Yesterday, dropped my Boss project off at a gunsmith/stockmaker in Michigan and for the first time ever, got measured on a try stock and some 'professional' instruction in the English Instinctive Style of Shotgun shooting. Picked up a lot of interesting info and tips... but also learned something that I would pass on to my fellow rifle-shooters. Because it was surprising but, I guess, not surprising.
The gun I am having restocked is the Boss in another thread. It fits me nicely but is too long. Lots of cast. And cracked at the sidelocks, necessitating replacement. Stocker had a try gun, so that's where we started... in case the Boss was way off. I had also brought my Purdey with me (the one I put the new buttplate on). Because that fits me like a glove and I never miss with it.
We started with some mounting exerciese and the 'smith/instructor adjusted my 'style' a bit. Some Very good tips, like pivot the gun at the muzzle, not the hinge pin when coming up (brilliant). And roll your head onto the stock as you come up. Also brilliant. Above, I mention 'style' in quotations because I honestly have no shotgun shooting style. I grew up shooting a shotgun only at grouse, pretty much. And when you hunt grouse with no dog, the only style is 'get your gun up fast, while the thunder chicken scares the beejeebers out of you and always launches when you have one foot in the air and your gun tied up in a moose whip." If you want to hit anything, all you do is get on a blur fast and slap the trigger. Later, when I started to shoot some clays and skeet, I sort of did the same thing. Always shooting from low gun... And did ok. But never had any training or 'style.' But I did mention that I had a lot of formal training with rifle and pistol and a lot of round count on both... at which point he said "This could get interesting." And left it at that.
So we head out to the patterning range with the full-choke try gun. He set it with 'about' the same dimensions as my Purdey as I never miss with it. And I fire my first three shots. All are low and left, but right on top of each other, leaving a softball patch blasted out of the paint on the patterning target. So he adjusts the stock. I fire three more and... Three shots right in exactly the same place, right on top of each other. So he adjusts the stock again... adding a lot more comb and cast. And I fire three more shots... basically in exactly the same place. I am missing every shot, but missing very consistently!
So at this point, he suggested I get my Purdey and try that. Using his 'coaching' and tips I learned... three shots were patterned absolutely perfectly around the patterning target. So he went back and reset the try gun... and three shots, low and left. At this point he sort of lets me on the hint he gave earlier (???!!!???) Which is that try guns and rifle/pistol shooters often don't mix. Even though we may be using the right 'style' for pointing and head placement, etc. we are so conditioned to use 'sights' and not just look over a bead, that he can move the try gun stock virtually anywhere and we'll consistently hit where we hit. And adapt to the gun, stock dimensions be damned.
Next, we tried the Boss, which is still about 1/4" long, but ok. I can mount it fine. And... three shots dead nuts in the center of the patterning target. One on top of the other. He tries both guns... both of them shoot almost a foot high for him. Regulated way up! He put the measuring stick on both guns and they are both very close in dimensions (coincidence, really) and both have a lot of cast off. Almost identical except for LOP, in fact. So the 'new' Boss stock will be about the same dimensions as the 'old' Boss stock. And the two guns will match almost perfectly.
The moral of the story is that if you are an experienced rifle shooter and thinking about getting into a 'vintage' shotgun... be really conscious of what you are buying. Because fit means a lot... Also if you are ordering something special, before trying to rely on a fitting or a try gun, maybe find a shotgun that fits you and bring it to help with the fitting. It was an interesting revelation, but something the gunsmith hinted at before we started. Folks who shoot rifles and pistols a lot are often great shotgun shooters. But shoot in a very different way and may struggle with some of the 'classic' teaching techniques, especially the 'English' styles.
Figured this would more interesting to us Vintage folks... Thus the post here.
Cheers,
Sirhr
PS. Bonehead move of the year. Got all done after about 4 hours. Loaded up my stuff and case and left the Boss for its restock. And took off. About 2 hours away, I got a call from the gunsmith. "You left your Purdey on my bench." DOHHHHHH!! I'm on my way bird hunting on the other side of Lake Michigan. Dammit! Turn around and 4 hour round trip backtrack to get my gun. I'd put an empty case in my truck. Carrying so much stuff I didn't notice that the weight was not right. If I live to be 100, that's going to be one of my biggest bonehead moves of all time. And, of course, it is UP Leaf Peeping season... so a 90 mile each way trip is about 2.5 hours... not 2. $%$#@ing %$# Holy %$@#!!!! But all's well that ends well. Good thing the 'smith noticed my gun on his bench when he did. Because if I'd gotten to the West side of the lake without my gun... I'd have been pissed! Did I mention Bonehead?
The gun I am having restocked is the Boss in another thread. It fits me nicely but is too long. Lots of cast. And cracked at the sidelocks, necessitating replacement. Stocker had a try gun, so that's where we started... in case the Boss was way off. I had also brought my Purdey with me (the one I put the new buttplate on). Because that fits me like a glove and I never miss with it.
We started with some mounting exerciese and the 'smith/instructor adjusted my 'style' a bit. Some Very good tips, like pivot the gun at the muzzle, not the hinge pin when coming up (brilliant). And roll your head onto the stock as you come up. Also brilliant. Above, I mention 'style' in quotations because I honestly have no shotgun shooting style. I grew up shooting a shotgun only at grouse, pretty much. And when you hunt grouse with no dog, the only style is 'get your gun up fast, while the thunder chicken scares the beejeebers out of you and always launches when you have one foot in the air and your gun tied up in a moose whip." If you want to hit anything, all you do is get on a blur fast and slap the trigger. Later, when I started to shoot some clays and skeet, I sort of did the same thing. Always shooting from low gun... And did ok. But never had any training or 'style.' But I did mention that I had a lot of formal training with rifle and pistol and a lot of round count on both... at which point he said "This could get interesting." And left it at that.
So we head out to the patterning range with the full-choke try gun. He set it with 'about' the same dimensions as my Purdey as I never miss with it. And I fire my first three shots. All are low and left, but right on top of each other, leaving a softball patch blasted out of the paint on the patterning target. So he adjusts the stock. I fire three more and... Three shots right in exactly the same place, right on top of each other. So he adjusts the stock again... adding a lot more comb and cast. And I fire three more shots... basically in exactly the same place. I am missing every shot, but missing very consistently!
So at this point, he suggested I get my Purdey and try that. Using his 'coaching' and tips I learned... three shots were patterned absolutely perfectly around the patterning target. So he went back and reset the try gun... and three shots, low and left. At this point he sort of lets me on the hint he gave earlier (???!!!???) Which is that try guns and rifle/pistol shooters often don't mix. Even though we may be using the right 'style' for pointing and head placement, etc. we are so conditioned to use 'sights' and not just look over a bead, that he can move the try gun stock virtually anywhere and we'll consistently hit where we hit. And adapt to the gun, stock dimensions be damned.
Next, we tried the Boss, which is still about 1/4" long, but ok. I can mount it fine. And... three shots dead nuts in the center of the patterning target. One on top of the other. He tries both guns... both of them shoot almost a foot high for him. Regulated way up! He put the measuring stick on both guns and they are both very close in dimensions (coincidence, really) and both have a lot of cast off. Almost identical except for LOP, in fact. So the 'new' Boss stock will be about the same dimensions as the 'old' Boss stock. And the two guns will match almost perfectly.
The moral of the story is that if you are an experienced rifle shooter and thinking about getting into a 'vintage' shotgun... be really conscious of what you are buying. Because fit means a lot... Also if you are ordering something special, before trying to rely on a fitting or a try gun, maybe find a shotgun that fits you and bring it to help with the fitting. It was an interesting revelation, but something the gunsmith hinted at before we started. Folks who shoot rifles and pistols a lot are often great shotgun shooters. But shoot in a very different way and may struggle with some of the 'classic' teaching techniques, especially the 'English' styles.
Figured this would more interesting to us Vintage folks... Thus the post here.
Cheers,
Sirhr
PS. Bonehead move of the year. Got all done after about 4 hours. Loaded up my stuff and case and left the Boss for its restock. And took off. About 2 hours away, I got a call from the gunsmith. "You left your Purdey on my bench." DOHHHHHH!! I'm on my way bird hunting on the other side of Lake Michigan. Dammit! Turn around and 4 hour round trip backtrack to get my gun. I'd put an empty case in my truck. Carrying so much stuff I didn't notice that the weight was not right. If I live to be 100, that's going to be one of my biggest bonehead moves of all time. And, of course, it is UP Leaf Peeping season... so a 90 mile each way trip is about 2.5 hours... not 2. $%$#@ing %$# Holy %$@#!!!! But all's well that ends well. Good thing the 'smith noticed my gun on his bench when he did. Because if I'd gotten to the West side of the lake without my gun... I'd have been pissed! Did I mention Bonehead?
