These old shoulders

[Bigoledude]

I would like to able to shoot my new Buffalo Classic 45-70 longer. But after only a few shots my old shoulder starts feeling the effects of this fine old round.

The peep sights are an exciting new challenge that I'm finding tough. Especially since I can't practice very long. I've always shot scoped rifles.

What recoil pads would give me the "LEAST" bang for my buck! How much does it normally cost to have a good recoil pad installed?

Is there a less expensive solution than a recoil pad? I see in Brownell's and Midway all of these new recoil solutions but, ain't got a clue how they perform.

Ray

[Junior1942]

My solution to the exact same problem was to raise the bench. Raise it or the sandbags until your body is vertical when in firing position. Recoil will push your torso backwards vs slamming into your shoulder. It made a big difference for me.

[3006guns]

Two things come to mind:
A slip-on recoil pad...no installation cost and doesn't change/hurt the gun's value.
Place a bag of shot or sand between the buttplate and your shoulder..works!:-D

[RayinNH]

Ray, another things you can do is remove the butt plate and fill the hole in the stock with lead shot, or measure the distance from the stock bolt to the back of the stock and take a piece of copper water pipe of the appropriate diameter and length and fill with molten lead and insert the whole assembly into the stock. This will add a couple pounds. Off course there is always the lighter boolits, lower intensity loads. [smilie=1:...Ray

[MT Gianni]

If you get a lace up recoil pad it can move on and off when it's needed. Some one a while back bought a recoil pad at Wal-Mart for $2.99. Yep he bought some flip-flops and cut out a pattern from the sole then applied it to his guns butt. No idea on durability but it worked. Gianni.

[leftiye]

Either get a lead sled or get a recoil pad! You could put a recoil reducer in the butt, butt nuthin's gonna save you from that crescent steel buttplate! If you can't see ruining the nostalgia of the curved buttplate, the only way out is very reduced loads, and a few layers of wool blanket sewed into your shirt or jacket. Limbsaver makes a muy good recoil pad. That's whut's on my Handi rifle (also a muzzle brake- doesn't do much, but I made it myself, and it didn't cost anything).

[Lloyd Smale]

limb saver makes about the best pads on the market. I dont know if they make a slip on though

[454PB]

I use a PAST magnum recoil pad that fits over your shoulders kind of like a shoulder holster. It raises my single session recoil capacity from 20 rounds of .338 magnum to about 60 rounds.

[KCSO]

Junior has a good point. I went to a standing bench rest in my shop years ago and would never go back. In addition if I have to do a lot of shooting with a gun like my 45-110 Sharps I have a 5# bag of lead that I sandwich between the gun and me, it spreads the recoil and eases the push. My wife made it out of the leg of a pair of old jeans.

[Bigoledude]

Junior; It never wouldda occurred to me but, as soon as I read it, I knew it would work! Thanks a ton. I wanted to start practicing shooting off my shooting sticks. I bet shooting off the sticks (while standing) will also help.

Filling the stock with a lot of weight would make my walk to the hog-stand even more torturous. As it is, I carry the 45-70 and a .270wsm for the coyotes along with seat and e-caller.

Leftiye; I have a lead sled. It seems like it's someone else shooting or like I'm clamping the gun in a "vise or sumthin". The look of that butt plate is nice but, not that important. I bought the LimbSaver version of the shoulder-pad, sorta like the ones "Past" has made for many years.

454BP; I sure hope this LimbSaver shoulder rig buys me more than 60 shots. But if that's all I get, it will be quadruple the amount of shooting I'm getting now with the ole 45-70!

Well, I came here for help and, I sure-as-heck got some good info! Thanks for keepin an old guy blastin away.

[454PB]

I bought a Marlin 45/70 from my brother-in-law. He is a "big ole dude", weighs in at about 250 and he couldn't handle the recoil. I weigh about 160 and it didn't bother me all that much. My theory is that big guys don't move in recoil, therefore absorbing more of it and more punishment.

My biggest problem is keeping my thumb tucked in, I've cut my face several times when the recoil pushed my thumb into my cheek.

[leftiye]

454,
Yep youse little guys have it easy! The same gun hits us all, but since there's more of the bigger guy to push away, it pushes harder. I used to think I was immune to recoil, my 375 Ackley Improved had it all for elk, kickem butt plus range. Now i use a 300WM with a muzzle brake. And don't even talk to me about a 500 S&W! Signed - over 300 lbs.

[okotoks]

Get a Slip on Limbsaver recoil pad, “mandatory” for shooting real firecracker 45-70 loads. (And doesn’t deface a beautiful gun.)

My marlin Guides is at the smith’s now having the factory installed hard rubber plank replaced with something that will absorb recoil. While it is off I will have them fill it with shot to increase the weight too. Thanks RayinNH for the tip

I like to shoot 50+ rounds through 2 guns. Paper and steel targets. The hot load recoil made that impractical if not impossible. I hadn’t had bruises like that since I quit foot ball 30 years ago. I also shoot a Browning 1886 (aka Brownchester) that weighs a ton in comparison to my Marlin guide’s. The Browning has the same crescent metal but plate and using a recoil pad was/is a God send. Even so, heavy loads of 3031 (46gr under a 420 GC Hoch cast bullet) or 41gr of 4198 are far worse in the light Marlin. I never have reached MAX loads just 3031 but getting close with 4198.

These big charges of 3031 or 4198 are more accurate in the Guides, the Browning is much more forgiving, it doesn’t care whether it is stoked up with, “Squib” loads of unique, trap door loads with 5744, or firecrackers it just shoots better regardless of velocity. But as I have no tang sight, I need to shoot it faster out past 100 yards.

Okotoks
Parker CO

[45 2.1]

The 4570 will kill very well with light for caliber boolits and lower velocity. Give it a try and find out for yourself.

[Newtire]

If you get a lace up recoil pad it can move on and off when it's needed. Some one a while back bought a recoil pad at Wal-Mart for $2.99. Yep he bought some flip-flops and cut out a pattern from the sole then applied it to his guns butt. No idea on durability but it worked. Gianni.

The Shower shoe idea turns out to be a good one as long as you get the thicker version of shower shoe like I bought at Target. Only thing about that thing that was a bummer was that the pad compressed at the top from the rifle sitting with the pad resting on the bottom of the gun safe for a week. It does the trick though and quite well. A 3-1/2 Dram equivalent 1-1/8oz. 12 ga. load used to leave a bruise after shooting 100 rounds. No more. I used one to go thru a whole session of various cast boolit loads with longish 311284 & 311290's last weekend and I noticed the difference. I'll have to try one out on the .444 with some full house big Ranch Dog boolits or Lee .300 grainers next.

[Ricochet]

I use a PAST magnum recoil pad that fits over your shoulders kind of like a shoulder holster.
I've got the same thing, and I have learned to use it when shooting my "1895" Marlin with that curved hard buttplate with the sharp toe! Helps with long bench sessions with the Magnums, though I usually don't fool with it. I like it because it doesn't involve modifying a gun, it's less trouble to slip it on and off than to lace something to a gun butt, and it's usable with every gun I have.