Gun fit and cost of having work done

[andrew f]

I brought a kofs 12 bore last year and haven't been getting along with it very well after seeking advice from someone with a bit more knowledge about shotguns I pattern tested a few different cartridges and they all patterned well. How much of the rib should I be seeing is the question as I can see all the way down it and he thinks I need the Combe dropped? 

[Westley]

Seek out a reliable Instructor who can watch you actually shoot the gun. That would give you a far better evaluation than guesswork on a Forum. It could save you a lot of money in the long term.

[johnphilip]

Andrew , if you put your location up . Then someone maybe able to advice you someone close to you .

[Scully]

Your first port of call is to seek the help and advice of a good instructor. 

[Gunman]

I remember when gun shops took the time and had the experience to advise their customers on things like this , Be able to recommend instructors and fitters if they could not do it themselves . I remember when shops used do some alteration in the price of the gun . But I guess so many shops just sell stuff at knockdown prices all this is a thing of the past .

[DUNKS]

We are lucky in having Hadfield guns local. Based at the Lakeside shooting ground you can browse a massive selection of guns both old and new. If it's a used gun you can also shoot it. Lots of experienced folk about and registered instructors. Always a nice experience to be there.

[wymberley]

13 minutes ago, DUNKS said:

We are lucky in having Hadfield guns local. Based at the Lakeside shooting ground you can browse a massive selection of guns both old and new. If it's a used gun you can also shoot it. Lots of experienced folk about and registered instructors. Always a nice experience to be there.

Not to mention a cracking breakfast.

[enfieldspares]

3 hours ago, Scully said:

Your first port of call is to seek the help and advice of a good instructor. 

This...above. A good instructor and a good fitter. Some are a waste of your time, your money, and useless. Treat yourself. Have an early Christmas and pay a visit to Holland's at Northwood. They fit O/U as well as S/B/S and do the job right. A fitting in a shop without the use of the very least shooting the gun either with a light projector or a cartridge onto a metal plate is a gamble. It may turn out aright it may turn out awrong. 

[welshwarrior]

Where abouts are you go and see a decent instructor, if you’re near me I’ll happily have a look for.  

[Walker570]

I'm a bit old fashioned and have never looked at the rib on the gun, I just look at the bird BUT most of my guns have been fitted to me so that when mounted they point where I am looking and the others I can adjust after 70yrs of shooting shotgun.   The advice to seek out a reliable and good instructor is your first action, he/she should then tell you if the gun actually fits you, then you can decide on having that gun adjusted or sell it and find one that does.

[Saltings]

ok my 10p worth  if shooting for a while      a shotgun has only to shoot where you are looking out to 45 yrds     (no riffling )   you cannot hit a ball if looking at the bat    a good gun  fitter  like Wiseman's of crannock or similar will work        first so that the gun is looking where you are then          if no improvement     you are not moving right a coach  ie foot placement etc or get a mate who can shoot to help for free  while clay busting         getting some one for lessons  £   to tell you your gun dont fit get it fitted and come back its up to you it looks like wallet rinsing to me           i sometimes shoot with a lefthanded vintage gun  i know where it shoots     so i have to aim or shoot off sometimes 2ft behind also  sometimes 12 ft in front l or r     fitted in the middle left or right same distance as my other guns in the cabinet       driven a 2ft past right wingtip and add lead  on pheasant     going away all the opposite     now put winter clothes on heavy jumper and shooting jacket as opposed to a t shirt and a skeet vest  its all about all round shoot where you are looking    (a gun fitter ) the rest is you      you add lead     fitting makes you central  if that makes sense     if you mount your gun consistently and your gun is fitter   central   ( its you )    down to you to add lead consistently  in either direction    a coach or a loader can help with this        (consistency only comes from fitting and practice )           if i am wrong buy a suit from tesco or buy a SUIT tailored by a gentleman's tailors     

i have both    one £30 and scrap  the other much more     built to last always in style 30 yrs on looks good  sometimes the dearest is cheapest       right suit      right gun   right fitter  right coach   clean kill     (DEAD)  my 10p  

gun fit is right up there all  my guns are fitted by me  only one cant bend enough  as a true left hander hulk shoulders ww2 brick outhouse built for  him     fitted many over the last thirty years for friends and family  its nice to hear my scores have improved  i am more consistent  is common  blurb 

[Gunman]

Sorry mate , although I agree with most of what you say , can we please have some punctuation ?

[TIGHTCHOKE]

1 hour ago, Gunman said:

Sorry mate , although I agree with most of what you say , can we please have some punctuation ?

He has a good reason for the way he writes!

Just read it slowly and it all falls in to place and is usually worth reading.

[andrew f]

I'm in deepest darkest devon 😂 if anyone knows of a good instructor just to look me over and the gun 

[Balotelli]

I read a book by an esteemed guy on every aspect of shooting. Assuming an average sort of build and an average sort of gun, he reckoned that you should be able to pick up pretty well any gun and shoot ok with it. Sure, some guns will feel better than others. Consistent gun-mount seems to be the key issue. Some time ago I got hold of a laser "cartridge" which "fired" when you touched the trigger. When I wasn't rushed my gun mount was fine but if hurried then that was when the problems started and I might as well have been firing from the hip.  If your gun mount is right and consistent, then the rest should follow. I do believe that a lot of this gun fitting is smoke and mirrors. I'll wait for the howls of anguish. 

[dodgy dave]

On 29/09/2020 at 12:14, TIGHTCHOKE said:

He has a good reason for the way he writes!

Just read it slowly and it all falls in to place and is usually worth reading.

yes i agree to all  that

[Walker570]

11 hours ago, Balotelli said:

I read a book by an esteemed guy on every aspect of shooting. Assuming an average sort of build and an average sort of gun, he reckoned that you should be able to pick up pretty well any gun and shoot ok with it. Sure, some guns will feel better than others. Consistent gun-mount seems to be the key issue. Some time ago I got hold of a laser "cartridge" which "fired" when you touched the trigger. When I wasn't rushed my gun mount was fine but if hurried then that was when the problems started and I might as well have been firing from the hip.  If your gun mount is right and consistent, then the rest should follow. I do believe that a lot of this gun fitting is smoke and mirrors. I'll wait for the howls of anguish. 

There is little doubt that if you shoot enough and over many years maybe, then you can shoot pretty well with anything and some humans have a better inbuilt ability to do this than others BUT there is little doubt that a good fitting gun will improve your chances and in my case having shot all and sundry, shooting my fitted guns becomes a real joy.  I was very lucky that the little Yilditz 410 I purchased fits that bill as well.  It just felt right when I picked it up in the shop.  I shot my Grandfathers BSA 12 gauge for some 25yrs before I decided to have it fitted...BENT!! .... I did this after having the new stock on my 16 gauge made to fit and realising what a difference it made I had the BSA fitted as well.  I shoot both eyes open and never have any recollection of actually aiming the guns.   Yes, get checked out and if you can afford it get the gun fitted or try and find one that comes near.  Have fun. 

[Gunman]

3 hours ago, dodgy dave said:

yes i agree to all  that

But why no punctuation ?

[Old farrier]

15 hours ago, Balotelli said:

I read a book by an esteemed guy on every aspect of shooting. Assuming an average sort of build and an average sort of gun, he reckoned that you should be able to pick up pretty well any gun and shoot ok with it. Sure, some guns will feel better than others. Consistent gun-mount seems to be the key issue. Some time ago I got hold of a laser "cartridge" which "fired" when you touched the trigger. When I wasn't rushed my gun mount was fine but if hurried then that was when the problems started and I might as well have been firing from the hip.  If your gun mount is right and consistent, then the rest should follow. I do believe that a lot of this gun fitting is smoke and mirrors. I'll wait for the howls of anguish. 

You have answered the question in the post 

(some will feel better than others) the ones that fit feel better 

when you deliberately mount a gun you compensate for the lacking in the fit department 

im afraid I prefer a gun that fits it enables me to mount the gun and know it’s going to be shooting where I’m looking 

[London Best]

16 hours ago, Balotelli said:

I read a book by an esteemed guy on every aspect of shooting. Assuming an average sort of build and an average sort of gun, he reckoned that you should be able to pick up pretty well any gun and shoot ok with it. Sure, some guns will feel better than others. Consistent gun-mount seems to be the key issue. Some time ago I got hold of a laser "cartridge" which "fired" when you touched the trigger. When I wasn't rushed my gun mount was fine but if hurried then that was when the problems started and I might as well have been firing from the hip.  If your gun mount is right and consistent, then the rest should follow. I do believe that a lot of this gun fitting is smoke and mirrors. I'll wait for the howls of anguish. 

But, for many shots in the field you have to rush your gun mount. You have just given one answer to the question, “why have a gun fitted?”

[Saltings]

On 01/10/2020 at 13:42, Gunman said:

But why no punctuation ?

dislexic  took between two and three hours to wright the piece  don t know where to put bits in    im just glad it makes some sense and the words are not the wrong way round not to mention spelling 

[Saltings]

On 01/10/2020 at 16:35, London Best said:

But, for many shots in the field you have to rush your gun mount. You have just given one answer to the question, “why have a gun fitted?”

if fitted rushed or not the gun shoots where you are looking rather than sighting the gun to make a shot    sometimes things are missed and you cant understand why  usually shooting low   

[Westley78]

46 minutes ago, Saltings said:

dislexic  took between two and three hours to wright the piece  don t know where to put bits in    im just glad it makes some sense and the words are not the wrong way round not to mention spelling 

Well done that man! 
 

You did a good job and all made sense to me 👍🏻

[Saltings]

1 hour ago, Westley78 said:

Well done that man! 
 

You did a good job and all made sense to me 👍🏻

thank you     i have always been a stubborn type  and try to explain     rather than give up  (thats easy)

3 minutes ago, Saltings said:

 

 

Edited October 2, 2020 by Saltings

[enfieldspares]

A traditionally configured shotgun that has just a bead front "sight" and no rear sight needs to "fit" its user so that user's own eye is in fact behind where on an aperture sighted rifle that the rearsight would be. The off the peg shotgun is made to 90% of the time fit Mr Average by allowing the shooter to achieve that happy result. With if needed maybe a 1/4" tweak here or there. T

So to say that gunfit is a nonsense shows an ignorance of the fact that gunfit is designed to position the eye to act as a rearsight

Sometimes I've explained it by using as example the Lee Enfield No4. Which even if we aren't "hands on" familiar with we can find pictures of. On the No4 the rearsight is an aperture rearsight mounted at the extreme rear of the receiver. Not as on the SMLE or German Mauser mid-way down the barrel. But as close to the firer's eye as possible the butt then being shaped so the firer can position his eye in a straight line along the axis of the barrel of eye..(aperture)...frontsight...target.

Now assume by the rearsight on that No4 falls off or has its "Battle Sight" aperture milled of as on the No4(T).

There's now no rearsight and no aperture that has thus far forced the firer to adopt always a correct alignment along the axis of the barrel of eye...(aperture)...frontsight...target. So the purpose of gunfit is the same purpose as the aperture on the rearsight of a No4. And that is to ensure that the shooter's eye even though there is no aperture to look through is always in the same position seeing the target down a straight line along the axis of the barrel.

Edited October 2, 2020 by enfieldspares