doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Worth the extra $ to have an AYA built to fit?

I don't mean to hijack this thread from the original poster, but since ya'll are discussing gun fitting in general, I have a question:

If a shooter has been measured/fitted for an O/U, will the stock measurments of the O/U transfer directly to a SxS gun?

I have heard that they're completely different..

They are different. They will also be different for a smaller bore and a larger bore (think 28-boe and 8-bore). To be completely accurate you need to be fitted for a particular gun an the fitter needs to see you shoot that gun too as eye dominance and shooting style are key factors.

A proper fitting is always the best course of action, whether you buy custom to you or modify one already done.

That said fitting is an art.

First it depends on the shooter consistently shooting in one style or another. If you don't mount the gun consistently then fitting is a waste of time.

Second fitting works best for firing with similar clothing on similar targets. You can't expect the fitting done in a light shirt will fit the same as when you have are wearing a parka. Nor can you expect if your fitting was for upland shooting going away targets up close that it will be the same for Tower Shooting.

Lastly the fitter varies both in his skill in determining what works best for you and your situation. The previous poster is correct about O/U fitting not transferable to SxS as the guns have different recoil dynamics.

Once a gun is right for you and you are performing well with it stay with it. I have had four guns fitted over the years, two have been resounding successes and I cannot be happier. One was ok (I probably did not shot it enough and it is gone to a new home now) and one the verdict is out still (because I do not shot it enough).

I have been very happy with the money I spent getting fitted. At the end of the day you are the only judge as to whether you are shooting the gun you have properly or not. This game is part science, part art, and within that psychological.

Now comes the question of applying your fitted dimensions to a newly built gun, versus bending a gun already on hand. I would feel comfortable with either course if money was not a big deal. I say that because there is a possibility that the bespoke gun may have slightly different handling characteristics and though likely close in fit, might still need fine tuning of being bent just a bit. Then again a gun brought off the rack and bent could need fine tuning as well or even spring back a bit and need rebending.

The comment that practice is the most important aspect of shotgunning is in the ballpark. Fitting is the polish, targets shot is the body upon which the polish is applied.

Lastly the difference of $1,000 dollars for the gun is like the difference of $200 for a hunting dog versus $1,000. Over the life of the gun or dog if you hold onto it and hunt for years the money you spend feeding it, hunting it, and caring for it will dwarf the difference. If you have the money spend it wisely, but don't be penny cheap consider the whole investment. If the $1,000 is too dear then gamble but the bending will eat some of the saving. I often joke that my guns may be worth far more than my truck, but the money and time spent playing with them is twenty times their value.

There are several good books on fitting or with discussions of fitting, this include Michael Yardley's Gunfitting , the Quest for Prefection, Arthur Hearn's Shooting And Gunfitting, Tom Deck's Orvis Guide to Gunfitting, and there are others I do not recall.

1.All people shoot better with a properly fitted gun. A talented few can shoot well with almost anything but they will shoot even better with a fitted gun.

2.You have to establish a proper & consistent gun mount & shooting style before your ideal dimensions can be determined.

3.Select an instructor or fitter that teaches the shooting style you want to use.

4.Off the rack guns may or may not be adaptable to your ideal dimensions as there are limitations in adjusting drop, cast & L.O.P. & balance is a consideration also which has limitations in how much you can change it on an existing gun.

5.I agree that L.O.P. is the least important dimension as you can compensate somewhat by adjusting the forward hand position. that said, once you have established a proper gun mount you will most likely shoot better with a longer length of pull than you ever thought you needed.

6. Read everything Mike Yardley, Chris Batha, Robert Churchill & others have written about the subject of gunfitting & the gunmount.

M. Yardley's little book is really worth the read.

Dig
I'm curious about your statement on different fit for different bore sizes. Can you eloborate?

I just thought I would mention that once you have had your gun built to fit at some expense the gun�s vital statistics stays the same so it is only the correct fit at that point in time, but you as a living being change so as you grow older and put on that old enemy weight and that little twinge of arthritis your gun will not fit your frame as well as it once did. So once you go down the path of gun fitting expect to have it done a number of times during your shooting career.

At today's prices, a new AYA #2 would be about the last gun I would consider. I paid $2600 for my last one, about the right price, in my opinion. Reverend Drew, you are the man. Great post. Bill Murphy

I just left Griffin and Howe's web site and thought this banner on their home page might surmise for the Original author, an answer to his question.

From their home page:

ADVANTAGES OF A PROPER GUN FIT
Gun will shoot exactly where you point it
Head and eye correctly positioned to rib
No adjustment time to an unfit gun stock
Transfer your concentration to the target, not the shotgun
Hold the recoil to a bare minimum
Reduce your fatigue factor
Increase confidence
Significant shooting score and game harvest improvement

In my opinion, the more factors you know as to "fits" and the better you know them the more likely the gun is to please you. Too many guys take a random walk through guns during their life, never considering what it is about each gun that attracts them. IMO, you will spend enough on guns that you should learn something from each one and each new purchase should take you a step closer to the best you can do in your life.

DDA