Advice needed re: shooting vest and cheek pad please!

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ranechan

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Hi all,

So I just started trap shooting about a few months ago and, with mucho beginners luck, nailed 50 straight! :D So, thinking I'm really enjoying crushing clays and hope to continue to up my game for some competitions, I decided to invest a bit more into the sport and got myself the Browning Citori 725 Trap Model (which some help from birthday and xmas money :d )

Money very very well spent! I haven't been able to hit my 50 straight again, but managed 117/125 out of 5 rounds!.............

......... And then i noticed my right cheek was swollen and bruised for a week after...

Is there a solution to this issue? What can I do to soften the blow on my cheek if the gun has an fixed raised stock?

My other dilemma in which I am seeking out some advice from you pros out there are shooting vest recommendations...
I'm right handed, 5'10, 170lbs with stocky/athletic build.. What vest would you guys recommend? the NICA Design5 Shooting Vest caught my eye, have any of you had any experience with one?

Thanks in advance for your time and help!
 
Whatever vest fits you well and you like, there is really no specifics to a vest for it to be better than another, it's completely personal.

As for the comb, you need to have the gun fitted and possible alterations made to the stock, no pad you place on the comb is going to make it better.

You also need a gunsmith who knows what they are doing.

This guy used to live in Ontario and is an excellent english gun smith I am sure he can fix you up, he is in BC now. S J Newby Gunsmiths Ltd. Half Moon Bay 604-740-3725

Don't let it go too long, you don't want to develop a flinching habit.

Good Luck!
 
ranechan said:
Hi all,

So I just started trap shooting about a few months ago and, with mucho beginners luck, nailed 50 straight! :D So, thinking I'm really enjoying crushing clays and hope to continue to up my game for some competitions, I decided to invest a bit more into the sport and got myself the Browning Citori 725 Trap Model (which some help from birthday and xmas money :d )

Money very very well spent! I haven't been able to hit my 50 straight again, but managed 117/125 out of 5 rounds!.............

......... And then i noticed my right cheek was swollen and bruised for a week after...

Is there a solution to this issue? What can I do to soften the blow on my cheek if the gun has an fixed raised stock?

My other dilemma in which I am seeking out some advice from you pros out there are shooting vest recommendations...
I'm right handed, 5'10, 170lbs with stocky/athletic build.. What vest would you guys recommend? the NICA Design5 Shooting Vest caught my eye, have any of you had any experience with one?

Thanks in advance for your time and help!
Click to expand...

Don't do anything about it! If anybody asks just say,"You should see the other guy."
Seriously though maybe you are a little tense and pressing your cheek into the weld harder than you think that combined with recoil bingo!
 
I just had Vic Tomlinson install adjustable combs on both of my 725 sporting guns, and this allows me to adjust the comb to where I can obtain a perfect sight picture without pressing my cheek down hard on the comb. Vic charges $185 for his work.
 
Welcome and congratulations.

You will never go wrong spending good money on quality. I don't own a vest, but I have heard the there are a number of good quality products available. Two come to mind. Shoot the Moon and John Storm (you can Google them).

Often, but not always, cheek slap is caused by incorrect pitch on your shotgun. Remove the top screw of your recoil pad and loosen the bottom one. Insert a couple of flat washers between the recoil pad and the wood on the top screw. Tighten the screws back up and try that. If that helps, try just one washer and see if that is better or worse than the 2 washers. If that cures your problem, you can have the stock cut and a new recoil pad installed or purchase an appropriate shim. Length of pull (LOP) can also be a problem if the stock is too long. Many people shoot a stock that is too long, so don't be afraid to shorten the stock. If the washers don't fix the problem, then, as Gwagen suggested, you need to seek competent advice.
 
There is no real right or wrong answer with a vest. I wore one for a lot of years, probably because I thought the good shooters used one. I liked having lots of extra pockets to put stuff in.

Now I shoot in a t-shirt. In the summer heat I find it more comfortable. Eventually I learned that good shooters don't break more targets because of what they wear or the gun they shoot.

Over the years I've taken a beating from my gun on a number of occasions. For me it was always gun fit issues and easily fixed. Find someone to help you out with that even if you have to pay someone to have a fitting done. It will be worth it.

Brad.
 
If your gun is pounding your face it is either a fit or a stance issue. It's hard to tell which without actually seeing you shoot. The advice from Beretta687EELL about pitch is very good and is where I'd start. I'd be cautious about too much fiddling with the fit and wouldn't suggest an adjustable stock because if you are running 50 straight then obviously the gun is hitting where you are looking.

The vest is a personal choice and it is best to try one in a store where you can mount a gun if possible. I use a vest but have also used a t-shirt and a shooting pouch on hot days.
 
One thing that I discovered after having some issues with cheek slap and tears is that instead of pressing my cheek bone down hard on the comb while shooting, I instead started using my upper gums (through my cheek) to position my face on the gun. Then when/if it recoils up, it doesn't hit my cheek bone.
 
50 straight, and wanting to change gun fit and add a vest? Hmm. Any changes to your length of pull(ie. a padded vest or heavy coat) may change your point of impact and cost you birds. Same can happen with changing stock pitch, however shooting with a gun that bites back will cause you to start flinching which will cost you more. My advice, pattern the gun to get a basline of where it is shooting. Then get the vest you want first, pattern the gun, make sure POI didn't change. Then have the stock adjusted, pattern the gun and adjust until your POI and the stock bite are gone. Once you've found that happy medium, change nothing for at least 6 months of shooting. As I've recently found out it takes time and ammo to get used to changes in your target gun. This will take time and ammo, stick with it, it will be worth it in the long run.
 
I never cared for a vest. I never liked the restricted feeling and especially the feel of the weight of ammo in the pockets pulling down on the vests shoulders. I have always been a t-shirt guy in summer with a waist belt shell pouch or even a half vest. I do like the half vest from Cabelas I used to use when shooting sporting clays. As for your gun my money would be on installing an adjustable comb.

And you did say you nailed 50 straight before purchasing this gun! Why did you change guns if you have one you're shooting well?
 
Other people already touched on this but your swollen and bruised cheek is most likely from not pressing your cheek into the stock. With out a good cheek weld, the stock jumps up and smacks you in the cheek when you fire.

My wife had the same problem when she first started trap shooting and she kept getting a bruised cheek.

Think of it this way. If you put your fist against your cheek and give a quick push no damage will happen. Now hold your fist away from your cheek and do the same thing. You will probably get a swollen and bruised cheek after doing it 125 times.

Poor cheek weld can also be a result of a poor gun fit.
 
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