Determine "the right" length of pull

[Horn Seeker]

Ok, I've looked around a bit and the other day, for the first time in a long time of looking I ran into a method to determine The proper LOP for you.

It was a video Boyd's puts out. the guy measured 5 3/4 inches back from trigger and made a line on a piece of tape on the stock. Then, he shouldered the rifle and put a line on that tape where the end of his nose was. Ideally, the two lines would be the same. If not, adjust length of stock to bring the nose to the line 5 3/4" from trigger.

Well, just for kicks, I tried this on the rifle I've been shooting for 18 years, with a factory standard 13 1/4 LOP... my nose was a full inch in front of the line on the tape! Telling me my stock should be an inch longer with a 14 1/4" LOP.

I am 5'7 (almost)... this sounds ridiculous. I thought for sure it was gonna tell me I'd have to cut my stock down! Anyhow, I'm not changing anything. My point is, to start a new shooter, do you make some sort of measurement to determine correct LOP? Do custom gun makers have a formula??

Thanks for anything!!

 

[npaden]

My understanding would be that the LOP would be more based on how wide your shoulders are and how long your neck is than how tall you are.

With that said, the way I decided on my LOP was by shouldering a few rifles and deciding which felt the most comfortable. Almost always the rifle with the longer LOP feels more comfortable to me, around 13 3/4". Not sure I've seen any much longer than that, 14 1/4" would be a very long LOP.

Are you broad shouldered with a long neck?

 

[Sawtooth]

14 1/4" would be a very long LOP. Are you broad shouldered with a long neck?

Either that or he has a very long nose.

 

[Horn Seeker]

I'd say avg shoulders, avg nose... average neck!!

 

[farbedo]

The short answer is no, custom stock makers don't use a formula very often. Mass stock makers do. A quick method used that I have found more or less close, is to measure from your index finger pad in the firing position to the center of your bicep also in the firing position. Make your forearm and bicep 90 degrees from each other, and measure from your index finger (curved as if you were pulling the trigger) to the center of the bicep. This gets you fairly close if you are not a body builder, but isn't going to get you perfect. Keep in mind, there is a lot more to fitting a stock than LOP. There is also cast off/on, toe out/in, toe line, how big your hands are (grip sizing), how you hold your head, and what shape your face is. I'm probably forgetting something. I use a check list to fit stocks. The Boyds method is not what I would recommend.

A good custom stockmaker will have you come into the shop and use a tryout stock. It has lots of adjustments and each is tweaked until you can shoulder the gun/rifle like it is part of you. Factory stocks are made to the average persons dimensions.

I made a stock for a fellow not long ago that was a stock creeper. He would crane his neck and head forward when he shouldered the stock. This was how the a military instructor taught him using an M1A1 (touch your nose to your thumb) and it was now second nature which wasn't going to change. He needed a longer LOP and different cheek piece position than someone that keeps their head straight up. Otherwise he would bash his nose with his thumb on a heavy recoiling rifle. He had me make a .375 Ruger for him, so recoil was a factor. The Boyds method is trying to keep your nose about 1.5" from the top knuckle of your thumb when you shoulder the rifle. This changes from shooter to shooter. I have the person shoulder the rifle with their eye closed and ask them to imagine they are snap shooting the biggest deer they ever saw. I also ask if they generally hunt in heavy winter clothes or not. Winter jackets can take up 1/2" of stock.

Double shotguns will be different than rifles or pump/semi-auto guns.

I don't want to say that this is snake oil and magic. It is simply a fact that we are all built differently, and each person has their own characteristics. A truly custom stock fits those unique features of a person. A really well fit woman's rifle will be a PITA for a man to shoot.

14.25" is very long on a rifle for any person. You should be in the 13.5 or 13.25 category, if I were to guess based solely on your height.

Jeremy

 

[Horn Seeker]

Well, the 13 1/4 on my Abolt seems great!
Thanks for the insight!

 

[Curvebow]

I agree on the above comments! A formula isn't going to work. Also, folks hold guns differently. I don't move my hed forward, just put my face to the stock and hence, my scopes are all mounted back. Some are as far back as the tube allows. A friend, about teh same body size, has all his scopes as far forward as they will go!

I have a Remington Model 7600 pump. The way the received is rounded at the rear, the scope is too far forward when I have it positioned as far back as it will go. It caused my thumb to punch me in the nose a lot of the times. It almost never sees the light of day!

For me, I use the method of putting the gun butt in the crook of my bent arm and I want the trigger in the sweet spot on my finger. Now & then in really cold weather, I would prefer a rifle about 1/2 inch shorter to allow for he clothing bulk. But, alas, that's not an option so I try to be cognizant of the seemingly too long stock.