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Need Recoil Pad Advice & Help

3K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  Doc! 
#1 ·
I recently put an adjustable butt plate on my shotgun with the hopes of standing more erect with a more upright head position. I also wanted to locate the recoil pad in my shoulder pocket as opposed to anchoring on my shoulder. I made the typical adjustmnents, adjusting the butt plate down, horizontally into the shoulder pocket, and with the toe out. The adjustments all work exactly as planned, except now I have a recoil pain problem. (not cheek slap)

The recoil pad I chose is the "rocker" shape (kick-eez or Gooey) becasue of all the postings and responses on this web site I read about recoil pad popularity and cheek slap, which the rocker shape pad helps counter. I do not have cheek slap.

In between the collar bone and shoulder is a small knob type bone/bone knob which you can feel towards the top of your shoulder. My gun is now recoiling such that it hurts on this little bone knob. I ask if anyone else has experienced this and what the cure is?? Is it the shape of the Rocker Pad??

I hope my description is clear, and thanks in advance for any advice.


Bill
 
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#4 ·
I have located the little bone/knob you're talking about. Assuming we're both **** sapiens, you've got the gun too high on your shoulder. It's possible that your shooting form isn't quite right. Notice that the better shooter, raise their shoulder and lean forward so that the pad is in their shoulder pocket solidly while the comb still contacts their face without the need to lower their head.
I'll bet you're standing up too straight, which puts the pad right on that little knob, which would hurt anyone with any pad, convex, straight or concave.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the responses. The adjustable Butt Plate I put on is the 100 Straight Products Terminator. It's a very nice product. The adjustment I shot with was with the butt plate all the way down, all the way over horizontially, and with a slight toe out. I did accomplish my goal of having a more upright head position and the recoil pad in the shoulder pocket. The recoil pad is approx. even with the top of the shoulder, and all seems right. Point of Impact did not change.

I went with the Rocker shaped pad because of popularity and because it should recoil downwards. (I've never had cheek slap and didn't want to induce it) Having read all the older posts on this website, and especially the responses from Rollin Oswald, lowering the recoil pad via an adjuster can possible induce cheek slap.

Regardless, the adjustments seem right. But of course the pain associated with the recoil on this spot is unacceptable. I'll try a different shaped recoil pad as suggested. Perhaps the Rocker shaped pad isn't the answer. If that doesn't help I'll have to move my horizontal adjustment of the recoil pad back towards the shoulder until it's off this bone. I just don't want to go back to shooting off my arm again.

Thanks again, Bill


PS Tron: No, I'm not barrel chested, being of the more "boney" variety. And the older I get, the more boney I become.
 
#6 ·
Bill- I think the little knob you are talking about is the head of your humerus bone. Try this. With your arm down, feel the projection. Then raise your elbow so that it is at a right angle to your body. The bony knob should go away. If so, leave your gun alone and raise your elbow when you shoot. There are other advantages to raising your elbow.

Pat Ireland
 
#7 ·
The bone you are feeling is called the corcoid process[spelling] ? You can BREAK it or shear the end of it off and it hurts much. This bone is rarely seen broken except in car wrecks and then very rarely. If you hold up your right arm to parallel the ground it causes the bone to become more prominent and subject to breakage--BE CAREFUL ---holding your arm too high or trying too hard to get the gun in the POCKET will allow the gun butt to recoil against this bone and with a sharp ,no recoil padded hunting gun;i.e. franchi 20 ga. and hi powered shells,etc. you WILL BREAK IT--I speak from experience.
 
#8 ·
Comp 1 - The little bump I feel in my "gun pocket" is not the coricoid process which is part of the shoulder blade (scapula). Raising the elbow will move the shoulder blade slightly forward, but to fracture this part of the scapula, the gun would have to be very high and well lateral to the area where the gun should be mounted.

I am sorry you fractured this process. It hurts and it is not easy to get it to heal properly.

Pat Ireland
 
#9 ·
If he's got the top of the pad even with the top of his shoulder and he's standing straight up, for sure he's got the gun too high. An adjustable pad isn't the solution,. He needs a higher rib and a higher comb so the gun will recoil straight back. If you want to go with a lower rib and comb, you've got to get that shoulder (or elbow) up and lean your upper body into the gun.
 
#10 ·
Thanks again for the responses.

Actually, Pat Ireland brought something to my attention. On my left arm (I'm a right handed shooter) I can feel the bone knob with my arm down at my side, but when I raise my elbow as if shooting, the bone knob disappears. However the bone knob does not disappear on my right arm and actually becomes more prominent. It's sore and obviously inflamed. I'll make a doctors appointment and have it checked out. Thanks Pat for your observation.....

Meanwhile, so I can continue shooting, I'll move the butt plate out onto my shoulder and off this spot. When I shoot sporting clays, I lean forward quite a bit into the gun, which helps me stay in the gun and head down. It's not a problem as there are breaks changing stations and watching my squadmates shoot. Plus, the shooting is not repetitious. However, due to the nature of trap shooting, this posture becomes a bit strainful on my back. That's why I added the adjustable butt plate, and while I accomplished my goal, I regret finding this tender spot. I have somewhat rounded shoulders resulting in what I suspect is a small "pocket" area, and I don't think I've ever shot a shotgun with the recoil pad solidly in the shoulder pocket. Perhaps it's simply not in the cards for me...


Thanks again, Bill
 
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