Reducing recoil

[muddy]

Hello from Iowa. New member and 1st post. I just put a Bear Creek Armory 450 upper onto a spare Creative Arms lower last week and am in the slow process of getting it ready. My main goal is for my kids (ages 8, 10, and 10) to use it for deer season in September and am looking for suggestions to cut some recoil out of it. All 3 kids can shoot a youth 870 20 ga with 2 3/4" magnum pheasant loads no problem, and 2 of them slick turkeys with full on 3" mags... so they're used to shooting. Last year I used compression wrap to wrap a rolled up shirt on top of the stock (easy to keep cheek down) and then back around the butt plate (easy on the shoulder). It looked wonky and redneck, but it sure worked well on both their 20 ga Turkey gun and the 44 lever gun for deer. The 44 left horrible non existent blood trails so were upping the ante to the 450. I've heard it compares to a 20 ga kick, so am either going to do the towel/shirt wrap again or else look into other suggestions. Curious what any of you have done in retractable stocks to reduce recoil. Thanks, Matt

[muddy]

Since submitting I found the recoil reduction thread... how I kissed it is beyond me. Already contacted Ross for a muzzle break, but open to other ideas

[Hoot]

Hello from Iowa. New member and 1st post. I just put a Bear Creek Armory 450 upper onto a spare Creative Arms lower last week and am in the slow process of getting it ready. My main goal is for my kids (ages 8, 10, and 10) to use it for deer season in September and am looking for suggestions to cut some recoil out of it. All 3 kids can shoot a youth 870 20 ga with 2 3/4" magnum pheasant loads no problem, and 2 of them slick turkeys with full on 3" mags... so they're used to shooting. Last year I used compression wrap to wrap a rolled up shirt on top of the stock (easy to keep cheek down) and then back around the butt plate (easy on the shoulder). It looked wonky and redneck, but it sure worked well on both their 20 ga Turkey gun and the 44 lever gun for deer. The 44 left horrible non existent blood trails so were upping the ante to the 450. I've heard it compares to a 20 ga kick, so am either going to do the towel/shirt wrap again or else look into other suggestions. Curious what any of you have done in retractable stocks to reduce recoil. Thanks, Matt

Welcome aboard Matt!

Best bang for buck is a cushy recoil pad, assuming they make one to fit that lower. If not, look into one you can easily mod to fit it. Second to that is a muzzle brake but especially with young shooters, that will need to include good hearing protection. The most effective brakes are the loudest but they're not the only choice out there. I once let a small framed 9 yr old shoot mine and he said "no big deal". He had been shooting a light weight .243 bolt action and said there wasn't much difference aside from the rock and rolling you get with AR's over a bolt action.

Hoot

[muddy]

Hello from Iowa. New member and 1st post. I just put a Bear Creek Armory 450 upper onto a spare Creative Arms lower last week and am in the slow process of getting it ready. My main goal is for my kids (ages 8, 10, and 10) to use it for deer season in September and am looking for suggestions to cut some recoil out of it. All 3 kids can shoot a youth 870 20 ga with 2 3/4" magnum pheasant loads no problem, and 2 of them slick turkeys with full on 3" mags... so they're used to shooting. Last year I used compression wrap to wrap a rolled up shirt on top of the stock (easy to keep cheek down) and then back around the butt plate (easy on the shoulder). It looked wonky and redneck, but it sure worked well on both their 20 ga Turkey gun and the 44 lever gun for deer. The 44 left horrible non existent blood trails so were upping the ante to the 450. I've heard it compares to a 20 ga kick, so am either going to do the towel/shirt wrap again or else look into other suggestions. Curious what any of you have done in retractable stocks to reduce recoil. Thanks, Matt

Welcome aboard Matt!

Best bang for buck is a cushy recoil pad, assuming they make one to fit that lower. If not, look into one you can easily mod to fit it. Second to that is a muzzle brake but especially with young shooters, that will need to include good hearing protection. The most effective brakes are the loudest but they're not the only choice out there. I once let a small framed 9 yr old shoot mine and he said "no big deal". He had been shooting a light weight .243 bolt action and said there wasn't much difference aside from the rock and rolling you get with AR's over a bolt action.

Hoot

Do you have any suggestions for a recoil pad? A quick Google shows several options, all with similar reviews, but mostly for 223 or 308 platforms. A Bushy is gonna thump more than my AR10.

The Limb Saver brand has always been good to me, looking that direction mostly because of past history, on other guns, but am open to suggestions.

Also, is there a 450 round that has less pop for kids to practice with and work on form? After having poor blood trails last fall my 8 year old boy says he's taking my Henry 45/70 "and just skipping the tracking and going straight to the high fives" this year.

[Hoot]

Do you have any suggestions for a recoil pad? A quick Google shows several options, all with similar reviews, but mostly for 223 or 308 platforms. A Bushy is gonna thump more than my AR10.

The Limb Saver brand has always been good to me, looking that direction mostly because of past history, on other guns, but am open to suggestions.

Also, is there a 450 round that has less pop for kids to practice with and work on form? After having poor blood trails last fall my 8 year old boy says he's taking my Henry 45/70 "and just skipping the tracking and going straight to the high fives" this year.

Sadly no. I don't own an adjustable stock lower but many members here do. I'm sure one of them will wade in. Google could help you line up some candidates however.

Hoot

[muddy]

Do you have any suggestions for a recoil pad? A quick Google shows several options, all with similar reviews, but mostly for 223 or 308 platforms. A Bushy is gonna thump more than my AR10.

The Limb Saver brand has always been good to me, looking that direction mostly because of past history, on other guns, but am open to suggestions.

Also, is there a 450 round that has less pop for kids to practice with and work on form? After having poor blood trails last fall my 8 year old boy says he's taking my Henry 45/70 "and just skipping the tracking and going straight to the high fives" this year.

Sadly no. I don't own an adjustable stock lower but many members here do. I'm sure one of them will wade in. Google could help you line up some candidates however.

Hoot

Mr. Google offered a lot of suggestions... made it mildly difficult to choose. I have considered popping the adjustable stock off for a solid one... but I really don't like fiddle farting around with things as I'm not a tinkerer. Just want to make it easier on kids shoulders. Granted, they're probably tougher than I give them credit for. Thanks again

[Hoot]

Mr. Google offered a lot of suggestions... made it mildly difficult to choose. I have considered popping the adjustable stock off for a solid one... but I really don't like fiddle farting around with things as I'm not a tinkerer. Just want to make it easier on kids shoulders. Granted, they're probably tougher than I give them credit for. Thanks again

Google led me to the snap-on SIMS Limbsaver recoil pad for the M4 style 6-position adjustable stock Link Here in FDE or Black.

They have a YouTube video showing how to install it Link Here, which looks pretty easy.

I use their black, slip-on version on my A1/A2 style stocks. First impressions are lasting impressions. Start the boys out with a comfortable experience the first time out and it'll stick with them. Start them out miserable and that too will stick with them.

Hoot

[befus]

I found, back in the day when I shot my 9.3x62 Mauser a lot, that these things were very effective. VERY.
https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/36715 ... ygQAvD_BwE
There is also a non-magnum version.

[muddy]

Yeah, that Simms was catching my eye as well. My son isnt who I'm worried about, he is pretty fearless. My daughter broke her clavicle a couple years ago and I fear its tender to bang it up... at least that's what she says. Worst case scenario I put that kid on my muzzleloader with only 50 grains of powder. Those Barnes bullets tear things up.

That wearable shoulder pad has some merit as well.

Thanks

[Bmt85]

I have a somewhat lightweight build 450B (for me anyway) and it recoils less than my other 450B’s. I run a 4 port Ross brake and a Magpul CTR stock with a Limbsaver pad. You can further reduce recoil by running lighter bullets (say a 200gr Barnes XPB) and either run an adjustable gas block, add weight to the bolt carrier, and/or run heavier buffers. You can take a lot of the recoil out of a 450B AR.