Grips, Pads & Stocks

These are the parts that connect you to the gun, which makes them the cheapest meaningful improvement available. Length of pull decides whether the stock fits your arms; an adjustable stock lets the same rifle fit a shooter in a t-shirt and the same shooter in a winter coat.

Comb height matters as much and gets ignored. If your cheek is not resting naturally with your eye centred behind the optic, you are lifting your head for every shot, and head position is one of the largest sources of inconsistency in field shooting. An adjustable comb or a cheek riser fixes it. A quality recoil pad on a heavy shotgun or magnum rifle changes how long you can practise.