limbsaver
- Thread starter JTgunner
- Start date
oneounceload
Moderator
If the recoil is too much, perhaps your gun isn't fitting you quite correctly. If you reload, try reloading a light 3/4oz load for your 20 as well. Adding a recoil pad can help with perceived recoil, but only shooting a heavier gun with lighter loads will reduce the actual recoil.
I, like you, do not care for recoil, so I dropped both my 12 and 20 gauge loads to 3/4 oz. In one case the recoil reduction is 40%. It also allows me to get over 533 loads from a bag of shot instead of only 400 for a 1oz load. Either way, it makes shooting a light gun more manageable and shooting a heavy gun a joy.
You may need to tweak your stock dimension when adding a new recoil pad, as you don't want it too long or too short
I, like you, do not care for recoil, so I dropped both my 12 and 20 gauge loads to 3/4 oz. In one case the recoil reduction is 40%. It also allows me to get over 533 loads from a bag of shot instead of only 400 for a 1oz load. Either way, it makes shooting a light gun more manageable and shooting a heavy gun a joy.
You may need to tweak your stock dimension when adding a new recoil pad, as you don't want it too long or too short
S_Constitutionist
New member
I bought one of the slip on Limbsavers for my dad's Ithaca 20ga auto after he had shoulder surgery. He needed another inch or so of LOP anyway and the gun fit him much better. That, coupled with the recoil absorbtion of the pad made it a much more pleasant shooter.
They are only $20 or so at wallyworld.
I have a Remington SuperCell recoil pad on my 870 and it cut felt recoil by a noticeable amount over the stock hard rubber pad. It was pre-fit and doesnt look too shabby- though grind to fit will always be better.
I agree on the down-loaded reloads. 7/8oz out of my 12Ga is NIIIICE and seems to break clays just as well as 1 1/8.
They are only $20 or so at wallyworld.
I have a Remington SuperCell recoil pad on my 870 and it cut felt recoil by a noticeable amount over the stock hard rubber pad. It was pre-fit and doesnt look too shabby- though grind to fit will always be better.
I agree on the down-loaded reloads. 7/8oz out of my 12Ga is NIIIICE and seems to break clays just as well as 1 1/8.
silvercorvette
New member
the way you hold the gun has a lot to do with it but you should look into reduced recoil ammo.
Dfariswheel
New member
Remington said the R3/Limbsaver reduced felt recoil by 30%.
Apparently the new pads Remington are using are even better.
Apparently the new pads Remington are using are even better.
jokester_143
New member
I know he asked about limbsaver pads, but maybe a recoil reducing stock could be of use as well...
The 20 gauge 870 here weighs 6 lbs, 3 oz with the 21" YE barrel. Recoil with standard loads is emphatic, but I can handle it for about 100 rounds.
I'm 64 and the only joint I have without arthritis is made of titanium.
Recently I started loading for the 20 gauges here and made up some 3/4 oz loads of 7.5 shot at 1200 FPS. They crush wobble targets at 30-35 yards so I could use them for trap singles. Felt recoil, no.
What will help you, besides tripping over The Fountain Of Youth, is getting a better pad, a heavier gun, better fit and lighter loads. If you do not reload, some companies like Fiocchi and Polywad have low recoil, low pressure loads that may help.
I'm 64 and the only joint I have without arthritis is made of titanium.
Recently I started loading for the 20 gauges here and made up some 3/4 oz loads of 7.5 shot at 1200 FPS. They crush wobble targets at 30-35 yards so I could use them for trap singles. Felt recoil, no.
What will help you, besides tripping over The Fountain Of Youth, is getting a better pad, a heavier gun, better fit and lighter loads. If you do not reload, some companies like Fiocchi and Polywad have low recoil, low pressure loads that may help.
oneounceload
Moderator
To add to Dave's list of ammo makers........Kemen has recently come out with a 12 gauge load that is 7/8 oz and only running 1200 FPS. Most 7/8 oz loads are built for Bunker and run 1300+. They are almost as soft-shooting as my 12 gauge 3/4 oz loads running about 1250
I'm a pinch older than Dave, and I wonder if the reason I don't have shoulder problems is because I was proactive 25-years ago. My heavy use guns have recoil reducing stocks (a JS Air Cushion in the Skeet gun and a ShockMaster in the trap). Yes, there are other similar systems available, but these guys are in my area. My other guns are fitted with premium recoil pads.
We wear shooting glasses to protect our eyes from immediate danger and we cover our ears for long term hearing protection -- why not long term shoulder protection? If your shoulder hurts after shooting, it's your body trying to tell you something. Why not listen, and do something about it? Fortunately, today's recoil pads are more efficient and there are bolt-on recoil reducing stocks that are far less costly than the custom units.
Yes reducing your load can help, too. If you reload, first select the load data with the lowest pressure for your existing weight and velocity. If that doesn't reduce recoil enough, then consider reducing your velocity. Remember, recoil is based on a factor of the velocity squared, so reducing your velocity 10% gives a greater recoil reduction than reducing the shot charge by 10%.
After you've switched to the lowest pressure load, and reduced your velocity to the minimum acceptable, then consider reducing the weight of your shot charge, as suggested by 1-oz and Dave. There's nothing magic about this process, it's what the ammo makers have been doing with their low-recoil loads for a while.
You may ask, why don't the ammo makers load to the minimum pressure in the first place and reduce recoil in all of their ammo? First, the lower pressure loads may not function in all auto-loaders -- there's a chance your factory ammo is loaded to a higher pressure just to insure that autos will function flawlessly. Second is cost, the lower pressure loads usually require a heaver load of slower burning powder and more powder means higher production costs. So, when the ammo makers use the slower powder, lower pressure loads, they stamp "low recoil" on the box and boost the price. They hit you in the shoulder or the wallet!
Oops… sorry, I strayed off topic. Yes, get a Limbsaver or do what ever it takes. You don't wanna be one of those old gray beards who's got a recoil induced flinch that's so bad he no longer enjoys shooting.
We wear shooting glasses to protect our eyes from immediate danger and we cover our ears for long term hearing protection -- why not long term shoulder protection? If your shoulder hurts after shooting, it's your body trying to tell you something. Why not listen, and do something about it? Fortunately, today's recoil pads are more efficient and there are bolt-on recoil reducing stocks that are far less costly than the custom units.
Yes reducing your load can help, too. If you reload, first select the load data with the lowest pressure for your existing weight and velocity. If that doesn't reduce recoil enough, then consider reducing your velocity. Remember, recoil is based on a factor of the velocity squared, so reducing your velocity 10% gives a greater recoil reduction than reducing the shot charge by 10%.
After you've switched to the lowest pressure load, and reduced your velocity to the minimum acceptable, then consider reducing the weight of your shot charge, as suggested by 1-oz and Dave. There's nothing magic about this process, it's what the ammo makers have been doing with their low-recoil loads for a while.
You may ask, why don't the ammo makers load to the minimum pressure in the first place and reduce recoil in all of their ammo? First, the lower pressure loads may not function in all auto-loaders -- there's a chance your factory ammo is loaded to a higher pressure just to insure that autos will function flawlessly. Second is cost, the lower pressure loads usually require a heaver load of slower burning powder and more powder means higher production costs. So, when the ammo makers use the slower powder, lower pressure loads, they stamp "low recoil" on the box and boost the price. They hit you in the shoulder or the wallet!
Oops… sorry, I strayed off topic. Yes, get a Limbsaver or do what ever it takes. You don't wanna be one of those old gray beards who's got a recoil induced flinch that's so bad he no longer enjoys shooting.
I'm only 60 ....so I'm way younger than those other old goats ...
and one of them mentioned going to a heavier gun ...and you can do that on a pump gun as well / by just adding some weight. Adding as little as 1 lb will reduce the recoil about 20%.
What you don't want to do is upset the balance of your gun / so balance it on one hand - and mark that balance point with a piece of tape or something. Putting 8oz inside the stock is no big deal ( lead shot in a shell taped up or whatever is easy to put in there ) and tape it in place. You want it fixed in place - so it doesn't move / after you get the balance just right.
Putting 8 oz inside the fore-end is a little trickier / but if you go to a golf store you'll find packages of "lead tape" they tape on golf clubs to change the swing .... buy 8oz of that lead tape / and tape it in place inside the fore-arm of the gun. The idea is - when the gun is closed / you have the same balance point / before you started adding weight in stock and for-end.
You can also buy mercury weighted / end caps too ( the threaded cap / that you remove to take the barrel off the gun ) that will fit semi-autos or pump guns / ---but I think the weight gets a little too far forward using those things.
I have arthritis and bad shoulders - and I can handle a 20ga up around 7 1/2 to 8 lbs with no problem for standard 7/8 oz 1200 fps loads ....
A better recoil pad is never a bad idea either ...just another thought / and its cheap .../ and the extra weight might make the gun swing a little smoother on follow-thru too ...
and one of them mentioned going to a heavier gun ...and you can do that on a pump gun as well / by just adding some weight. Adding as little as 1 lb will reduce the recoil about 20%.
What you don't want to do is upset the balance of your gun / so balance it on one hand - and mark that balance point with a piece of tape or something. Putting 8oz inside the stock is no big deal ( lead shot in a shell taped up or whatever is easy to put in there ) and tape it in place. You want it fixed in place - so it doesn't move / after you get the balance just right.
Putting 8 oz inside the fore-end is a little trickier / but if you go to a golf store you'll find packages of "lead tape" they tape on golf clubs to change the swing .... buy 8oz of that lead tape / and tape it in place inside the fore-arm of the gun. The idea is - when the gun is closed / you have the same balance point / before you started adding weight in stock and for-end.
You can also buy mercury weighted / end caps too ( the threaded cap / that you remove to take the barrel off the gun ) that will fit semi-autos or pump guns / ---but I think the weight gets a little too far forward using those things.
I have arthritis and bad shoulders - and I can handle a 20ga up around 7 1/2 to 8 lbs with no problem for standard 7/8 oz 1200 fps loads ....
A better recoil pad is never a bad idea either ...just another thought / and its cheap .../ and the extra weight might make the gun swing a little smoother on follow-thru too ...
oneounceload
Moderator
Another way to add weight to the forearm of a pump is to take a few empties loaded with shot and put them on the other side of the mag spring. This may reduce your capacity, but for targets or hunting, it isn't a big deal. Each empty hull should be able to hold about 2oz of shot +/-, so two in the butt and two in the mag will give you an extra 8oz