Stock In, Stock Out

 

http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=8912

 

Every so often certain techniques seem to swap around in the shooting community.  Almost like this week the Surgeon General says that salt is good for you, where last week salt was bad for you.  The whole stock in or stock fully extended thing seems to follow it pretty closely.

In the late 1990′s, it seemed to be all the rage to run the collapsible stock all the way collapsed.  The train of thought was that you could place the stock on the inside of the straps of your body armor.  It also assisted you in one handed shooting, and lessened the arc of movement between shooting from either shoulder as the problem required.

Today there seems to be a great push to run the stock all the way out.  The idea behind it is that the stock all the way out give you better leverage on the gun.  The added benefits is that when you go prone you don’t have to extend the stock out to mount the gun properly.  If you look at all the guys that shoot 3 Gun for a living, they are running the stock all the way out to gather that extra leverage.

My personal belief is this.  Neither are correct for every rifle, and every shooter.

Some of my rifles I can get away with running the stock fully extended.  Some of my rifles I have to run them one click in.  I’ve observed students who simply can’t run the stock all the way out.  I think that the individual shooter should practice so basic core drills like one and two shots from the low ready, one and two shots from the high ready, and a Bill Drill or two.  Based upon what their dot track and gun handling are doing, they can adjust the stock one click in or out depending up their needs.

I do think that running the stock further out has benefits that can’t be denied.  It just isn’t one sized fits all………