Getting a shotgun fitted???

[dixidawg]

Whenever someone is looking for a shotgun, the conventional wisdom always says to get one that fits you. But how do you know that it truly fits you? Because it “feels good” when you shoulder and swing it? I have done a bit of research on YouTube and found some good videos on how shotguns get fitted, and there is quite a science to the whole process. Come to find out, none of my guns really fit me as described in the videos. Has anyone here had a shotgun fitted?

What should the fitting process be?
1. Bring your gun and they measure and modify your gun?
2. Go get measured first, and the go find a shotgun with the dimensions (LOP, drop at comb, etc) they give you?
3. Something else?

Does anyone have any recommendations for someone that does shotgun fitting? Also any estimates for cost of fitting and gun modifications?

 

[Deleted member 67409]

Normally, yes, having a gun fitted involves bringing the gun to a gunsmith to basically have the stock tailored to you for modifications, such as cutting back the length or pull or adding a thicker pad, adding in cast, etc.

However, there are online alternatives:

 

[mac1911]

Whenever someone is looking for a shotgun, the conventional wisdom always says to get one that fits you. But how do you know that it truly fits you? Because it “feels good” when you shoulder and swing it? I have done a bit of research on YouTube and found some good videos on how shotguns get fitted, and there is quite a science to the whole process. Come to find out, none of my guns really fit me as described in the videos. Has anyone here had a shotgun fitted?

What should the fitting process be?
1. Bring your gun and they measure and modify your gun?
2. Go get measured first, and the go find a shotgun with the dimensions (LOP, drop at comb, etc) they give you?
3. Something else?

Does anyone have any recommendations for someone that does shotgun fitting? Also any estimates for cost of fitting and gun modifications?

Basic gun fit here

https://www.damascusiwla.org/Remington_Trap_Fundamentals_2004.pdf

The Mid bead was added to aid in gun fit on off the shelf guns

 

[mac1911]

Whenever someone is looking for a shotgun, the conventional wisdom always says to get one that fits you. But how do you know that it truly fits you? Because it “feels good” when you shoulder and swing it? I have done a bit of research on YouTube and found some good videos on how shotguns get fitted, and there is quite a science to the whole process. Come to find out, none of my guns really fit me as described in the videos. Has anyone here had a shotgun fitted?

What should the fitting process be?
1. Bring your gun and they measure and modify your gun?
2. Go get measured first, and the go find a shotgun with the dimensions (LOP, drop at comb, etc) they give you?
3. Something else?

Does anyone have any recommendations for someone that does shotgun fitting? Also any estimates for cost of fitting and gun modifications?

Coles is about the only place I know of these days

View: https://youtu.be/hGAUWqcMQ44

 

[mac1911]

With all the tech and production of adjustable stocks theres plenty of choices unless your a diehard wood and steel guy
I chose to go the tech route when trying to price out a custom LH wood stock for my browning gold trap O/U
This but a LH model

 

[sieveboy]

I had the stock for my Perazzi fitted and made at Giacomo Sporting, Rome, NY from a blank. We used various guns he had there to work out what I needed/wanted. Also he knew it was for American Trap. Fitting took about an hour.

Stock fitting was a great investment, it fits like a glove. Proper drop, cast, length, with a subtle Monte Carlo feature and a nice palmswell plus checkering pattern to my taste. Wood had nice basic figure, was not high-end. He put a Jones adjuster on it but I never use it. Price was figured in to the gun purchase price so don’t know how much specifically fitting cost me.

 

[Dave Marshall]

Overall feel definitely has a lot to do with it. All the Brownings I’ve shouldered really did just feel good in my hands and up in my shoulder. The Beretta didn’t even feel good in my hands. The Benelli was the same.

At the $2500 price point, most “B” shotguns can be bought with an adjustable comb and buttplate. This will get you 90% there unless you’ve got really strange proportions or body type.

If you spend even just a few days at a club with some knowledgeable target shooters, they can get you fitted pretty well to a gun bought with an adjustable comb and buttplate. It’s not as complicated as it sounds.

I‘m referring to target grade O/U or semi-auto guns here. I wouldn‘t bother with fitting a pump gun. Factory men’s shotguns are typically sized for a 5’8” 180# user.

 

[Zappa]

The guy who taught me to shoot skeet (back in 1983) used to shoot registered skeet matches, and ranked as high as #4 in the state of Ohio in the early 70's.
He even let me shoot his custom built Kreighoff, which was a five barrel set. (Yes, five, not four. The fifth was a rifled 12 ga. slug barrel with rifle sights)
He told me the story of how he bought that shotgun, he went to the factory in (West) Germany in 1968 and spent an entire day there choosing the wood blanks, the finish, the rib height and width, engraving and other options. Then they took him to the fitting room where they measured him every which way, and gave him a whole slew of "dummy" guns with different configurations of length of pull, comb height, cheek weld, buttpad, drop and cast to try. They even watched his swing and tried some different forend weights until they came up with the perfect fit for him.
After they had all his specs and dimensions locked in, they said "OK, that'll be $10k. You'll have it early next year".
$10k in 1968 was a ton of money, it's like $75k today, but he was serious about the game and wanted the finest shotgun he could get.

 

[Dr. Claw]

Its like golf clubs, you can play off the rack, get measured and order from the factory (adjustable combs, add on devices, precision fit stocks, etc), or go full custom which is some bucks.

at my club it seems most shoulder them, see what is comfortable, and if necessary get an adjustable comb or get the stock chopped and a graco or something similar installed, a few will get a PFS, and a real minority will go full custom.

I just shoot an off the rack non adjustable gun, my next might have an adjustable comb or if I go and spend way more I might get the 725 trap max which allows for LOP adjustments but I am not into it enough for a precision fit or full custom.

 

[boiler_eng]

Overall feel definitely has a lot to do with it. All the Brownings I’ve shouldered really did just feel good in my hands and up in my shoulder. The Beretta didn’t even feel good in my hands. The Benelli was the same.

At the $2500 price point, most “B” shotguns can be bought with an adjustable comb and buttplate. This will get you 90% there unless you’ve got really strange proportions or body type.

If you spend even just a few days at a club with some knowledgeable target shooters, they can get you fitted pretty well to a gun bought with an adjustable comb and buttplate. It’s not as complicated as it sounds.

I‘m referring to target grade O/U or semi-auto guns here. I wouldn‘t bother with fitting a pump gun. Factory men’s shotguns are typically sized for a 5’8” 180# user.

I would second this, I would invest an amount proportional to how serious I want to take it.

I think there are multiple places you can send a gun to and they will modify it to have adjustable butt and comb. Probably for a similar $500 cost over the non adjustable model that you have when buying.

 

[Dave Marshall]

I would second this, I would invest an amount proportional to how serious I want to take it.

I think there are multiple places you can send a gun to and they will modify it to have adjustable butt and comb. Probably for a similar $500 cost over the non adjustable model that you have when buying.

I had this done locally. The cost to add the adjustable hardware ran about the same as sending it out and was about the same cost difference on a newly purchased shotgun with the hardware.