Graybeard Outdoors banner

Do all straight gripped shotguns shoot high?

2K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  The Old Man 
#1 ·
Sorry, but I have to ask.

Am zoning in on an o/u for my wife, but it has the English "straight-grip" stock. (A Citori).

My experience with these types of stocks:

30 years ago, I tried hunting with a Browning sxs 20 gauge, straight grip, 26 inch. It shot a foot high for me. Could not hit a darned thing (dove hunting).

20 years ago, I tried skeet shooting with a Browning citori 12 gauge, o/u, 26 inch barrels, with a straight grip. It shot a foot and a half high for me! I could hit clay birds on Trap really quickly and well. But, I could not hit a single passing shot in Skeet, unless I really really held under the bird. It was truly ridiculous.

So, my question is, are these guns designed specifically for rising birds off a point, and therefore made to intentionally shoot high? If so, I really don't want one for my wife.

Thanks,

Mannyrock
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Has she shot this gun? With shotguns, your eye is the "rear sight", so how the gun fits you determines where it hits. And I bet what fits you doesn't fit her in an identical manner. Please don't take this the wrong way, but what's important is how it fits her, and therefore how it shoots for her, and with all due respect, but in this case, it doesn't matter how this gun shoots for anyone else, you included. I don't know how much it would cost to have this gun fitted to her, but it might be an option you may need to consider. And for what it's worth, the straight grip shotguns I have shot, with one exception, all shot dead on. The exception shot low for me. But this being a matter of fit, you, your wife, and any one of us here could go out on the same day and shoot the same gun, and the gun is liable to shoot to three different POIs for the three shooters. I'd take her shooting if I were you and just see how she likes it and how it shoots for her, cause you and I and everyone else here just don't matter in this.
 
#3 ·
Lonegun summed it up well.

The style of grip has nothing to do with where the gun shoots. I've never owned a Citori, but I've handled a couple (both pistol grip versions) and the comb felt too high for me, but they fit other people just fine. There is no "universal" stock fit, just as there are no "universal" people.

You may have noticed women are (usually!) built different from men and often require cast-off (for obvious reasons) for good fit.

A buddy of mine has a round (should I say fat?) face and needs a lower comb to be able to get his eye low enough. So many variables in shotgun fit, including weight, balance, etc that the person who will use the gun just has to try different ones until they find the "right" fit.
 
#5 ·
Citori shotguns have always shot high for me. But it’s not the grip that causes it it’s the comb. I need a shotgun with more drop at the comb. Merkels, Parker’s, and most older SxS shotgungs work better for me.
 
#6 ·
Depending on how much shooting is going to happen, it may be worth your while to find some one (a gun fitter) who has a “Try Gun” and have a session. You will come away with all the specs that are particular to you/your wife and allow you to have a gun fitted (if that is what you want to do).
I did it years ago at an Orvis facility. One thing I found which has helped my shooting was that my length of pull was over 15 inches (many guns are stocked at 13-14 inches). This was longer than the old “put the stock against your elbow” method told me. I was able to deal with LOP, Drop at comb and cast with an adjustable buttplate.
 
#7 ·
just goes to show that everyone is different.
i can't shoot any o/u's at all with any degree of accuracy.
that and bolt action anything. too awkward to me.
if it doesn't feel very natural when mounting the gun,
you'll never be able to get any accuracy
 
#8 ·
The only straight gripped shotgun I have is an H&R single shot and it shoots low for me.
 
#9 ·
Darkgael has a good idea. When I inherited my father's Rem 1100 years ago, I figured it would be in my safe forever, untill my lovely wife wanted to try it.

I'm about 6' and 200lbs, same as Dad, who could hit ANYTHING with it. The wife is a little over 5', and___(I value my private parts!) lbs, but while I might as well be shooting blanks with the gun, she can't miss!


You just never know.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top