LOP

[markiver54]

Most of my rifles ( and I don't have many ) have a 14 " LOP. I do however have an old Savage/Anschutz that my Dad bought me about 50 years ago. Model Mark10A. It has a 13 " LOP. Was purchased as a youth model for NRA sanctioned classes and events. The rifle and quick peep sight target aquisition still seems comfortable even with the shorter LOP. As a full size individual now, I have to wonder why anyone of any size has any problem adjusting. How important is LOP and why? Please shed some light on this for me.
I'm about 6' tall and about 190 lbs. Kinda average...I think.

[BrokenolMarine]

If you are shooting a few shots a year from a firearm, a hunter, recreational shooter, etc; then length of pull is not a major issue and you can make do and adjust. Most shooters do, and don't know any difference. It's when you start shooting high volume sports or move to a higher level, competition shooting where a firearm adjusted to fit you makes a big difference. Particularly true in shotgun sports such as skeet, trap, sporting clays... It can affect the natural pointability of the shotgun, and make a big difference in cheek weld.

If a high power rifle shooter has to adapt to fit his stock over a long day of shooting it can cause cramping in the arms, shoulders, upper back. This, while painful, also induces shaking... Hard on the sight picture at 600 yards. DAMHIKT. Lengthening the stock to fit snd stretching out the arms just that much... Oh so much better.

[North Country Gal]

As above, the way a shotgun fits you is all important as to how well you can shoot it. I've spent big bucks on expensive shotguns, only to discover that they fit me, poorly, and that I should have stayed with my good old Remington 870 or 1100, which fit me like a glove.

On a rifle, though, there's more flexibility as to stock design and LOP, but it's still definitely a factor, as Marine indicated and, sometimes, in subtle ways. For instance, when shooting iron sights, the biggest issue for me is how fuzzy that rear sight gets when it's too close to my eye. I prefer a longer than average LOP to keep that rear sight out farther from my shooting eye, even to the point of backing off the buttstock when shooting iron sights at a bench to better see the rear sight.

For my offhand work, though, I like tucking in tight, so a little shorter LOP works for me. That's on the easy kickers, though. Too short an LOP on hard kicking guns is asking to get beat up, bad. Most of my Contender carbines wear an add-on recoil pad for that reason. Not at all comfy with the unusual stock dimensions on these little Contender carbines.

Overall, with rifles, I can work around a given LOP to some degree - until it causes problems for me for my particular application.

[markiver54]

Thanks NCG. guess I'll just leave it as is for now. Don't shoot that one a whole lot.
If in fact I do eventually find the LOP to be annoying, I guess I could just put on a thicker butt plate?
Don't want to de-value the rifle though, ( if it's worth much to begin with ). Dunno.

[markiver54]

If you are shooting a few shots a year from a firearm, a hunter, recreational shooter, etc; then length of pull is not a major issue and you can make do and adjust. Most shooters do, and don't know any difference. It's when you start shooting high volume sports or move to a higher level, competition shooting where a firearm adjusted to fit you makes a big difference. Particularly true in shotgun sports such as skeet, trap, sporting clays... It can affect the natural pointability of the shotgun, and make a big difference in cheek weld.

If a high power rifle shooter has to adapt to fit his stock over a long day of shooting it can cause cramping in the arms, shoulders, upper back. This, while painful, also induces shaking... Hard on the sight picture at 600 yards. DAMHIKT. Lengthening the stock to fit snd stretching out the arms just that much... Oh so much better.

Thank you Jim.
You and NCG have made it very clear what the issues are.

[BrokenolMarine]

Thanks NCG. guess I'll just leave it as is for now. Don't shoot that one a whole lot.
If in fact I do eventually find the LOP to be annoying, I guess I could just put on a thicker butt plate?
Don't want to de-value the rifle though, ( if it's worth much to begin with ). Dunno.

Slip on recoil pad, or lace on, no permanent change, but adds length.
Another thought.

Too short length of pull on heavy recoiling scoped rifles and you are likely to suffer the painful and humiliating scope bite.
Hard to deny with the distinctive half moon cut over your eye, blood pouring down your face, and that language you just used. Worst case, the stitches you have to have. I won't even TRY to deny that I have been there. Ultra-light fiberglass foam filled stock on an short barreled 30-06 custom mountain rifle I was sighting in at the range in Hawaii. Not enough eye relief on the scope, not enough LOP.
Bad combination. No stitches for me, but that group of Marines ragged me for weeks.

[The Wiz]

Been there.