Capt. Jas. said:
While I will not side with Dan's prejudices against shotgunners I do agree with most of his information. Although an apples and oranges comparison can be made in most cases, there are basic stock dimensions for NORMAL rifle shooting circumstances that are similar. One can surely contort into a pretzel to shoot good scores but there are better ways.
The fact of shooting positions is a very legitimate factor that must be considered.
There are also different styles of mount and holds for shotgunning as well. One of which is to shoot across the body more like rifling.
Do not lump this into "prejudice".
I was speaking of the experiences of several people in several areas of the country including my personal experience. Driving 150 miles for a scheduled match then finding the shotgunners shut down a scheduled match to oil their sporting clays machines downrange (just one example) shows a level of disdain and hostility that is hard to miss. Don't even ask why the traps are down range of the rifle pistol ranges that were already in place BEFORE the sporting clays range. I think its wonderful they put in a range and use it. I just question its location on what is a large shooting complex.
What we had here was someone who is surely a far better shotgun shot than I, insisting that shotgun shooting was the same as rifle shooting even though he did not compete with the rifle. No matter what he insisted that we mix shotguns and rifles. This is not realistic and I attempted to point this out.
I used to build stocks for a specific discipline that required shooting either sitting or prone and offhand with the same rifle. Since most of the shooting was from the rest I tended to stock the rifles with as high a comb line as was allowed. I liked to use the old stamped Neidner buttplate the Brownell's sold since it had fairly sharp checkering and a little crescent that with proper pitch gave good recoil characteristics and worked well offhand since it held onto clothing well. One of these rifles (originally built for myself, with a few rebarrels, has been in heavy use for quite some time, since about 1990 and has won a LOT of prizes, a championship or two and a lot of side bet money. Thousands I am sure. So I can stock a rifle so it "works" and it looks traditional for its model as well.
This rifle, which I stocked about 20 years ago wins a lot of our turkey matches. Its stocked pretty typical for a Ohio rifle of the 1850s-70s.
Yeah, its got a tiny buttplate, excess drop, etc etc. But off a plank rest it will shoot 10-15 shots that ALL TOUCH and the drop and buttplate work well for this. As I am sure the originals did. It has a long heavy barrel and is comfortable to shoot with what many here would call heavy loads in a 45 cal. It has shot a 10 shot string in the 3" range. This is .3" average dispersion from center at 60 yards. Three weeks ago it shot 10 shots into a little over 6". I shot about 9" with my rifle. This in a 10-15 MPH variable wind. Where we shoot anything under 10-12" is a pretty good score due to wind. We both outshot a 22-250 shooting the same target at 200 yards, yeah, we let Brass suppository guns compete too.
This rifle on a traditional plank rest.
I like to shoot. I have competed and still do in a number of matches/disciplines, ML and breechloader over the years. But eyesight begins to be a problem with iron sights.
Dan
