Grip sizes for 10m air rifles?

[Ken Mealing]

This is my first post, so just let me say hello, and tell you how much I have enjoyed browsing your excellent forum.

My daughters are more interest in shooting than my sons. My youngest daughter - she's twenty-one incidentally - is a keen shooter, and, when she more or less took over my Steyr LP10 pistol, I changed the grip from medium to small for her. No problem. She's a much better pistol shot than me, anyway.

Then she turned her attention to my Feinwerkbau 700 Alu, and I had to adjust it to fit her.

My question is: is grip size on a rifle as crucial as it is on a pistol? Should I order her a small grip for the rifle?

Her hand size is probably about average for her gender and age, and she says the medium grip feels OK.

Now that I've lost a pistol and a rifle, I was thinking of selling some of my sporting air rifles and getting another target gun.

Then it occured to me that , if I ordered one with a small grip, I could give it to her and take back my original rifle.

Is this really necessary? I don't know how long she'll keep up the interest, though she's joined London University shooting club, and is now also shooting 22lr, so I expect she's pretty keen.

She's also a better rifle shot than me.

I just wondered how many female shooters used a medium rather than small grip.

Would appreciate your comments.

Ken

[Padawan]

I ama female shooter and I use a medium grip. I am 18, if that helps. Also, My coach is a pistol shooter and he says that the grip size is not nearly as important on a rifle. I ahave a Feinwerkbau 700alu and the store I was buying from was out of stock of the small grips and I was going to wait. He said it would be fine. I also use a small grip on a pistol, though I don't exactly shoot pistol often. hope this helps! :-)

[Ken Mealing]

Thanks very much for your swift reply.

It was very helpful.

Ken

[WaltherWill]

The size of the grip is probably not as important in pistol as in rifle, but I wouldn't say you should settle for a less comfortable grip. It depends on how serious she is about shooting air rifle. If she is really avid about it, you should probably get the more comfortable grip. It probably doesn't make too much differnce but when you're shooting 570's, any extra points help.

[peepsight]

Hi Ken

Its an interesting subject. Grips for pistols has always been very important and this can be seen at the many comps i go to where the owner has modified it with filler or re shaped it with sand paper.

With the advent of the aluminium stocks for air rifles and the adjustable grip that they now all have, the grip is now far more important than it used to be. I you are right handed most of the air rifle manufacturers offer small. medium and large. If you are left handed they only offer a medium size grip.
The grip needs to have the correct 'volume' to fill the palm of the hand but at the same time it needs to allow the trigger finger to rest on the trigger in the correct position. This finger position on the trigger can be achieved by adjusting the grips position on the stock and trigger on its rail.

A grip that is too small and lacks volume will make the hand 'over' squeeze the grip which causes muscle tension in the lower arm and hand. A grip that is too large will not allow you to squeeze at the right pressure thus the trigger arm and wrist have a less stabilising hold. Both senarios will introduce unwanted muscle tension in the trigger arm and hand.

You can only achieve a satisfactory and comfortable hold by trial and error and perhaps with one or two alterations to the grips shape.
Pistol shooters have long been able to have a grip made to measure at a cost i might add but i'm now waiting to see if some one is going to offer this service for rifle shooters?

Read the MEC publication 'Ways of the Rifle' where this subject of grip is explained and they do say that it is now very important.

Peepsight