fitter, a ‘Try Gun’, and a shooting range with a patterning plate.

1 | Consult An Experienced Shotgun Fitter

You can find experienced shotgun fitters at shooting and sportsmen's clubs around the country. Some focus on competitive shooting, some work with hunters, and others fit shotguns for both. Be sure you ask a fitter about their expertise before starting the process.

2 | Tweak Your Measurements On A Try Gun

A Try Gun is a shotgun with a fully adjustable stock. All the measurements noted above can be tweaked and altered to fit you. Once you find the right fit, these measurements are recorded so you can apply them to your own shotgun.

Note: Side-by-side and over-under shotguns fit differently. So do target guns and game guns. Be sure the Try Gun you use matches the type of shotgun you use and the style of shooting you do.

3 | Shoot The Try Gun At A Patterning Plate

A patterning plate is a circle drawn on a board. During a fitting, you’ll mount the Try Gun and fire at the patterning plate. Your fitter will note the position of your pattern and adjust the Try Gun. Then you repeat the process. And repeat again. Eventually, the Try Gun will shoot to the correct spot. That's when the gun fits.

Fitting is 75% science and 25% art, so don't hurry the process. The longer it takes and the more adjustments your fitter makes, the better off you'll be. In the end, you’ll come away with measurements that make your shotgun easier to use and more comfortable to shoot.

Have A Shotgun Fitted At An Orvis Wingshooting School

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a shotgun fitter?

A shotgun fitter is a professional with expertise in taking specific measurements and adjusting a shotgun’s stock so that the shotgun performs optimally for the shooter.

How much does it cost to get fitted for a shotgun?

The process and cost of a shotgun fitting can vary from around $50 for a half-hour session with a fitter to as much as $600 for a custom fitting that takes several hours to complete. We suggest enrolling in one of our two-day wingshooting schools to take advantage of the custom gun fitting included. You can also call the Orvis Gun Room at (802)-362-2580 to arrange a custom gun fitting.

Is gun fitting worth it?

Yes—a professional gun fitting will not only improve your overall comfort in the field or at the range, but can also improve your shooting precision.

How long should my shotgun stock be?

The correct length of your shotgun stock depends upon a number of variables that relate to your body proportions and the type of shooting you do. Consulting a professional fitter is the best way to determine this.