Who made the mistake and bought a gun based on looks instead of what fit best?

[BlaqueJacqueShallaque]

The idea that as a newb you can just walk into a club and lots of guys will just leap to offer you to try their guns does not fit with my experience.

Many, perhaps most, clubs are a rather hostile environment to the gun newbie.

IF you are lucky enough to have a friend who is a member, who will take you around, introduce ya, etc - sure thing. Otherwise... not so easy.




Also, looks count. I genuinely think guns are beautiful, and part of the joy of owning one is just looking at it. I'd never buy a gun on looks alone, but I'd never buy an ugly gun either, no matter how well it worked. Luckily, most trap/skeet shotguns of medium to high quality are very nice looking as well.

 

[Neera]

"Many, perhaps most, clubs are a rather hostile environment to the gun newbie."

With all due respect....if this has been your experience perhaps you're frequenting the wrong clubs.

I think how anyone is received at a club is going to depend to some extent on how they enter the club to begin with. And how they approach any of the members.

I have yet to see a newbie showing up at my Club EVER being treated with or shown ANY sort of "hositility". And if I did...there's probably a pretty good chance the hostile one will somewhere along the way be pulled aside for a friendly little chat to find out why.

Be respectful to the members....respectful of their equipment....friendly, congenial....politely ask questions...talk with some of the members and try to get to know them a little bit....and I'd be very surprised if the members there (certainly most of them anyway) don't fall over themselves trying to help any newbie who shows up and wants to get into the shooting sports.

No....members at a Club don't immediately drop everything and go running to flock around a newbie who shows up to fawn all over them and beg them to use their guns. But if someone new sincerely wants to learn....wants to buy a gun and is looking for answers to questions he might have...I've never seen any shortage of members who aren't willing to help and/or lend their gun to someone to try.

At least that's been my experience anyway over a great many years at a great many clubs.

YMMV....I guess. "shrug"

 

[beretta boy]

In my experiance, friendly, affable folks have no problem being welcomed into a Gun Club. Benefit from the do's and don't mentioned, I'm sure you'll be just fine.

IMHO, fit & balance are all-important. Just because a shotgun "feels good" and "comes up really nice" (whatever that means ?) does not neccesarily mean that it fits. As related previously, the last big buck O/U I bought immediately went to have the cast, pitch & LOP changed, with a different recoil pad installed ( It already had the barrels I wanted and the overall stock/forend design & shape was good to go, as was the balance !) I'm not hesitant whatsoever to modify to fit as required - expensive gun or inexpensive. With good mounting technique & a practiced swing, the gun has to shoot where you look ! And generally speaking, ugly is as ugly does.

Oh yeah ... I firmly believe $ 100 worth of good lessons & gun-fitting is probably worth 5x (or more) in do-it-yourself learning & ammunition expense.

 

[fbimagery]

I do it all the time....If I like the look of it, I may buy it.

 

[MudChucker]

the best way in my opinion to see if a gun fits without actually shooting it, is to pick a target, close your eyes and shoulder the gun as if you were going to shoot, no open them. You will likely not be on target but if you have to scrunch your head to see "nothing but bead" it is not a proper fit.
I can usually do this with guns that are too long for me as well, the cut is usually more for the mounting of the gun in the field.

You should never have to lift your gun out and pull it back to your shoulder, you should be able to slide the stock up from your hip to your shoulder without catching our coat.



Good luck!

Interesting advice... I'll have to try this when I get home... Ive often wondered about some sort of method I could use while standing in front of the counter... I haven't bought a gun I've never shot first just for this reason, I have no idea what to do with a gun at the counter in a store under metal halide lighting with people walking all around me... but your advice is well worth considering...

cheers.

 

[Neera]

Mud.....

No doubt many of us have our own personal methods of trying to see how a gun fits us.

Something that can also be useful is to stand in front of a mirror if possible and shoulder the gun. Use yourself as a target in the mirror image before you. That way you can see for yourself just how upright your head is....or how layed over your head is to get your cheek on the stock.

I'd suggest you want your head as straight upright as you can get it.....with your cheek placed nicely onto the stock.....the butt tucked into your shoulder pocket....and your shooting eye being able to look right down the rib. If you have to start cranking your head around....bending your neck...laying your head over sideways to get your cheek on the stock...moving things around..either head or gun to try to get your eye aligned with the rib...etc etc etc...then it's pretty sure to be a bad fit.

With the gun properly fitted into my shoulder pocket....head upright...I like to see pretty much a flat rib....no ramping at all.....with the center and front beads pretty much stacked in the commonly referred to "figure 8".

If you can get yourself easily into this position....consistently....without having to constantly make adjustments to get things positioned and lined every time you mount the gun....then you're probably very close to having a properly fitted gun. My gun automatically comes right up into the right position for me each and every time....eyes open OR eyes closed...and I NEVER have to make any adjustments. Guess that comes from shooting a few hundred thousand rounds through it. No thinking or adjusting involved...just put it up and shoot.

Good luck.