Laced Leather Recoil Pad

[bkisel]

Hi,

Have any of you ever used recoil pads on your taditional muzzleloaders? Do you know if recoil pads of sorts were ever used in times past?

Shooting my .50, with Hornady 240 grain PA conicals in front of ~100 grains of powder, will begin to hurt my shoulder after a 6-10 rounds or so. I've been thinking about about getting a laced leather recoil/butt pad and at least use it for practice sessions. For the shot or two I might take during a days hunting recoil would not be a problem; I might however leave it on ifin it looked traditional.

Thanks ...

 

[Bill Hall]

I used a homemade leather recoil pad for a couple of years on a plains rifle I built. Recoil wasn't a problem however, I simply made the length of pull too short and needed to add length to the butt. I cut the leather to follow the cresent shape of the butt and used about ten layers of demin for the padding. It looked good on the rifle, but I doubt if there was anything traditional about it. Bill

 

[Claude Mathis]

Have any of you ever used recoil pads on your taditional muzzleloaders?

Never.

Do you know if recoil pads of sorts were ever used in times past?

I seriously doubt that they were used prior to modern firearms (smokeless, etc.) IMHO

 

[George Holton]

:barf: Aw come on !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

:barf: Aw come on !!!!!!!!!!!!

Gee Bob, you know he's right. He just answered the question.

 

[Claude Mathis]

:barf: Aw come on !!!!!!!!!!!!

My opinion being, muzzleloaders don't "kick" all that hard to require one. It's more of a hard "push", rather than a sharp "kick".

IMHO :grin:

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Leather cheekpads to cover the comb were used back into the 18th century. Some were just a piece of leather tacked to the stock while others had multiple pieces of leather or were "stuffed" with tow for added padding and to allow the shooter to place his cheekbone on the stock like you are supposed to do and still see over the gun.

I have yet to find any info. on a pad for the butt of the gun in the 18th century but that does not mean I wont find it. :wink:

 

[MikeChapin]

A friend of mine built a .58 last year. He built it to take hunting in Canada and was expecting to use heavy charges in it. He put a mercury filled recoil suppessor in the butt. It worked very well and could not be seen since it was covered by the buttplate.

 

[roundball]

Shooting my .50, with Hornady 240 grain PA conicals in front of ~100 grains of powder, will begin to hurt my shoulder after a 6-10 rounds or so. I've been thinking about about getting a laced leather recoil/butt pad and at least use it for practice sessions.

Bill, I think you're looking for what are called "butt-cuffs"...the link below is a site that specializes in them and will make one however you want it...cost runs about $50-$75 bucks depending...but if you just need something temporarily for use at the range, I just use a $5 slip on recoil pad in the photo at the bottom.
http://www.levergunleather.com/

 

[bkisel]

Hi Claude,

I hear you but I feel a big difference in recoil between my PRB in front of 80 grains of powder and the 240 grain conicals in front of 100 grains. I feel I could comfortably shoot the PRB all day long with no discomfort but the conicals are a different story. Besides the obvious difference (bullet weight and powder charge) between the two loads could it also be that the conicals, by nature of obfication, create a better gas seal and therefore give more of a kick than a push?

Of course it could simply be that this 63 year old former Marine is turning into a whimp ...

Take care ...

 

[bkisel]

Roundball,

Thanks for the link. Like the simple butt covers best. I'd like to think that somewhere, sometime in the past some Colonist, Pioneer or Mountain Man made himself a stuffed butt cover to either lengthen the butt or reduce the felt recoil.

Been thinking about getting this one ...
Link

 

[Claude Mathis]

I hear you but I feel a big difference in recoil between my PRB in front of 80 grains of powder and the 240 grain conicals in front of 100 grains.

I'm sure you are correct.

Since conicals are too modern for me (and my period of history), I've never shot one.

 

[roundball]

Roundball,

Thanks for the link. Like the simple butt covers best. I'd like to think that somewhere, sometime in the past some Colonist, Pioneer or Mountain Man made himself a stuffed butt cover to either lengthen the butt or reduce the felt recoil.

Been thinking about getting this one ...
Link

And if you want it to look a little more like something from back in the day, a thin suede cover with some fringe would probably look great.

I've been thinking along these lines myself because a GM smoothbore barrel I am starting to use for wingshooting is mounted in a TC Hawken, and its curved buttplate causes the occasional problem when I have a fast shot to take and don't get the curved buttplate mounted correctly...to avoid that problem I slide that slip on recoil pad over the butt which also gives me another inch LOP, but it looks obviously out of place...thinking maybe a lace up suede cover with fringe might be nice...

 

[bkisel]

Yeah, I like your fringe idea.

Off topic but do you know of any pics of "trade" rifles (flint or percussion) that are gussyed up "Indian" style? You know with tack designs, hanging feathers and maybe even a laced & fringed butt sleeve?

Take care ...

 

[roundball]

Yeah, I like your fringe idea.

Off topic but do you know of any pics of "trade" rifles (flint or percussion) that are gussyed up "Indian" style? You know with tack designs, hanging feathers and maybe even a laced & fringed butt sleeve?
Take care ...

Fraid not...you might scroll through the "photos" catagory section...might find a thread with what you're looking for...

 

[windwalker_au]

Hi,

Have any of you ever used recoil pads on your taditional muzzleloaders? Do you know if recoil pads of sorts were ever used in times past?

Shooting my .50, with Hornady 240 grain PA conicals in front of ~100 grains of powder, will begin to hurt my shoulder after a 6-10 rounds or so. I've been thinking about about getting a laced leather recoil/butt pad and at least use it for practice sessions. For the shot or two I might take during a days hunting recoil would not be a problem; I might however leave it on ifin it looked traditional.

Thanks ...

bill why dont you make your own,i did this one for shooting from the bench.
Bernie :thumbsup:

 

[Rafsob]

If you only need it for the range work, why not just get yourself a Past Recoil Pad. I had to use one for a while due to bad shoulders.

Now another idea is a primative hunting sling:
http://www.octobercountry.com/products3.php?productid=250

This may work for you.

 

[Joel Lehman]

I bought one of the slings from October Country. I use it on a 54 cal Oregon Trail Leman percusion rifle that has a very curved small buttplate. I used a piece of 1/2 thick silcone rubber between the brass buttplate and the lace up leather. It makes for very comfortable shooting.

Joel Lehman, Austin TX