Recoil pad?

[Tater]

Well, I picked up the 7mm; can't wait to take it out and do some shooting I'm looking for a recoil pad since working up a good handload means getting out and doing some shooting. I'm not a wuss when it comes to recoil but I'd like to be able to shoot more than a few rounds at a time. I've heard good things about Limbsaver and Pachmyr recoil pads; are there any other good ones? I'd prefer a screw-on pad rather than a slip-on. Thanks in advance

[Dan Morris]

Pachmyer is good. All my ole M70's have the factory steel butt plates...no mods. Guess my shoulder is like my head....hard!LOL
Dan

[M.T. Pockets]

I put a Decelerator on my Remington 700 in .300 Win Mag. It helps some, but I still put a stocking hat under my shooting vest when I go to the bench. I also found that using ear plugs AND a good head set help me, I think a lot of flinch is from the blast.

I just took my friend's Remington 700 in .300 Ultra Mag to my gunsmith, he recommended a Limbsaver and I had him install it. According to him, it was the best recoil pad he's used. We haven't fired it yet, but it's a whole lot better than that piece of tire that Remington puts on from the factory.

I would put an after market recoil pad on anything from a .30-06 or 7 mag. on up, unless it were a collector and I wanted to keep it original. I'd never consider a muzzle break again, but that's just my personal opinion.

[muledeer]

I've always been partial to Pachmyr.
muledeer

[Rapier]

I have used quite a few in my stock making hobby and really, the Packmeyer is hard to beat. It stays solid without getting tacky, factory or grindable.

Just watch your length of pull (LOP) and make sure you stay within confortable measurments. The gun should come up naturally. If you must cut the stock, get a good grindable pad, set the miter box, with a new fine blade, to cut 5 to 10 degrees under at the toe and if you do not have a jig or other equipment, take it to a smith to have the pad fitted properly to you and the stock.

I have long arms and big hands so my LOP is 15 1/8 inches which means that most factory stocks are too short for me to start with so a pad that fits a factory stock is good for me 99% of the time. But do consider a jacket or coat not a T shirt if doing the measurment in the house, and remember that you will be removing a butt plate or pad to put on the recoil pad so work that into your length figuring also. Most factory stocks will have a LOP of 14.5 to 14.75 as they set.
Ed

[Catfish]

The 7 mag. doesn`t really have that much recoil and I doubt that you really need one. If the stock is a hair short I would put one on for the lenth. If it`s not, shoot it, you might deside you don`t need it.

[PJgunner]

My choice would be the Pachmeyr Decelerator. I have them on some seriously hard kicking rifles and they work quite well. Most noticable is a Ruger M77 converted to the .375/338 Magnum. The entire rifle with scope, sling and a full magazine with one up the spout weighs 7.5 pounds. Recoil is noticable but more than tolerable with the Pachmeyr pad. If recoil really is a problem from the bench, then I recommend the Pachmeyr pad and a Past recoil shield which you strap on your body like a shoulder holster. Probably one of the worst rifles I have right now regarding recoil is my Ruger #1 chambered to the .416 Rigby. Ruger only puts that skimpy piece of rubber on the butt and I've never put a better pad on the gun. It's very uncomfortable without the recoil shield and you still notice it, but at least you can shoot the gun. My .404 Jeffery Ruger #1 came with a (YUCH!) muzzle brake and it's rather pleasant to shoot compared to the Rigby. I do wish the guy I got it from hadn't put that brake on it though. That ruins the somewhat collector value of the rather scarce .404's. I'm not much of a fan of th 7MM Rem. mag. and the only one I have is part of my Ruger #1 collection and rarely gets shot.
Paul B.