Ask The Instructor: Get A Grip

Question:  I hear a lot of talk about gun mount but not a lot of talk about how the hands are supposed to be positioned on the shotgun. Can you describe the proper grip?

Answer: This question probably deserves a chapter in a book. Let’s assume that you have a well-fitting shotgun, that is well-balanced, and that you are right-handed. The trigger finger should contact the trigger on the vertical center of the front face of the trigger. On the pad right index finger (at the distal phalange), the trigger should be placed somewhere in the middle of the pad. This is the most sensitive tactile area of the finger and allows the shooter to more finely control trigger pressure. The shooter’s hand should be positioned such that he is pulling back on the trigger and not up. A shooter with a small hand will tend to choke up on the neck of the stock to reach the trigger and thus pull up on the trigger rather than back. Moving the hand closer to the receiver will also add stress to the right wrist, which may negatively affect the gun mount. The middle finger and thumb of the right hand should barely touch on the left side of the stock but should not overlap when the gun is fully gripped. The front hand should be in a good position to offset the back hand in moving the gun. In other words, the balance point of the shotgun should fall between the two hands of the shooter, which is normally at the hinge pin on a well-balanced gun. In general terms, the position of a shooter’s front hand should be in the middle of the fore end for an over/under and slightly farther back toward the receiver for a semi-automatic. If a shooter tends to place the front hand too close to the receiver/action, it may result in a more lively front end when moving to the target. Positioning the hand a bit farther away from the action may put more strain on the left arm. Ultimately, where you place your front and back hands on the gun is all about achieving the optimal physical control of the shotgun as you engage a target.