FalconStrike Review
Ok so here is my review of my FalconStrike Recoil pad that I’ve been waiting to get around to. Well, actually I have 2 now, but they are both the same model (2103) which is the largest pad offered by length and width. I have mounted them to a Zoli Z-sport MR and a Beretta A300 Sporting. I am a fan and I feel like it really does a great job of reducing felt recoil. I bought 1, put it on my Zoli, and liked it enough to buy another for the Beretta.
Measurements:
So the plate that you mount to the gun is advertised as 5.33”x1.78” for Model 2103 and actually measures 5.33”x1.78” and that’s only the plate (more about that later). The thickness is 1.5” at the thickest part (top of pad) and 1.43” in the middle (thinnest part) BUT that’s not the true thickness. I say that because the pad is really rounded (think of a liquid filled bladder) and with the slightest pressure if flattens out to about 1-5/16” - 1-3/8”. It’s not the 1-3/16” that the company says, but for me it was fine, I still needed to add spacers to both of my guns because I shoot 15-3/8” — 15-1/2” LOP. The weight is something that was off from the website, but again I have the biggest pad and they list the weight for all of their pads as a whole, not individually. One weighed in at 9.20 ounces and the other was 9.14 ounces so very close and both just over 9 ounces. I think the website said they were 5.5-6 ounces and maybe that’s just the pad and not the mounting plate. But that wouldn’t make sense because the pad only works with their plate... so who knows. For me I was really happy to see the weight because I needed to add some weight to the Beretta and the weight of the plate and pad I previously had on the Zoli was 11.5 ounces. This pad with the 1/8” aluminum spacer I made put it at just under 11 ounces so it wouldn’t mess with the balance.
Now back to the measurements of the plate... the plate is one thing and the pad is another. The pad is about 1/16” bigger than the plate all the way around. This is not a perfectly aesthetically pleasing pad, but that’s not why I bought it. It’s not horrible by any means and I’m happy with how it looks. A grind to fit pad would match up perfectly, but this is a fluid filled bladder and can’t be ground to fit, but it can reduce recoil very well and give solid shoulder feel. And as others have stated, it really helps with fatigue. I don’t shoot registered, but I do shoot a fair amount of sporting clays and I’ve shot a few 300+ bird days shooting 1oz
@1260. The next day I don’t even know that I shot. And I feel as though the muzzle rise has gone down a little too. Perceived or actual?? I don’t know, but it feels better than before.
So here are my pros and cons...
Pros:
- Reduced recoil and muzzle rise
- Weight (for me) 9oz I needed the weight
- Thickness (again for me) 1-3/8” and that helped me
- Well constructed and great communication with the company
Cons:
- Fit (it’s not perfectly matched)... not bad, but not perfect like a grind to fit.
- Weight, if you want it to be lighter for balance.
- Thickness, if you need a shorter LOP it may require cutting a stock to get it to fit
So that’s what I have to say about it and I’ve posted pictures below to show measurements and what it looks like. I’ve been very pleased with it and am happy I bought it.
This picture shows the round camber of the pad which flattens out and reduces the thickness when you mount it:
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The next two pictures show the thickest and thinnest parts of the pad:
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This picture shows how the pad is a little bigger than the mounting plate:
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Here it is on my Beretta A300 Sporting:
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Here it is on the Zoli:
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www.falconstrikeusa.com
