Length of pull?

[Swampman]

What you are going to wear when using the gun also comes into play.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I agree with Roundball, and went through much the same experience fitting both rifles and shotguns for me. He's a bit taller, with longer arms than I have, but I didn't fit the " Average man" for which commercial shotgun and rifle stocks are designed.

 

[Golfswithwolves]

I believe the length of pull, that is to say the distance from the trigger to the gun's buttplate, is most important with fowling pieces that are shot at flying birds. With these guns you'd like them to fit just right, so that when you shoulder the gun it ends up pointing right where you want it to. I've found from shotgun shooting that my own proper length of pull (with average clothing thickness) is 14 1/2" for example. Most rifles have shorter stocks than this, and that's OK because you generally can take more time to aim a rifle than you can a shotgun. The length of pull for rifles is just not as critical, and in fact it's often handy to have a shorter one with rifles in case you need to shoot from prone where the rifle butt rests higher on the shoulder. (If you had a rifle with a shotgun-proper length of pull though, it could be a rather fast and natural rifle to bring onto a target when you are in a standing position). So experiment a bit, or maybe just take a measurement off of a modern shotgun or rifle that you shoot well- this should get you pretty close to what you want.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I tend to agree with you, however, then...

I had the chance to handle an original DB 12 gauge, Flintlock shotgun made in the Tower Armory dated 1776. It fit me like a glove, but had only a 12 1/2" LOP! What it did have was much more down PITCH, and that allowed me to mount the gun to my shoulder pocket, as I normally mount any shotgun, yet I was still looking down the center of the rib, right over the top of the rib, at the front sight.

I tried mounting the gun several times, even with my eyes closed, and it came to the same mount every time. At the time, I was shocked, because I had a Winchester .30-30 carbine with the same LOP, but much less down PITCH, or Drop at heel. It beat the heck out of my cheek, whenever I fired it. It never handled well, until I used two pieces of 1/4" thick plexiglass, AND a 1 1/4" thick recoil pad to increase the LOP long enough to let me mount it, and get my head down on the comb to shoot it off hand. A gunsmith did the extension work, adding the plexiglass pieces under the pad, when he decided the pad would not make the stock long enough to fit me. That gives the stock a LOP of 14 1/4", but everyone I know who is 6 feet tall and taller falls in love with my Winchester, and wants to steal it!

And, the last time I shot an M-1 carbine, with its 12 1/2" LOP, it beat the heck out of both my face and shoulder. I shoot the same cartridge in a Ruger Blackhawk revolver, without any of the troubles that Carbine gave me.

Neither the Winchester, or the M-1 carbine fit me like that original Flintlock Shotgun. So, While there is some correlation between stock measurements and body size, the Art of Stockfitting is still more of an Art than a Science. Shooting short stocked shotguns at overhead passing birds is a good way to punish your face, and shoulder, for instance, especially those that are coming towards you and passing over head.

If you want to study stock fitting for rifle shooters, take a look at the adjustable stocks made for formal, 4-position target, small-bore target shooters. For an all-around fit for shotguns, take a look at the stocks used by the best Sporting Clays shooters.

There is a ton of information available on the process of fitting a stock to a shooter today, that simply did not exist 60 years ago. There is little reason today for any shooter to not have a stock that fits him/her for any gun (s)he owns.

 

[Swampman]

IMO (and that of a very well known builder) 95% of shooters will be well served with a 13 1/2" pull.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

IMO (and that of a very well known builder) 95% of shooters will be well served with a 13 1/2" pull.

True, and that of most modern gun manufacturers as well. The average LOP runs 13 3/8 to 13 1/2 on modern rifles.
LOP is the most forgiving and less critical measurement as long is it is comfortable for the shooter. It's the other ones that are built off of it that makes the difference.