Gun Balance

[ground control]

What are peoples preferences when it comes to gun balance ( muzzle heavy , butt heavy , neutral ) and do the different disciplines ( sporting , skeet , trap ) have different balance requirements ?

The hinge pin is usually used as a reference point in regards to balance , so where does your gun balance and what discipline do you shoot with it ?

Ken

 

[maddmatt]

Usually I like a gun to feel neutral once its in the shoulder, some guns feel out of balance until its in the shoulder, mine is slightly balanced towards the barrels for sporting/fitasc

 

[Jonny English]

I'm similar to maddmat, I like a gun to be a bit muzzle heavy for clays but a shade butt heavy for game, so I've compromised on smack on the hinge pin, best of both worlds.

 

[bostonmick]

I to prefer a neutral balance I find a barrel weighted gun a pain over a long days sporting and a butt heavy one is to flighty.however I will say that different people have differing views on the same guns I use a 687 eell mostly and a nephew of mine says he finds them barrel heavy perhaps its all down to how you hold it. 

 

[ips]

Very subjective topic. Most guns seem to balance on hinge pin however they all feel different due to were the weight actually is ie you could have a lot of weight front of stock or rear of stock and barell weight to balance that so although it is in the middle its not that simplistic. All my trap guns have balanced in This way all felt different to a degree.

Conclusion is if it feels right it is right and not that bothered about the detail.

 

[K80 TCG]

Like my women butt heavy

 

[Hamster]

Butt bias not butt heavy, nose end weight makes for early fatigue.

 

[Will Hewland]

'Gun balance' is usually what we feel when the gun is handled. This is SO much more than where the balance point is (eg at the pin or near it). Two guns of the same overall weight, that both balanced on the pin (or other same place) could feel massively different between the hands. This is due to where the other heavy points are on the gun, which decide how the gun feels when moved or swung. For example light barrels with long heavy chokes feel very different in use to heavy barrels with no long chokes, but the gun could have the same measured balance point.

 

[Gee]

Butt heavy for me but don't have much choice in the matter with PFS fitted (butt heavy with a normal stock too).

I shoot premounted for ESK.

 

[Wonko the Sane]

'Gun balance' is usually what we feel when the gun is handled. This is SO much more than where the balance point is (eg at the pin or near it). Two guns of the same overall weight, that both balanced on the pin (or other same place) could feel massively different between the hands. This is due to where the other heavy points are on the gun, which decide how the gun feels when moved or swung. For example light barrels with long heavy chokes feel very different in use to heavy barrels with no long chokes, but the gun could have the same measured balance point.

Distribution of the mass is determinant to moment of inertia, what you feel as slow/fast or barrel/butt heavy.  Weight alone can be just way misleading and many factors are embedded in just checking barrel weight.  Subjective is the key word in this to the max.

 

[ips]

Seems

clever, wonko and I concur

 

[squimp]

For me it is a combination of balance and overall gun weight.

I like a neutral balance and a medium weight gun. I'm an 11 stone weakling so I cant shoot a really heavy gun all day and a really light gun tends to recoil more.

If it is stock heavy then I find I can't control the barrels (eg some Berettas i have tried). Barrel heavy (eg some Brownings) and I get tired more quickly.

 

[Chris Reedy]

This is something i am currently trying to sort with a gun i have recently bought S/H.

It has a recoil reducer fitted which is great but the balance point is very close to the trigger guard ; i am trying to move it forward.

I want the gun to be neutral balance but struugling to get a large enough amount of ldad tape in forend

 

[kevin]

set mine up to balance on the pin.

 

[squimp]

This is something i am currently trying to sort with a gun i have recently bought S/H.

It has a recoil reducer fitted which is great but the balance point is very close to the trigger guard ; i am trying to move it forward.

I want the gun to be neutral balance but struugling to get a large enough amount of ldad tape in forend

Assuming the recoil reducer is metal; consider changing it for an Isis unit. they are brilliant and don't screw up the balance as they are polymer.