Hi: I am asking this on other forums to get a broad view. Does anyone have any before and after experience with mercury recoil reducers. Dan

They add weight ,which by "physics" is the real advantage, they seem to reduce"felt" recoil more than their weight alone would indicate.

The "theory" is the inertia of the mercury within the tube and its temporary resistance to the rearward acceleration.

I have been pleased in some guns and not in others, IMHO more related to the stock design.

The theory is that the mercury, or in some cases tungsten beads, because it moves inside the tube takes the hard slap out of the recoil.

I have shot Blaser R 93's with their recoil reducer installed side by side with the same rifle without it.

I do notice some reduction in overall recoil in attition to a less sharp recoil.

The mercury recoil reducer spreads the recoil dampening over a longer time, but does no more for the integral of dR/dT than an equal weight of anything else will do.

You can get a greater weight of lead
and a greater weight still of tungsten,
into the same hole that holds the steel, mercury and gas included in a mercury recoil reducer.

Whatever you like.
They are neat little devices that can be transferred from one gun to another.
I've got a couple, combining two of them with a bolt, end-to-end, is one ounce heavier than the weight of that 7/8" iron rod (of the same length) in the butt of the NEF-er.

Since they are together one ounce heavier than the iron rod of equal length, they will work better,
but not as well as the same-sized cylinder of solid lead or tungsten.

If you double the weight of a firearm,
you cut in half both the foot-pounds (recoil energy) and fps (speed) of the "kick."

Same recoil impulse in pound-seconds for the same load, same ejecta.

Recoil/Kick is inversely proportional to gun weight, if the load fired is a constant.

I have a mercury reducer in each of my Trap and Skeet shotguns and one in my .300 Wby. I also have a mechanical reducer in my .375 RUM.

I also have a plastic stocked Rem 870 12 ga that I usually take to the Skeet range about a month or so before bird season. I shoot 1 or 2 boxes of 7/8 oz shells through it each week. Even with the light 7/8 oz loads, I would get a bruise on my cheek from the recoil, and I would begin to lift my head off the stock as I pulled the trigger. This past year, I put a reducer (I can't remember if it was mercury or mechanical) in the stock. At the first shot, the reduction of recoil was noticable, and I no longer get a bruised cheek.

Yes, they do reduce the amount of felt recoil. I don't know if mercury is better than mechanical, or if either one is actually better than an equal amount of weight in the stock.

Thank You all for the education. Dan

Yes, I just had two installed, plus some lead, on a Tikka T3 in a 338 Win. Mag. and they tamed it down consirably. However, I am not sure that good ol' fashioned lead would not have been better.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
The mercury recoil reducer spreads the recoil dampening over a longer time, but does no more for the integral of dR/dT than an equal weight of anything else will do.

I agree with that statement.

I would add that if you're considering adding a recoil reducer to increase the weight, I would say that WHERE you put the added weight is more important than the added weight itself.

Put it in a tube in the butt of your rifle stock, and it may "balance." But it will feel clubby.

You want added weight "between the hands"... On a bolt gun, I would add it under the barrel (close to the receiver) and as far forward as I could get it in the stock.

For example, say you want to add 1 pound overall: 8 ounces under the barrel and 8 ounces in the stock will have the same effect as a one pound recoil reducer under the recoil pad, but the handling of the two guns will be worlds apart.

I have found with the .458 Winchester that one is not needed. Just grasp the rifle FIRMLY with both hands and your cheek. Make sure the scope is not mounted too high or too far rearward. Do not shoot it off the bench unless you can sit upright. Make sure you wear a lot of shoulder padding and ear protection.

Your hands can perform the same function as the "recoil reducer"--spreading the recoil out--without the fool-around.

I put one in the butt stock of my Benelli SBE for early goose season. That's a time of short sleeved shirts and 3 and 3 1/2 inch loads. It changes the felt recoil measurably. I left it in. It also changed the way it balances, but that's not a big deal on a waterfowl gun.
Bfly

I'll put one in a synthetic stock to add a bit pf weight, but would never consider it in a good walnut stock. Just my personal opinion.

Indy i agree but in my case i fire 40 to 60 rounds at a time off the bench and standing so the recoil[these are near max lds]does get a bit sometimes. Dan