America is a nation of rifle and pistol shooters. But when the conversation turns to a well-fitting shotgun, most people wonder what the heck we're talking about.
The most obvious question is, "Why do I need a shotgun that fits me?"
The answer rests with the difference in targets between rifle and pistol shooting and the targets you confront with a shotgun. Rifles and pistols use a single projectile, typically on stationary targets. Shotgun loads are packed with tiny, round pellets — which can exceed 400 per shell — that spread out when fired to hit fast-moving objects.
Consequently, just as a piece of clothing is designed for comfort during movement, a shotgun should be equally as comfortable when swinging it toward a clay or feathered target moving up to 50 miles per hour to ensure that the minimum number of pellets effectively strike it.
Shotgun comfort also impacts accuracy. While rifle and pistol shooting require aiming, you actually point a shotgun — meaning that you move the target along the trajectory line of the flying target to the general point of impact where the swarm of pellets takes care of business.
When pointing a shotgun, you don't actually look down the barrel. Instead you focus on the target, and your eyes signal your brain when to pull the trigger in a process called instinctive shooting. It's the same as catching a fly ball: You look at the baseball, and your glove instinctively moves to the right spot.
If your shotgun doesn't fit correctly, the fluid dynamics of the instinctive shot are thrown off-kilter — almost certainly resulting in a miss.
Shotgun fit relates to the five points where the firearm touches your body:
- recoil pad against shoulder
- cheek against stock
- trigger hand on grip
- trigger finger on trigger blade
- left hand (for righties) on fore-end
Once these contact points are the correct dimensions, the shotgun is comfortable to shoot, swings easily, provides an unobstructed view of the target and delivers only nominal recoil.
When it comes to fit, the shotguns at your neighborhood dealer are designed to fit a guy who is 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, with a 33-inch arm length who wears size 40 regular. If you're lucky enough, that new shotgun will fit you reasonably well so that you can enjoy some success with it.
But if you're a bit chubby, have a longer neck, shorter arms or smaller hands, you could easily find yourself struggling to hit the easiest of targets without even realizing that an ill fit is the culprit.
The first step in determining shotgun fit involves patterning. Your local shotgun club should have a patterning board of either steel or wood (use a paper target on wood). Stand back approximately 40 yards from it.
If your shotgun has screw-in chokes, insert the tightest constriction. After firing several shots at the pattern board, you'll determine if the pellets are shooting too far to either side, too high or too low.
This target helps you determine the pellet spread of your shotgun shells. Most people prefer 60/40 or 70/30 with the majority of the pellets over the center of the clay on the paper target. You also want to make sure that the lateral distribution is close to parity.
Unless you want to pay an extra thousand dollars for a custom-fitted shotgun, here are some tips for a quick fix:
1. The recoil pad on a shotgun can be easily replaced with two screws. So if a shotgun stock is too long or short, the quickest fix is to replace the recoil pad with one that's thinner or thicker. You'll be surprised how only a half-inch in recoil pad thickness can make a big difference in felt recoil and target sight picture.
You can purchase recoil pads in different thicknesses to help adjust the overall length of the shotgun.
2. Shotguns with an adjustable comb are easy to find. The top part of the shotgun that meets your face is called the comb. An adjustable comb is a section that can be moved horizontally and vertically for optimal comfort and visual target acquisition.
Here’s an adjustable comb on a shotgun. Generally, it takes four screws to fine tune the fit horizontally and vertically.
3. Many shotguns feature an adjustable trigger blade. The blade is the curved piece inside the trigger guard that accepts your finger. You'll find that some shotguns let you move the blade fore and aft so that your finger rests on the blade comfortably and safely.
There's a tiny rail on the trigger that lets you slide the blade forward and rearward. Make sure you look for an adjustable trigger on your next shotgun.
4. Nearly all semi-automatic shotguns are equipped with a shim kit. These wedge-shaped shims between the stock and receiver can help you adjust height and lateral fit. You'll have to remove the stock to find the best shim size. That means unscrewing the recoil pad a large nut inside the stock that fastens it to the receiver.
Nearly all newer semi-automatic shotguns include a packet of shims that sit between the stock and receiver. These shims provide incremental adjustments for improved fit.
With these alternatives, bear in mind that the number-one cause of poor shotgun performance is not fit — it's technique. So before you invest time and money in perfecting the fit of the shotgun, make sure you know how to mount the shotgun, acquire the target and place your feet.
If haven't mastered proper shotgunning techniques, even the best-fitting shotgun won't improve your game.
