Length of pull questions?

I am 5'6" and of fire plug stature...I was taught in the Marines to shoot my AR's tip of the nose to charging handle...doing so means a LOP of about 10.75"-11" depending on which AR I am shooting...most bolt actions and BA shooters seem to prefer a 12.5"-13.5 LOP...I am at the point of needing to install a recently purchased LimbSaver grind to fit recoil pad onto my LA stock...I would need to cut about an inch or so to make up for the pads thickness for a 12.5 LOP...I am thinking I want a similar shorter LOP on my bolt gun, something more like an 11-11.5" LOP...I do tend to snug up on my guns and shoot better like this...it will also yield a smaller and lighter package as I plan on shortening the fore end about an inch or so as well. I am running a 17.5" heavy barrel (considering heavy fluting as well) on a 308 hunting gun...so whats the Savage Tribes opinion on shorter LOPs? I will be well off the scope so no issues there...

Also can some of you measure your LOPs and tell me what your coming up with?

I like 15" LOP, but I'm 6'5". I also used to put my nose on the charging handle, but that was before we started using optics. Main goal is to have your head and neck in as natural of a position as possible, so as not to restrict blood flow/breathing causing reduced vision. If you're comfortable, roll on! While hunting you won't be sighting in a for long periods of time like competition requires.

1. Pull rifle comfortably into shoulder
2. Close your eyes
3. Lay your cheek down on the cheek weld making it as comfortable as possible
4. Open you eyes looking through the scope
5. Adjust scope to your natural cheek weld.
6. Repeat as necessary to get scope properly aligned and eliminate tunnel effect.

This is how you will know if you need to raise the cheek weld or adjust scope ring height and eye relief

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Originally Posted by Ackevor

1. Pull rifle comfortably into shoulder
2. Close your eyes
3. Lay your cheek down on the cheek weld making it as comfortable as possible
4. Open you eyes looking through the scope
5. Adjust scope to your natural cheek weld.
6. Repeat as necessary to get scope properly aligned and eliminate tunnel effect.

This is how you will know if you need to raise the cheek weld or adjust scope ring height and eye relief

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I don't think that's the OPS issue. He's just wondering about anyone who uses a short Length of Pull on their stocks.

Length of Pull = distance from the trigger to the end of the buttstock

LoneWolf: Honestly, I am not sure why I assumed he was having issues with what I described, I suppose im farther out of it than I realize.

OP: Just make sure if you do shorten anything that you can still cycle the bolt without having to break your cheekweld.

I'm 5' 11" and I have two 110s with wood stocks and both have a LOP of 12 3/4". On the 30-06 I cut approx 9/16" off the stock before adding a thin recoil pad. On the 338-06 I cut 1 1/8" off the stock before adding a thick recoil pad. My reasons for cutting the stocks were due to the limits of the two piece scope mounts, couldn't get it close enough to my eye. It is my option that if you need to cut the stock cut it, if you make a mistake you can purchase another one and try again. Comfort is a big part of shooting.

If you are using a scope, you can essentially adjust your LOP with the scope eye relief. Shooting a .308, you don't want to get too close.

When I received my Axis 7mm-08 I had to take the LOP down from 13.5'' to around 12'' to get comfortable behind the rifle. Did this by cutting the back of the synthetic stock by almost 2 inches, adding a plywood insert with some JB Weld and few other small add-ons then adding a 1'' Limbsaver Pad. This worked well, and was pretty happy with the result. Also, if you ever have an Axis Model and money is not an object you could order the youth stock which reduces LOP by 1'', remove the recoil pad, and add the 1/2' Limbsaver pad an get 1 1/2'' inches of shortened LOP without having to make any modifications. Or you can order a Boyds' stock and get a custom LOP.

Although I agree you can make some adjustments by moving the scope further back for better eye relief sometimes this causes problems as well such the knobs being so close to rings you can barely read the numbers. Plus, when I had the rifle seated in my shoulder the way I liked it the distance from my elbow to my trigger finger was just to long and trigger control was just awful. Moreover , I found myself leaning my neck/head forward and not really practicing good fundamentals and wasting a lot of time and ammo trying to get that to work. Get your LOP the way you want it and work your scope mounting around that!!

The correct way to measure LOP > http://www.accurateinnovations.com/LOP.html

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Originally Posted by BillPa

The correct way to measure LOP > http://www.accurateinnovations.com/LOP.html

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Pretty much what I've always done as well.

I have tried running my wife's rifle with her 12.5" instead of my normal 14.75", the results were just being generally uncomfortable and allot less stable. Accuracy was constantly effected in a negative..................... In other words: I can't shoot for sh** unless the LOP is right.

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Originally Posted by D.ID

I have tried running my wife's rifle with her 12.5" instead of my normal 14.75", the results were just being generally uncomfortable and allot less stable. Accuracy was constantly effected in a negative..................... In other words: I can't shoot for sh** unless the LOP is right.

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That's why I went to 15"! Was getting all cramped up on the short stock.

Thanks for all the input guys...lots'o wisdom in the counsel of others...

I had been mentally fixated on a short LOP...I just figured that I shoot AR's really well with a shorter LOP so why add length to a gun I don't want or need...

I took the LOP test...the one advised above...and came up with the number I had been fixated on the whole time...13" So 13" it is...time to break out the straight edge adn pencil and adjust the table saw...

BTW, whoever mentioned the LimbSaver grind to fit recoil pad in another thread...AWESOME...

Strongly consider which position you will be using the rifle in most often. If this is a hunting rifle and you'll be shooting from a seated position, you may prefer a closer LOP, if you'll be shooting primarily from a bipod, a longer might be more comfortable. Be honest about how you'll really shoot the gun and then spend some time in that position. The way I shoot an AR is significantly different from the way I tend to shoot a bolt gun.

Here's a pretty decent article on LOP: http://artoftherifleblog.com/rifle-f...h-of-pull.html

Semper Fi.

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Originally Posted by Willy Pete

Strongly consider which position you will be using the rifle in most often. If this is a hunting rifle and you'll be shooting from a seated position, you may prefer a closer LOP, if you'll be shooting primarily from a bipod, a longer might be more comfortable. Be honest about how you'll really shoot the gun and then spend some time in that position. The way I shoot an AR is significantly different from the way I tend to shoot a bolt gun.

Here's a pretty decent article on LOP: http://artoftherifleblog.com/rifle-f...h-of-pull.html

Semper Fi.

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Very little prone...stalking, climbing, from a stand, off hand, sitting, kneeling and stalking...