Length of pull question

[Wildstreak]

I’m 6’7” and my length of pull is 14.5 inches. That’s great at the bench or laying prone in the summer when you’re in a T-shirt. Most stocks come 13.5-13.75 inches and they feel a little short. My concern is when it’s October or November and it’s cold, I’ve got layers or a heavy coat on. Do I accommodate and meet in the middle with a 14” or ??

Unfortunately there aren’t any 14 - 14.5 stocks just laying around to try beforehand.

Thanks.

 

[hereinaz]

Build for actual conditions.

I find well fitted eye relief with higher rings helps me with rifle fit more than stock length. I’m 6’2”, and so much advice out there doesn’t work.

The “buy low or medium rings” groups must be short or average size.

 

[Macintosh]

Put on hunting clothes and try it.—stack washers around each recoil pad screw to try different lengths. If its too long, shorten it.
In general, there is enough “wiggle room” in LOP with a rifle that the measurement doesnt need to be super exact—you are never going to get a “perfect” fit that is still perfect between a t-shirt and arctic clothing, so fit it so its ideal for 80% of your use, but its still passable for the extremes.
14.5 doesnt seem long to me for a 6’7” dude. Try it, but I bet its fine. My rifle stocks are longer, and you have several inches on me. Some of that is the minutia of your body shape, and some is technique. Dont forget to try with a pack on, the shoulder strap probably makes more of a difference than the clothing.

 

[rookieforever33]

The need is very different depending on range and style of shooting. If your practicing and shooting out to 500 yards getting your LOP close and adjusting your scope for proper eye relief should be fine. Ive adjusted scopes backward and forward due to heavy clothing and not had issues. I also shoot rifles with different LOPs regularly. The eye relief is always what gets me.

 

[TaperPin]

I’m 6’7” and my length of pull is 14.5 inches. That’s great at the bench or laying prone in the summer when you’re in a T-shirt. Most stocks come 13.5-13.75 inches and they feel a little short. My concern is when it’s October or November and it’s cold, I’ve got layers or a heavy coat on. Do I accommodate and meet in the middle with a 14” or ??

Unfortunately there aren’t any 14 - 14.5 stocks just laying around to try beforehand.

Thanks.

I’ve gone through the same thought process you are. Not only heavy clothing, but quick shots over shoulder straps while wearing a pack are a lot of bulk. I also have bony shoulders and years ago started using a 1/2” thick recoil shield a lot at the range, so it didn’t take long before it made sense to shorten LOP by 1/2” so not only does the LOP fit well off the bench or while plinking, but feels quite natural in the mountains without the pad. This solution has worked so well it just seems natural at this point, but I have no doubt most would find it awkward getting used to a pad on the shoulder, especially if it isn’t needed for light recoiling rounds. I picked up a shooting shirt with a built in pad, but found it too hot on warm days, and a pain in the butt to put on under warm clothes when it’s freezing at the range, so have only used the pictured pad since Justin Bieber was in diapers. The Caldwell seems identical to the model made by PAST.

 

[Wildstreak]

Build for actual conditions.

I find well fitted eye relief with higher rings helps me with rifle fit more than stock length. I’m 6’2”, and so much advice out there doesn’t work.

The “buy low or medium rings” groups must be short or average size.

How do you determine actual conditions. Hunted Wyoming same week the last two years. 2023 it was mild. Almost T-shirt weather. Last year is dropped 13” of snow on us and was pretty cold.

Hard to match those.

 

[TaperPin]

It should also be said that my scopes have a long eye relief and are set as far forward as possible so scope cuts never enter my mind. Short eye relief in a rifle with recoil, combined with an uphill shot, especially quick uphill shots with weird body position and all the sudden scope cuts become something to worry about. In that case I’d vote for increasing LOP to what works best with a T-shirt, knowing with heavier clothes it’s a little long.

 

[hereinaz]

How do you determine actual conditions. Hunted Wyoming same week the last two years. 2023 it was mild. Almost T-shirt weather. Last year is dropped 13” of snow on us and was pretty cold.

Hard to match those.

If that’s the situation, build with spacers to pull out when needed.

I feel like a stock with spacers should be standard. If I build one, it will have double the size of spacers. Every stock with spacers will work for you.

 

[Macintosh]

How do you determine actual conditions. Hunted Wyoming same week the last two years. 2023 it was mild. Almost T-shirt weather. Last year is dropped 13” of snow on us and was pretty cold.

Hard to match those.

I dont know your situation, but clothing just isnt that thick—even several layers plus a down jacket adds maybe 1/2” once the gun is shouldered. Your length needed isnt so critical that 1/4” either way on the stock is going to matter. If 14 1/2 is your t-shirt ideal, something like 14 1/4 splits the difference and should be fine all year. Set your eye relief for the 80%, worst case you have to crawl up the stock a bit to eliminate some tiny amount of scope shadow when you wear your heaviest clothes, but finding a happy middle-ground length is normal for anyone in a cold climate. I’ve never had a scope with such a finicky eyebox that doing this wasn’t a non-issue.
If your problem is the stock catches on clothing as you mount it, thats technique. A wrap of electrical tape around the outside of a recoil pad prevents it from being so grabby as well, and can help if you are in the habit of dragging the butt up your shoulder as you mount.

 

[Mk44]

stock spacers will help give you an adjustable length of pull.
A Limbsaver slip-on recoil pad can also give you a little more length of pull.

 

[Weldor]

6' 4" here. LOP same 14.5 or so. I shoot a Fierce CT roque, stock is perfect. Also shoot a Kimber Mountain ascent stock is good. There are few makers out there at 14 and 14-1/4. I find with shorter stocks I tend to crowd the scope, rails help but keep your cheek weld high. Just experiment with different rifles and clothes, that will help narrow it down. Just borrow a few and see? JMHO. Shotguns are even worse to get a good fit for me.

 

[Wildstreak]

I’m not really sure how to interpret any if this. But, I forgot that my Bergara trainer has an adjustable stock out to 14.5 inches. Hit the range today and shot one of my rifles with a 13.75” LOP and the Bergara with 14.5” LOP. The Bergara was noticeably more comfortable. Head tilt was definitely less or almost nonexistent as well. Especially in prone. The scope on the 13.75 gun was too far back, it needed to be further forward. This also was more noticeable in prone.

Something else that a few others have pointed out, I measured my LOP using the crease of the elbow to pad of my bent trigger finger and it is 16 inches, not 14.5. Unfortunately no one makes a stock that long.

I’m really not sure what to do with this new information. Going to shoot the Bergara tomorrow with a parka on just to see how it feels.

Something tells me that my next stocks need to be no less than 14 inches. Maybe 14.5 inches.

 

[hereinaz]

I’m not really sure how to interpret any if this. But, I forgot that my Bergara trainer has an adjustable stock out to 14.5 inches. Hit the range today and shot one of my rifles with a 13.75” LOP and the Bergara with 14.5” LOP. The Bergara was noticeably more comfortable. Head tilt was definitely less or almost nonexistent as well. Especially in prone. The scope on the 13.75 gun was too far back, it needed to be further forward. This also was more noticeable in prone.

Something else that a few others have pointed out, I measured my LOP using the crease of the elbow to pad of my bent trigger finger and it is 16 inches, not 14.5. Unfortunately no one makes a stock that long.

I’m really not sure what to do with this new information. Going to shoot the Bergara tomorrow with a parka on just to see how it feels.

Something tells me that my next stocks need to be no less than 14 inches. Maybe 14.5 inches.

Scope mounting is the issue for head tilt.

A short stock affects the trigger arm how smushed up it is.

The crease of the arm is for old style rifles and a rule of thumb, you can safely go shorter. I do.

 

[Wildstreak]

Scope mounting is the issue for head tilt.

A short stock affects the trigger arm how smushed up it is.

The crease of the arm is for old style rifles and a rule of thumb, you can safely go shorter. I do.

What is the scope mounting issue? Too far back? Too low? Or?

 

[hereinaz]

What is the scope mounting issue? Too far back? Too low? Or?

Yes, get behind the gun and then set the scope so you are in the eye box at prone and standing, they are at the extremes.

 

[Castle Rock]

I’m 5 9” and I really like my Sauer at 14.5”, you prolly need 17”

 

[TaperPin]

.

Something else that a few others have pointed out, I measured my LOP using the crease of the elbow to pad of my bent trigger finger and it is 16 inches…

That’s a good rough measurement for a traditional hold, but it varies based on shooting style. Squaring up behind a rifle uses a shorter measurement. If someone only shot from one position it would be easy to figure out what works, but everyone uses a slightly different hold for sitting and standing. I get a chuckle out of guys trying to square up outside of prone.

You’ve been shooting rifles too short for you your entire life so it will take a little time to sort out what feels familiar vs what works best. There are many different pieces of metal hardware to extend the buttplate, or any length of spacer can be fabricated.

Scope placement must feel random when LOP is wrong, you don’t have a consistent cheek weld, or even an agreement to what amount of cheek weld is better, scope height isn’t correlated to cheek weld. You don’t only have long arms, but the distance from shoulder to eye is longer so the geometry of a standard stock is not doing you any favors. You’ll either need taller scope rings and higher cheek piece or lean the head farther forward.

Natural point of aim can help you sort much of this out. Every time you shoot close your eyes get the gun in a comfortable natural position and open - the scope should be at the far end of ideal and still provide a full field of view.

You’ll quickly run into disagreement between how much cheek weld is ideal. Without cheek weld the main way the head is indexed behind the scope isn’t there and it doesn’t take a great leap of faith to see how scope cuts will be more common with anything recoiling more than a 243. I’m a traditional shooter and don’t square up, and like a good amount of cheek weld, so when someone uses little or no cheek weld I simply remind myself if it works well on target there’s more than one way to skin a cat. With heavy recoiling rifles no cheek weld is a great way to get stitches from a scope cut.

Having said all that if I were in your position I’d get a stock with metal hardware allowing the cheek piece and buttplate to be adjusted. Short of a custom stock that’s going to provide a great way to sample all different combinations to figure out what’s ideal.