Aftermarket Recoil Pad

[Mike J]

So, I have an old U.S.R.A.C Winchester model 70 Ranger I bought back in 1989. It is chambered for .30-06 & weighs about 7 1/2 pounds with scope sling & everything. It has a featherweight barrel contour but wears an inexpensive birch stock. Cheapo push feed model 70 but it has served me well.
I have never minded the recoil from it when deer hunting but I have never really enjoyed shooting it at targets. I honestly haven't had the time to hunt for a long time. I took it out to just put a few rounds through it a few times recently & just felt like I was getting beat up. I suspect part of that may have been the Hornady Superformance ammunition I zeroed it for when I put a new scope on several years ago (the Hornady was what the only thing in stock when I went to the store).
I'm thinking a better recoil pad & possibly some slightly lighter loaded ammunition would probably make things a bit more tolerable. I have a Limbsaver slip on pad here but I didn't think to grab it the last couple of times I shot it. I was looking at a Kick-Eez pre-fit pad but I have seen some reports that they may be too squishy & are sticky. I saw a Pachmayr Decelerator pad mentioned here but the ones made for a model 70 seem to have been discontinued unless they have a grind to fit available that would work.
Anyone who wants to call me a sissy or say I'm getting old feel free I don't care. What recoil pad would you recommend?

 

[W.E.G.]

If its a hunting gun you need to take target shooting, a slip-on pad is the answer.

Remove the pad for hunting.

 

[Mike J]

If its a hunting gun you need to take target shooting, a slip-on pad is the answer.

Remove the pad for hunting.

That makes sense. I have an old Limbsaver slip on. Should I just stick with it or is there anything better out there?

 

[LoonWulf]

So, I have an old U.S.R.A.C Winchester model 70 Ranger I bought back in 1989. It is chambered for .30-06 & weighs about 7 1/2 pounds with scope sling & everything. It has a featherweight barrel contour but wears an inexpensive birch stock. Cheapo push feed model 70 but it has served me well.
I have never minded the recoil from it when deer hunting but I have never really enjoyed shooting it at targets. I honestly haven't had the time to hunt for a long time. I took it out to just put a few rounds through it a few times recently & just felt like I was getting beat up. I suspect part of that may have been the Hornady Superformance ammunition I zeroed it for when I put a new scope on several years ago (the Hornady was what the only thing in stock when I went to the store).
I'm thinking a better recoil pad & possibly some slightly lighter loaded ammunition would probably make things a bit more tolerable. I have a Limbsaver slip on pad here but I didn't think to grab it the last couple of times I shot it. I was looking at a Kick-Eez pre-fit pad but I have seen some reports that they may be too squishy & are sticky. I saw a Pachmayr Decelerator pad mentioned here but the ones made for a model 70 seem to have been discontinued unless they have a grind to fit available that would work.
Anyone who wants to call me a sissy or say I'm getting old feel free I don't care. What recoil pad would you recommend?

There should be some limbsaver option that are "bolt on"
Personally i use kickeez pads on guns i actually NEED recoil attenuation on, but i accept recoil pads are consumable items so replacing a kickeez a year or so sooner than a similar pad is worth the effort and cost for how well they work.

Decelerators are good pads also, and i use them on lighter recoiling rifles, those will usually last a long time. I have a couple that are 15yrs old or so. They dont soften the energy transfer as well as newer designs but they dont ware out as fast.
They are also easier to fit nicely than the new sorbathane pads, and i REALLY prefer grind to fit.

 

[Mike J]

There should be some limbsaver option that are "bolt on"
Personally i use kickeez pads on guns i actually NEED recoil attenuation on, but i accept recoil pads are consumable items so replacing a kickeez a year or so sooner than a similar pad is worth the effort and cost for how well they work.

Decelerators are good pads also, and i use them on lighter recoiling rifles, those will usually last a long time. I have a couple that are 15yrs old or so. They dont soften the energy transfer as well as newer designs but they dont ware out as fast.
They are also easier to fit nicely than the new sorbathane pads, and i REALLY prefer grind to fit.

How long do the Kick-Eez pads usually last?

 

[earlthegoat2]

I pick Decelerators most of the time and have only used a KickEze when I needed longer LOP as the KickEze comes in longer sizes than the Decelerators. I am pretty recoil tolerant so the extra padding the KickEze offers has never been pertinent to my needs.

As @LoonWulf says above the KickEze is softer, almost squishy. The Decelerator is more like a pad on a piece of gym equipment and the KickEze is more like a pad on a chair seat.

The Decelerator grinds nicer if you need to get a grind to fit one. I nearly always cut the stock before installing a recoil pad so I can customize LOP so I exclusively use grind to fit pads even if I am replacing an existing pad. The fitted replacement pads nearly never match up as well as I want either so once again that necessitates grinding.

 

[LoonWulf]

How long do the Kick-Eez pads usually last?

The pad on my .375 is 6-7 years old and still fine. I would usually expect 5ish but they will go longer depending on storage and use. The early one i had on my 300 died pretty quick, but spent alot of time in the tool box of my truck. With solvents and high heat.....killed a scope like that too.

 

[Mike J]

The pad on my .375 is 6-7 years old and still fine. I would usually expect 5ish but they will go longer depending on storage and use. The early one i had on my 300 died pretty quick, but spent alot of time in the tool box of my truck. With solvents and high heat.....killed a scope like that too.

Thanks, I may try one. I haven't tried to match it up yet but I printed out the template for their pre-fit pad. I'm going to try to match it up & see if it looks right. If it doesn't I may have to round up a belt sander & try the grind to fit route.

 

[LoonWulf]

Thanks, I may try one. I haven't tried to match it up yet but I printed out the template for their pre-fit pad. I'm going to try to match it up & see if it looks right. If it doesn't I may have to round up a belt sander & try the grind to fit route.

If your gonna grind one of the sorbathane pads run 60grit and freeze the pad first.
The Decelerators don't need freezing and respond well to higher grit.
I have the jig but usually just use my vertical belt sander and adjust the shelf.

 

[Mike J]

If your gonna grind one of the sorbathane pads run 60grit and freeze the pad first.
The Decelerators don't need freezing and respond well to higher grit.
I have the jig but usually just use my vertical belt sander and adjust the shelf.

I looked at the template & it looks like it might barely overhang on the two oval ends but everything else looks good. I think I'm going to try it. If I do have to fit it maybe it will be less work.

 

[LoonWulf]

I looked at the template & it looks like it might barely overhang on the two oval ends but everything else looks good. I think I'm going to try it. If I do have to fit it maybe it will be less work.

As long as the templates are printed to the correct ratio its usually pretty close. Ive had a few that were perfect, and some thet required final fitting and finishing

 

[gwpercle]

Do a search on the term ... " Leather Lace on Rifle Recoil Pad " ... several different pads will show up .
The Leather Lace on Pads are fitted well because of the laces and the Classic Leather looks good on a hunting rifle . There is usually more than enough dense foam and rubber padding to soak up excess recoil .

I had a model 94 Winchester ... tried several slip-on's ... but none fit "right " or looked as "good" as the leather one I bought from Midway USA ... ShockEater Saddle Leather - Brown , but they have other makes , shop around and find one you like . These lace on's do eliminate the need for any fitting and or refinishing , which was what I didn't want to do .
Gary

 

[.45Coltguy]

I've used the grind to fit "Decelerators"on two rifles and they came out fine and worked well. That would be my choice.

 

[Mike J]

As long as the templates are printed to the correct ratio its usually pretty close. Ive had a few that were perfect, and some thet required final fitting and finishing

It printed to scale. They had a ruler on the edge of the page that printed so you could place a tape measure or rule on it & make sure it is to scale.

 

[Mike J]

So I got the recoil pad in today. The advice about either getting a grind to fit pad or just getting a slip on was spot on. I didn't want to fool with grinding & fitting so I ordered the prefit pad. I did download & print the template from Kick-Eez's website. It appeared to be right on side to side & a little large on top & bottom of the stock where it is radiused. The pad I got today is smaller than my stock from side to side & larger top & bottom. I wasted time & money. I guess the bottom line is if you aren't willing to grind to fit or pay someone else to do it for you, you are better off just buying a slip on recoil pad. I am going to throw it in my junk box as a reminder to myself to do a better job of listening & not be dumb.

 

[LoonWulf]

So I got the recoil pad in today. The advice about either getting a grind to fit pad or just getting a slip on was spot on. I didn't want to fool with grinding & fitting so I ordered the prefit pad. I did download & print the template from Kick-Eez's website. It appeared to be right on side to side & a little large on top & bottom of the stock where it is radiused. The pad I got today is smaller than my stock from side to side & larger top & bottom. I wasted time & money. I guess the bottom line is if you aren't willing to grind to fit or pay someone else to do it for you, you are better off just buying a slip on recoil pad. I am going to throw it in my junk box as a reminder to myself to do a better job of listening & not be dumb.

That sucks! Could maybe just send it back and tell em it didn't fit?

I sent one back to Amazon because it was too far off for me to want to try and fit it, and I've talked to the Kick-eez folks on the phone about other stuff and they were very helpful. never about replacing a pad tho, still cant imagine they wouldnt.

 

[Mike J]

That sucks! Could maybe just send it back and tell em it didn't fit?

I sent one back to Amazon because it was too far off for me to want to try and fit it, and I've talked to the Kick-eez folks on the phone about other stuff and they were very helpful. never about replacing a pad tho, still cant imagine they wouldnt.

I bought it from Midway. They probably would replace or refund but I'm not sure I want to invest the time to do it. Working 6 days a week these days. Between work, my daughter's soccer games & everything else I'm not sure it is worth the trouble.

 

[LoonWulf]

I bought it from Midway. They probably would replace or refund but I'm not sure I want to invest the time to do it. Working 6 days a week these days. Between work, my daughter's soccer games & everything else I'm not sure it is worth the trouble.

I can understand that, its one of the reasons i have so many spares for stuff I don't own

 

[berettaprofessor]

Just stick with the Limbsaver Slip-on. Why make life complicated?

 

[Lo-Profile]

Limbsaver and Kick-Eez make really good recoil pads. Might be able to find a direct fit one or maybe grind to fit.
Limbsaver has pattern charts you can print to see which one is closest to fitting right.

 

[Bwana John]

I would take the time and money to mount a nice recoil pad, thick as you need, grind to fit, and cut the stock if needed so the LOP is correct after mounting the new recoil pad.
It will be faster to shoulder, and be easier to shoot accurately.

Sorry, but I’ll repeat it, “buy once, cry once”

 

[wesmonster]

OP, you're not a sissy. I bought my Dad the exact same lightweight Winchester in .30-06 to replace his mod. 94 in .30-30 many years ago and after one season of hunting he went back to his mod. 94 due to the recoil.

I've had great results with a Limbsaver slip on pad I use on several rifles. For me it's a good combination of firmness & recoil absorbtion. Some pads just feel too squishy and while they dull the recoil just fine they feel like they compress too much under fire which I don't care for. I also have a Pachymar slip on made of leather that cinches up with velcro. The leather looks great and it removes easier than the rubber Limbsaver although the Limbsaver seems to accomodate a wider range of stock sizes.

 

[Larry in wyoming]

I'm surprised nobody said P.A.S.T recoil shield. I have a 96 mauser with a steel butt plate and it's just no fun to shoot. The recoil shield makes it much nicer. Ditto my Savage 110 in 300wm. Even with the limbsaver pad it'll beat you silly at the bench. The P.A.S T eases things a lot. I don't see any one else at the range wearing them but I don't care. It works for me and I'm to the point where a bruised shoulder has lost all its charm

 

[herrwalther]

I will be shopping for a new recoil pad for my bubba'd M1917 Einfield. The one that was put on when sporterized has hardened and feels more like the old metal butt plates. I am leaning toward a bolt on, grind to fit option. The slip on Limbsaver I put on my Mav88 looks cheap and sloppy.