Gents,

I'm sure this question's been asked before, but I'm new to the game. I absolutely love my .375 Ruger. It's the African. The recoil pad is, in my opinion, lacking. Any ideas for a really good one?

Also, has anyone installed mercury recoil reducers on an M77? Recoil isn't that bad now, but off the bench it gets tiresome for a small guy like me.

The Limbsaver from Brownells is about the most effective IMO...

As to Mercury recoil reducers, IMO they make any rifle butt heavy and ruin the balance of a rifle that should be a bit barrel heavy IMO. I would prefer the recoil. I don't mind a muzzle brake, but some do. They are very effective and can be installed to screw in under the barrel band front sight of the Ruger with a thread protector that will hide the installation and you can't hardly see it when not in use..Use it on the bench, testing loads, then take it off to hunt if you like..

Kick-eeze!

Rich
DRSS

+1 for Atkinson's comments. I don't have muzzle brakes, but I don't mind them.

I don't find the little red pad on my Hawkeye 375R to be "sufficient" from a recoil perspective, but a thicker pad would definitely be nice.

From an LOP point of view, the Hawkeye is about an inch short for me, so I am looking at spacers and a new pad anyway. I plan to put a Pachmayer Decelerator on it (maybe the one off of my 416 Taylor, which I am also swapping out to get some more LOP on it).

Cheers,
Canuck

I put a Pachmayr F990 on my 375 RUM and it "feels" like a pussycat now. I can shoot it of the bench forever and not get sore. There is no punch anymore. Only a push. The pad is 1.5in thick so you will get some more LOP.

A Limbsaver should do the job!

I like to use a slip-on pad from Sims (Limbsaver):



Or the newest ones from Pachmayr, they are Decelerators that have the sporting clays type speed mount heel insert, and are as cute as a button:



Both of these come in black or brown or brown camo, in small, medium or large.

You can include an insert under the slip-on if you need an even longer LOP on the factory rifle.

I like the old Galco, Action, and Pachmayr leather slip-on pads with velcro fastening too, something like this that comes in S,M,L,XL and in brown two-tone or monochrome, or can be dyed black, darker brown, oxblood, cordovan, gray, or whatever my fancy:



These slip-ons are especially nice for shooters who like about a 14.5" LOP with a thin shirt, then can take the pad off if wearing a heavy coat and make do with the factory LOP.

I have one very short Bell and Carlson stock on a Ruger No.1 where I use the Sims Limbsaver slip-on over the factory pad, and a leather slip-on over all of that. This rifle is a 500 A2, and that combination is very nice.

My preferred choices in pads for fixed installation:

1. Pachmayr Decelerator XL or Decelerator SC100 Sporting Clays, either one, 1" thick and beautiful.

2. Pachmayr F990 "Triple Magnum" which is 1.5" thick and a bit ugly, but still the best recoil reduction with durability. Taking a black Sharpie to the white line spacer fixes some of the ugly.

3. Sims Limbsaver. Effective and better looking than an F990.

Stay away from Kick-Eez (sp?). I tried one ... once. They are ugly and not very durable. Too soft. They have to be frozen in order to sand them to shape when fitted. They soon break off around the edges with field use. They should be looked as disposable pads, like sanitary pads.

Nice looking slip on pads, there Ron.

Has anyone tried the Decelerator XLT. Really soaks it up

Blair,
I have not tried the XLT but thanks for pointing that one out that they say is 50% softer than the standard Decelerator but durable enough to not be thought of as a disposable pad.

Some Pachmayr pads:

Decelerator XL, 1" thick, a "classic":



Decelerator SC100 Sporting Clays, 0.8" or 1" thick:


XLT Magnum, 1.1" thick, it looks thicker due to the camera angle:



Butt Ugly F990 Triple Magnum, 1.5" thick, it begs to be touched up with a black Sharpie and then covered in leather, maybe real pigskin or at least a leather slip-on shell with velcro fastening:

Another vote for the XLT pad. Its very durable yet soft and absorbs most of the recoil. It's the one I have on my 375 and I love it. Makes this gun a blast to shoot!

Enigma, that does look good and effective.
And nobody has anything bad to say about the XLT Magnum pad from Pachmayr. I should try one myself. Old dog, new trick.

I'd say the decelerator in either black or red (I like red), would be the best looking pad out there, but the Limbsavers seem to be the most effective in recoil reduction. Me, I'd go with the red decelerator and call it a day!

1" Pachmayer Decelerator, gets my vote. Plenty of pad for my Lott. Will also be putting one on my 375H&H.

Keith