Shotgun Fitting

gastch

gastch

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Well this weekend I finally got my Stoeger 2000 and tried it out on the weekend. Now alittle back ground first. My old gun was a Rem 870 Express and I only started wingshooting 2 seasons ago and didn't spend much time practicing. I was lucky to hit 50% at clays and concidered to be a poor shot. Saturday I took the new Stoeger out and shot atleast 75% with no extra shooting since last duck season. Now this may be luck with the new gun and I maybe back to my normal self next time out but somehow I don't think so. So whats the difference? I'd say its the fit of the gun. I couldn't believe how much more comfortable I felt shooting this gun compared to my 870. This gun is alot lighter at 6.9 lbs compared to 8.2 lbs. And I find the forgrip to be shorter and closer to the action which make swinging the gun smoother. Now this isn't an advertisment from one brand to another but I'd say for anybody buying a new gun, and those new to shooting don't over estimate the fit of a gun to your body. Try and find somebody with the same gun your thinking about and see if your can try it out first. You will be a whole lot happier with your gun if you do.

Chris
 
And the best thing you have going for you now is confidence in your gun!!!!

Sounds like it was likely a gun fit/POI issue with the 870.
 
Glad to hear that you like your Stoeger 2000 and that you shoot so much better with it than your 870. However, it may be worth your visiting a gunsmith that knows about shotgun fitting to find out exactly what drop and castoff you need for even better shooting.

Unfortunately I had the exact opposite experience with a Stoeger 2000. I have always had a problem with shotgun fit. Unless I consciously throw my face across the stock and hold it down and tight, I am guaranteed a miss. I have Beretta 301's, 302's and a 303, an 870 and numerous SxS's. The Beretta's all shoot high, and most guns beat the heck out of my cheek! Likewise, none of them have shims and until recently only really high end guns came with shims to change the stock fit.

My friend bought a 2000 in wood, and I tried it at Sporting clays. 2 stations that I normally did poorly, I shot 100%! Needless to say I went out and bought the "exact same" shotgun. My shooting got even worse and the gun hurt me like all the others. When I compared stocks, his came from the factory with a slight drop and cast - mine didn't even though they were both 2000 Deluxe models in wood. Stoeger also doesn't have shims available.

I looked into altering the stock, but at what cost? I finally bought a Benelli SBE with shims and now the gun fits me great. Try closing your eyes and thowing the gun up. Don't move, but open your eyes. You should be looking straight down the rib (not at an angle) and you should only see a small amount of the rib not the whole thing. If you are looking at an angle you need to change the castoff, if you are looking at too much rib, your head is too high. Too much drop and/or cast is easy to fix by adding some padding to the stock where your cheek meets it. Not enough drop or cast means shaving some wood off or altering the angle of the stock.

I wish to state that I am not an expert, nor am I a great shot, but I wish that I had learned about proper shotgun fit 30 years ago. I could have saved myself a great deal of time, money and aggravation. Sometimes the problem is not really the shooter, but rather the fit of the gun. Try the eyes closed trick with both the Stoeger and the 870. You may be surprised what you learn. Good Luck.

JB
 
I wish I knew what it was about the guy's Mossberg 9200 I think it was that I shot at sporting clays last time out.

It just felt like "my" gun right away.

They launched two clays (and I'm a lousy shot) and I just swung on them and boom - boom dusted them. I hardly ever do that with my 870. It just fit.
 
Fit is so important with a shotgun. Basically your eye is the "rear sight", so having proper gunmount and fit is important on every shot.

Utimately, you want a gun that feels good when you mount it, and shoots where you are looking. A good wingshooter doesn't even see the front bead.

As mentioned, a gun that hurts you, likely does not fit right.
 
gastch said:
Well this weekend I finally got my Stoeger 2000 and tried it out on the weekend. Now alittle back ground first. My old gun was a Rem 870 Express and I only started wingshooting 2 seasons ago and didn't spend much time practicing. I was lucky to hit 50% at clays and concidered to be a poor shot. Saturday I took the new Stoeger out and shot atleast 75% with no extra shooting since last duck season. Now this may be luck with the new gun and I maybe back to my normal self next time out but somehow I don't think so. So whats the difference? I'd say its the fit of the gun. I couldn't believe how much more comfortable I felt shooting this gun compared to my 870. This gun is alot lighter at 6.9 lbs compared to 8.2 lbs. And I find the forgrip to be shorter and closer to the action which make swinging the gun smoother. Now this isn't an advertisment from one brand to another but I'd say for anybody buying a new gun, and those new to shooting don't over estimate the fit of a gun to your body. Try and find somebody with the same gun your thinking about and see if your can try it out first. You will be a whole lot happier with your gun if you do.

Chris
Click to expand...


Very true Chris, especaily trap shoot, it make so much difference when you use a gun that fit you nicely.

Trigun
 
MD said:
I wish I knew what it was about the guy's Mossberg 9200 I think it was that I shot at sporting clays last time out.

It just felt like "my" gun right away.

They launched two clays (and I'm a lousy shot) and I just swung on them and boom - boom dusted them. I hardly ever do that with my 870. It just fit.
Click to expand...

Yup I have been there.

Sometimes I wonder what the person who fits the "Off the Rack" shotguns looks like. :D
 
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