stock pitch question

Hi All, I'm new here. Shoot P.I.T.A in the west here, just joined ATA, no comment on that. I do have a question about stock pitch. A while back I remember a good video that Brad Dysinger, (thanks!), did. He advocated a neutral pitch. I am going to have a custom stock built for a new shotgun here in the future. I've noticed that the stock maker that I am going to use, usually puts quite a bit of pitch in his stocks. To me it made a lot of sense to try and get good contact on the whole surface of the recoil pad, hopefully getting the recoil to go straight back into Your shoulder. I could really see that theory working well especially for doubles to try and reduce muzzle flip, and theoretically getting on the second target faster. As an experiment, we tried a couple of the new Kickeeze modified trap recoil pads. If You are familiar with them, they build some pitch in to the stock without having to recut the stock itself. All I can say, is that I must be all wet in My thinking, as it did not work for me. A gun that I could shoot so-so, was absolutely terrible. I don't think that I could of hit a barn if I was inside of it. I did so poorly with both guns that I immediately switched them both back to the old pads. Getting back to purchasing this new stock, I'm not real crazy about having a custom stock built with lots of pitch , if it is not going to work for Me. Just looking for some advice on this subject from someone that has a lot more practical experience with this than me. Thanks, J. Webb. P.S. when I say pitch, I do not know if what I am talking about is positive, or negative pitch. what I have tried has ended up making the comb side of the recoil pad longer that the toe side, about 1/4" to 3/8".

 

I think that fairly even contact when you mount the gun is about what you want. And I think that's all there is to it. I have everything from a little to eight degrees and it hardly makes any difference at all, so when I see people putting in a matchbook or similar my guess is that they are looking for magic or have been doing too much reading on internet forums and, worse yet, taking seriously what they encounter there.

If it provides comfortable, pretty-even pressure on your shoulder when you mount it, it's time to move on to another problem.

If you can remember some of your high school physics (statics) and trigonometry and apply them, you will see how little any of this can possibly matter. It is different from drop at the heel which really can bite you when it gets excessive.

Yours in Sport,

Neil

 

I like the top of the pad to make firm contact. If the toe makes contact that's good to.

 

user 1, I plan on doing that very thing. It's going to be a trial and error thing. Maybe it was just that it was new, but I had a very hard time with a different pitch. Another way to put this , would a small change in pitch cause the POI to change much? I did not go to the pattern board, probably should have. It definitely felt a lot different to Me. Neil, I think that Your common sense approach is right on, and is probably the bottom line, especially the part of spending to much time on trapshooting blogs, and not enough time at the rage shooting targets. Thanks All for the responses, the full pad contact, is what I will take away from this.

 

I''m in no way downing your stockmaker, I don't even know him. BUT you are paying for the stock you should get it the way you want it. You just have to find out which way that is. lol Rick

 

Sockeye I think you and I are on the same page, I have been shooting ZERO Pitch for 50 years w/14"lop, My sleeve length is 34-35"inches
depending on who makes the shirt, I get no face slap, am right handed 3/8ths" right hand off set. I use the Kickeze curved pad to accommodate my shoulder fit, Flat pads are a no-no for me. There is a gentleman in Colorado that fits stock real good, do not know his name but can find out for you. The recoil that comes straight back, I feel is the best, no kicking up or kicking down, I saw the Brad Dysinger, Dave Berlet video too and agree with it 100%.

 

I think that video is on youtube I think. Rick

 

Thanks for the feedback All! I seem to be trying different things lately, concerning trap guns. Just seems like I need to try different things to find out what works, or doesn't work for me. If know enough to know what a good sight picture looks like to break targets, and with the added pitch, it wasn't happening. An interesting note, I first tried this added pitch pad at a holiday meat shoot, couldn't hit much. I drove home, changed out to the old pad, without pitch, and did fairly well, immediately. I guess, if it ain't broke don't fix it! Good Day.

 

Stock pitch can be determined by body structure and comfort, all this being said nobody can shoot for any period if they are continually hit in the face by their gun or pounded on the shoulder

 

I shoot with a Soft Touch recoil system on My shotgun. It will really make a girl out of Me! It shoots very softly.

 

Pitch makes a world of difference. I've shot for 29yrs. and have fought face slap for the most of that time. I found out being 5 ft. 9 and 165 lbs, that down pitch was the culprit. I went to a different pitch and it was like shooting a different gun. Took all the face slap out and was comfortable to shoot. Less fatigue and went to my shoulder correctly every time. Down pitch is usually for barrel chested shooters. Neutral pitch is for slimmer type builds. I adjusted by using different thickness spacers on the toe of the pad until pitch was adj. properly.

 

Hello, For more than 40 years I have experimented with pitch. Changing the pitch can take you from a 76 to a 96 or do the opposite! It is without a doubt, the faster you get to a target, the less down or negative pitch you have, the more targets you will break. If you don't pull the trigger until the target is approaching it's high point, negative or down pitch will mean almost nothing to you. That's why you can't see any of this on a pattern board. If you want a lot of down pitch but make a fast move to the target, you better have your point of impact higher than what you might think you need.

Good shooting to ya! cl3

 

This is a better explanation of proper gun fit, very informative video, I prefer a ZERO PITCH Trap Stock w/Kick-eze Curved Pad,
Dr.longshot

 

GW-22, Thanks for posting that, even I can understand what They are trying to explain. Pretty good explanation, by very good shooters. One thing, if You have neutral pitch, for some of Us, it is not going to fit the angle of Your shoulder very well, and the toe of the stock is probably going to make contact first, That's My experience so far, but am still figuring it out.Put enough pitch in to fit shoulder well, in My experience, it probably changes POI a lot. Good discussion by all, Thanks for the info. J. webb.

 

If the toe hits your shoulder first, you can always go to a Kick-Eez Rocker pad or Trapdude pad.

 

Ljutic329, I have not tried the rocker pads. Did try the Kickeeze modified trap pads on 3 different guns. I will not do that agin, as nobody liked them. Felt very different, and shot different. Have changed all back except for 1, and will change that one back, when I have time. Maybe they are something that You just have to get used to?

 

Sockeye....I believe you misunderstand the use of the Kickeeze modified trap pad. The extended or thicker area at the top of the pad is for shooters who like a high gun position. The top of this pad goes above the shoulder pocket to facilitate and repeat a high mount. The part of the pad which should contact the shoulder pocket the most is the flat face of the pad and the toe which rounds toward the stock is to prevent the pad digging into your chest. The flat face of this pad actually replicates the existing pitch built into your stock.

 

Believe it or not the truth of the matter is that the closer to a 90 degree angle that the face of the pad is to the center line of the bore of the barrel the more the gun will recoil straight back toward the shoulder (period).

From my experience using a rocker pad is much the same as having down pitch. Remember short tall heavy slender old young 0 pitch and proper length will almost always take care of face slap and the gun will stay in place for the second shot in doubles also.

Dave Berlet

 

Borderland, and Mr. Berlet, sorry I have not been on the sight for quite a while, as Our gunclub has bitten off a pretty good project, and I have been pretty much spending every day the last 3 weeks out there. One of the other BOD's asked Me if I was living out there now! A good cause. As I stated earlier, I did get the last gun that I had put a modified pad on, changed over to the sporting clays Kickeeze, (I've used these before, and like them), I mistakenly thought that a modified trap pad would give me better fit along the entire surface of the pad, and at the same time, get the recoil to go straight back into My shoulder. In My experience, the modified trap pad did get Me a better fit, but it obviously changed the POI to something that was quite different than I was used to. I did not check the POI on paper with these pads, and probably did not give these pads enough time, but it was so different than what I was used to, that I really did not want to invest any more time in shooting with them. For Me they just didn't work. Thanks guys for the input, it means a lot. P.S. Mr. Berlet I watched the video about pitch that You helped make. Thanks for taking the time. It's helpful for those of Us that are trying the trial and error method of good gun fit. IE. expensive, and time consuming, but not a lot of good stock fitters in Oregon. Good shooting, J. Webb

 

the more downpitch means the more oomph to raise the muzzle. a little isnt to bad but i prefer 0. most high end gun makers build with 0 pitch. jmo thnks and have a great day howard