What to do when you're tall?

[The_Big_Fella]

Hi all.

I'm looking to build a flintlock rifle. However I'm facing the same problem I have with any long gun. At 6'6" my length of pull is quite long. I measure 18" from the crook of my elbow to the tip of my index finger. Is there a stock maker out there who could custom cut a blank to fit me?

 

[Zonie]

I'm sure there are gun builders who could build a rifle that would fit you but, the really good gunsmiths who specialize in muzzleloading rifles usually have a year or more backlog. They are also very expensive.

Since you are talking about building your own gun, I suggest that you call Pecatonica River Long Rifle Supply Co. and ask to talk to Dick Greensides. The phone number is 1-815-968-1995.
He owns Pecatonica River Long Rifle Co and has supplied pre-carved stocks for well over 25 years. He is also very knowledgeable and an all around good guy to do business with.

I mention this because when I have used his stocks I usually end up cutting over 2 1/2 inches off of the butt of the stock to get a 14" trigger pull. If I didn't cut off that wood the pull distance would be around 16" after the butt plate was installed. Anyway, maybe Dick can cut a special stock for you that leaves more wood at the butt? It's worth asking and if anyone would know, he would.

Here's a link to the Pecatonica River site. They have a lot of different stock shapes to choose from.
If you decide to buy from them you will have the cost of the kit parts and stock forming plus the stock blank cost.
Their Curly Maple has a lot of figure in it. So much so that I usually end up ordering the #3 grade.

http://www.longrifles-pr.com/stockscomponents.shtml
By the way, because of the long barrel length used on longrifles (42" is common), it isn't unusual for the length of pull to be less than what would be found on modern gun stocks. That shorter length of pull moves the center of gravity back towards the shooter so the gun doesn't feel muzzle heavy. This is especially important if you use a straight octagon barrel rather than the lighter weight swamped barrel.

 

[The_Big_Fella]

Zonie,

Thanks for your quick reply, and for mentioning having to shift the center of gravity because of the longer barrels found on these rifles. Taking that COG shift into account, building a rifle with a longer length of pull might not be the way to go. I will reach out to Mr. Greensides at Pecatonica to see what his experience tells him. Thank you for his contact information.

Thanks again.

 

[bang]

I too have 18" LOP. Also have 2 Kentucks. I can attest to being glad the COG is aft in comparison with the barrel length weight moment. I find my arm supporting the barrel takes the brunt of the support making the bit of crowding to my trigger arm although a tad crowded to be the least of an issue compared to like a Hawken 15/16 28. I wouldn't mind a longer LOP on my Hawken but considering the LOP is short for me with most rifles I've learned to deal with it over the years.
If you start with a stock that doesn't have a cut out for the butt plate you could fashion a matching or at least decorative extension that's pinned and use longer screws in the butt plate. I'm sure though that if you experiment with what makes it fit you will find the COG uncomfortable. So the amount added might not be worth it. It's possible that just 1"-1 1/2" might not be uncomfortable fwd but help with head position for sighting. I recently added 1" to a rifle I was having eye relief issues and although it didn't cure the LOP it did fix head position.

 

[Stophel]

Measuring your pull length from your finger to your elbow is a horrible, horrible, horrible way to do things. I don't know how this method ever came about. There's no way I could ever handle a gun made to the distance from my finger to the inside of my elbow. Proper rifle handling will require a gun with a pull length two or three inches shorter than this measurement.

 

[30coupe]

I've never had the problem of being tall, and the older I get the less of a problem it becomes. I just keep getting shorter.

On the other hand, I don't think it has much effect on my LOP, lol!

 

[JackP]

30coupe + 1, I'm 6'5" or used to be. I getting older and and shorter but my arms are still the same length. I can shoot standard length rifles and shotguns without any problem. There is a problem with long length of pull, It makes guns more muzzle heavy . Take any any long arm and sholder it. Then tape on a block of wood an inch or so to the butt plate and sholder it again and see if it's OK for you.

Jack

 

[oreclan]

I have a friend who had a Marshall style flintlock made for him by Jim Everett many years ago. Being taller Jeff had a longer trigger pull. Jim off course had to build the correct angles in to the rear of the stock and ended up brazing a piece of brass on to the toe of the buttplate to get the correct look.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Listen to Chris (Stophel). He is exactly correct. My LOP measured on my arm is slightly over 14" and I can barely reach the trigger on a gun with a 14" LOP. I can comfortably shoot guns with LOPs from 13 1/8" to 13 5/8". It is not just LOP that matters for big guys but also drop at heel and at the comb. I made the swivel breech below for a guy with an "arm measured" LOP of almost 17". The rifle has an LOP of 15" and a drop at heel of 4" and it fits him like a glove with or without a jacket. The real problem for me was to shape the stock so it did not look like a hockey stick.
dave

 

[Ferret Master]

The correct way to measure preliminary LOP is with your trigger finger bent as if it were pulling the trigger. That alone would probably bring your LOP down to 15" or less. I am same height as you with long arms and my LOP comes out to be 13.50. You need to have it short enough to be able to have your other hand on the balance point of the fore arm while your elbow is tucked in on your ribs.
I always teach the shooter the proper position first then build the rifle to fit their position.
Ferret Master

 

[user 34300]

I am 5'10" 230# with large shoulders. My first LR build was to long. I made it 14 1/4 as I like on modern guns. I now find it a strain to reach the trigger. Single trigger vs set trigger matters too. I now like about 13 1/2". The too long rifle has a fancy patchbox and cannot be gracefully shortened. Good thing my son is quite tall.

On a long barreled ML you want a shorter stock. They are mostly shot off hand. Shorter is better for that. Modern high power shooters also use a short or telescoping stock. Some place the butstock on top of the shoulder. That gets the weight back for a more stable platform.

Be sure and mock up a long stock before you make a rifle that way. You may not like it as much as you think. At very least make the stock long and try it out before you install a patchbox.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

LOP is the least critical as far as exact measurement. It just needs to be short enough to where one can comfortably mount with chosen clothes but not so short you are up in your nose. LOP gets critical once that measurement is chosen as all the other measurements such as drops, cast., pitch, etc. Is built off of that measurement.
The crook of the finger trick is not effective for all people so it should not be used.

 

[Ferret Master]

Obviously there are a lot of folks who apparently have not had a custom rifle built for them. An easy and cheap way to get started is to get a pine board big enough to cut a stock blank out of, look for a lumber supply that sells rough cut lumber and use that to get your initial fitting. Decide which barrel you are going to use and buy that first so you can use it to get a feel for your balance point and lop. A $20,00 pine board is a lot less stressful to cut on than a$200.00 curly maple stock. If you like you can Text me with your phone number and I will talk you through it. I could send you info on building a good standing position as well. 804-920-2795

 

[Carbon 6]

If I measure from my crook to the tip of my finger I get 16 inches, yet a 13 1/2 LOP ( Trigger to center of butt plate)fits me fine. Much over 14 and I'm reaching.
"Reaching" gets even worse when cold weather rolls around and you have to wear a coat.

 

[Ferret Master]

You have to measure from the inside of the elbow to the inside of a bent finger. Same bend as pulling trigger.

 

[Bighorserider]

I built my own flinter from a standard precarved stock. I'm also 6' 6" and the gun I built has a 17.5 inch lop. It fits me much better than my TC Hawken and CVA shotgun.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Build a try stock and you will know for sure. When you get the pull and drop right you can shoulder the try stock with your eyes closed, open them and the sights will be perfectly aligned.

 

[Ferret Master]

I like your pivot with the wing nut. I add .5” and 1” spacers to the butt stock as well.
Ferret Master

 

[Eric Krewson]

I add 1/4" of cast off as well, I like to hand one of my guns with the correct stock measurements to a friend my size who has never shouldered a custom fit gun. I tell them to close their eyes, shoulder the gun and open their eyes. They are amazed by the sight alignment.

 

[JeffG]

Once in a while, a gun ad will mention taller shooters.
T/C Silver Elite