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Tips & Hints of the Week # 3 – Reducing Felt Recoil
Posted by Junior Shooters
By: Jon McGrath
(Junior Writer For Kids By Kids)
I am often asked about reducing felt recoil while shooting a shotgun. The more you can reduce felt recoil, the more fun you will have shooting a shotgun. A recoil pad will also allow you to be more accurate on your second shot. There are a number of things you can do.
1. Make sure you have the proper gun fit. Check your gun fit often while you are in your growing years. Your local gunsmith can help you with this. Gun fit is critical! It’s not one size fits all.
2. Choose a light load when selecting a shotgun shell. For breaking clay targets, light loads work just as well and are a lot more fun. In International competition we use a load of approximately 7/8 oz in a 12 gauge shotgun shell.
3. Install a recoil pad on your shotgun and change it each year. I use a XCoil recoil pad made by Hiviz. They are available at your local sporting goods store. The recoil pad is also tacky so it helps you stay in place when you mount your shotgun.
4. You can also install a recoil reducer in the stock or mounted on the barrel. See your local gun store or gunsmith for assistance.
5. In most cases, a heavier shotgun will not kick as much as a lighter weight shotgun.
Anytime you have questions, ask your local sporting goods professional, coach or your local gunsmith.
Be safe,
Jon Michael McGrath II
2008 National Champion in Shotgun – International Skeet
USA Shooting National Team
Copyright & Published By: Junior Shooters & Junior Sports Magazines Inc. May 2009
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