A couple of dud products

[just bill]

Two thumbs down.

I mail ordered a size small Decelerator slip on recoil pad for my Pardner Turkey gun.  Although it is the correct size it moved after fireing and did not reduce recoil anymore with number 4 Buck  & Turkey loads than my cheap factory Pardner Honey Comb one does.

Its going back for refund........

Next.........

The "famed" Federal Premium NO 4 Buck in 3".  I say "famed" because all over the net they talk about this pricey loads pattern ability,etc.  Long story short,  from my Partner full choke .695" it patterned no better nor worst than the common, less costly Remington Express or Federal Powershok loads.  On top of that buffer was leaking from a couple of shells ..........

Oh well    Just thought I would share and maybe save someone else a little time and money

[MSP Ret]

Thanks Bill, it's honest reports like yours that will help the rest of us here....<><....

[eye shot]

Try the LimbSaver slip on, works great on my heavy recoil slug guns.

[Spanky]

I had my gunsmith install a grind to fit Limbsaver on my 12 gauge shorty and it really helped alot.
Recoil with 3" buckshot or slugs was brutal, now it's no problem with heavy loads.
See if you can exchange yours for a Limbsaver.


Spanky

[Graybeard]

It's a sad fact of life that recoil pads even the very best out there DO NOT REDUCE RECOIL there is no physical way for them to do that. Sorry but that's life. All they can do is make the pain of it to the shoulder less by giving you a softer surface with some give in it to ease the transfer of that recoil to your shoulder. The thicker and softer the pad the better it does that function. The thinner and harder it is the less it does that function.

The best I've used so far is the Simms Vibration Lab pads such as Remington uses and calls their G3 pad. They definitely lessen the hurt to the shoulder but they DO NOT reduce recoil either.

Don't blame the ammo for the poor patters of your gun. You must match the load to the gun not the other way around. If you have removable choke tubes try different tubes until you find the one that works best in your gun with any given load. It might not be the same tube for that shell as it is for some other. Find the right tube it and it will do what you expected. By the same token find the best or ideal tube for a lessor load which maybe you already have and it can out perform a ballistically superior load also. That too is just the way shotguns work.

[just bill]

Prior to ordering the recoil pad.

I studied schematics and construction of Decelerator, Limbsaver & Kick Eez recoil pads from the manufactures websites.  The Decelerator & Limbsaver are of very simular construction.  Likely the same material and both honey comb interiors.  The Kick Eez is diiferant simular material but solid and heavier.

I also read reviews including by those saying they own all three from various shooting websites and catalogs.  Most recommended the Decelerator for felt recoil reduction.  The other concern was mounting to shoulder both the Limbsaver & Kick eez had complaints because of the gummy,sticky material catching on clothes.  The Decelerator has a solution for that and I found it did in fact mount well & freely.  I wont be buying another in my life time, to replace a current honey comb style until technology changes.  They may likely help those with a standard butt plate.

I have concluded it (felt recoil) is about gun weight, gun fit and cartridge velocity primarily.  I have a Winchester Model 12 / 12 ga with a butt plate, no recoil pad.  It weighs about the same as my weighted Pardner Turkey gun with a recoil pad.  Using 2 3/4" #4 Buck in both.  Felt recoil is slightly better in the Model 12.  I believe this is  because of "fit" as all else is about the same desoite the Model 12 wears a butt plate & the Pardner a recoil pad.  The Model 12 fits me better than any other shotgun I have ever owned.  It hits where I point and comes to shoulder wonderfully.  I take the Pardner Fox/Coyote calling often because it carries better than any shotgun I have owned.  Unfortunately for me, there is more carrying than pointing when calling predators 

The Federal Premium No. 4 Buck will likely pattern very similar in the exact same Partner 12 ga Turkey gun I own for others.  It will also likely pattern very similar in the same 12 ga / 3.5" / 24" / fixed full .695" choke / barrel from NEF on another Pardner gun.  Obviously mileage/results will vary in other guns / barrels and may in fact produce improved patterns.  For me as noted the patterns were not improved, just equal too preferred  unplated, run of the mill, loads as noted.  The only difference was the cost per box, cost for freight as no local shops carry it.
just bill

[just bill]

I may have been a bit harsh on the Decelerator recoil pad.  Just posted a pattern test/ range report above and used it.  Still would not expect a lot of recoil reduction from them as compared to the standard.  With return freight costs its not worth me sending it back though 

I was also wrong on recoil as compared to my butt plate Winchester Model 12.  Shot them both today with 2.75" # 2 shot and the Winchester kicked a heck of a lot harder as compared to the Pardner with pad.

Bill

[Graybeard]

The Decelerator is actually an excellent pad but it is not magic as many believe it to be or that it should be. In spite of the hype it's really only a standard pad with somewhat softer and sticky rubber. There are better pads to soften the effect of recoil to the shoulder for sure. To me the Simms Vibration Lab pads as used by Remington are about as good as it gets to soften the blow to the shoulder. Pachmayr used to and may still make a pad that was so soft they furnished a bumper to use when sitting it in the gun rack to keep from squishing the pad. I'm not sure I've ever seen one that was nicer and kinder to the shoulder than that one.