Stock Drop Thoughts

[Bob Brown]

I have one that makes this more than an academic question for me. Its a VHE 20 with 30" bbls, 2 7/8" chambers, Lyman ivory bead, 14 1/2" straight grip stock with Silvers pad, 6 lb 6 oz. All good until is comes to the 3 1/2" drop at heel. It's fine for shooting clays when I can set up with the heads up stance needed to shoot it well. I switch guns a lot when hunting grouse in the heavy bush my area and I've gotten in the habit of shooting fast. Unfortunately I can say I've literally never hit a bird with the first shot with that gun. I've also got a Fox AE 20, a L.C. Smith 00E 20, and a several British and European guns that get rotated in, so after I picked up a VHE 20 28" with higher dimensions last year the 30" never made it out again. Would I buy another with similar dimensions? Probably, but I'm weak that way.