Why a straight stock?

[Jonb.]

Spoke to the cal gunner that was gonna trade me I told him I was gonna give the pistol grip a whirl and let him know what I wanted to do from there. I've always shot trap and hunted with a straight stock but I'm thinking that there might be something to shooting all 3 platforms with similar grip angles.

[X-NewYawker]

Taran Butler, National 3-gun Tactical Class Champ for something like six years in a row explained that 's easier to hold the PG stock while reloaded --
he doesn't use speedloader sticks but loads four at a time from the special belt caddies he uses -- made by Man MOuntain Engineering here in CA -- http://www.midwayusa.com/product/299...d-2-3-4-shells

[missiondude]

I find it easier to do weak hand reloads with the pistol grip, but not having one does not make it that much harder. I guess I should just stick with one or the other, but changing guns from time to time gives me an excuse to have more guns...

[TMC]

The top guys use what works best, if something was better they would use it.

Taran is about the only top 3-gunner than uses a pistol grip stock. Daniel, Keith, Chris, Pat, Benny, Kurt, Jerry, Mike, Rustin, Rob, Tyler, Janson, and on and on use a traditional stock.

FYI, that is not a picture of what Taran's uses to compete. None of the top guys use ghost ring sights.

[esskay]

Some other specific considerations:

* Many Benelli specialists like Kurt Miller say that for the M1/M2 that straight stocks are on average more reliable than pistol grip stocks. This is because with the inertia system in the M1/M2, that some people while running and gunning hard on the clock can cause malfunctions via their hold on the pistol grip.

* The Benelli pistol grip stock has a very long length of pull. It may not fit a lot of people well. Your weapon hand is further back on the straight stock.

* Related in part, straight stocked shotguns may point more naturally for shooters than pistol gripped shotguns. Look at top skeet/trap shooters -- they could choose whatever points best and they go with carefully fitted straight stocks. BTW, you should absolutely play with the shims/etc that come with your stock to best fit it to you.

* Many shotgun targets in 3-gun are good for instinctive shotgun style shooting (including flying birds where you need to channel your inner skeet shooter). So again look to the top skeet/trap guys to see what works well for that, are any running pistol grip stocks? I will add that especially with a lot of the tougher shotgun targets that big matches are going with (e.g. small steel plates far away), careful aiming is still important.

* Pistol grip stocks can give you more control for weak hand reloading in Tac Optics class. And given that reloading skill is a big component of shotgun stages, this is a valid consideration. But look at TMC's list and you'll see a ton of top dawgs who load great with a straight stock (note that Horner loads strong hand).

* Pistol grip stock could arguably allow you to drive the gun a little more effectively. But shooting shotgun isn't about splits.

side note: adding on to TMC's comment, the first picture of Taran reflects the type of shotgun that he runs (not the second photo with ghost rings). But that looks like one of his older guns, he's running a Salient now which is slightly different. Taran runs a vent rib barrel with fiber front and no rear sight.

[Latigo]

I'd bet the theory behind the Swiss PE57's and AMT's stock relation to the axis of the bore would apply to a shotgun too. A straight push back to the shoulder keeps the bore more on target than a drop type stock that allows muzzle jump.
That's exactly the difference between my Swiss rifles and a lot of my others.

[Kodachrome]

I have both straight and PG's on my Benelli's.
But my Practical only was available in straight stock. Like them both.

[starsnuffer]

You could be practicing instead of wondering what stock works better. That would make you better at 3gun then throwing money at the problem.

Mesa tactical makes pistol grip stocks with much shorter lengths of pull. I like them on my M2 and Supernova, but I'm not a huge guy. Find what works best for you and practice with it until you honestly believe your gear is slowing you down.

-W

[scotts_4x]

Same reason you don't see any of the 3gunners with vertical fore grips on their ARs, they're just not the best thing for the job.

-scott