Intertia Recoil Reducers

[fordtruckin]

I am looking at installing an intertia recoild reducer. It will be going on a 30.06 with a synthetic stock. I have looked at several online and seen there are one's filled with mercury and others that are mercury free and use springs and a weight system. Does anyone have any experience with either of these 2 systems? I have never met anyone who has and am curious on allyalls input. Thanks in advance!

[Pathfinder76]

They are a good way to screw up balance and weight of a perfectly good rifle. I've found the best, and cheapest, way to tame recoil is shooting less powder and lighter bullets ahead of great stock design.

[bobinthesky]

From what research I've done on the topic, the general consensus seems to be that the extra weight of the recoil reducer actually does more to reduce recoil than the mercury/spring set up does.

The most effective ways to reduce recoil are, reduce bullet weight, reduce powder charge, add weight to rifle, change stock design, install a muzzle break, switch to a lighter recoiling caliber. Not neccesarily in that order.

For a 30-06, loading a slightly reduced charge behind a 130 grain bullet can still be a very effective big game round and have 75% of the recoil a full charge 180 grain load does. The Barnes 130 grain TSX would probably be the way I'd go in this instance.

[gitrdun]

This one is on my .338wm. Very effective, made by a Calgary gunsmith. Cost about $300 or a bit less if I recall correctly.

http://emob78.photobucket.com/albums...g?t=1242512744

[medhatken]

I have one of the mercury filled ball bearing one, I think it around 3/4" think and around 8"(?) long, installed in my Browning .338 win mag and I myself can't really notice a difference, I don't even notice the little extra weight. I have heard of people put in 2 of them in the stock.

[Dean2]

I have a Mercury filled one in a Rem 7 RUM, with a Pachmeyer Decelerator pad on it. The weight made no negative effect on the balance. To check that it won't unbalance yours, tape it to the off side of the stock and try the gun for comfort and balance, before installing it.

It made a world of difference on the RUM. The combo of mercury suppressor and new recoild pad tamed it as much as a muzzle brake but without the horrendous noise and blast. I am not generally recoil sensitive but this paticular gun REALLY needed taming or I was going to sell it. Even with light loads, which sort of invalidates the point of the 7 RUM, it kicked way worse than my 375 with 300 grain bullets and max powder loads. Now it shoots like a 308.

[bradh]

So if recoil reducers are not the answer and stock design is? Which stocks are the best at taming heavy magnum recoil riflles?

Personally, I tend to buy heavier laminate rifles. If it's a few pounds heavier originally no changes are needed. Featherweight 375's are terror on both ends of the rifle (for most people).

[Traps]

Recoil reducers do work but they have to be properly sized to your rifle. The recoil reducer is a shock absorber and they must be sized to their application. A shock absorber made for a 378 Weatherby Mag at 70 ft-lbs of energy would not be effective in a 338 Win Mag at 35 ft-lbs much like one made for your 3/4 ton wouldn't work in a Corolla.