Your Opinion on Recoil Pads?

M

Mosin-Marauder

New member
So, the other day, I was doing some off hand sitting shots with my Mosin Nagant, and I had some of the worst recoil I've ever experienced with that gun. It's been been one week and the bruise is still all nasty and yellow. And I Only Shot 5 rounds! So the same day, I went and got a Limbsaver Recoil Pad at wally world. After I put it on, I even hold the gun steadier. Now my friend keeps calling my a wuss and a baby (He's joking) for using one, and that his SKS barely kicks at all. I've also seen people call it a crutch (figurative crutch).
Anyway, I'd like to hear your opinions on recoil pads in general, and whether it's a crutch or not and if it actually helps you.
Also, I've started to redevelop my flinch after I shot those 5 rounds so I thought this might help.
 
Flinches, once developed, take some effort to get rid of. I wear a Past recoil pad for almost all my centerfire shooting.

The measure of a man is not the length of his car, nor the heighth of his house or the depth of his wallet. Nor is it the amount of recoil he can handle.

I shoot for pleasure not pain.
 
You get a lot more points for shooting well than you do for subjecting yourself to painful recoil, and you can't shoot well if you develop a flinch, which is pretty easy to do with many larger calibers.

I have a Limbsaver on my Winchester Defender, and I love it -- it brings the recoil down to about that of a fairly heavy 20 gauge and makes it a pleasure to shoot.
 
Now my friend keeps calling my a wuss and a baby (He's joking) for using one, and that his SKS barely kicks at all.
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The SKS does barely kick at all. The Mosin-Nagant kicks like a mule by comparison. I wouldn't let your friend give you a hard time with that comparison. I traded off my Mosin partly because I didn't like the recoil, partly because I just didn't care that much about the gun, and partly because I wanted to use it for trade fodder for something else. If you feel like using a recoil pad use it and don't worry about what anybody says. I use one on my 270 Win. Whatever it takes to shoot.
 
When I first started shooting 25.06, I thought the recoil was tolerable with the 90 gr. bullets and brutal with the 120 grain bullets. This was a Ruger M77V.

As I gained experience, I realized most of the problem was me not holding the rifle well into my shoulder.

I had the same experience when beginning shooting .308. Thought the recoil was brutal and had the bruises to show for it. Again, holding the rifle back into my shoulder was the answer.

The only rifle that I have shot that I really did NOT like, recoil pad or no, was a 7mm magnum. That was just plain un-pleasant. I realize everyone will have a different opinion, but I do not have recoil pads, other than the factory recoil pads on anything. . . .and I don't have a 7mm of any persuasion.:)
 
As I gained experience, I realized most of the problem was me not holding the rifle well into my shoulder.
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This above^.

That said if you want to customize your rifle with a recoil pad go ahead.

A friend of mine used to say 'it doesn't take brains to be miserable.'
 
Personally I could careless if someone calls me a wuss or whatever for using a recoil pad. It let's me enjoy shooting and let's me shoot the guns longer. When I got my 45/70 I could only shoot 10 rounds before I started getting sore. With the pad I can shoot 30-40 before that happens. Same deal with the mosin.

The only gun I won't use a pad on is my garand. I get sore after 40 rounds but its just one gun I couldn't put a pad on.

And seriously I shoot what I like to shoot. I don't care what others think. My shooting does the talking. I've had guys snicker when they see the cheaper scopes and blah blah not high end "operator gear". Then they see I'm shooting moa or better when they have their fancy and expensive gear out and can't even manage 5moa at 100yards.
 
I do not see how something that takes pain away from the user can be called a crutch. Sure proper mechanics help in mitigating felt recoil, but some guns just kick. Nothing wrong with using equipment to help you enjoy shooting it. Everyone has their own threshold for what is considered painful.

The only feeling I have about slip on pads is to make sure the gun still fits you when you add 1/2-1" to the butt.
 
I was at a range in Arizona a few years ago, and a young couple there were each shooting Mosins- he was shooting an M-44 and she was shooting a 91-30. They shot sitting at the bench- No limbsavers, no recoil pads. They shot for at least 90 minutes while I was there.

This is your first centerfire rifle, right? Look, you'll become more familiar with it, and after a while you'll barely notice the recoil, and can just focus on having fun.

I've installed a couple of hundred recoil pads, and my favorite was the Pachmayer "Sporting Clays", which has a hard plastic heel molded into it to keep the pad from snagging on your shirt or jacket.

My early shooting experience that mirrors your was shooting a Lefever Nitro Special in 20 gauge. It had a lot of drop at the heel, a small butt, and recoiled sharply. Not a lot- just sharp. I had a multi-colored reminder of that day. Now, when I look back on it I realize how bad my form was, and how little that sweet little 20 gauge actually recoiled. Hmm, now I miss that gun...
 
Did you let the guy who was raggin' on you try your Mosin?
Anything that helps shoot better is good.
Sometimes I use a gel shoulder pad, in addition to a recoil pad.
Who needs pain and injury.
 
use the pad

6'1" 225 lbs and I use a pad on my Mosin. wife is 5'2" and uses a pad on her 20 gauge. Both of us are ex-military. Call us wusses if you like but we can hit what we aim at with no pain. No Pain = No Gain = No Brain.
 
If you feel you need one, you need one.
Let the bruise heal completely and start over using the recoil pad.

I think that if your form improves, you will also find it easier to shoot. I had a Mosin M44 and I didn't think it kicked any worse or better than my Mausers or 30-06.

Happy shooting.
 
I bought a size small Limbsaver slip on recoil pad for one of our Mosin's. It's the one my wife and 13 year old son shoot. I have to admit that I totally enjoy shooting it as well. The felt recoil is substantially less(60%-70%) in my opinion. If you get hurt when you shoot it makes the shooting less fun and that just makes no sense at all.
 
Absolutely, if it makes it easier to shoot get a recoil pad.

I have one of those Past shoulder mount pads, and it works great. .308 off a bench gets to me after a while, but I like the .308 round a lot. I bought the pad for use with a .30-06 I had, but got rid of that rifle.

I also use a Limbsaver on the .308 in lieu of the recoil pad, and that works pretty well too. You can move this thing to different rifles too, if you need to.

Arthritis can make your life miserable, and I'm past caring what some Rambo wannabe half my age thinks.
 
If you want to use the pad use it. Who cares what others say? I never have and never will. If using it allows you to enjoy shooting the rifle, why worry what others think? I put one on my 91-30 and although it extends the length of pull a bit, I think it helps me to be able to shoot 60-100 rounds per range trip with no pain and no bruises.
The one I installed uses the same mounting as the stock metal one. Not sure where I bought it, but it was less than $20. Makes shooting the Mosin more fun than before I had the pad.
 
Normally I just take a shop towel, fold it several times and place it under my shirt (I discovered this accidentally on a range trip when I forgot my limbsaver)

That works fine, most of the time. The only time I slip the limbsaver on a gun is with this beast:
steyrm95overview.jpg

My Steyr M95 in 8X56r

The recoil on this thing is brutal - to say the least.
Shooting it w/o a recoil pad is just plain nuts!
 
I like soft recoil pads on guns that kick. The new Decelerator pads are the best I have seen.

Now there is a slip on Decelerator pad and it's well made and does not split open like the old brands did.

I keep a slip on pad in my range bag to put on guns there.

Here is a handsome stock with a fitted steel trap door butt plate. The rifle is a 7mm magnum. I slip a Decelerator pad on at the range.

z1km.jpg


Pachmayr-Decelerator-Brown-Slip-On-Recoil-Pad-L.jpg
 
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I bought a cheap-o recoil pad off of Amazon for my 91/30. Something like $20, gel filled, three foam inserts.

I'd never shot it before, but I was able to shoot 50 rounds including some heavy 200gr punishers. Recoil was stout and my shoulder was a little sore, but I was a happy camper all the way through it and no bruise. Worth it? I think so.
 
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