I've found what I think is an old or discontinued Pachmayr recoil pad, smooth finish and English red, that I want to fit to my little .444 Marlin double.

When I bring the gun to my shoulder, eyes closed or just in a natural position, it comes up with the front sight lined up on the left side of the rear sight, not in the cut. It's not a huge adjustment, but it is consistent, so I'd like to know, since I'm going to swap out the nasty dull pad it already has, can the cast-off be altered by cutting the stock at very slight angle for the pad?

No since this will not effect where you eye lies on the comb or how the comb lies in respect to the rear sight. What would work is having the stock bent.

Stock bending is a common, effective and realatively inexpensive. There are limits on how much any particulat piece of wood will bend, but it doesn't sound like your rifle's buttstack needs much bending if it come up close to on now. Long top strap or top tang rifles aren't good candidates for bending, but most boxlocks do not have long top straps.

For long top srtap rifles, only removing wood from the side of the comb or restocking work.

I would give a call to JJ Perodeax, co-located with Champlin's in Oklahoma or to Paul Chapman at Griffin & Howe in New Jersey. G&H has bent a pair of shotguns for me and the work was excellent and the end results right on the money.

After posting the above I read and recall that you are in Italy. Any good gunmaker and many good shotgun smiths will be familiar with and able to bend a stock for you. Since shotgun sports seem popular, and gunmaking in Italy considerable, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a qualified person or outfit.

JPK

NO....you could have the stock bent, but is might be costly...I would adjust to it, you would be surprised how quickly the human body can adopt to gun fit if it has to.

you can always just sell it and buy a rifle that fits properly.

get the stock bent !

You may have a couple of things going on.If you are right handed you may need some cast off. You can have a stock bent for under 200 bucks. You may also be able to sand some cast off into the stock. Look for my post. "She's no longer a beast and a good day at the range". With just a sander and some work I changed my 470 Merkel from a hard kicking beast to a some what pleasant rifle to shoot! You may also have a problem with your left eye being dominant.

JD