Mercury Recoil Reducer & Butt Pad

Triple BB

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I have a 338 Edge with a Proof CF barrel and CF stock. Its a bit lighter than I want and the recoil is a bit much. It has a brake and my Smith recommended a mercury recoil reducer anywhere from 8 - 16 oz to be placed in the buttstock. Any recommendations on a weight? Never shot a rifle with one, so I don't know how much difference it will make. Also looking for suggestions on a butt pad that would make a difference on recoil. It has a Decelerator now which I like. Any thoughts are appreciated...
 
I like the kick eez pads. Since weight is not an issue their magnum pads work pretty well. I don't have any experience with the recoil reducers but have been thinking about getting a dead mule. I would put the pad on and shoot,then decide how much more weight you want to add
 
I had a 1lb Mercury recoil reducer in my custom CZ 550 Safari Classic in 505 Gibbs.
Didn't think it was doing much on a 9lb gun with 150+ lbs/ft of recoil...then I removed it!
Yes, it was taming the sharp rap, not necessarily the WHOLE recoil with a 600gr Woodleigh @ 2350fps.

I recommend the 1lb version.

Cheers.
 
A friend managed to fit two mercury reducers in a McMillan A-5 for his 338 RUM. I shot it and it tamed things down quite a bit! Sorry I cannot be positive what diameter he used. Thinking 7/8" diameter and somewhere in the 4-5" for length.
 
I forget the makers name on mine, sorry, but the dimensions I do remember. It was 1" in diameter and 6" long. The 8oz model was 4" long. Seriously, my rifle really needed 2 of the 16oz (1lb) versions due to being so lightweight...still miss that rifle and it's exhibition grade English walnut stock. Oh well.

Cheers.
 
I'm wondering if just adding the additional weight would help. Last year I was looking at mercury recoil reducers for a new 12g slug gun, recoil was just nasty. Finally added a better recoil pad and a sock filled with bird shot to the hollow stock. That gun is now rather pleasant to shoot. No experience with the mercury reducers and not a scientific comparison but the bird shot is a quick and easy fix.
 
Not directly comparable but put a mercury/ball bearing filled guide rod in my K40 Elite years ago. It had noticeable less muzzle flip and slowed the recoil down. I think that is what others are trying to describe with the tamed recoil. Pretty much the same hit just slower so it feels less. In the buttstock I don't think muzzle rise would change much. In that handgun it was easy to feel the difference with a quick field strip shooting back to back. They do work but nothing like say a decent brake.
 
Consider a more effective muzzle brake.
Phorwath is right on here. You will get MUCH more reduction with a better brake and not add any weight. Since you are already dealing with the concussion/noise of the brake put the best one you can on there. The mercury unit vs a brake is like tripping over a dollar to save a dime.
 
I have a mercury recoil reducer in my CZ 550 safari (a shotgun GOOEY pad) and in hardly kicks at all, more like a shove and not all that hard a shove either. I also did the same in my 470 Nitro double with the exact same result-no "kick" but a "shove" to the shoulder. If you don't like "brakes" I highly recommend the combo, with the following caveat: Do not store any rifle/shotgun butt down with a Gooey Pad installed as they are SO soft that the weight of the weapon will deform them if rested on the pad-but that is why they are so effective IMO.
 
I have a 7 RUM that was the nost vicous kicking rifle I ever owned and I have stuff all the way up to 460 Bee so recoil isn't usually an issue. This RUM produced a truly violent and sharp kick, Enough to give you a headache after 10 or 15 rounds and if you weren't holding it tight, it could detach a retina. Putting a brake on it for bench work solved that but I will NOT hunt with a braked rifle. I had a 12 0unce mercury suprresor put in the stock and a Pachmeyer 1" recoil pad. That made the rifle kick a whole lot different and it is now shootable off the bench without the brake. They really do soften the kick from a sharp rap to a smooth push.
 
I would do a bit of experimentation by hanging different weights corresponding to the mercury reducer weights from the butt of your fully equipped rifle. See what each weight does to the balance . I like mine to balance between the front guard screw and trigger bow. Then it depends on the width of your buttstock as to which reducer you install. . Brownells has C&R Research Mercury Reducers, and shows the weights and specs.( GRACO mercury reducers are discontinued). Once the mercury reducer size and weight is figured out, you can change the butt pad. I like the SC100 Decelerator Sporting Clay. For me, that heel tip allows easier mounting to shoulder.
Oh, yeah, there is also a mercury reducer that can be installed in the forearm, under the barrel.
 
I have a 338 Edge with a Proof CF barrel and CF stock. Its a bit lighter than I want and the recoil is a bit much. It has a brake and my Smith recommended a mercury recoil reducer anywhere from 8 - 16 oz to be placed in the buttstock. Any recommendations on a weight? Never shot a rifle with one, so I don't know how much difference it will make. Also looking for suggestions on a butt pad that would make a difference on recoil. It has a Decelerator now which I like. Any thoughts are appreciated...


Be it a browning x bolt 338 win mag @ 8 lbs with sling and bipod

A mossberg 12ga 3.5" @ 7 lbs

A ruger 45/70 running max 45/70 400 grain loads nipping on the heels of a 458 win mag




Recoil reducers not only work to limit recoil especially the "sharpness" of the hit....

They ALWAYS improved balance while aiming and helped my accuracy offhand!!!

Get the biggest that will work in the available space!
 
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