The secret behind consistent shooting

It's something many Guns never consider, writes Guy Maddocks, but correct gunfit makes a colossal difference to your accuracy over time

- Guy Maddocks

Gunfit is, in my opinion, one of the most neglected areas for the large majority of game shots. The reason for this is hard to fathom. One analogy I use is this: if you were out buying a pair of jeans or trousers and the sales assistant asked, “What size are you?” and you say, “I’m a 34in waist, 32in leg,” and the sales assistant replies, “I have a pair of 32in/30in, will they do?” The answer would most definitely be “no” — why on earth would you buy a pair that don’t quite fit?

The same can be said of guns. Manufacturers make guns for a generic average build, but of course we do not all fit into this group. I fall into the even more problematic category of being left-handed, so up until my current gun, which is a factory left-hooker, I have had every gun I’ve ever owned altered, as finding a secondhand left-handed gun I like is nigh on impossible. 

Over the years I have spoken to many Guns, and it is rare to find one who has had a gun fitted. The usual bold statement is, “Well, I have never had a gun fitted.” But why not? I think the problem is possibly twofold: those of us who are men just do not like being told we are possibly doing something wrong. We shy away from criticism, and of course some of us are inherently mean so the thought of spending money on something we can’t see puts us off — or is that just me?