Rifle with vertical grip or standard grip

[Short Case]

What are your thoughts on the vertical grip compared to standard grip
I'm wanting to buy a new stock and have never used to vertical grip

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

They both have their merits but it comes down to personal preference.

 

[screech]

I think it's a personal preference thing. I like the looks of the vertical grips but prefer a standard.

 

[Rich Coyle]

What are your thoughts on the vertical grip compared to standard grip
I'm wanting to buy a new stock and have never used to vertical grip

If you are using a portable benchrest shooting prairie dogs or ground squirrels the vertical seems to be more comfortable.

 

[Greyfox]

I also believe that it comes down to personal preference. I have shot long range equally well with both styles but find myself using standard grips on my hunting rifles which have a generally lighter stock weight and are dimensionally more manageable for carry and shooting from a wide variety of positions. My target, ELR, and competition rifles have more vertical grips. I'm very partial to the Jackson Hunter stock on my Cooper 520 that I use for long range hunting. It feels and balances well even with the heavier .78' barrel and total weight of !0.5 pounds.....It has good stability for 1000+ yard shooting.

 

[FEENIX]

Ditto on the personal preference. Having said that, my recent build is a chassis system, my 1st rifle with vertical grip other than my AR-base like rifles ... really liking it thus far.

 

[Short Case]

Thank you for the information, I think I'm going to go with the standard grip

 

[J E Custom]

Shooting of bags, bipod or bench the vertical grip has a more comfortable feel and offers better/more consistent trigger pull. It allows you to pull the trigger in line with the bolt.

One other type of grip that took me a long time to like, is the thumb hole. It has a vertical grip
but with the thumb hole forcing you to have a very consistent trigger hand position. Before Laminates, the wood stocks had a very small thumb hole (For strength) and if you had gloves on it was almost un usable.

The Pistol/standard grip is more natural to most when shooting out of position but when pulling the trigger, the trigger finger is on a slight angle to the bolt making it less consistent (This can loosen groups if you don't shoot a lot).

So it is a matter of what you like and expect from a rifle and what it's use is. Regardless which grip you chose, practice is the key to getting use to it. the best grip will be the one that fits and is the most natural feeling.

J E CUSTOM

 

[bigfish27]

For me a vertical grip gets my finger properly on the trigger. Not so much so with the standard frip.

 

[Barrelnut]

A vertical grip places your wrist in a natural straight relaxed position with your forearm that does not induce muscle tension in the trigger hand. It allows a much more consistent and precise trigger pull. Regular rifle grips and pistol grips on chassis and AR platforms don't allow this. If it is a dedicated LR rifle that is always shot from a bipod, bags, etc., a vertical grip will probably be more comfortable.

 

[Mikecr]

Personal pref to a point, but the gun & load dictate my gripping.
So far only a couple of my guns shot well with gripping contact and/or shouldering. Most of mine shoot better free recoil, with no stock contact other than rest/bipod.
My triggers are always so light in pull that travel direction means nothing to the shooting results. My guns are heavy enough, combined with relatively low recoil cartridges, so that I can shoot free recoil.

All that said, my favorite wooden stock grip is still a Browning Eclipse thumbhole. And my most comfortable was the target pistol grip of a Tubb2000. Both of these are great for off hand shooting.