Ask The Instructor: Gettin' Old

Question: I am 75. I had my K-Gun custom fit in 1998. I still shoot it OK but I’m wondering about the fit after so many years. While I don’t shoot registered targets anymore, I still want to shoot my best.  What fitting dimensions are most likely to change as you get older. 

Answer: As my older shooters advance in age through their 50s and 60s, I often have to make adjustments in their gunfit, either by adjusting a comb, restocking an existing gun, or ordering a custom gun from the factory. Afterall, it is the musculoskeletal structure that supports and allows you to move your shotgun to a target. No matter how hard you try to postpone the inevitable, you lose muscle mass as you age. The weight of the shotgun you bought at age 50, might feel a little heavy now, or at least a little harder to move to a crossing target. Since you are now shooting recreationally, rather than registered targets, you may want to consider transitioning to a lighter gun, or even a lighter gauge. If you do, however, you will feel more recoil as a result. Balance can also be a factor. A well-balanced shotgun, with the balance point somewhere near the hinge pin, will feel lighter than a gun that is barrel-heavy. Aside from the factors of shotgun weight, balance and recoil, our body dimensions also change with age. Some shooters stand more upright with time, because they now rely more heavily on their skeletal structure, rather than their muscles, to support, mount and move their shotgun. On the other hand, some older shooters tend to slump by bringing their shoulders forward. Either way, the dimensions of pitch and length-of-pull may need adjustment. Along with age, there also comes a natural sagging of the face around the chin and jaw-line. This often causes the head to be pushed higher over the rib and away from the center-line of the gun, causing the right-handed shooter’s gun to shoot high and left and the left-handed shooter to shoot high and right. While every shooter’s body ages differently, at age 75 you may need a bit more cast and a bit more drop-at-comb than you did when your gun was fit to you 25 years ago. If your stance has changed over time, you may also need an adjustment to your pitch and length-of-pull.