craig hill Posted May 2, 2013 Report Share Posted May 2, 2013 Had my Browning 325 a few weeks now, used about 4-5 times and it's hitting me in the face, I am left handed, using a rh gun, but pretty much straight in the stock, I mount the gun perfectly everytime, looking straight down the rib, the two beads providing a perfect number 8, however after shooting a few clays, it starts to hurt my face, right on the underside of my cheek bone. Any ideas other than getting it fitted? Any good fitters in the south Yorkshire or surrounding areas, what's a rough price all in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Churchill Posted May 2, 2013 Report Share Posted May 2, 2013 I shoot left handed, the Maxus i use has the shims fitted to give a left cast, the trap gun i use has a left hand cast, but my main sporting gun has a ambidextrous (straight) stock and I've put at least 100,000 shells through it. I don't have to push my face hard onto the stock to look straight down the rib. If its hurting your jaw it sounds like your pressing your face hard into the stock to get the perfect picture down the barrel. I would suggest getting the stock lowered a fraction so you can relax your cheek on the stock to get the ideal sight picture.. I'm no gun expert, is the 325 a trap gun? as a perfect number 8 is the sight picture i would expect to see from my trap gun. when looking down my sporter i see no rib, gust the bead on the end. regards, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oli Posted May 2, 2013 Report Share Posted May 2, 2013 Churchill pretty much sum'd it up. Im just a noobie but i had the same problem and ended up with a constant bruise, I needed a lower comb, it just gives that little bit more space, it also means you dont have to snuggle into it and allows much quicker mounting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjm160 Posted May 2, 2013 Report Share Posted May 2, 2013 (edited) I had a very similar problem with my 525 Craig (same cheek bruising but was also seeing far too much rib). A gunsmith put a 1/4" Cast on the stock (bent it away from my face) and now it's fine (also another 1/2" butt pad which moved me further down the stock so now I only see the bead). Oh and it cost £70 for both Cast and Butt Pad. Edited May 2, 2013 by tjm160 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Churchill Posted May 2, 2013 Report Share Posted May 2, 2013 Churchill pretty much sum'd it up. Im just a noobie but i had the same problem and ended up with a constant bruise, I needed a lower comb, it just gives that little bit more space, it also means you dont have to snuggle into it and allows much quicker mounting. That's exactly it, you shouldn't have to force your face into the stock to see the right sight picture, if the comb is correct you just relax onto it. You will know when your gun fits right, your scores will go up and you don't even think about gun mount. Top Tip, if you find a gun that fits, for god sake keep it, my S687 is 27 years old, it would have to fall to pieces before i got another sporter. And yes my S687 has very nice game scene engraving and a grade 5 walnut stock, but that's not what breaks clay's... its the gun fit... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig hill Posted May 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 Thanks guys, the gun is a sporter, that's the thing, it doesn't feel uncomfortable, nor do I feel I have to force my face down onto the comb, but losing some height on the comb makes sense, lose 1/4 means 1/4 under my cheek. Now I'm in two minds, spend the money on a gun fitting session or trade it in for one that fits better, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted May 3, 2013 Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 Gun fit should be around £100 the adjustment depends on what's needed. Try shooting a pattern plate to see what's happening but try to mount the gun with out pressing your cheek on to the comb just a firm contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted May 3, 2013 Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 Thanks guys, the gun is a sporter, that's the thing, it doesn't feel uncomfortable, nor do I feel I have to force my face down onto the comb, but losing some height on the comb makes sense, lose 1/4 means 1/4 under my cheek. Now I'm in two minds, spend the money on a gun fitting session or trade it in for one that fits better, If you are happy with the gun and intend to shoot it for a while have it fitted! You could be looking for another with better fit for quite a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig hill Posted May 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 (edited) Yeah I am just looking the dimensions of guns now. When buying I wanted one that could do everything, 3" chambers and hp steel shot proof would be nice, the 325 isn't, realistically the chances of me needing either are slim, and if I ever fancy doing some wildfowling for example, I would probably get a nice semi. I don't feel like I am forcing my face down onto the comb, it just sits directly below, touching the underside of my cheeck bone, I'm guessing it should be a little lower than this? Which would cause me to see more rib and shoot high? One question,as its baffling me, to lower my comb, would increase the drop at comb measurement? Edited May 3, 2013 by craig hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjm160 Posted May 3, 2013 Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 Surely the only reason for dropping the comb would be if you were not able to see the end beads Craig? From your description you can see the beads perfectly, so the Comb is surely just the right height? I'm no expert but it doesn't sound like you need the comb dropping, just a Cast to move the butt slightly away from your face so it doesn't recoil straight up into the cheek bone. After my first two times out with my 525 and immensely bruised and painful cheek bone I contemplated chopping the gun in for one with a higher comb and that fitted 'better'. However, there would likely have been more chance I would have still needed any new gun fitting properly and so far better to shell out a modest £70 extra and get the present gun (that I was otherwise very happy with) fitted properly. Good luck whatever you decide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oli Posted May 3, 2013 Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 By the way have you try dry mounting it at home with your eyes closed, do it once with them open and then a few times with them closed, open your eyes on the last one and see how lined up you are then? Make sure its not loaded though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig hill Posted May 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 I'm not sure, the way I am looking at it at the moment, to mount the gun so the beads are where they should be, means the top of the comb is right under, and touching my cheek bone, lowering the comb would mean the top of the comb would be slightly under my cheek bone. But some cast might move it away, I don't feel I have to force my cheek on to line up the beads, it only lightly presses against my cheek. The best bet is getting it fitted without a doubt, just have to wait a week or so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig hill Posted May 3, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 Got home from work and decided to double check my gun mount in the mirror, turns out I was mounting it slightly onto my shoulder, took it out for a couple in the field, brought out some fairly hard recoiling gamebore white gold, to say my cheek is already pretty sore from yesterday, first shot, it didn't even feel like my face was on the comb,, face was untouched, I had a second to double check I did in fact have my face on the comb, bingo, never felt a thing, plenty of dry mounting through next week and will take it out next weekend for a round on the clays, see if it's definately sorted. Moral of the story, double and triple check your gun mount Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted May 3, 2013 Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 Get it fitted good idea.. But make sure the person doing the fitting sees you shoot not just dry mount may well be lifting your head....... BTW you recon it's a cast off RH gun but pretty straight, if factory cast compare to a cast on LH and the difference is substantial Put the butt on floor and lean barrels towards you looking at the trigger guard....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted May 3, 2013 Report Share Posted May 3, 2013 It should be along the join of your teeth not cheek bone. Get a gun fit from a good coach not a smith or gifted friend who thinks they understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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