Will the palm swell on the grip affect my clay shooting?

After years of shooting a side-by-side I am buying an over-under for my game and clay shooting.

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The only thing I don’t like about it is the palm swell on the pistol grip. Will it affect my shooting?

Clay shooting
John Bidwell
I’m not a great fan of palm swells on Sporters or Field over-unders because they can tend to dictate the position the hand takes on the gun and in some cases, the elbow too.

A pronounced palm swell might sit well with Trap guns which are pre-mounted before the target is called for – but in all other forms of shooting a slimmer grip allows the hand to get as close as possible to the axis of the gun.

It’s a grip that doesn’t impede gun mount or swing and it also helps align and direct the gun muzzles more easily to the target.

If the palm swell on the gun you’re thinking of buying feels strange then look for another gun.

If, however, the gun suits you in every other respect then it might be worth seeking the opinion of a gunsmith to see if the swell can be removed without weakening the hand of the stock.