Since I started coming to this BB I've seen lots of posts about,directly or indirectly, dealing with recoil. And, I'm the first to admit it can get painful. But, there's a few things one can do besides a $200 Vang bbl job or porting,etc. Most of those things are relatively inexpensive.
And, excess recoil can lead to a bad case of the flinches, and you cannot hit while flinching very well.
BTW, for those who don't know, I'm retired from the Md Dept of Public Safety, where my duties included teaching hundreds of rookies to shoot,including with our duty shotgun, the 870 Remington.
First, the "generic" HD or hunting pump gun or semi-auto that comprises the bulk of our inventories runs from 6 12-8 lbs, depending on make,model and options. The heavier the piece is, the less "FELT" recoil.
Say you're benching your slug gun because you've lost your zero. Benching a slug gun can hurt,so rig the thing this way...
The more it weighs, the less you feel the recoil.So, add some weight, for benching where you're not toting the piece across hill and dale, the extra weight won't matter.
My first 870, bought by Pop around 1956, had a solid steel magazine plug. With it in place, recoil was gentle. I doubt they're still available, but a good hand with pipes or a lathe could make up a mess of 'em PDQ.
BTW,extended mags,and sidesaddles work too, the 2 rd Choate extension adds about 7 oz w/o ammo.
So adding weight reduces bite. Next...
Say it's your clays gun and the last 20 or so rounds in a long day hurt. Or maybe the last 90. An extended mag,sidesaddle,etc may not fit you style, so....
Reduce the payload. If you're shooting reloads, try dropping the velocity a skosh, or maybe going for a 1 1/16 oz load instead of 1 1/8 or both.For factory ammo, try the 1 oz,or light loads. The difference may be just enough to help by itself.
Or add a discreet amount of weight. I know an oldtime trapshooter that would add melted lead to the mag tube cap of his 870 to just add an oz or two, and balance it with a lead slug under the recoil pad to keep the piece swinging well.
Next, stock fit. While going to the lengths the Brits do where each and every stock is fitted to the shooter,most folks could benefit from a little stock fitting. less felt recoi8l, better chance of hitting. And, I find that most folks could shoot a straighter stock and be better off,and straight stocks seem to feel like they kick less.
Recoil pads:
The Pachmayr Decelarator type works well. Most other types have too sharp a toe that will dig in on shooters of barrel chest or of the female persuasion. Round it off a bit so it doesn't dig into flesh.
Wearable recoil pads:
The one here gets called the Wonderbra, and it works fine for bench work, not so fine on clay targets or doves. Try one, it may be what you need.
Gunsmithing:
The Vang custom work is probably excellent, I've seen no adverse comments from disgruntled customers. A simpler, cheaper approach(which helps but maybe not as much) is a simple forcing cone lengthening. It shortens the pressure spike and drops recoil while keeping the pellets a bit rounder and in the pattern.
And finally, where I shoulda started from, FORM....
Back to basics, mount your shotgun, and break your front knee forward.For you martial arts types, this helps focus the body towards the adversary. Lean into the shot,so you almost feel like you're falling forward. This acts almost like a shock absorber,and you ride the recoil out instead of taking the kick straight back.Keep your non trigger hand well forward, and grasp the piece firmly while welding your cheek properly to the wood
.
Remember, during the excitement of a hunt or during an A-S scenario, you' won;t feel the kick, but it'll still be there,so a combination of technique and technology like the steps above will help.
Any questions, comments, donations?
And, excess recoil can lead to a bad case of the flinches, and you cannot hit while flinching very well.
BTW, for those who don't know, I'm retired from the Md Dept of Public Safety, where my duties included teaching hundreds of rookies to shoot,including with our duty shotgun, the 870 Remington.
First, the "generic" HD or hunting pump gun or semi-auto that comprises the bulk of our inventories runs from 6 12-8 lbs, depending on make,model and options. The heavier the piece is, the less "FELT" recoil.
Say you're benching your slug gun because you've lost your zero. Benching a slug gun can hurt,so rig the thing this way...
The more it weighs, the less you feel the recoil.So, add some weight, for benching where you're not toting the piece across hill and dale, the extra weight won't matter.
My first 870, bought by Pop around 1956, had a solid steel magazine plug. With it in place, recoil was gentle. I doubt they're still available, but a good hand with pipes or a lathe could make up a mess of 'em PDQ.
BTW,extended mags,and sidesaddles work too, the 2 rd Choate extension adds about 7 oz w/o ammo.
So adding weight reduces bite. Next...
Say it's your clays gun and the last 20 or so rounds in a long day hurt. Or maybe the last 90. An extended mag,sidesaddle,etc may not fit you style, so....
Reduce the payload. If you're shooting reloads, try dropping the velocity a skosh, or maybe going for a 1 1/16 oz load instead of 1 1/8 or both.For factory ammo, try the 1 oz,or light loads. The difference may be just enough to help by itself.
Or add a discreet amount of weight. I know an oldtime trapshooter that would add melted lead to the mag tube cap of his 870 to just add an oz or two, and balance it with a lead slug under the recoil pad to keep the piece swinging well.
Next, stock fit. While going to the lengths the Brits do where each and every stock is fitted to the shooter,most folks could benefit from a little stock fitting. less felt recoi8l, better chance of hitting. And, I find that most folks could shoot a straighter stock and be better off,and straight stocks seem to feel like they kick less.
Recoil pads:
The Pachmayr Decelarator type works well. Most other types have too sharp a toe that will dig in on shooters of barrel chest or of the female persuasion. Round it off a bit so it doesn't dig into flesh.
Wearable recoil pads:
The one here gets called the Wonderbra, and it works fine for bench work, not so fine on clay targets or doves. Try one, it may be what you need.
Gunsmithing:
The Vang custom work is probably excellent, I've seen no adverse comments from disgruntled customers. A simpler, cheaper approach(which helps but maybe not as much) is a simple forcing cone lengthening. It shortens the pressure spike and drops recoil while keeping the pellets a bit rounder and in the pattern.
And finally, where I shoulda started from, FORM....
Back to basics, mount your shotgun, and break your front knee forward.For you martial arts types, this helps focus the body towards the adversary. Lean into the shot,so you almost feel like you're falling forward. This acts almost like a shock absorber,and you ride the recoil out instead of taking the kick straight back.Keep your non trigger hand well forward, and grasp the piece firmly while welding your cheek properly to the wood
.
Remember, during the excitement of a hunt or during an A-S scenario, you' won;t feel the kick, but it'll still be there,so a combination of technique and technology like the steps above will help.
Any questions, comments, donations?