At what point/caliber is a recoil pad necessary vs a steel butt plate?

Noah Hutchens

Noah Hutchens

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I’m curious on the consensus of this question. I have shot 12 gauge magnum loads, 30-06 and up to 45/70 without a recoil pad. Every other rifle I own that is larger had a buttpad. Curious if anyone has shot a 375 H&H or higher with just a steel or horn buttplate. If so, how bad was it?
 
It’s certainly less pleasant than with a recoil pad, but with proper technique and practice it can be overcome. I will say that it can be far less forgiving of poor technique in the proper anchoring of the butt firmly in the pocket of the shoulder. Steel but plates even checkered ones are slicker and move around more than rubber ones. That said they do look sharp on a nice piece of wood.
 
If a gun is of proper design, a pad is really never required. The rubber butt pad on my antique double is nearly rock hard and i dont feel the need to replace it.
 
The weight of the rifle and the design of the stock are probably more important. I have a youth model 7mm-08 with a decent recoil pad that kicks hard enough to break stuff.

When are they necessary? Never. When are they nice? Always.
 
I probably have over a dozen rifles with horn or steel butt plates - mostly topping out at 318 WR or 350 Rigby. The exception is a 1895 in 405 Win with its original steel butt plate. It’s tolerable, but you know it’s a steel butt plate. It’s a fairly heavy rifle and the 405 likely has less recoil than a 375. I have about a dozen rifles 375 to 450 NE, all with a rubber/silvers style pad. It’s for a reason. Even old and hardened, they are more forgiving than steel.

You’re getting multiple barrels, right? And if you get a cartridge trap butt plate, which cartridge is it for when you have three barrels? Two thirds of the time you either have holes in your stock on a NE rifle, or rounds rattling around loose in there. A good double rifle is not a Swiss army knife. As someone else told you in the other thread - less is more.
 
Does anyone know if the Large bore double rifles of the early 20th century typically come with a recoil pad or just a buttplate? Something along the lines of 450,470,500,577?
 
Not for nothing, but I think you are getting a little too far in the weeds with adding every option to the rifle. At a certain point you are going to have so much stuff on it’s going to be impractical. I would suggest a recoil pad if you don’t have experience shooting a truly heavy caliber rifle. Would hate yo see the rifle sit in the safe because it’s punishing to shoot.
 
318AE said:
You’re getting multiple barrels, right? And if you get a cartridge trap butt plate, which cartridge is it for when you have three barrels? Two thirds of the time you either have holes in your stock on a NE rifle, or rounds rattling around loose in there. A good double rifle is not a Swiss army knife. As someone else told you in the other thread - less is more.
Click to expand...

Actually 5 barrels now. 500 NE, 470 NE, 500/416, 450/400 and 20 gauge. Luckily the 500,470 and 500/416 share the same case head so they can share the same holes in a cartridge trap I was told. Then that would leave 2 holes for 450/400. I’m thinking long and hard about the cartridge trap now. I’m going to put one on my sons 375 Flanged+7x57r for sure though.

The reason I posted this thread is because it would be a steel buttplate if I did commit to the cartridge trap, and alas I have my worries on it being ridiculously uncomfortable to shoot on the large calibers.

318AE said:
A good double rifle is not a Swiss army knife. As someone else told you in the other thread - less is more.
Click to expand...

I truly appreciate a lot of this type of advice, I probably get too caught up in trying to add all the bells and whistles I can. I’m thinking long and hard about everything.
 
Tdsmith517 said:
Not for nothing, but I think you are getting a little too far in the weeds with adding every option to the rifle. At a certain point you are going to have so much stuff on it’s going to be impractical. I would suggest a recoil pad if you don’t have experience shooting a truly heavy caliber rifle. Would hate yo see the rifle sit in the safe because it’s punishing to shoot.
Click to expand...
As I said above, I appreciate the advice! I need to be told to check myself sometimes lol.
 
Interestingly, I have two 416 Rigby one with recoil pad and one without. I do not notice difference in recoil. Stiff but manageable. Both super rifles.
 
Noah Hutchens said:
Luckily the 500,470 and 500/416 share the same case head so they can share the same holes in a cartridge trap I was told
Click to expand...
Not really. An old school PH (in my case Rolf Trappe) will tell you to cycle all the rounds through a DG magazine rifle, and when you fire a round and the excitement is over, don’t just put another round on top. You unload all rounds, and put the new round on the bottom. Over time, if you leave rounds in the bottom of the magazine on a high recoiling rifle, the rounds can actually get compressed (bullet seated deeper). The same will happen in a cartridge butt trap.

While the case head is the same, the cartridges will be loose in there and banging around. It’s likely a 500 NE 3” and the 470 is 3.25”. It’s a real mess actually. Buy a trader Keith double duty or similar. It’s a much faster, more elegant solution.
 
Clearly once you get to 6.5 Creedmore…:eek:

In all seriousness though, I would say anything above a 375 for me.
 
Noah Hutchens said:
I’m curious on the consensus of this question. I have shot 12 gauge magnum loads, 30-06 and up to 45/70 without a recoil pad. Every other rifle I own that is larger had a buttpad. Curious if anyone has shot a 375 H&H or higher with just a steel or horn buttplate. If so, how bad was it?
Click to expand...
I think it depends on stock design, fit, weight, and your personal tolerance to recoil. I shoot my s/s 12 gauge with the hard plastic butt plate. I don't mind it, but I have Decelerator pads on my rifles from .30-06 to .458 Win Mag. Even with the pad, the .458 is a handful. I wouldn't consider shooting it without the pad. I also have a .300 Win that might be unpleasant without a pad.
 
Not an H&H, nor even yet a magnum of any type. But my Mannlicher 9.5X57 weighs in about 6 or 7 pounds, has a steel butt plate. I shot a Keilernädel with it, and my arm is still attached.
 
Along with stock design and weight, I'd say how much you are shooting it makes a huge difference. Recoil is cumulative. This is why shotguns designed for clays have recoil pads and weigh 8 lbs +. While field shotguns that are designed to be carried more than shot can forego the recoil pad and shed weight down to 6.5 lbs or less for a 12 bore.

For rifles, I'd most likely limit myself to 7x65R in a classic Kipplauf style rifle that also weighed around 6.5 lbs.
 
Why are you buying 4 barrels for that all do the same duty? Aren’t they like 5 grand a piece? It seems like that money could be spent elsewhere?
 
Tdsmith517 said:
Why are you buying 4 barrels for that all do the same duty? Aren’t they like 5 grand a piece? It seems like that money could be spent elsewhere?
Click to expand...
Truly just for the fun of it. I am interested in all the calibers and it is cheaper to buy a set of barrels then to buy another full double rifle down the line. I like to collect and shoot different caliber rifles and this is probably the best way to do that for the money on these specific calibers.

Also, though I am not nearly as knowledgeable as most of yall I feel like the 500/416 and 450/400 do offer a lot more use cases, compared to the 500 and 470.
 
All of my Eurotalian shotguns have no pads. Proper mount and fit is paramount.
 
On my Ruger African in 375 Ruger I put a 1” thick recoil pad to give me a little longer pull on the rifle. The rifle fitting better definitely helps.
The Ruger No.1’s I have in 450-400 and 458 are very manageable with thin Ruger butt pad.
I am guessing your rifle will be fitted to you so the recoil pad will be an added comfort.
Most of us agree that we do not notice the recoil when shooting game.
Using a PAST recoil pad pad when shooting from bench or in general practice helps with not developing a flinch.
 
Noah Hutchens said:
Truly just for the fun of it. I am interested in all the calibers and it is cheaper to buy a set of barrels then to buy another full double rifle down the line. I like to collect and shoot different caliber rifles and this is probably the best way to do that for the money on these specific calibers.

Also, though I am not nearly as knowledgeable as most of yall I feel like the 500/416 and 450/400 do offer a lot more use cases, compared to the 500 and 470.
Click to expand...
I’ve always thought the 500/416NE made a heap of sense and disappointed that it didn’t really catch on. 416RIGBY performance in a flanged cartridge for a double rifle is a dream for me.

I’m guessing you have a Krieghoff?
 
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