Length of Pull

[Bob J]

Can anyone tell me how to measure my arm for length of pull? I need to know so my longriflemaker can proceed with the stock. I tried measuring from inside crook of arm to trigger finger joint closest to point of finger. This can't be right at 15". My Lyman GPR seems to measure at 14 to 14 1/4" and, while I can shoot it OK, it feels to be a "tad" too long. Actually, the set trigger feels to be about perfect (13 3/4"?).

 

[rabjr]

Curl your trigger finger as if it were resting on an imaginary trigger and try measuring to the tip of that finger. When I do it that way I come up with a pull of 13 5/8, which feels dam good to me on a finished rifle.

 

[rich pierce]

I don't know the rules but I know what fits and does not fit me. It is a mistake to make a gun with too long a pull as when wearing heavy clothis in winter it can hang up. Also if you use a severely curved buttplate like on, say, Hawken rifles and other late percussion rifles, the pull will vary. Unless you want to stab yourself repeatedly with sharp buttplate heels.

This is "Gun Fit Anyone Can Understand"
Try different guns with your eyes closed. Mount the gun then open your eyes and see if you're lined up. Now if the gun hooked under your arm, the pull is too long. If your thumb is in your nose, the pull is too short. If your sights are off right to left, you need more or less castoff. if the rear sight blocks the front, you have too much drop and if you see the whole barrel and the front sight is above the rear, you have too little drop.

Now do the same from a sitting position. Then prone. Decide what matters most- offhand, sitting, prone. Even on the bench! Generally for a hunting gun you want instant fit offhand, because if you have time to take a steadier position, you have time to crank your neck around, etc.

When in doubt, look at the pull dimensions on those dang breech-loading smoothbores folks use nowadays, the ones that you can reload with just one motion and the powder doesn't even smoke. They are made to fit "everyman" whoever he is. If you are 5'9" to 6'2", these dimensions will generally work well enough.

You can shoot a gun that is too short but cannot shoot a gun that is too long.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'm 6'3" and my L.O.P. measurement as you stated (crook of arm to bent first joint) is 15" also. BUT, in ordering my Lehigh (flat buttplate) I chose my favorite gun (an Ithaca/SKB 20 ga) as my model because, when wearing a coat, she hops up exactly into position. That gun has a 14-1/4" LOP, so that's what I ordered on my Lehigh. I was also asked for the measurements for drop at the cheek 8" back from the trigger, 10" back from the trigger (front & rear of cheek contact on the stock), and the top of the buttplate off the barrel horizontal, and cast off. Hopefully, I'll end up with something near a stock fit.

 

[Herb]

Rich, that is very good advice. I made a Green River Rifle Works Leman trade rifle at their shop in 1978. The foreman said to make it 14" LOP, and it came out about 14 1/4 (single trigger). Suffered with it all these years and finally cut it off to about 13 1/2. (I have a 32" sleeve length). Too long is uncomfortable to use. Am just now finishing my second Jacob Wigle (Westmoreland Co., PA) rifle, copied after the original in the museum here, and it has a 12 1/2" LOP (single trigger). Track's MA 43-B buttplate (Frederick Sell, page 286) and 3.9" drop at heel. The rifle was originally made with the barrel about 44" long, just over 1" at the breech, about .40 caliber. Some mountain man had it, but it got cut to 35.5" length over the years and wound up in a cave near here. Also have a Thompson Center .45 Hawken a friend gave me, it had about a 14.5" pull. Cut it off to the patch box and bent the front trigger back to get it to 13.5", and I'd have made it 13.25" if I could have. Recently finished a Pecatonica River Beck Boy's rifle at 12.5" (DST) and friends with 34" and 36" sleeve length say they could shoot it. Another wanted more drop at heel, it is only 2.75" from top of barrel. I agree with Rich, 13.5" is a good length.

 

[BLAHMAN]

Bob, you will find that most LOP is somewhere between 13 1/2 to 13 3/4 inches.

 

[Birddog6]

IMHO, the length of pull on a Rifle is not nearly as critical as everyone wants to make it out to be. You can easily adjust to it and you are NOT snap shooting with it like you would be if upland game hunting or sporting clays or whatever, where you have to shoulder the firearm & fire repeatedly & no time for adjustment.
Yes, it is nice to have every one of them exactly the same, but having 15-20 of them around they are usually not going to be the same. However, you can pull it up & shoulder it a few times & adjust & all is fine & you can go on shooting.
Personally, I prefer my rifles & shotguns to be about 1/4" LOP shorter than most as I hunt the winter & don't like it's hanging up on my coat.

:results:

 

LOP is critical if you cannot reach the trigger!!! LOL I am short armed and depending on the stock style a 14" LOP is way too long. I have a fine longrifle I bought for a song that I cannot shoot because the front trigger is too far away in a Tshirt, let alone a coat....it hangs on the mantle. Personally i shoot better with a "too short" gun than a too long one.... :results:

 

[silverfox]

Bob: You might try this. You say you got 15" from elbow to first joint. If you bend your finger you will see your trigger finger will line up with the middle joint not the first joint now with that measurement subtract about half the distance between that joint and your knuckle and see what you come up with. I think it should be close to 14 3/8 or so. I just measured a couple originals and they are closer to 13" and feel short I'm 6'+ and most of my guns measure just over 14". Hope this helps some if not just measure 1 on your modern rifles and see what it measures.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[Zonie]

One thing to keep in mind when your using your short barreled muzzleloaders or your shotguns/modern rifles to see what you like is if your building a long (42-44 inch) barreled rifle, it will feel muzzleheavy if the pull is too long.

The shorter pull a lot of people have on their longrifles puts more of the weight of the barrel, closer to your body so their guns will come to the shoulder and point easier.

:m2c:

 

[Bob J]

Although I can shoot it pretty well, the GPR feels a bit long to the pull at 14" or 14 1/4. So around 13 3/4 should be about right for someone around 5' 10"?