Recoil pad or buttplate?

[Mootpoint]

What do you think of a small (1/2” or so) rubber pad on your .22’s vs a buttplate? I just received a new 22 rifle in the mail. The picture on the website had shown a butt plate, however, this one has a rubber pad. At first I was irritated, because I do like the look of a butt plate better, and, on principal, items should look like their picture. But, as I casually set the butt of the rifle on the floor and leaned the barrel on the wall, I thought about how I would never be able to be so casual with a hard butt plate, for fear of it slipping. And maybe a rubber pad has some accuracy advantage, where it’s less inclined to move on your shoulder, etc. The other reason, I prefer a play versus pad, is I need a long length of pull on everything. And typically whether butt plate or pad, companies seem to make the LOP the same. With a plate I have the option of adding a pad and making a longer length of pull if I need to. This particular rifle is 14 inches which I can live with.

[Mk42gunner]

Truthfully, I don't mind one of the solid rifle type rubber butt pads about ½" or so thick on a .22. Not for recoil absorption, but for the less likely to slip when you lean it somewhere you know you shouldn't part of it.

They are also less likely to crack and break a chunk off than the plastic butt plates. Or even transfer the shock and break the toe of the stock.

Robert

[country gent]

I prefer the thin rubber pads on rifles as they dont slip when shouldered. The other is a leather pad. either can be made with hand tools and a set of snips

Gert a good tracing of the butt stock. drill the hole spacing and use screws to hold it in place. scribe around but stock to get shape and size. this will get you very close. trim sheet metal close to line leave a small amount for fitting. trim leather or rubber to match again use the screws to hold align together. glue together. contact cement or a thin epoxy will work. lightly sand to the line on the base of the pad then attach to stock and do the final finish

[CBH]

A nice thin rubber pad makes for a nicer finished stock,IMO. Can protect butt from splitting if dropped.

[rintinglen]

A nice thin rubber pad makes for a nicer finished stock,IMO. Can protect butt from splitting if dropped.

+1
Finding a replacement for some of the older rifles when you break the butt plate after dropping it can be challenging.

[Mootpoint]

All right, thanks, you’ve all convinced me to chill out and enjoy the rifle as it is.

[gwpercle]

If you want to stand a rifle in the corner or behind a door ...
a rubber butt pad keeps them from sliding on a non-carpet floor ...
I rather like a rubber or lace on leather pad ... looks better than hard plastic !

Those old school checkered and blued steel butt plates ... those look Real Sweet ... but may not be practical !
Gary

[Finster101]

I have put a recoil pad on a couple of .22s just to increase the length of pull.