Need suggestions for recoil management

S

SerenityNetworks

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I am just getting back into riflery after many years. I have a Browning BBR 30-06 Sprg. I don't have deep pockets and I don't want to mess with modifying the stock right now. With that in mind, I would appreciate any suggestions on products for recoil management. I do not know what would be better; a shoulder pad, a slip on butt plate, a screw on butt plate, something else, or nothing at all.

For me, the more specific the recommendation the better it is; right down to the part number is fine with me (I hate guessing).

Thank you in advance,
Andrew
 
Limbsaver, Kick-Eez, Pachmayr Decelerator pads. A good shooting vest or shirt with a sewn in pad. What type shooting are you doing? If shooting offhand make sure your stance is correct. My wife shoots 20 rounds of full load 12ga for home defense practice and she is all of 130 dripping wet. She just makes sure she lets her body absorb the recoil instead of fighting it. I prefer shooting prone over sitting at a bench because of recoil management. Sitting at a bench forces the position and makes you resist the recoil.
 
hounddawg said:
Limbsaver, Kick-Eez, Pachmayr Decelerator pads.
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Yep, yep, yep! The good pads available nowadays turn a lion into a pussycat. If I've got a kicking rifle, the very first thing I do is put either a limbsaver or a decelerator on it. I haven't tried the Kick-EEz, but I understand that they are very good pads.

One fellow of my acquaintance uses flip-flops. He buys them at the local box store, cuts them to fit and glues them on. I've been thinking about trying that, as a $5.00 pair of flip-flops costs a whole lot less than a $20.00 recoil pad. That might be just the ticket for a beater rifle that is going to be used and abused anyway.

My neighborhood gunsmith will install a Limbsaver on a rifle for $60.00. He buys the pad, grinds it to fit the stock and when I go to pick it up, it looks like it grew on the wood. That's okay with me, as it keeps a nice rifle looking good. One additional benefit is that he's done enough of those for me that he knows my LOP and will trim the stock to fit me. A good gunsmith is a joy and a friend.
 
hounddawg said:
My wife shoots 20 rounds of full load 12ga for home defense practice and she is all of 130 dripping wet. She just makes sure she lets her body absorb the recoil instead of fighting it.
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Sometimes I think that small light people actually get less bruised by recoil because they have less mass, they go along with the recoil instead of stopping it.


Another proven recoil tamer is making the gun heavier. Drill a hole behind the butt plate and put lead there.

This picture is me shooting a muzzleloading 8 gauge shotgun at a trap target. This gun is surprisingly comfortable to shoot because it weighs about 12 pounds.
img_0499a.jpg
 
on the subject of home made recoil pads I used a extra foam floor mat from my shop and made a spacer to lengthen the pull on one of my rifles. I think Harbor Fright sells them in packs of 4 for $10.00 which would be enough to do about 200 recoil pads.
 
I installed LimbSaver pads on a couple of muzzleloaders and they really work. When shooting anything over 7mm08 from the bench, I use a PAST pad which eases the recoil effect on my bony collarbone/shoulder.
You can find both of these products for under $100 from one of the catalog stores. Installation of the pad will require shortening the stock unless you're 6'9" and the stock is already too short.
Reduced/managed recoil ammo is available for the 30/06 although more expensive than standard ammo but it is an alternative. I handloaded reduced loads for several years before my son got comfortable with his 30/06.
 
slip-on recoil pads

The slip-on recoil pads like those made by Butler Creek only cost around 10 or 12 bucks. They work well and can be taken on and off without making modifications to the gun. If I'm shooting my .270 a lot one day I like to have it on. I take it off for hunting.
 
Limbsaver, Kick-Eez, Pachmayr Decelerator pads
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Since i get the opportunity to install and shoot rifles with these, I will add that the Kick-Eez is the softest, the Limbsaver next, and the Decelerator hardest. I will also add that the softer pads do not last as long as a Pachmayer, they are very susceptible to solvents and UV degradation.
 
There are several great calibers that recoil less than a 30-06. 7mm-08, 25-06, 270, 243, to mention a few.

If you are really married to your gun, the different recoil pad and reduced recoil ammo are great suggestions. Drilling the stock is not a bad option, but it takes a significant weight increase (1/2 pound or more) to make a noticable difference in felt recoil. The difference in density between lead and steel is fairly small, so a 5/8" hole filled with a 5"8" rod would be easy. 6 inches would be about half a pound.
 
SerenityNetwork-- I recently picked up a Browning Safari in 30 06, this
is the 2nd 30 06 I've owned. I will keep the original Browning butt
plate on the gun. I shoot 150 grain and simply fold a towel draping it
over my shoulder at the bench-- this works great-- no recoil issues.
Zero cost.

.02 David :)
 
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Thank you all for the suggestions. I'm going to be checking them out today. One of the reasons I posted is that I see a ton of stuff out on the market and I have no idea what is great, good, or suitable for garbage. I appreciate being given specific product names and also the comparisons. It is very helpful.

Just to answer a few points made: I'd love to have a .243, but it's not in the budget right now. I am kind of 'married' to the rifle. My father passed it down to me a few weeks ago. He bought it as an investment a number of years ago, but really wants me to use it now. It's a 1979 model and was still in the box. If it's been fired at all then it has only been a few times. That's one reason I don't want to get into modifying the stock just yet. Maybe after I get familiar with the rifle and back to shooting regularly then I'll look at cutting on the stock, but not right now. So if needed, I like the suggestion on using a slip-on. As I mentioned, I've been out of hunting for quite a few years now, but I don't think I'll be recoil sensitive. I never had an issue going through three or four boxes of high brass in my Browning Light-12 and I never used any recoil protection. And I used to use a .303 for deer in Missouri without any problems. I don't think I'm that much weaker now. But I was expecting that going to a range and firing off a few boxes from different positions over a few hours might be a lot different than a day's skeet shooting. That's why I was asking.

Gentlemen, thanks again for all the responses. Now I need to get looking.

Andrew

PS. Oh, and while I'm trying to find out what kind of cartridges this rifle 'likes', I will see about checking out some of the reduced recoil ammo. I had no idea there was such a thing. I don't anticipate being sensitive, but why get hammered if it's not needed.

PPS. David, it looks like we must have posted at near the same time. After I hit submit, I received an alert of your posting. Thanks for the tip. I love free :-)
 
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Colorado Redneck said:
Drilling the stock is not a bad option, but it takes a significant weight increase (1/2 pound or more) to make a noticable difference in felt recoil. The difference in density between lead and steel is fairly small, so a 5/8" hole filled with a 5"8" rod would be easy. 6 inches would be about half a pound.
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I think the difference in density between lead and steel is greater than "fairly small".
Calculated weights of a 5/8 X 6 inch rod:

Steel .522 lb
lead .755 lb
depleted uranium 1.26 lb
gold 1.29 lb
tungsten 1.30 lb
platinum 1.42 lb
 
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