Over the past week, I have installed 3 of the 3/4" x 5" 11oz mercury recoil reducers. One in a Winchester Custom Shop 458 Lott, Model 70 Supergrade 30-06, and my sons Model 70 Compact Classic 7-08. The most amazing thing is that I didn't screw up any of the stocks!

Except for the Lott, you may ask why would I put recoil reducers in a 30-06 and a 7-08. More of an experiment than anything else. The 30-06 and the 7-08 were worked over by Speedy Gonzales. He blueprinted the action and replaced the barrels on both. A Hart on the 30-06 and a Shilen on the 7-08. I specifically asked him to put the next heavier contour barrel on each to add weight and take out a little of the recoil.

I have another 30-06 Supergrade that I will compare later to see how much the recoil reducer helps. My son's 7-08 starts at about 6 3/4 lbs. Even with the smaller round, it has a little bit of a bite. Especially to him. He is 10.

With the recoil reducers, these are sweet! No excess noise and muzzle blast as with the muzzle brakes. As far as the balance, they are perfect. Before, they were a little nose heavy and now they couldn't be better. The 458 Lott was always nose heavy because of the large barrel. All three point like a well fitting sporting clays shot gun.

Yup, they do work in more ways than just recoil management. Take a look and the Cowboy Gun in the Africa Hunting Room, it has two recoil reducers in the butt stock.

I have had three put in the butt of my .585. The stock maker said he wanted the third in to balance it out due to the 25" of barrel 1" at the muzzle. The nay sayers will say lead shot would work just as well, I don't know maybe it would.

I added the Benelli version to a Ruger #1 in 375 H&H. It moved the balance back to the trigger guard, points like a hand fitted shotgun & is pleasant to shoot off hand and on the bench. It's headed to SA next weekend for its official baptsim.

jeff

Longbob,just wanted to find how your models 70's shot before and after the rebarrel? I had one rebarreled a few years ago and didnt see a lot of improvement. I have heard a lot of good about
Speedy and really enjoy his website. I thought of him for my next barrel job and some first hand information would be greatly appreciated. thank you for any information

Chris,

The 7-08 grouped like an Imp. Cyl. shotgun and the 30-06 wasn't much better. I am currently working on the loads. So far, they seem to both like Nosler Partitions over the Hornady SST's (go figure). But I am far from being done with all of my load options.