# proper fit - shotgun



## 400BULL (Nov 16, 2007)

I’ve been looking at getting my oldest boy his first shotgun for Christmas or early in 2011. I’ve been doing some research to find out what models would be good models to look at. In my search I’ve ran across several post were the author mentions to make sure the shotgun is fitted right. This is all kind of new to me. I have always gone down to the store tried a couple guns out and bought the one I liked best. So what is the proper technique used to make sure the gun properly fits the shooter?

400bull


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## TAK (Sep 9, 2007)

First how old is your kid and how big? Also how much ya want to spend? I see it this way. I have a couple of Youth guns, one is a 12 and the otehr is a 20... My 12 year olds use eitehr one. If needed I would cut the stock on them but they are pretty close... And th kicker is by next week they may be to big. Kinda like buying them boots! SOB if my boy did not get like a weekend out of his! You can cut the stock and replace it later for not to much $.... 
Rem makes a great youth pump for not to much $$$ I shoot it every now and then. Browning has a BPS also that is made in the youth, but a bit more money. I am sure there are others out there also.


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## luv2fsh&hnt (Sep 22, 2007)

Remington makes a youth compact that comes with spacers so the gun can grow with the kid. My daughter has a youth model 870 20 GA. It had a synthetic stock I ordered a laminated stock from the internet and had it cut down. LOP on the youth model is 12" ended up going down to 11" we could have went further but it would have cost alot more money because of modifications that would have had to be done with the stock bolt and and additional cutting and drilling of the stock itself. The 11" is still about a 1/4 in to long. As a reference she is about 4'8" tall and 10 yrs old. Some people will tell you to put the butt of the gun in the crook of his elbow and see where his fingers land in relation to the trigger this method is probably the worst way to measure. The best way is to take him with you to the gunsmith and have him hold the gun. There are a series of measurements the smitty will take and that will give him a good of where to start cutting most will make a series of cuts to make sure they don't cut too much.


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## tigerpincer (Dec 5, 2009)

When I bought my son his first shotgun I took him to the store and let him find a gun that was comfortable for him to shoulder and swing. If a gun doesn't feel right in his hands it will be more difficult for him to shoot accurately IMO. The other difficult thing I had to worry about is my boy is left handed. It was very difficult to find a youth left handed gun that wasn't more moolah than I wanted to spend on a gun that would soon be out grown. We ended up buying a Stoeger over under 20 gauge in the youth model. It was a good gun for him for two years before he out grew it. It was an inexpensive gun and I was able to sell it rather easily when we were done with it. It also limited him to two shots which I feel forced him to pick his shots a little more wisely and become a better shot.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

OK Bull, this is how to fit a shotgun to a person. Have him/her hold the gun with the butt end fit into the crook of the elbow, it must fit nicely without having to stretch to reach the trigger or have the wrist bent to much or have the finger overlapping the trigger. If the gun stock is too long, the shooter will have his/her cheek too far back on the stock and will probably have a bad sight plane down the barrel. Also, a too long of stock will imped the movement of the gun up into the correct firing position. Next have the shooter snap the gun into firing position and have them describe exactly what they see...don't let them adjust their grip or reposition the gun, make sure they hold it in the same position that they first put it in...they want a sight right down the barrel without seeing the top of the barrel. If they are seeing the rear half of the barrel or the back of the receiver and only half or none of the bead, then the check piece is too low and that will cause the shooter to shoot under the bird. If they see the front half of the barrel or all of the top of the barrel, then the stock is too high and they will shoot over the bird (most common). If they are not seeing the front sight completely, just sitting there unobstructed by the rear of the barrel, then the gun is fitting pretty good. The key to this last step is that they don't reposition the gun after they throw it up, and have them do it several times and try and get an average of what they are seeing. Most "off the shelve guns" will fit pretty good if the length is correct and proportioned, by just cutting off the length you may end up with a gun that shoots to high, or low, so try and find a factory proportioned stock...that is, a youth gun for a smaller person. Hope this helps.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Mossberg Bantam 20 gauge with synthetic stock and shims to adjust the LOP, or Remington 870 Compact youth would be good choices. My daughter is shooting the Bantam and it has proved to be a good gun.


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## 400BULL (Nov 16, 2007)

Thanks for the replys, it gives me something to look at when I take him to the store. My boy is 11 years old, weighs in at 110lbs, and measures 5’6” inches tall. In the past year he has grown more than 4” inches and shows no signs of slowing down. I’ve taken him out a couple of times shooting my Mossberg 835 12 gauge with skeet rounds and he handles the recoil on it just fine but the gun seems to be a little front heavy for him. If the youth guns fit him now would you get him a youth gun or bump him up to a full size to allow him to grow into it? I’m kind of leaning to a full size.

400bull


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

400BULL said:


> Thanks for the replys, it gives me something to look at when I take him to the store. My boy is 11 years old, weighs in at 110lbs, and *measures 5'6" inches tall. In the past year he has grown more than 4" inches and shows no signs of slowing down. *I've taken him out a couple of times shooting my Mossberg 835 12 gauge with skeet rounds and he handles the recoil on it just fine but the gun seems to be a little front heavy for him. If the youth guns fit him now would you get him a youth gun or bump him up to a full size to allow him to grow into it? I'm kind of leaning to a full size.
> 
> 400bull


Bull...He's all growed up or shortly will be...get him a full sized shotgun. 5' 6" is about the top end for a youth model shot gun.


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## luv2fsh&hnt (Sep 22, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> 400BULL said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the replys, it gives me something to look at when I take him to the store. My boy is 11 years old, weighs in at 110lbs, and *measures 5'6" inches tall. In the past year he has grown more than 4" inches and shows no signs of slowing down. *I've taken him out a couple of times shooting my Mossberg 835 12 gauge with skeet rounds and he handles the recoil on it just fine but the gun seems to be a little front heavy for him. If the youth guns fit him now would you get him a youth gun or bump him up to a full size to allow him to grow into it? I'm kind of leaning to a full size.
> ...


I agree.


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## 400BULL (Nov 16, 2007)

tigerpincer said:


> When I bought my son his first shotgun I took him to the store and let him find a gun that was comfortable for him to shoulder and swing. If a gun doesn't feel right in his hands it will be more difficult for him to shoot accurately IMO. The other difficult thing I had to worry about is my boy is left handed. It was very difficult to find a youth left handed gun that wasn't more moolah than I wanted to spend on a gun that would soon be out grown. We ended up buying a Stoeger over under 20 gauge in the youth model. It was a good gun for him for two years before he out grew it. It was an inexpensive gun and I was able to sell it rather easily when we were done with it. It also limited him to two shots which I feel forced him to pick his shots a little more wisely and become a better shot.


What shotgun did you end up getting your son after the Stoeger? My boy is right handed but left eye dominate so I have taught him how to shoot left handed. Thinking about it a little more when I get him a shotgun I'm going to need to get him a left handed one or one with the saftey on top. I think that it would be difficult for him to reach the saftey by the trigger on a right handed shotgun.

400bull


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## luv2fsh&hnt (Sep 22, 2007)

I shoot left handed but I am right eye dominant. I do not own one left handed gun. Left handed guns cost more resell for less and are harder to sell. He will adjust to the safety situation. I shoot an 870 the safety is on the trigger guard and it doesn't slow me down one little bit.


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