my hand hurts!

[bigbear]

I enjoy shooting stout loads in my Winchester 71. I find shooting regular loads in my WinBB 375Win and Browning 1886 carbine in 45-70 hurt my trigger hand. On recoil the lever slams back into it and boy that smarts. I have very large hands. Any suggestions?With my 71, stout loads are felt on my shoulder, not my hand.

[ReloaderFred]

I solved that problem with my .45-120 Sharps by wearing a shooting glove on my right hand, which is my trigger hand. The lever comes back and raps my knuckle, but the shooting glove I have is padded on the back of the fingers, so it cushions the blow and makes it more enjoyable to shoot. My glove is one of those with the ends of the fingers cut off and the padding stops at the second knuckle.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[gnoahhh]

I had a M71 for a while (everyone is welcome to kick me in the rear for ever getting rid of it) and had the same thing happen. I bought a golf glove to wear that eased the problem. I also cut back the loads to a sane level and had a lot more fun shooting it, saving the full throttle stuff for hunting. I called the gun my "mule killer" because it kicked like a mule and would kill anything I pointed it at!

[870TC]

Maybe try putting your middle finger on the outside of the lever?

[bigbear]

I'll try all the above.

[Mavrick]

FWIW- I leave ALL my fingers outside the lever.
I close my eyes and insert my index finger into the trigger-guard, lol.
My M71 is a .375/348 Imp, tho'. Using a .38/55 cast 270gr or 300gr it'll throw down with anything a guy can imagine. It's a 20" carbine so rises pretty snappy.
I never seem to get that reload from the shoulder thing down, eventho' I use several leverguns, so having the fingers outside the lever-loop doesn't bother me. (or my fingers)
Have fun,
Gene

[izzyjoe]

you might also try sliding you'r hand as far back as you can in the lever. that's what i have to do when i shoot a friends 450 guide. that thing smart's.

[NickSS]

I have a 95winchester that has a small lever loop and it whacks my middle finger pretty good when I fire it. I found that by leaving my pinkie outside the rear of the lever loop and scooting my fingers towards the rear solved the problem.

[btroj]

I suppose I should be happy to have relatively slender hands. I can shoot about any load I want in any of my 5 Marlins and never get bit by the lever.
You guys ever think of putting your hand on a diet?

[6pt-sika]

I have very large hands !

Not fat hands but large hands !

And of the 90+ Marlin's I had and the 26 I have now all of 444 or 45-70 . None has gotten my hand yet !

Now thats not to say the next time I'm at the range they'll get me !

Only thing that gets me is a friends 505 Gibbs bolt action !
The bolt handle wacks me sometimes .
And my Contender with the 444 barrel !
But it gets my weakside hand not my shooting hand with a two handed hold !

[btroj]

It is amazing to me how much difference there is in perception of recoil/pain when shooting. Just goes to show that each of us has a different build, different hold on the rifle, and use a different position. All of these lead to differences in how we feel/perceive recoil.
My FIL has a Marlin 1894 in 44mag and the ever bites him every time, never a problem for me. I do think it is harder on my cheek in recoil that my 45 colt. Much of this is because I am using a receiver sight that gets my face just a bit higher.

[smkummer]

The first time I fired one (with full loads), I thought the pistol grip was a big improvement on the lever gun. Very comfortable and maybe saved the fingers from bite. I have a semi-fingerless (like what the British wear)padded leather shooting glove for my right (shooting) hand that does wonders with the Ruger Super Blackhawk and straight handle lever guns. If my fingers are being pinched I don't even know it.

[a.squibload]

A lot of motorcycle/dirt bike gloves have pads on the outside, on the back of the fingers BUT
if your hands are large to begin with they might not fit in the loop?

You could get the John Wayne-style giant loop.
Would have to learn how to spin cock it...