Article 7 – 2012

Question:I was intrigued with some of the shotgun stocks being used at the Olympic Games in London. There was one particular stock that looked like a skeleton. It had virtually no wood. Can you tell me anything about it and what the advantages are?

Peter Kennedy. Sunshine Coast QLD

Answer:The stock you are probably referring to is a German Stock called the “ergosign”. It is becoming increasingly popular amongst many of the world’s elite competitors. It is relatively easy to adjust and weighs about the same as a normal conventional walnut stock. It can be adjusted in terms of the height of the comb, length of pull, cast, pitch and even weight.

Rifle shooters have had similar stocks on their competition firearms for many years so I guess it was only a matter of time before shotgun shooters adopted something similar. There are obvious advantages of this system for not only elite marksmen, but also beginners. It arguably takes tens of thousands of round before a shotgun stock can be perfectly custom fitted for an individual. Once it is perfectly adjusted we then make the assumption the user will not change his technique and then more importantly his or her physical body shape wont change shape. Experience tells me that neither of these assumptions is correct.

The fact that the stock is adjustable is a great attribute if our body changes or we are changing techniques. It is a terrible addition if you have a tendency to look for a “quick fix” or a “magic” solution. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen shooters adjusting their stocks by half millimetres which in real terms wont physically alter anything. Mentally it of course may make huge differences. The “Ergo” stock is so adjustable in so many different ways it can either “make” or break you, but as far as adjustables stock systems are concerned it is in my opinion one of the better ones on the market. They are not cheap. Last I heard they are worth around three thousand dollars.