Finding the Right Shotgun: Female Shooter’s Guide

Length of pull (or LOP) is the distance from the middle of the trigger to the end of the buttstock.

The standard length of pull on a factory shotgun is typically more than 14 inches. Women, especially those with shorter arms, often feel more comfortable shooting a gun with a shorter length of pull.

Thirteen to 13.5 inches seems to be the sweet spot for most women.

Having a shotgun with the proper LOP can almost magically improve your shooting. It helps with fast target acquisition and provides better control.

When you raise the gun to your cheek, the barrel will more naturally point toward your target. It will also feel more comfortable, which is incredibly important for shooting success and enjoyment.

A quick way to check a gun’s LOP fit is to hold the grip while bending your arm 90 degrees at the elbow.

If the butt touches the bottom of your bicep, the LOP should be pretty close. On the other hand, if it doesn’t reach your bicep, it’s likely too short. And if it’s too long…well, it should be obvious.

When you hear shotgunners referring to pitch, they aren’t talking about baseball.

In the shotgun world, “pitch” is the angle of the butt in relation to the barrel. That angle influences how the stock fits into the shoulder pocket.

Too much upward pitch can cause the gun to whack you in the face when you shoot, no matter how great your cheek weld or how tight your hold.

With too much downward pitch, the gun will slip off your cheek when you shoot, making follow-up shots a nightmare.

You can manage a quick pitch fix by inserting a few quarters behind the butt pad to act as spacers. Put two to three at the top to correct an upward pitch. Insert a few coins at the bottom to level out a downward pitch.

Once you find a comfortable angle, a gunsmith can customize the stock for a more permanent fit.

Weight Problems

It’s tempting to opt for a lightweight shotgun. Hauling a heavy scattergun across acres of field and farmland in search of upland game birds can leave you with an aching back.

However, a lighter firearm will be more punishing on your shoulder.

Heavy guns absorb recoil better than light guns. It’s just plain physics. Hefty felt recoil can trigger a flinch response when you’re shooting, which can have catastrophic effects on accuracy, so a heavier shotgun will probably help you shoot more accurately.

And although it may seem counterintuitive, a weightier weapon is also easier to swing through the target.

What I’m saying is don’t think you need a lightweight shotgun just because you weigh less than a buck fifty. Even if you’re a lightweight like me, you’ll probably be more successful with a shotgun that has a little heft to it.

Getting Cheeky

While a lot of shotgunners emphasize the shoulder mount, the cheek weld is just as important for consistent shooting.

When the cheek is pressed tightly along the top of the stock, your head should be level, and your dominant eye aligned perfectly with your brass bead.

With a good cheek weld and a properly fitted shotgun, you should be able to mount, point, and shoot successfully without ever taking your eyes off the target.

Solid cheek placement will also prevent nasty recoil-related face injuries.

When there is space between the cheek and the comb, shooting 00 buckshot can feel like getting punched in the face.

Would you rather have Amanda Nunes place her fist against your face and punch you from there, or have her initiate the punch from even a few inches away?

Shotgun recoil and a good cheek weld work basically the same way. A solid cheek weld will help temper some of the recoil, which ultimately results in better control and faster, more accurate follow-up shots.

God gave us ladies longer necks and higher cheekbones than our male shooting buddies, which increases the distance from the shoulder pocket to our cheek. As a result, we often struggle to keep a solid cheek weld while firmly seating the butt of our shotgun in the shoulder pocket.

If you have to tilt your head forward or to the side or feel like you need to lean back to keep a cheek weld and a solid shoulder mount, a higher comb could be the answer.

Not everyone wants to run out and modify their stock, and that’s probably a good idea.

A slip-on comb-raising kit will let you experiment with different comb heights until you find the right fit. These kits include several foam inserts you can add or remove without permanently altering your shotgun.

It’s no secret that 12-gauge is the accepted gold standard for shotguns. However, in most shooting circles, men make up the majority, and we all know men have this weird thing about size.

Perfecting Your Gun Mount

Shooters often attempt to fix training problems with equipment solutions, and that just doesn’t work. Magic solutions don’t exist in shooting.

While you can improve your success with quality gear, that gear will only take you so far. Gear is never a substitute for solid shooting fundamentals, no matter how much cash you throw at the problem.

Before you tinker too much with stock dimensions, it’s important to practice until you can shoulder your shotgun consistently.

Consistency is king when it comes to shooting success. If you aren’t bringing the shotgun to the same point on your face every single time you mount your scattergun, your shots will be all over the place.

Make sure you mount your gun to your face and not your face to the gun. Keep your head up and your eyes on your target. Then bring the shotgun up to your face, letting the comb sit snugly under your cheekbone.

If your gun fits properly, this should have you peering straight down the barrel to the bead.

This should also position the butt right in the shoulder pocket. Once in position, you can either bump your shoulder forward or pull the butt deeper into the pocket.

There’s some natural cushioning there that will help absorb recoil — which is a godsend if you’re shooting 00 buckshot.

Like most things in the shooting world, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Just because you know a girl who swears by her 870 Wingmaster doesn’t guarantee the gun will work for you. However, you should totally ask her if you can shoot hers to see if it will.

Guns are like shoes. The best way to see if they fit is to try them on. If possible, test drive a few different scatterguns to see what feels most natural in your hands.

Shooting a bunch of guns, while definitely fun, isn’t a practical option for most of us. If you don’t have female shooting friends that will let you try out their shotguns, here are a few options that might get you closer to the right fit.

While there aren’t many women-specific shotguns out there, plenty of manufacturers have models designed for younger shooters.

Although the average woman is smaller than the average man, she is probably taller and stronger than the average 12-year-old. That means a youth model will work well for some women but not for every woman.

Although there aren’t a ton of lady-specific shotguns on the market, there are a few.

There are plenty of female shooters who somehow make a standard factory shotgun work for them.

The best way to get the perfect fit is to invest in a bespoke shotgun.

A professional gun fitter can analyze your measurements and then take those back to the shop and use them to create a made-to-order, one-of-a-kind shotgun designed for your specific body, needs, and preferences.

Although this is the best way to get a shotgun that fits you perfectly, it is incredibly pricey. The cheapest versions cost several thousand dollars.

They can set you back by six figures on the expensive end of the spectrum.

Shooting well is a heckuva lot easier when you have a weapon that fits your body.

As more women get involved in the shooting sports, manufacturers will have to bow to the pressure and offer us more models to meet our specific needs.

Until then, the options on this list should help you get close enough to experience some success.