Stock Fitter's Bible: Second Edition

Most folks have no idea what stock fit is all about. Why should they? It is a complicated subject and your father likely is not an expert gunfitter or stockmaker, nor are any of your hunting or shooting buddies. Yet, when it comes to shotguns, gun fit is more important than anything else.If your gun kicks you, stock fit is likely a factor. When you miss, stock fit is likely a significant contributor. Get bruised, blink your eyes, lift your head, stop your swing, have an inconsistent gun mount? You likely have a gun fit issue to some extent. Ironically, all the goodies sold as "features" on most shotguns won't help you. In fact, several of them are likely holding you back from shooting comfort and shooting success, more than you could possibly believe. For example, many new guns come with shims.Yet, shims can only change the way the buttstock is pointed away from the receiver. Shims don't change pistol grip shape, comb width, shims don't do anything to change the relationship between your hand and the trigger. Shims can do far more damage than they help, for they may convince you that it is a good idea to try to fit yourself or adjust yourself to the gun, rather than having a gun that is fit to you. Manufacturers aren't much help. How do you know when a shotgun fits you? How do you really know?Your shoes can affect your stance, your gait, and your posture. If you gain or lose weight, your clothes don't fit you properly, and likely neither does your shotgun. Countless hundreds of thousands of dollars are thrown at meaningless gimmicks: all the stuff that cannot be shown to work: back-boring, forcing cones, ported chokes, center beads, allegedly low-recoil powders and wads, and so it does. None of this goes to the heart of the matter, the basic reasons for the problem in the first place. In Stock Fitter's Bible, Rollin Oswald meticulously guides you through the process, from the early attempts at stock design through the present day. Rollin does this thoroughly and carefully, giving examples throughout how stock design relates to the different shooting disciplines and how one dimension may well change everything else.Stock Fitter's Bible is all meat, prime cut red meat, packed into 215 pages. Enjoy Rollin's book, and you'll know far more than most shooters, gun dealers, and gun manufacturers about stock fit. The benefits are huge: it took Rollin Oswald some fifty years of seeking legitimate answers to his own stock fit questions, rebuffed with myths and half-truths along the way, to finally connect all the dots and put it into a clear, detailed format that everyone on the planet can absolutely, positively benefit from. Stock Fitter's Bible is not just an interesting read, it is a vital read that should be considered mandatory for anyone who uses, or wants to use a shotgun. Yes, this book is that good. From what I know of Rollin, I expected a very competent treatise, but I had no idea that this book, now in its expanded Second Edition Copyright 2010, would be this spectacularly good.Stock Fitter's Bible is an extremely valuable contribution to the shooting community and one that no one should be without. I bought my copy from Amazon: this book will save you time, money, and make you a more successful shooter. I wish I had the benefit of this knowledge thirty-five years ago, for it would have save me a lot of time, money, trial and error, and pain. Stock Fitter's Bible gets my very highest recommendation without hesitation.Congratulations to Rollin Oswald for what has to be the most important contribution to shotgun literature in the last thirty years. Buy this book today. Don't thank me, thank Rollin Oswald for a job superbly well done of strong and lasting value.Copyright 2013 by Randy Wakeman. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve been shooting skeet for about a year and a half. Since then I have read or watched a number of books and DVDs about shooting skeet. For me the two very best are King Heiple’s and Rollin Oswald’s books. Both contain a wealth of useful info I haven’t found anywhere else, and both are written in simple, easy-to-understand language.As for The Stock Fitter’s Bible, I find the title a bit misleading, which is probably why I waited so long to buy the book. Did I really want to know all the intricacies of stock fitting? Some things just seemed better left to experts, especially because I patterned my shotgun and it seemed to pattern the way I wanted it to.But I now know I was wrong. Mr. Oswald’s book is about a lot more than stock fitting. To me the book is as much about proper gun mounting and gun swinging—both essential to good shooting—as it is about stock fitting.The simple fact is, whether I wanted to see it or not, an improper gun fit leads to an improper mount and swing. Mr. Oswald also provides the best analysis of gun mounting that I have ever read or seen.(In my case I went from putting too little cheek pressure against the comb to putting too much. (I pressed my cheek as hard as I could.) Until I read this book I never realized that too much cheek pressure makes it hard to maintain constant pressure during the swing, and therefore causes slight head lifting.)Mr. Oswald provides an in-depth analysis of the five primary dimensions of stock fitting—pitch, drop at heel, cast, length of pull, drop at comb—and how they are all interrelated.So how do we know if our gun fits? And if it doesn’t, how do we correct the fit? Mr. Oswald answers these important question, yet admits that, in many cases, going to a good, professional gun fitter can be helpful.(When and if I go at least I’ll be able to ask the right questions and have a good idea of what will work for me.)Also, the book has a chapter about the importance of grips and palm swells, things I never gave any thought to.The beginning of the book is a short but, to me, interesting history of stock fitting.I learned so much from this book. That is why, to me, it’s remarkable.

I realize that specialized and technical information can be difficult to convey and don't mind working hard to read and learn. I don't expect every book to be like walking along a stream and every 10 feet picking up a gold nugget. This book is a gold mine of information, except the mine has caved in and you have to excavate to find the flakes of gold.Rollin Oswald is undoubtedly experienced, knowledgeable and a capable gun fitter. His book offers a great deal of useful information about shotgun shooting and getting a good fit, but the information is obscured by a lack of real editing. Shame on you Brenda Judy and Publishers Planet.Miss Herndon would give this book a D+.

The information here is invaluable and the book is exactly as described. It WILL help your shooting and your understanding of gun-fit. It does however, contain quite a 'history lesson' at the beginning and like Joe Irvings wonderful Spaniel-training bibles it was written in an era, prior to political correctness.

Good, interesting book. Maybe not for everybody but it has been a great help to me in my professional capacity.

Very well written book a must for all clay target coachesFor all clay target shooters who want to understand the fundamentals of gun fit, and its affect when getting it wrong and right.To all clay instructors

Great book for anyone interested in clay pigeon shooting.

Excellent read