looking for the correct way to measure my length of pull. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. John
L.o.p
- Thread starter jmwyoming
- Start date
Mr Drysdale
Active Member
- Mar 24, 2013
- 404
- 309
Found this on another site. How To: Measure YOUR Length of Pull
Adjustable stocks, butt spacers, differing sizes of recoil pads, all sorts of ways to make a rifle stock longer, or shorter if necessary, but how do you know what size you need?
The internet has become a powerful tool to every informed shopper on the planet. With a few clicks, you can find just about anything you are looking for, and in most cases, save yourself some money in the process. While this is a great thing for do it yourselfers, it also leads to sometimes making less informed decisions as you don’t have that “hands on” that you do in a store or shop environment.
Rifle stocks are one such category so here I will show you a very easy way to measure your length of trigger pull to insure that, should you want to, you can order up a stock for any of your weapons that will be the right size and fit for you.
Standing straight up, with your arms hanging at your sides, you need only to bend your arm at the elbow to 90 degrees to the front.
How To: Measure YOUR Length of Pull - General Rifle Discussion
Keeping your wrist straight & in line with your forearm, now make an imaginary pistol style grip with your hand. Curl your finger into a natural trigger position.
Now, using a tape or similar device, measure from the inside of the elbow, just below the bicep, straight down the forearm to the middle of the pad on your trigger finger.
How To: Measure YOUR Length of Pull - General Rifle Discussion
How To: Measure YOUR Length of Pull - General Rifle Discussion
How To: Measure YOUR Length of Pull - General Rifle Discussion
You now have the measurement for your length of pull on a rifle stock. 13.50” is the standard length of pull for a US made rifle stock. If you are over that number ( like the person in the picture ), you need a longer stock. If you are under that number, you need a shorter stock. If you live, or are going to operate/hunt, in a climate that is extremely cold, needing heavier clothing, subtract 0.25” from the measurement to offset for the difference when that clothing is put on.
Adjustable stocks, butt spacers, differing sizes of recoil pads, all sorts of ways to make a rifle stock longer, or shorter if necessary, but how do you know what size you need?
The internet has become a powerful tool to every informed shopper on the planet. With a few clicks, you can find just about anything you are looking for, and in most cases, save yourself some money in the process. While this is a great thing for do it yourselfers, it also leads to sometimes making less informed decisions as you don’t have that “hands on” that you do in a store or shop environment.
Rifle stocks are one such category so here I will show you a very easy way to measure your length of trigger pull to insure that, should you want to, you can order up a stock for any of your weapons that will be the right size and fit for you.
Standing straight up, with your arms hanging at your sides, you need only to bend your arm at the elbow to 90 degrees to the front.
How To: Measure YOUR Length of Pull - General Rifle Discussion
Keeping your wrist straight & in line with your forearm, now make an imaginary pistol style grip with your hand. Curl your finger into a natural trigger position.
Now, using a tape or similar device, measure from the inside of the elbow, just below the bicep, straight down the forearm to the middle of the pad on your trigger finger.
How To: Measure YOUR Length of Pull - General Rifle Discussion
How To: Measure YOUR Length of Pull - General Rifle Discussion
How To: Measure YOUR Length of Pull - General Rifle Discussion
You now have the measurement for your length of pull on a rifle stock. 13.50” is the standard length of pull for a US made rifle stock. If you are over that number ( like the person in the picture ), you need a longer stock. If you are under that number, you need a shorter stock. If you live, or are going to operate/hunt, in a climate that is extremely cold, needing heavier clothing, subtract 0.25” from the measurement to offset for the difference when that clothing is put on.
Slugz
Veteran member
http://blog.cheaperthandirt.com/length-pull-matter/
This is another good read I reference at times that discusses a good gun fitter vs gunsmith. A little more prevalent in the wingshooting community. I never realized though how critical it could be until I picked up a 3th generation modified Enfield handed down to my son that has this beautiful maple stock on it. (heavy as hell though) I threw it up to my face and was immediately on spot to shoot, scope mounted gun. My next project is to take the stock and have it replicated....a few times over.
This is another good read I reference at times that discusses a good gun fitter vs gunsmith. A little more prevalent in the wingshooting community. I never realized though how critical it could be until I picked up a 3th generation modified Enfield handed down to my son that has this beautiful maple stock on it. (heavy as hell though) I threw it up to my face and was immediately on spot to shoot, scope mounted gun. My next project is to take the stock and have it replicated....a few times over.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Over the years I have made a lot of stocks, both rifle and shotgun. LOP is important, but a lot of other measurements need to be taken also. It was hard to translate measurements into fit. I used to have the buyer present and me with a rasp file and start working the comb, cheekpiece (if they wanted one), pitch and drop. You really can't do that on the composite stocks of today. You can make adjustments, but the stock will probably have to be refinished (repainted) when finished. Some of the real good stockmakers used to use what everyone called a "try" stock. It had adjustable features like lop. drop, etc that could be continually adjusted for proper fit. The stock looked a lot like some of todays target stocks that are used in bench rest and long range shooting. Custom stockmaking today is getting to be a lost art. Not many of us can afford the wood and the stockmakers price!
Slugz
Veteran member
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
Another thing is that wing shooters like their fit quite a bit different that rifle shooters. Also in fitting a rifle stock, there are difference in dimensions for iron sight vs scopes. Usually scopes need a higher comb so the eye lines up with the higher scope.
Production stock on guns today are a compromise and made to fit the "average" build person....whatever the hell that is!
Production stock on guns today are a compromise and made to fit the "average" build person....whatever the hell that is!
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Horsenhike
Very Active Member
Interesting topic. It was my understanding that length of pull, the distance from the trigger to the butt of the gun, while critical to wingshooting, is less so in rifles. What is critical is having a repeatable check rest and eye relief. One of the reasons we like Leupold scopes is that they have such generous eye relief. Whether from standing or prone our scopes provide us a safe and effective eye relief. We have had scopes that are less forgiving, and had some challenges with them.
Our hunting rifles now have DNZ one piece low mounts. Prior to this, and on some of our other rifles, we use either stock packs or adjustable cheek rests to get a situation where we can mount the rifle and have the same sight picture every time.
Our hunting rifles now have DNZ one piece low mounts. Prior to this, and on some of our other rifles, we use either stock packs or adjustable cheek rests to get a situation where we can mount the rifle and have the same sight picture every time.