Does anyone use mercury recoil reducers in the buttstock or barrel channel to reduce recoil to managable levels on their heavies?

I'm going to use them, if for nothing else, to increase rifle weight. If they really work, great. I've lost partial hearing in my right hear due to an accident at the range next to a guy with a muzzle break. Needless to say, I absolutely loath them.

What are your experiences?

-Catter

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Shoot the largest caliber you can shoot well, and practice , practice, practice.

I've used Mercury reducers in several shotgun and I must say I haven't noticed any real reduction in recoil but they are very handy for adjusting the balance but then so does a round hunk of lead.

Wildcatter,
It's not mercury-based, but I have two Dead Mule recoil reducers in the stock of
my 10.75lbs. .470 Capstick.

They help. A lot.

George

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Shoot straight, shoot often, but by all means, use enough gun!

wildcatter i am sorry i ask the same thing about the same time you did i didn,t see your post. i think i,ll try one in my 416rem.

I've got one in my 9.5 lbs .505 Gibbs but can offer no comparison as it's been there from day one. As DB Bill mentioned, I do think it serves to offset barrel weight and improve balance.

[This message has been edited by Nickudu (edited 01-09-2002).]

I bought a ruger 1 in 45-70, and I handload it with heavy loads, ie. 405 grains at 2000. From that light rifle, it really kicks!! I installed a mercury reducer. It makes the rifle about 3/4 lb heavier, and I have noticed reduced recoil. Whether from the mercury, or the weight I am not sure.
Good luck and good shooting

Most of the reduction is in the mind of the shooter, and thats OK if it works...the added weight probably has more effect on the recoil than anything else...they certainly ruin the feel and balance of a good rifle..I wouldn't have one..much prefer a muzzle recoil reducer if I can't handle the recoil, the muzzle brakes certainly work, and I suppose they are loud but the noise doesn't bother me as I am half deaf from shooting unbraked big bores!!!

Don't kid yourself on this noise issue, any gun, braked or unbraked will take away your hearing, if you got a problem with that then quit shooting guns, thats the only alternative other than wearing hearing protection EVERTTIME you fire a gun, and I can't hunt with hearing protection so I find that unpractical, guess its a trade off. End of story.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Ray's right about the noise. The difference is that in hunting, you're behind the shot and there's only supposed to be one. At the range, there are shooters on both sides of you and the firing goes on for hours. Worse yet, the sound conducted by the stock into the bones of your face goes into the bones of your ears. It isn't as bad as the blast on the ear drums but it has an effect. What is the answer? You need to wear both plugs, preferably custom fitted ones AND muffs at the range . . . period. Something like the E.A.R. electronic valves might be of some use in the field but they're $500. I have no other answers.

Sarge

Do they work or is it the weight? I dont know.
My 458Lott weighed about 9 1/2 lbs. I had a stock made (kevlar, ugly but functional) with a reducer and its a great gun to shoot, considering it is a 458Lott. Now it weighs 8 1/4lbs. I'd rather shoot my lott than my 338 now. I lost over a lb and its much easier to shoot.
I think they work but its more important to have a gun "fit" you. If you have the money go for it, up here its about $100. if nothing else the extra weight helps.

[This message has been edited by JoelS (edited 01-13-2002).]

To Ray and all,

I don't have a problem with noise levels from unbraked rifles. I'm not really worried about the recoil generated by most big bores. I just wondered if these mercury deals worked. If I'm building a custom rifle, I can build it with the balance I want including the mercury reducer.

You can't tell me that ANY rifle with a break installed isn't appreiciably louder than the same rifle unbreaked. The accident that stole some of my hearing was not self inflicted. I was working as a range master for an indoor shooting range and I was changing someone's target. Some jerk that wanted his target changed RIGHT NOW tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to say I'd be right with him and went back to hanging a new target in the stall next to where a breaked rifle was being shot. The SOB reached over and pulled my hearing protection off of my right ear just when that breaked rifle went off. There were dividers between the stalls so the guy shooting didn't know that it was a problem for him to fire. I had ringing in my ear for three days and I had no hearing at all for a week.

Also, after having fired hundred of rifles (many of them breaked)for sight-in for my customers, I have found the increased concussion to be unreasonable. Believe me, when breaks first came out, I thought they were the greatest thing since sliced bread. Now, every time I shoot a rifle wearing one I remember why I don't own one. I realize that they make recoil much more tolerable but if I could shoot my Dad's unbreaked, 8 1/2 pound 375 Chapfield-Taylor when I was twelve (well no less), most grown men can learn to shoot a 416 or 458 without a break.

I now am thinking about bigger and better things.

I want to build cartridges based on the Rigby and the Gibbs cases and possibly even an eight bore single shot. I know that I can learn to shoot them well but not at the expense of using a break.

I think I'll try the mercury.

Thanks to all who posted.

-Catter

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Shoot the largest caliber you can shoot well, and practice , practice, practice.

[This message has been edited by Wildcatter (edited 01-13-2002).]

good post wildcatter i would rather shoot with the rifle resting on my nose than use a brake, a broke nose will heal your ears will not.

Ray,

As mentioned above the EAR ear plugs work great. I got a set a few years back at the SCI show and have hunted with them ever sense. The nice thing is you can tune the volume to improve your hearing while hunting and the muzzle blast is still baffled out. Out side of the cost I would highly recommend them.

Chris

Has anyone used any of the various spring-loaded recoil pads? ie...Counter Force pad. What about other recoil reducing devices?

-Catter

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Shoot the largest caliber you can shoot well, and practice , practice, practice.

I'll restate my point as some must have misread it....I like the muzzle brakes and I use them at the range for load work, then take them off while hunting..It does not change the POI on the rifles that I have built...I have used them while hunting and without hearing protection and they are not bad out in the open in big bores, they are bad indoors..But I lost most of my hearing while cull hunting in Africa with big bores, big bores are plenty loud enough to ruin your hearing without a muzzle brake. Also I only use them on very large caliber rifles. Sure, I'd rather not ever use one but alas I just not that tough and I cannot handle a 505 from the bench, unbraked.

I will not use any devise that's in or on the stock, as they ruin the balance and weaken the stock of a fine rifle by adding all that weight to the butt and if you put enough lead up front to balance it then its too damn heavy to pack..I am a firm believer in a big bore that handles like a 410 Boss shotgun and points like one even at 10 lbs like my Jefferys double rifle...

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Mercury reducers do little or nothing to reduce recoil IMHO. I have tried the Answer System Recoil pad on my 577 Tyrannosaur, this pad does not reduce recoil that much but I have not had a gun headache since installing it on my rifle.

[This message has been edited by Mitch (edited 01-17-2002).]