I recently had a customer bring in a Remington Model 58 to get it cleaned in preparation for a pheasant hunt in South Dakota. The gun was his father’s so it carrys some sentimental value, but one thing it needed was a recoil pad.
He needed a pad for several reasons; 1. the length of pull 2. the gun kicks like a mule.
Length of pull is something that does more than just make the gun comfortable, it allows the shotgunner to mount the gun quickly without adjustment. When you raise the gun you shouldn’t have to adjust your sight line if your length of pull is correct.
Obviously it makes sense that you don’t want to get hammered every time you pull the trigger so the pad helps there as well. You will be able to shoot more rounds without developing a flinch. Most guns now come with a pad, but many of the older ones don’t have them. This is an inexpensive fix for your old gun. You should be able to get the pad and have it installed for less than $100 in most shops. We did his for around $65.
Recoil is likely the most ignored aspect of accuracy. The gun community has developed a macho attitude towards bearing the recoil.
I am likely more susseptible to recoil than most people. When I decided my Rem Model 7 in .308 was kicking too much, I installed a Pachmeyer Decellerator pad and a muzzle brake. Now, instead of have a black-and- blue shoulder after 30 rounds, I can shoot 100 rounds without a mark.
Most importantly, my group sizes were cut in half and continue to shrink as practice weens my mid away from recoil of the past.
It’s not a macho thing, it’s a accuracy issue.
Great point. When you start to feel the effect of recoil you will develop a wonderful thing called a flinch. Everyone does this from time to time, but the best shooters do it less. You can train yourself to get over flinch to a certain degree with dry fire exercises. MAKE SURE THE GUN IS UNLOADED!!
Now you see what I mean…nobody else felt like commenting.
I “helped” a plastic pistol shooter when I convinced him to try my full size 1911. Now he is converted, his accuracy is greatly improved, and he is on his way to participating further in the sport.