What measurements and how to take them for a well fit rifle

[Hornedfrogbbq]

What is the best way to get measured for a double rifle (or i guess any rifle) when your plan is to be patient and wait for a good quality used rifle? I assume the OEM sales folks don't want to waste time on you when you are going to look for a used weapon but maybe that isn't true?

I under stand LOP but comb drop and other measurements of great importance? Obviously you can always handle a gun and figure out if it fits or not. Is that a hard and fast rule? I do know most quality merchants will give you several days to try that but not fire.

 

[sgt_zim]

Proper comb height will be very dependent on your optics. A scope with a 50mm (or bigger) objective will need to sit in high rings so the objective will clear the barrel, meaning you'll need a higher comb to get a proper sight picture.

For express sights, as long as the comb isn't too high, you can easily line up your sights if you have to raise your face off the comb a bit. My only real experience with big bores is my 404J and my buddy's 458 WM. Too low of a comb on those is a problem for me - they both jump up with the recoil and whack the snot out of my face - 4 or 5 shots out of my 404J will leave a nice bruise on my cheek without the additional height I added to the comb. I prefer as tight of a cheek weld for my 404J as I do for my other rifles.

If you're spending north of 10K on a rifle, spending another 1000+ on a proper-fitting butt stock shouldn't pose a challenge. Buy the rifle you want, then plan to bring it to somebody who can do the wood work to make it fit. I absolutely wouldn't concern myself with trying to buy a double that already fits.

 

[Jefferry404]

When I was looking, found detailed instructions for shotgun and thought that work for me for DGR

 

[AZDAVE]

Everyone's body is different sized. and can make a big difference in the fit. The measurements you are looking for on the stock is LOP, Drop at the Comb and Heel, and cast off.
The major contributing factors are arm length, build through the chest and shoulders, length of your neck, distance between your eyes., fullness of your face, length of your face from corner of the mouth to center of your eye. Is this rifle going to be used with irons/red dot or with Optics ETC.

Having a quality fitter will make all the difference in the world for proper fit. especially as the CAL get bigger.

Go to a good shotgun fitter and get a proper fitting done (If they have a try-gun would be the best option) I find that my double rifles fit best about a 1/4 in shorter than my shotguns.

On my old computer I had a diagram for stock measurements let me see if I can find it.

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

Here is a diagram of what they do when you get fit for a rifle. Ot atleast what they a gun maker did for me when I was fit for a double.

 

[BeeMaa]

Rifle fit is important but is magnified when the caliber is above .450 and DG is on the menu.

Spending up to 2-3K for a new blank and having it professionally fitted will make a world of difference when it comes to the recoil impulse you feel and the results on target. Sorry, double rifles aren’t an inexpensive hobby.

Considering it represents about 10-15% of the rifle initial cost should not be a big ask for a Heym (or similar) level rifle. And you can still keep the original stock if you choose to sell it.

The biggest thing to work out is what sights you will be using (now and in the foreseeable future) before talking to a stock maker.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Proper mount is the first step. If you are still learning to mount and hold. Then you build a custom stock to an improper mount. The gun won’t work as well when you learn to mount and hold the gun properly.

Then you actually need to shoot the try gun. Not just hold it.

I don’t follow any of the above practices. like most mortals I don’t have custom rifles built. I shoot them how they are built.