Drop at Comb

[Pa SxS]

Paul Harm, since your eye is your rear sight, how do you keep your eye at the same height relative to the barrel when you mount from a low gun position time after time when you have to mount the gun quickly. I assume your cheek never hits the stock with that much drop. With a higher comb, you have the same reference point when your cheek contacts the stock assuming your cheek hits the same point on the comb each time you mount the gun.

Just asking because a small change in your eye position relative to the barrel makes a big difference on how high or low your gun shoots.

[Paul Harm]

I have a DVD by Chris Batha about shooting the double gun. In it he talks about shooting stance. Weight equal on both feet keeps the head up, weight on the front foot makes you want to push your head forward and somewhat down. He shoots a more modern stocked gun so he's a weight forward shooter. If you're going to shoot the old SxS's with lots of drop you just about have to shoot " heads up ". Where does the gun hit my face ? It just naturally comes up between the cheek bone and jaw. I don't worry about lifting my head to see if I hit the bird, it's already up. Try mounting your gun with more weight on the front foot and then with equal weight on both feet and you'll see what I mean. One other item, you don't walk around with your head down at a 45 degree angle looking out of the top of your eyes, so why would you shoot a gun this way? I've notice a lot of the top SC's shooters are using a high rib and monte carlo stock so they can shoot heads up - us with the old guns don't need all that, we already have one stocked properly. JMHO

[Craig Larter]

I agree with Paul the key to shooting vintage SxS with lots of drop is keeping equal weight on both feet and standing straight with head up. One other consideration--I also find as your leading hand is extended further out on the barrel it can/will pull your head down. If you wear glasses shooting heads up style allows better target focus through corrective lenses in my experience. JMHO

[OH Osthaus]

after years of wood on wood - not lifting my head

now i am supposed to keep my head up?

i just add a pad to get the comb to where my eye should be if the drop where correct/consistent between guns

not that it makes me shoot any better- but my excuses can be consistent as well

the negative is it does hide some nice wood that might distract observers

[Big D]

Looks to me that the downside of your rig is that you have added about 1/4" of cast on. That would be a bigger deal than the drop for me.

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by John Dallas

Looks to me that the downside of your rig is that you have added about 1/4" of cast on. That would be a bigger deal than the drop for me.

not that much really- the pad itself is thin and i build it up right on top of the comb

my eye still aligns with the rib

since the comb thins a little, it is not a straight sided slab- so as you raise the top of the comb- you can add a little to the side and keep the same width as it was below

[Drew Hause]

The ol' boys were much more likely to 'crawl the stock' as does Dr John Truitt, quite effectively



More here
https://docs.google.com/a/damascuskn...3d3Eno/preview

[Pa SxS]

I don't disagree that you have to shoot heads up with a gun with lots of drop or else you'll only see the back of the receiver. The other 2 things you can do is bend the stock or add a comb riser. With shooting head up on a gun with lots of drop, how do you keep the proper eye alignment when your chasing a bird or clay target? That's why firm contact on the stock with the cheek bone is important through the entire swing.

Maybe Dr. John can tell us what the DAC and DAH is on that hammer gun.

[Double Lab]

Knowing John and looking at that stock in the picture I'd be willing to bet that it is damn near parallel or close to it.

[Bill Murphy]

John can shoot a gun with a lot of drop at heel because he crawls the comb. The comb drop is probably more to his liking. The drop at heel means little. I have shot in competition for decades and have always preferred to crawl the stock. It's not for everyone, but it has worked for me. Many participants in the king of clay target sports, International Skeet, crawl the stock.