Where do you set your butt?

m-g willy · Jun 25, 2009

Rifle butt that is.
I have always placed the butt of the rifle on my shoulder (except those times when a fast shot with the shotgun ended up with the butt between my shoulder and bicep!)
I've noticed that alot of muzzle loaders seem to like the upper arm for resting the rifle butt instead of the shoulder.
Was the upper arm rest the preferred way to shoot in the 1700-1800 period?
Or was it just (to each his own) way to shoot?

rabjr · Jun 26, 2009

My guns mount comfortably right at the top of my bicep muscle. Everything lines up nice for me that way.

DOUBLEDEUCE 1 · Jun 26, 2009

I always plant the buttstock of any longarm in the pocket of the shoulder. Quick shots with a shotgun make no difference to me, the stock is always in the shoulder. I can't say what the norm was in the early days. I have seen some folks with oozing, bleeding, huge bruises from not mounting shotguns properly. The skin was never broken for the bleeding. It was like an over ripe plum weeping goo and blood. Another guy bled so much from being pounded, the blood soaked through his shirt. The blood dried and stuck to his skin. When he came to me for some assistance, he pulled on his shirt to show me how badly bruised he was. The top layer of skin came away with the dried blood and shirt material... :shake:

It is always mounted properly for me.

mckutzy · Jun 26, 2009

I have found that with more curved the butt plate it is critical to place it in the shoulder area or u might get bit, a friend of mine had a terrible time one shoot, he had is whole arm and shoulder in pain be cause of misplacement of the butt, I showed him where I thought it wasnt as biteing and sure enough it had made an improvement and far less pain if any.
The shoulder i find the best.

GreyWhiskers · Jun 26, 2009

DoubleDeuce 1 said:
I always plant the buttstock of any longarm in the pocket of the shoulder. Quick shots with a shotgun make no difference to me, the stock is always in the shoulder.

DITTO here. GW

jethro224 · Jun 26, 2009

Yep. Mine always go IN the shoulder. Not too far out on the arm or too far in on the pec. There's a spot where it fits.

Russ T Frizzen · Jun 26, 2009

Depends on the configuration. Deep crescent shaped butts go out on the upper arm and flatter types I mount like a modern gun.

roundball · Jun 26, 2009

m-g willy said:
Was the upper arm rest the preferred way to shoot in the 1700-1800 period?

I don't have any idea about what was preferred back then...but for me, shooting muzzleloaders with cresent shaped brass buttplates the past several years, they mount directly against my shoulder with the toe of the cresent leading down into the crease of the armpit.

Vaino · Jun 26, 2009

Never had any formal coaching when young on how to mount a shotgun or rifle but if'n one wants to kill a fast flying ruffed grouse or a running deer, efficiency of mounting is paramount. Either a shotgun or rifle mounted properly brings the "line of sight" under the shooter's eye w/ no lateral or vertical head movement and this mandates a shoulder mount....I don't shoot guns w/ crescent shaped BPs that, to be comfortable, require an upper arm hold. But....to each his/her own....Fred

Snakebite · Jun 26, 2009

roundball said:
m-g willy said:

Was the upper arm rest the preferred way to shoot in the 1700-1800 period?

Click to expand...

I don't have any idea about what was preferred back then...but for me, shooting muzzleloaders with cresent shaped brass buttplates the past several years, they mount directly against my shoulder with the toe of the cresent leading down into the crease of the armpit.

Ditto Roundball. Both my Hawken and Souther Mountain rifles have cresent buttplates, they fit on my shoulder and line up perfectly with my eye. I don't understand putting it out on your arm, you have to cock your head over to look down the sights. :shake:

worker11811 · Jun 26, 2009

Against the meaty part of the shoulder and pull it in good and tight. If you don't hold the gun tight it will kick you harder and cause more bruising.

Holding loosely allows the gun to gain momentum and transfer it into your shoulder.

Holding tightly makes your body and gun move as a unit, thereby transferring the momentum THROUGH your body instead of INTO it.

It might not make shooting any less painful if you are shooting a heavy-recoiling gun but it will help prevent injury and hopefully allow you to shoot longer.

roundball · Jun 26, 2009

DoubleDeuce 1 said:
I have seen some folks with oozing, bleeding, huge bruises from not mounting shotguns properly. The skin was never broken for the bleeding. It was like an over ripe plum weeping goo and blood.

Another guy bled so much from being pounded, the blood soaked through his shirt. The blood dried and stuck to his skin. When he came to me for some assistance, he pulled on his shirt to show me how badly bruised he was. The top layer of skin came away with the dried blood and shirt material.

Not 'challenging' you personally...just have to make this response...that those stories are hard for me to believe anyone would allow that to happen to themselves...

Backwoods · Jun 26, 2009

Snakebite said:
roundball said:

m-g willy said:

Was the upper arm rest the preferred way to shoot in the 1700-1800 period?

Click to expand...

I don't have any idea about what was preferred back then...but for me, shooting muzzleloaders with cresent shaped brass buttplates the past several years, they mount directly against my shoulder with the toe of the cresent leading down into the crease of the armpit.

Click to expand...

Ditto Roundball. Both my Hawken and Souther Mountain rifles have cresent buttplates, they fit on my shoulder and line up perfectly with my eye. I don't understand putting it out on your arm, you have to cock your head over to look down the sights. :shake:

Same place here. with firm contact. Too loose and you will feel it. Too tight and you introduce tension in your hold.

hanshi · Jun 26, 2009

Shoulder. All guns, all the time.

Russ T Frizzen · Jun 26, 2009

Not if the stock is made with proper cast-off. Production guns, made with the idea of getting the highest number of stocks out of the least amount of wood don't bother with such niceties. And most shooters, used to modern cartridge guns that don't have cast-off for the same reason, don't know the difference. But there surely is a big one and that's one more reason to get a custom gun.

DOUBLEDEUCE 1 · Jun 26, 2009

I have two words to explain my comments about bruising etc...Blonde, and Marine. And that was just one of those folks. If I hadn't witnessed it, I would have to question the sanity of those people myself. :shake:

sixbull · Jun 26, 2009

Snakebite said:
Ditto Roundball. Both my Hawken and Souther Mountain rifles have cresent buttplates, they fit on my shoulder and line up perfectly with my eye. I don't understand putting it out on your arm, you have to cock your head over to look down the sights. :shake:

Russ T Frizzen said:
Not if the stock is made with proper cast-off. Production guns, made with the idea of getting the highest number of stocks out of the least amount of wood don't bother with such niceties. And most shooters, used to modern cartridge guns that don't have cast-off for the same reason, don't know the difference. But there surely is a big one and that's one more reason to get a custom gun.

My custom flintlock has cast-off, fits real good right off my shoulder on my arm and I don't have to cock my head to look down the sights.

sixbull

rabjr · Jun 26, 2009

sixbull said:
Snakebite said:

Ditto Roundball. Both my Hawken and Souther Mountain rifles have cresent buttplates, they fit on my shoulder and line up perfectly with my eye. I don't understand putting it out on your arm, you have to cock your head over to look down the sights. :shake:

Click to expand...

Russ T Frizzen said:

Not if the stock is made with proper cast-off. Production guns, made with the idea of getting the highest number of stocks out of the least amount of wood don't bother with such niceties. And most shooters, used to modern cartridge guns that don't have cast-off for the same reason, don't know the difference. But there surely is a big one and that's one more reason to get a custom gun.

Click to expand...

My custom flintlock has cast-off, fits real good right off my shoulder on my arm and I don't have to cock my head to look down the sights.

sixbull

Same here. When I mount my rifles I'm automatically looking at my sights without moving my head, real nice to be able to do that.

GreyWhiskers · Jun 27, 2009

roundball Not 'challenging' you personally...just have to make this response...that those stories are hard for me to believe anyone would allow that to happen to themselves...[/quote said:
Check out DD1's profile. I'll bet he's seen worse. GW

Ken Rummer · Jun 27, 2009

IMHO the curved brass buttplates on my Hawkens are placed on my arm because this position works. Sight lineup has not been a problem and a PRB with up to 110 gr 2F is comfortable. Mounting the butt on the shoulder with anything over 80 gr is not as comfortable and at 90 gr + is downright painfull for me especially in the summer when shooting in a tee shirt. In the winter it does not matter much.

I think the pain inflicted is related to the weight of the body part the buttplate is pushing. The lighter arm can roll with the punch better than the whole upper body can with a shoulder mount.

Where do you set your butt?

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