Recoil...reduction...help!

jakfrost

jakfrost

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Still sore after a couple of rounds of clays yesterday...hadn't shot skeet for 30 years and although pleased with my shooting skills, not so much with my ability to take a pounding from the 12 and 20ga Winchester 101 lightweights that I was shooting. These are lovely guns in the field but perhaps there is something better for the sporting clay fun.

A couple of suggestions from fellow shooters, 1, try a 'slip on recoil pad', ( seemingly the least expensive approach, unfortunately there were none available at the range to try yesterday ), 2, buy myself a 'nice gentle autoloader'...

So I know where to buy a 'slip on limbsaver' but never having owned an autoloading shotgun...I have no idea where to start looking, or even is there is a 'nice gentle' auto out there...?

All input gently received, haha.

Jim
 
A slip on pad may increase the length of pull to the point where the gun no longer shoots well for you. I shoot a 6lb Franchi Renaissance and recoil is definitely is noticeable after 50 rounds whereas my Beretta A303 has much less recoil than the Franchi due to a 11/4 lb weight advantage and also the recoil being spread out by the gas system. There are recoil reducing systems out there that use either mercury tubes or springs that are installed in the butt but I have no experience with these.
 
Well - shooting a lightweight gun is the principal culprit. Switch to a heavier gun with a decent recoil pad will help. Also, you can get 1 oz 12 gauge target loads that are easier on the shoulder.
 
My best bet, stop using factory loads and reload shells with 3/4 oz or 7/8 shot instead of 1 1/8 or 1 1/4 oz. That reduces recoil greatly along with what powder that you use. Other then that its finding light recoil ammo because it is a light gun it will kick more and ammo selection will help most. Second i see most have a rubber butt pad that looks decent, unless yours has a plastic plate then upgrade from plastic to rubber like a limbsaver or kickeez. Last, with a shooting vest some have a protective pad you can put in the shoulder area to give a little more cushon. Hope that helps.
 
kamlooky said:
Shoulder pad?
Click to expand...

A relativly straight forward and easy to read post from looky... thats a rare thing to be cherished.

I would look into a limbsaver or PAST recoil pad. It's not as think as a slip on pad, and can be used with any gun.
 
dand883 said:
A relativly straight forward and easy to read post from looky... thats a rare thing to be cherished.

I would look into a limbsaver or PAST recoil pad. It's not as think as a slip on pad, and can be used with any gun.
Click to expand...

Saw a few at Del's shop in Vernon.
Different variations that one could easily hide behind a shirt or jacket.

Dun git me gow'n awn spell'n now................ :wave:
 
All suggestions greatly appreciated...and all are cheaper than a $1,500.00 Maxus, etc. :). I have to pass by a 'LeBaron/Sail' store later today, they MIGHT have something to consider...although if their selection of 12/20ga target loads is any indication, I won't be surprised if I come out empty handed.

One choice only: Challenger #7.5 with 2 3/4 dram load, pretty popular it seems, since it is the only 'target' loads they carry.

I understand the relationship between weight and recoil, but I guess didn't realize how much lighter these 101's are over my previous stock Citori's...and how much it would translate into perceived/actual recoil.

Jim
 
Well - The 101's were known to bite, perhaps the stock geometry added to the recoil issue. You might consider picking up used semi in skeet configuration such as a Rem 1100 or a Win 1400. The go for cheaps because of the fixed chokes.
 
The Challenger ammo is good stuff, though many semis won't like the 2 3/4 dram load. I personally am not a fan of semi auto guns, for light target loads most are fussy. The Beretta guns seem to work the best in my very limited experience, other members will have more to offer I'm sure.
You could consider getting an o/u around the 7-1/2 pound mark, my wife shot my SKB 500 this morning with 7/8 ounce 1150 fps handloads with no problems at all, and she REALLY doesn't like recoil. That gun tips the scales at just over 7 pounds, I think.
 
2 3/4
1 Oz loads (Challenger)
Beretta 391 semi-autos can handle even the lightest ammo and have less recoil
Gel recoil pads in your shooting vest


Also, I used to shoot lots of trap, including through the winter, and never had a problem after the first month. Now I shoot only for a month or two each year. I've found that after I've not shot for 6-12 months, the first one or two times out, I bruise my shoulder, but after that it's not a problem. A year later, it repeats again. Don't go all extreme with recoil absorbing stuff until you confirm that this probem is persistent. It may just go away as you recover your old shooting form.
 
An old British standby standard for a field gun is 96 x the charge weight in oz. Thus with 1-1/8 oz. loads ( 1.125 x 96) = 108 oz. then divide by 16 oz. = 6.75 lbs.

For target guns, most find a factor of 110-120 much more comfortable. 8-1/2 to 9 lb. skeet & trap guns are not that uncommon.

Proper gun fit, particularly LOP, drop at comb/face/heel, cast-off ( or on for lefties) and pitch all contribute to lessening recoil.
Certainly a good fitted recoil pad will help. "Kickeez" seems to work best ( made of sorbathane) but I find them a little fragile (prone to tear)
and too "sticky" for my liking. I've put "Pachmayr Old English Decelerators" on all my guns. Others seem to like Limbsavers or Remingtons R3 pads.

101's were famous for their "bite" as stated previously. Many opted to have their forcing cones lengthened which seemed to help.
Overall gun weight is the biggest factor ( add lead to the butt stock & or forearm withbarrel weights etc. ) Recoil pads & longer forcing cones
won't reduce actual recoil ... but do seem to lessen felt recoil.
 
That sounds like a option, any idea what they are worth?

In the meantime I picked up a Browning 'REACTAR G2' shooting pad, a 'gel' like pad that comes with a nylon/canvas shoulder harness to hold it in place under or over your shirt/shooting jacket. The sales assistant seemed to feel it was one of the better products out there, for $40.00+ it should do something! Its only about 3/8" thick so it shouldn't have too detrimental an effect on the gun fit...

Anyone tried one?

Jim
 
Some of the Browning shooting vests have a pocket for the Reactar pad built into the shoulder. Mine is like that, I'll pick one up if I see one, though both my over/under guns are easy on me. My CZ 20 ga. Bobwhite is actually worse, even with factory target loads. Lighter gun + English geometry = more felt recoil.
TJspeller is right, a friend has a 391 Extrema Beretta, I've never seen it miss a beat, and the recoil is minimal. I think his has the " kick-off" system too.
 
I found stance dictates how the body takes recoil. Since adding a little more forward lean to my technique 12 gauge rounds from 7.5 handicap to rifled slugs all are much easier to shoot for me.
 
Heavier gun or lighter load is the best solution. But if you really want to justify getting a new gun this works as good as any excuse.
 
Take off the butt plate/pad and put a couple of packing styrofoam packing peanuts or something similar in the stock bolt hole, then put a roll of pennies in and then some more packing peanuts to fill the hole. Replace the butt plate and you have just added weight to your gun at the rear and it won't affect your shooting. You can also do the same thing, but use a bunch of lead pellets or shot to fill the hole instead of the pennies. This will basically accomplish what all of the buttstock recoil reducers do, for a fraction of the price!

Ian
 
Smitsauce said:
Take off the butt plate/pad and put a couple of packing styrofoam packing peanuts or something similar in the stock bolt hole, then put a roll of pennies in and then some more packing peanuts to fill the hole. Replace the butt plate and you have just added weight to your gun at the rear and it won't affect your shooting. You can also do the same thing, but use a bunch of lead pellets or shot to fill the hole instead of the pennies. This will basically accomplish what all of the buttstock recoil reducers do, for a fraction of the price!

Ian
Click to expand...

Now that sounds creative! Plus I can use up some 'soon to be useless' pennies! I don't think there is an 'obvious' way to remove the 101 'red pad'...I'm not at home so I can't check but I don't recall seeing screws holding it in place...glued on?

Jim
 
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