rifle fit ?
 

The importance of rifle fit comes up often in "What rifle or caliber should I get" threads. But there isn't much info on what good rifle fit is.

The questions are:

- For a person new to rifles, what are signs that one rifle fits better than another?

- How are we to know (other than by trial and error) that one model of 7mmRM will have less felt recoil than another model or make that weighs the same?

- How do we find out which rifle stock provides a reliable cheek weld once a scope is mounted on the gun, given that of course gunshops don't allow scopes to be test mounted on display rifles?

Any other tips appreciated.

1. fit would be how does it feel when you shoulder it and swing it. it should feel natural and not forced, and a good fit will have a good cheek weld as well. Also make sure your length of pull is good, but you can always add shims if its too short.

2. felt recoil will be reduced by a heavier gun, but at the expense of having to carry a heavy gun around all day.

3. answered in 1

i have a tikka t3 lite in 7mm rem mag, and with a limb saver pad on it, the recoil doesnt bother me at all.

Now I'm confused.

Post 1
 

Its a good question, you should not be..

I'm not confused by the question.

what are you confused by?

did i say something not true?

When shouldered the rifle should point naturally at the target. You should not have to fight to get the sights on target.
Your cheek weld should be natural, you should not have to press your cheek down hard to see through the sights, nor should you have to lift your cheek off the stock.
If you have a scope mounted, there should be sufficient eye relief to keep the scope eye piece from contacting your head under recoil.

Best advice so far..

You will know it when you find it and when you do try and replicate it. Most people who say they have found nirvana have only found the best compromise. Bring your rifle to bear as if snap shooting a target with your eyes closed. When done open your eyes. If you are looking through the centre of your scope you have a good start.

Given the large objective scopes most seem to like nowadays, no stock will give you anything like a cheek weld unless it features an adjustable comb or you stuff a sock in your cheek.
If a stock feels too short, it probably is. If it feels too long, ditto. Chuck's advice about getting comfortable with your eyes closed than seeing where you are at is decent advice.
If you open your eyes and the rifle is canted, you need to change the angle on the butt. If a significant portion of the butt is above your shoulder, the stock doesn't have enough drop. If you have to do anything weird with your neck to achieve alignment, something doesn't fit (it may be your neck!).
Although they are not real pretty, I always found the Sako Hunter stocks to fit very well with little effort. Leeper

I always have trouble with the length of pull (LOP) I have been blessed with short forearms about 13" is perfect for me. Almost every rifle made comes 13 1/2 or 3/4" except for Husqvarna they come 15" those Swedes are big boys. I'm always trimming stocks to fit me.

When Try a new rifle that the first thing I check for.

plastic scope mock-up
 

Thanks for the useful answers and that great link.

The thing is that in the real world rifles are made without sights, and are sold from a rack without scopes. So it is impossible to get a clear sense of where the eye will be in relation to the line of sight once a scope is mounted (cheek weld).

If gun counters had 1" opaque plastic tubes with plastic rings, plastic medium bases and plastic screws, the racked rifles could be mocked up with fake 'scopes'. Being plastic or nylon, there is no damage to the new rifle.

Pick up the rifle with your eyes closed, shoulder it. If you're looking straight down the tube, the cheek weld will be good provided you get the proper ring height.

The questions are:

- For a person new to rifles, what are signs that one rifle fits better than another?

Handle as many as possible, don't be in a hurry, peruse with a mentor.

- How are we to know (other than by trial and error) that one model of 7mmRM will have less felt recoil than another model or make that weighs the same?

You won't...but good news is there are solutions - aftermarket recoil pads, muzzle brakes etc.

- How do we find out which rifle stock provides a reliable cheek weld once a scope is mounted on the gun, given that of course gunshops don't allow scopes to be test mounted on display rifles?

Again a trusted mentor to help pre-purchase. Be aware of what your LOP really is (previous poster provided a good link)... here is another from Boyds, very informative. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOgIPbzKHWI

fit
 

as said by JamesB , best advice but , I need to add to this .
Its july its hot and your in a tshirt ...gun fits awesome , fast forward to November...its -20 ,your all bundled up and dam...gun don't fit , gotta reach way out to shoulder , gotta wiggle it around to get sight picture , wth is wrong lol.
take your hunting parka with you . try gun with it on , does it fit now . I do this with all my purchases . did this with the wife when she decided to start huinting with me . as she found out some fit awesome in a tshirt but not in full gear lol. winter or summer she has no problems with them because time was taken to factor in all the variables.

I suggest establish your length of pull first. Try different rifles and keep track of the length with a tape measure. Measure from trigger to middle of the buttplate. I wear a fall weight jacket and watch carefully for a tendency to snag the toe, top of buttplate, in the arm pit. Some rifles come with spacers for easy adjustment. I find LOP the least critical. My favorite rifle measures 14 1/4", Marlin 444S, but shorter LOP works down to 13 1/2", Winchester 94.

Check the location of your trigger finger in relation to the trigger for grip fit. I like a fit that is at least a 90 degrees for my tip and trigger. A little long compensates for gloves. I don't like one that fits short yet some do.

If possible choose a rifle that has different ring heights easily available, specially low. Check to make sure the bolt doesn't require a high scope mount for eyepiece clearance like a CZ 527 can sometimes. Avoid extremes of big glass.

Shouldering the rifle with closed eyes is also my technique. It works well to establish general feel and fit. If you open your eyes and the rifle is pointed skyward and hard left or right compensate and note how it feels, very revealing.

The comment about compromise fit is the best advice. Get it close and shoot a lot. I always learn to adjust to a rifle that fits close. Scope mounting is a different question but is the final step for good fit, sadly after the purchase.

As far as felt recoil I know a 7MM-08 will feel a bunch milder than a 7MMRM.