I finally gave my great plains an afternoon at the range, and to my surprize the stock is hitting my right cheek. Also the very loud double Click sounds when cocking is not going to be very handy on close up bears or deer!

Does someone know of kentucky rifle stocks being altered to avoid being kicked on the cheek bone? Picks???

And, any remedies for the loud cocking sounds. My idea was, when I got this firearm, to hunt with it.

Lock parts work with heavy pressure and low torque. I grease mine and it somewhat reduces the sound. With practice you can muffle it a bit, especially with a single trigger gun. Less powder=less recoil. At 80 yards 50 grains fffg will drive a .490 roundball through a good sized deer's chest cavity, all the way through. Those who use buffalo loads for deer should learn to tolerate the recoil of heavy charges, in guns with narrow, curved buttplates.

The stock fit is your problem. I had the same problem with a 54 cal TC Renegade until I realized that it was just too short for me. I added a Pachmayr recoil pad and the problem went away and it's now even fun to shoot full bore loads.....but it's not very "traditional" of course. Perhaps you could look into one of the slip on pads. The more you shoot it the more hammering your cheek will get and therefore more sensitive overall.

Good luck

I agree with Paul entirely. This has been my experience as well.

Two more things though.

One is how you hold the rifle. A rifle like that is made to be held with the butt much further out on your right shoulder - really on your arm more than anything.

Two, you can consider bending the stock if all else fails.

Brent

Me, I get stabbed by the hooked buttplate of my GPR unless I slide the butt off my shoulder to my upper arm above the bicep. Should have bought the Pedersoli Mortimer when I had the chance. Still, 90 grains of 3f and .530 ball turns whitetail into venison with finality.

I shot a .50 cal GReat Plains for a number of years and got 3 deer with it. Also, while I'm a guy who avoids crowds I shot in a few rendezvous with that rifle and did exceeding well. Often I would shoot bare chested or with no more than a T-sirt on-you know, playing the mountain man thing. Like the others have advised move the gun butt at least into the crease between the shoulder and your upper arm. Upper arm is alright but I was never comfortable with that. Most likely you'll have to crane your neck a bit but you can get used to that. The Great Plains is a GREAT rifle for the price and considering it comes from the factory that way. Work with it. As for the loud cocking sounds-when you spot your deer, I'll assume your rifle is in the half cocked condition. Before you touch the hammer pull your trigger as far back as she'll go and then hold her there. Then slowly ease your hammer back into the full cock position. You'll feel the moving parts of the lock fall into place and you will know when to release pressure from the trigger-the gun will remain locked! Then you can either use the set trigger feature or just pull the "hunting trigger". I once missed a chance at a buck when I spotted him at maybe 10 yards-heavy cover needless to say. I cocked my piece as I suggested and the buck stood and stared. The rifle I had that day was a custom piece and could only fire with the trigger set. AGain-I had cocked silently but when I "set" the trigger it clicked ever so softly. At that close range and that tight of cover the deer had all he could stand and he bounded away. Course I never got a shot at him but that's the way it goes. Also-visit the firearms museums in Cody, Wyoming and you'll be amazed how similar your GP rifle is to the originals. I wouldn't change a thing-just become Jim Bridger at least for a moment.

What caliber is the great Plains rifle?
Want to trade for a T/C Hawken?

Buy a TC Renegade with a pad , they are quite common up here .
The Renegade gives you the best of all worlds over the Hawken in that it is 1" and handles all the calibers .The Hawken you need two different stocks 15/16"and 1".
Just my thoughts .
Mainer

Thank you all for your information. I have tamed the beast. I added a wrap around recoil pad and extra spacing to get near 2" more length. It is still not balanced idealy, but does not hammer me anymore, even with max loads.

Thanks again. Next project is noise reduction from cocking hammer back. LOL. .....

quote:

Originally posted by Exit31:
Next project is noise reduction from cocking hammer back. LOL. .....

That's easy. Hold the trigger back while pulling hammer back. Then release the trigger and then release the hammer. This works only w/o the triggers in set condition.

Brent