I have several rifles that need recoil pads and was wondering which are the best ones you have used .I used the triple mag pachmyer on a few and a sorbithane now lifesavers which work good but I hate the way they feel .I need a nice looking pad for my 416 rem mag Winchester model 70 ,my weatherby old walnut stock vanguard and my .333okh in a 1917 Enfield .I have two other 416s both Remington 700 but they are glued on pain to change !

I like NECG’s pads, as you can order them in several thicknesses.

According to buckstix, a thin rubber pad for non-skid function is best on a big bore, so it can go stand in the corner better.
Any thicker rubber pad just gives it a run at you, according to buckstix.
That would work OK for me in a winter coat, or with PAST pad attached to me.
I would use a slip-on pad for T-shirt shooting, even though the slip-on pad might give the rifle a run at me,
I do not allow that, drawing it in tight to pre-compress the pad before the shot.
I have not yet got an opinion from buckstix on whether the PAST pad gives the rifle a run at you or not.
To my way of thinking it functions just like a recoil pad attached to the rifle.

So, whatever turns your crank.
I default to Pachmayr Decelerator Sporting Clays 1"-thick pad on just about anything.
Careful though, that hard plastic insert on the heel of the pad makes it a poor one to stand in the corner,
especially in a round room.

Rip ...

Another vote for NECG. I like the fact you can use their mounting system and don't to have screws through the pad.

Have on my 404 and 9.3.

The main problem with the crescent steel butt plate is you can not stand it in the corner - so you have to take it hunting!


No, it does not hurt you as it just lets the muzzle rise to absorb the recoil.

My only experience is with Pachmyayr. I always liked the “sporting clays” model. It minimizes clothing drag when shouldering the rifle! memtb

Kick-eez.

Well I like the Pachmayer Decelerators. Been using them forever. Anyone recommends a thin steel buttlplate I put one on my 500 Jeffery for them and let them shoot 20 rounds through it

I fitted an Old English Red Pachmayer Decelerator to my fairly light Mauser 404. Much more pleasant to shoot than with the original ventilated pad and these pads don't get soft and sticky.
Done carefully you do not see that screws are used to hold the pad on the butt and they grind to fit nicely too.

Spot the screw holes!

I have Pachmayer Decelerators put on all of my rifles unless they come from the factory with a soft enough pad, like the one on my CZ 9.3x62, or my Ruger synthetic SS Hawkeyes.

My gunsmith grinds them to fit and I think they look great. Not sticky and much softer than the 'regular' Ruger buttpads like the ones on my RSMs, Mark IIS, Paddlestocks, etc.

So far, I've only used black, and like it a lot. However, that orange one on the previous post would look really nice on a few rifles I have in mind.

I wonder if they are as soft as the black ones? Same material? Anyone know?

They are soft but not squirmy so. I had a black sporting clays model on another rifle and they seem much the same in softness.
Another view of the pad on the rifle, the pad looks scalloped in the middle but it is just the shadow in the photo. I always shape the heel of a pad so it does not follow the line of the stock on the bottom and find it stops hang ups on clothing when shouldering.

REALLY looks nice.

Thanks for posting the photo eagle27. Gives me a better look.

I think I'm going to put one on a few rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
According to buckstix, a thin rubber pad for non-skid function is best on a big bore, so it can go stand in the corner better.
Any thicker rubber pad just gives it a run at you, according to buckstix.
That would work OK for me in a winter coat, or with PAST pad attached to me.
I would use a slip-on pad for T-shirt shooting, even though the slip-on pad might give the rifle a run at me,
I do not allow that, drawing it in tight to pre-compress the pad before the shot.
I have not yet got an opinion from buckstix on whether the PAST pad gives the rifle a run at you or not.
To my way of thinking it functions just like a recoil pad attached to the rifle. ....
Rip ...

Hello RIP

Here is what I said on a previous post. .... "I speak from experience having an assortment of big bore rifles from .338 up to .700 caliber, with metal, thin, hard, and soft, recoil pads. Its the soft ones that seem to hurt me the most, and the metal, thin, or hard ones that seem to hurt the least. If the latter 3 are held firm against your shoulder, the weight of the shoulder becomes part of the weight of the rifle during recoil and gives a firm, or very firm, "push" during recoil. The soft ones seem to "slam" you. That's the way my body sees it, others may vary.

And per your reply .... "We will have to agree to disagree on that one. BTW, I do not think a PAST pad gives the rifle a run at me either."

I have no experience using a PAST pad, but when I examined one from another shooter and watched him using it at the range, it seemed to be a more solid pad of "felt wool" (more like padding) that didn't really compress under recoil, so it DID NOT give the rifle a running start, but rather it spread the recoil over a larger area against the shoulder, thereby reducing felt recoil. If I ever find a shooting vest with a PAST pad built in, I'll buy it and try it out.

My advice would be to warn against getting a "too think" and "too soft" recoil pad. I don't think they work. My Custom Winchester African Express in 416 Rem Mag came with a Factory installed "too soft" - 1-1/2" "too thick" - Kick-Eez® Recoil Pad. Although the rifle weighs nearly 11 pounds loaded, its the "most-hurting" rifle in my collection. .... and again ... all just my humble opinion.

I have a Limbsaver on a lite 300 Win Mag and they really do a good job of taking the pain out of a hard kicking gun, but have too much give for a really hard kicking big bore.

I just do push-ups and suck-it-up for my .416 Rem Mag.

BH63

Nice wood on that Winchester AE.

One is as good as another with me as long as its solid red, black or brown with no vents..I use the Silvers pads a lot on big bores, and leather cover them..BTW they are as hard as steel, but seem to work, but I have no problem with a steel Neidner type butt on any rifle, If held properly..I have no problem with cresent butts for that matter, Every 1886 Ive shot had a cresent steel butt plate..Soft pads tend to bounce. Guess its a personal thingie with most of us and mostly mental.

I always wear a PAST Magnum recoil pad, when fire testing loads at the range. It's the best thing since the .458WM itself.

Silvers ! Traditional and still made to this day !

My choice is the Pachmayr one inch Decelerator. It will tame anything that can be tamed.

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
Silvers ! Traditional and still made to this day !

I do like the orange colour of the Silvers but I understand they are as hard as the hobs of hell and also not keen on those big plugs covering the screws but I suppose that is all part of the tradition too

If it is simply a "range" issue just get a nice terry cloth hand towel, Fold it 2-3 times and throw it over your shoulder.
I find it more efficient than anything else and probably $5.
If it is a hot day you can use it to wipe the sweat off your brow.

EZ

I have been using Limbsaver Nitro on my .577NE. I like it.

Consider what the recoil pad does and you can answer the question. It has two functions: 1. it takes the hard corners out of contact with your shoulder & 2. It temporarily absorbs some of the recoil for a few milliseconds then pushes back on your shoulder. The downside of the temporary absorption of recoil is that the gun continues to move rearward, so it is getting a run at your shoulder and then has a solid push to your shoulder when the pad is fully compressed. Some models add insult to injury by having round-headed screws in them that can be felt pushing against you when the pad is compressed. So the most comfortable pad will be one that takes the corners off (as compared to a buttplate) and will delay the recoil by compressing but not fully compress during the recoil of whatever cartridge is being fired so that the secondary hit of the gun is prevented.

When I make stock for a big bore I make the butt as wide as possible, without making it look too ugly. A wide butt stock is a big help in making a big bore more comfortable to shoot.

I like a soft pad; not fussy about the brand. I think the ones on Mod 70s and Whitworths are absolutely the worst - hard as a rock. In factory rifles, Browning and Sako are good, as is Remington.

How do the red pads sold by NECG compare to say the Pac. Decla.? I like the fact that the NECG can be acquired in various thickness which helps adapt length of pull but have wondered if they are soft, hard, etc.

Soft but not mushy. I really like them.

Professionals use Pachmayr Decelerators. Have always worked well in the fields and forests of big game hunting. They look good on the rifle too. You'll find none better among the Johnny-Come-Latelys.

Whatever pad chosen, store guns muzzle down and not standing on the pad. Pads are rubber, they deteriorate over time and will gradually compress and deform.

Original Jeffery 500 Jeffery pad
this rifle was delivered to Jeffery in 1928

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
Whatever pad chosen, store guns muzzle down and not standing on the pad. Pads are rubber, they deteriorate over time and will gradually compress and deform.

Original Jeffery 500 Jeffery pad
this rifle was delivered to Jeffery in 1928

Good gawd, that's awful. What a terrible waste of a pad on an otherwise classic Jeffrey big bore.

That is the original
The rifle was sent to Abercrombie & Fitch in New York from Jeffery where it sat for some years without getting sold, it then went the G&H where it resided before finally being sold.

Two 404's both with silvers pads.
The top is a standard grade Jeffery and the bottom a Custom made for me by a collaboration of makers in Cape Town.

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
Whatever pad chosen, store guns muzzle down and not standing on the pad. Pads are rubber, they deteriorate over time and will gradually compress and deform.

Original Jeffery 500 Jeffery pad
this rifle was delivered to Jeffery in 1928

Sacrebleu!
One of only 24 rifles produced between 1927 and 1940?

Greater collector value there with original pad?

If you must shoot it, use a slip-on pad over the original, and hope the original does not crumble.

Rip ...

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
That is the original
The rifle was sent to Abercrombie & Fitch in New York from Jeffery where it sat for some years without getting sold, it then went the G&H where it resided before finally being sold.

Two 404's both with silvers pads.
The top is a standard grade Jeffery and the bottom a Custom made for me by a collaboration of makers in Cape Town.

top ones nicely set for open sights
i have a 404J geting built just like this for a work partner

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
Whatever pad chosen, store guns muzzle down and not standing on the pad. Pads are rubber, they deteriorate over time and will gradually compress and deform.

Original Jeffery 500 Jeffery pad
this rifle was delivered to Jeffery in 1928

Yup. I was at George Hoenigs house one time and he opened a safe and all I saw were butt pads. Went home and flipped all mine over and have ever since.

I've got a Kick-Eze on my 375 and it rests muzzle down. Damn thing wants to melt.

All my double rifles and shotguns go muzzle down to protect the recoil pads as well as to make sure any gravity flow of oil goes toward the hinge pin
and the metal "dam" between the action and the forend wood.
Don't want any stray lubricant going back into the action and toward the buttstock wood,
to congeal and sticky-up the mechanism or soften the wood.
Sh!# do happen.

Each muzzle-down piece gets a soft plastic cup or pill bottle as a crown protector.

SxS and OU doubles and the single-shots fit well, all in a row, muzzle down.
The confounded bolt-actions I have to alternate, up-down-up-down ... in order to fit them all in ... because of the bolt sticking out the side.
About all have Pachmayr Decelerator pads, and in over 30 years, none of them have melted or collapsed.
I cannot say that about the one old Kickeez pad I tried and had to replace, about 20 years ago.

I have one Pachmayr Triple-X Magnum pad (1.5") with a removable support stud that goes in the screw hole near heel.
That takes the pressure off the pad, if standing in the safe.
But that stock is packed away in a cardboard box, waiting to be fitted to a .500 Jeffery Gun for Dinosaur.

Rip ...

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
Whatever pad chosen, store guns muzzle down and not standing on the pad. Pads are rubber, they deteriorate over time and will gradually compress and deform.

Original Jeffery 500 Jeffery pad
this rifle was delivered to Jeffery in 1928

I highly doubt this could happen with modern synthetic materials. You say 1928, well that alone explains a lot.

Not saying modern materials will not show some signs of lost of elasticity but not even close to that old horse, some new ones are really the cat meow

I like the Silvers pads I can round them off and leather cover them in pigskin..They are hard as steel and that makes them easy to stretch the wet leather over, does a better job. I like the orange color of the true Silvers pad, I have used them on all my big bores over the years..even my smaller calibers come to think of it, otherwise I like a steel butt plate with a tip on top..I like the Neidners real well as they are light weight and don't interfere with balance, plus they are checkered with a border that's easy to round off without getting into trouble, but just my tke lots of nice steel butt plates out there..I don' like the ones with checkered inserts, they ding up too easy for a hunting rifle..especially one on mine, I don't tend to baby a rifle no matter how tricked out it is.

Ummmmm ! Plastic and rubber Not forever ! They deteriorate over time and that's a fact of life ! Rubber and plastic on guns..... your grandkids are going to inherit mush !

Styer Mannlicher M72 9,3x64 ( 1972 the year the "music" ( guns of a genius) officially died
Plastic parts a definite no no, with time the polymer bonds get tired and let go and viola a mess !





Another sad, sad day ! This was the hunting knife of my youth, With the sad state of the rand to the dollar this was a very very expensive buy, not once did it see a sharpening iron or sharpening at the hand of my trackers or skinners, still has the original edge angle ! and now the rubber handle has turned to a sticky mess very very sad indeed



I have quite a collection of old Brno Rifles and the Deluxe versions of the ZKK 602's of the 70's all have had their pads replaced with Pachmyer pads because the originals deteriorated collapsed and became sticky. The Government of Canada museum services actually have on their website a bulletin on the preservation measures to try and preserve plastics and rubber in their collections.

I have a pachmyer double Magnum pad on my 338 win mag Ruger and it's over sized but it kicks way less .I.accidentally dropped it this year 25 feet in the stand the rifle bounced 10 feet nothing damaged .I.think.That pad is 30 years old still good .I.need a nice pad for that Elmer Keith 338 okh it's white and rotten no fun to even shoot it .My 416 model 70 Winchester has the original pad need to improve it .I had heard packmyer decelerators were too soft above a 338 win mag recoil .I.know shotgun pads work better than rifle pads .My 405 1895 Winchester has a limbsaver on it now I want a real recoil pad on it too .I guess turning 55 I dint like guns kicking as much .I use to shoot my 338 150 times a day and my 416 a 100 not any.more .Hopefully I can get in ten more years hunting.I have a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder so I.have to be careful .I use past pads all the time too .Thanks for helping.Me on.this I will try a few of them on different guns .