All,

Having recently fitted a new Pachmayr 752B pad to a rifle, I felt it courteous to let everyone know of some changes they made to the design of the pad. These changes are indicated on a slip of paper in the package, which I've posted below. Overall, there was nothing different to mounting/installing/performance, but some of these changes are a little odd at first. One that's not pictured is the fact the recoil pad is now a single, solid color when you get it. I bought a red pad, and the entire exterior of the pad was red, no black base like I'm used to seeing. However, when you start grinding, the red goes away and reveals a normal pad with the black base. This is loosely indicated in the second to last bullet point. I think the slotted hole is a nice touch and allows a little wiggle room with hole spacing.

Are there any better alternatives, better look, better quality to the Pachmayr pads?

Not that I've found. They're so good and easy to source, I haven't seen the need to change. I did try one of the Hogue grind to fit pads and found it good, too, but they don't come with as many options as the Pachmayr pads. The red pad is super-classy on just about everything.

The nice thing about the Pachmayr pads is that the base grinds well. Others use a plastic base that melps when you try to grind it. If there is a worse pad than the Limbsaver, I can't think of what it might be. Regards, Bill.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Leeper:
The nice thing about the Pachmayr pads is that the base grinds well. Others use a plastic base that melps when you try to grind it. If there is a worse pad than the Limbsaver, I can't think of what it might be. Regards, Bill.

Agreed on all counts, Bill. The Hogue ground similarly to the Pachmayr, so I'd lump them in the good category. Aside from being ugly, the tendency of Limbsavers to go all gooey is a major turn off. I've never found the need to have a pad that soft on a rifle. Pachmayr has noticeably softened their material over time, but it's still nowhere near Limbsaver. The newest Decelerator I installed is actually surprisingly soft. I remembered them being a little firmer.

I recently had two Pachmayr Decelerator pads installed , one on a Dakota 300H&H and another on a Mod 70 Win .264Win. They seem spongy to me and it will be interesting to see how they hold up compared to the older models which were stellar in performance and look.

quote:

Originally posted by 4WD:
I recently had two Pachmayr Decelerator pads installed , one on a Dakota 300H&H and another on a Mod 70 Win .264Win. They seem spongy to me and it will be interesting to see how they hold up compared to the older models which were stellar in performance and look.

The new ones are still great in look and performance, but they're a tad softer. Honestly, I view recoil pads with an expiration date. You get an honest 20 -30 years out of them, but that's it. When I buy a used rifle from anytime before 2000, I always assume the pad is getting chucked and replaced. I have a few of my own installs that are approaching that point, and they're holding up well. Maybe there's something to actually using the gun to keep them in shape?

I just went thru a recoil pad replacement binge. They really do have a finite life. I think one of them was over 50 years old! All were replaced with new Decelerator pads. Two of the replacements had small hidden bubble defects that didn't appear until they were shaped. The defects were small and don't impair function but it still ticks me off a bit.
C.G.B.

quote:

Originally posted by cgbach:
I just went thru a recoil pad replacement binge. They really do have a finite life. I think one of them was over 50 years old! All were replaced with new Decelerator pads. Two of the replacements had small hidden bubble defects that didn't appear until they were shaped. The defects were small and don't impair function but it still ticks me off a bit.
C.G.B.

Yeah, that sucks. Can't say what I'd do in your shoes, but I'd certainly consider calling Pachmayr and complaining. Odds are they'd send you a new pad if you sent them a picture. Yes, it's small and doesn't get in the way of performance, but it's ugly! I ain't hunting with an ugly gun!

Hmmmm...notice that they eliminated a "costly operation", but kept the price increase

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):
Hmmmm...notice that they eliminated a "costly operation", but kept the price increase

...an alternative to Decelerator is the Kick-Eze. I've used these a few times. One of the advantages I've found is that a thinner pad will perform well, and I've found that thinner looks better to me. I used a .700 thick Kick-Eze on my 8 pound .300 H&H, it works great!

Another thing I do to decrease felt recoil, when designing a stock do not make the butt surface too narrow! A wide butt sole helps spread the recoil over a larger area IME.

Just my 2cents.

I agree on the wide recoil pad. I shoot 577 and 500 with a wide limbsaver.

Recently, I've also had several with defects that don't get noticed until they're fully ground. I'm wondering it has to do with their new process. It's a problem I've had multiple times with them within the last couple of months and never before the new design.

quote:

Originally posted by cgbach:
I just went thru a recoil pad replacement binge. They really do have a finite life. I think one of them was over 50 years old! All were replaced with new Decelerator pads. Two of the replacements had small hidden bubble defects that didn't appear until they were shaped. The defects were small and don't impair function but it still ticks me off a bit.
C.G.B.

Probably why Lyman was blowing out the old stock on Ebay for $7-10 each.

That metal plate in Pachmyer pads bothers me, and on a rare occasion I hit it and ruin a pad..I like a one size fits all pad that's solid red or brown..small size for less grinding.