Is a professional gunfit worth the money?

Words and photos by John Clements

This is a tale of a young man, Tom, with a few years of shooting under his belt, who is looking towards upgrading his gun and doing it properly, starting with perfect measurements for perfect gun fit. To that end he visits the hallowed acres of Holland & Holland’s shooting ground, in the company of Chief Instructor Nathan Dudley, to see what it is all about. I came along for moral support, to document proceedings, and a splendid day out!

A warm welcome

The tree-shaded entrance to the multifaceted jewel that is the Holland & Holland complex was a sight for sore eyes after two hours on the M25. Not all shooting grounds and shops get it right: you might wait whilst a receptionist finishes a conversation with a co-worker, seemingly unaware of your existence before falling into an over-rehearsed routine which offers up insincerity and evident boredom in buckets.

Not here! Everyone seems to be very fond of their workplace and wants you to enjoy it too: first rate. This might sound like overdoing it, but if you could want for more, you got the impression that someone would be offering it before you knew what ”it” was.

As well as being delightful, this makes good business sense; any teacher will tell you that relaxed and happy pupils learn more effectively and they will be ambassadors for an excellent shooting school. It would be easy to feel a bit daunted, it IS Holland & Holland after all.

Drinking in the Holland & Holland experience

We had arrived early, and had time to soak up the atmosphere, drool over some stunning shotguns and rifles and, once the lattes had gone down, we took advantage of the offer of a quick tour of the building and then something from the bar menu on the terrace. As you can see, the hot dog is a bit special and hot in more ways that one, thanks to the jalapeño peppers within.

Cometh the hour…

Lunch and rest completed it was time to address the purpose of the day, we returned to Reception to meet Nathan. He is one of those understated, shot for Britain, shooting encyclopaedia, real countryman kind of chaps and he wasted no time in setting up Tom to enjoy his session there. We were led, down a flight of stairs to the impressively secure, sanctuary of the gun fitting room.

A thorough gunfit

Did it matter that Tom’s gun was a budget gun from Turkey? Not a bit of it. Nathan started to go through the process of gunfit; he would take the measurement of Tom’s gun and replicate it on one of their many try guns.

This involved a variety of measuring devices, but also the most complex tools of them all - the human eye and decades of experience. As well as cast; the length of pull and the drop at comb are also essential measurements.

Pattern testing

Once the try gun had been configured it was time to go out to find look at eye dominance and to the pattern plate to see where the shot was going.

Once outside the work really began; we found that Tom has a dominant left eye, but shoots off his right shoulder, he shuts his left eye to counter this.

Then to the pattern plate and traps. Each shot was data: analysed and compared with every other shot fired.

When trends were spotted that Nathan didn’t want, adjustments were made and another trial began until eventually he seemed satisfied and we moved to the clays.

Now we were not just thinking about whether the the clays were breaking , but how? Were they chipping or dusting? Did one side break more than the other? It all went into the mix.

So how did Tom measure up? It is very interesting that although Tom is a big chap, 6'4" and pretty solid, his final  measurement was to add quarter of an inch to his stock - making it 14.75". Bang on bog standard for length. But a full 3/4 " less than me, a smaller person, which might strange. But for Tom, all those hours in the gym mean that between where the muscle ends and his hands begin, is shorter than a less substantial person, two inches shorter and three stones lighter. It is a fascinating topic!

So should you get your gun fitted?

• Yes, yes and you know “yes”? Yes. We are all different. To avoid having your gun made different too, especially if it might be a simple transformation, is ridiculous.
• But get it done properly. A few years ago I had mine checked and I was never really convinced by what the chap was telling me, even though he sounded as though he was convinced. I had it checked again with a reputable instructor and my fears were confirmed and my gun altered again.
• If you are not Mr or Mrs Average; with a fitted gun you are not at a disadvantage.
• Also if your body changes in shape then go and get it checked again.

A gun fitting at Holland and Holland will cost you £160 per hour; alterations might be a few pounds, like Tom’s and something you can do at home with a screwdriver. Alterations in cast, length, drop or the addition of an adjustable comb will cost more depending on the work done and this should be done by a professional. For most work it will cost less than a moderate days driven shooting, and a well fitting gun can make such a day all the more enjoyable.

Book your perfect gunfit at Holland and Holland today