Headin to the range today.

[GnarKill2300]

I agree with those saying that a recoil pad is not needed. I only weigh 150 lbs and my shoulders are real boney as well. My first time shooting a mosin was with my M44. I will admit that my shoulder was damn near numb the next day. And I probably shot about 30 rounds. But just last weekend I shot a total of 40 or 50 rounds through three of my mosins, including my M44 with no soreness at all. It just takes some getting used to.

[1934hexreceiver]

I agree with those saying that a recoil pad is not needed. I only weigh 150 lbs and my shoulders are real boney as well. My first time shooting a mosin was with my M44. I will admit that my shoulder was damn near numb the next day. And I probably shot about 30 rounds. But just last weekend I shot a total of 40 or 50 rounds through three of my mosins, including my M44 with no soreness at all. It just takes some getting used to.

Truu. It does just take getting used to. Like I said I'll probly go ahead and buy it and use it after my shoulder starts to get sore. That way I'm making myself get used to the steel and then when it finally becomes intolerable I can slip on that recoil pad and continue to have fun.

[Buckhead]

I think the length of pull will be ok. The recoil pad will only increase the length by maybe an inch. I think it's more like half an inch. It may actually help me. But I guess we will find out

I also am not a big guy I am 5' 10" 175 lb. and 68 yrs old. When I was your age I was 5'9" and 135lb and in the Army I hunted all my life and like you I knew
how to hold a gun and shoot and hit the target. Now things are not the same, We have a tendency abuse our body's when we are young but it comes
back to bite us on the ass when we get older. So do what you feel is best for you and enjoy the range with out the pain. Between my work and years
of abusing my body especially my shoulders and my back I will use a sissy pad if I feel I want to. Like I said before when I go to the range I want to stay
a while. I will take my 8 mm Mauser and the Mosin M38's or the Steyr M95's. or M1 Garand, and some times I take the smaller cal. guns .223 or 762x 39 sks
or AK 47. I go to have fun and tare up some paper. I am not Macho man but I can still kick some ass if i have to. Just go have fun. Life is to short .

[bunkysdad]

I have some opinions for you 1934. First of all, if you buy ammo online as suggested, be sure someone aged 21 is available to sign for it. Next, it sounds like you had 3 boxes of ammo, and if it was brass case and not surplus then it is likely reloadable, so save your brass. If you think you'll never need to reload, save it anyway. Try listing 8 or 10 boxes of reloadable brass for sale on the forum or Gunbroker, and get ready for a huge surprise.
As for being young and not made of so much money you don't have lots of guns yet- you are doing fine! You bought a milsurp before a commercial gun? I think I am liking you more and more. Yes you will love having a 22 sometime, and a Ruger 10/22 is a great choice. So is a mini 14 in 223 or a mini 30 in 7.62x39, the AKS round, but these guns are expensive these days. The new mini 14's come factory with a 20 round mag, except for California. M1 Garands will run between 700.00 and upwards of easily over a grand, and the M14, or correctly what would be a Springfield M1A for civilians, will turn out to be the most expensive of all you mentioned. That's the great thing about the Ruger Mini 14, it was designed after the M14, hense the name.
As for a slip on pad, I have one- some place. Ha! I have misplaced it from lack of use. I left it on my first 91/30 too long, a few months, and the shellac started to stick to it. When I removed it, a little came off, but fortunately not enough to hurt anything. If I had left it longer it could have beed a problem. Remember these stocks may still "bleed" a little and especially in the heat. If you get a pad I'd suggest removing it when not at the range. A alternative like a hand towel tossed over your shoulder would work, or a jacket, since it's about to cool down. I think the better idea could be a shoulder pad like the one Teleoceros uses in his shooting videos. Have you seen his videos? The pad did make a difference when I used it, but shooting without it has developed my resistance to the pain. I don't shoot nearly as many rounds as these guys that shoot hundreds of rounds at a time, and if I did I'd likely be at a place in the country shooting from a standing position, which doesn't feel the "kick" nearly as much as when sitting at a bench.

[bunkysdad]

One thing I forgot to mention for a future gun recommendation. I can't believe I forgot. You are young, and like the power of centerfire, but need to buy a rifle and lots of ammo that won't break the bank. The perfect choice in my opinion is a SKS. Russian, Yugo, or Chinese. Whichever you can find in good condition for the best price for you. I love the SKS. I have a Russian and a Yugo. Don't let anyone tell you there is anything wrong with a Yugo SKS. They are currently the most easily available, have a cool looking grenade launcher muzzle, are built heavier than a brick outhouse, and shoot like a dream.:P

[mrb7]

...Just go have fun. Life is to short.

Amen!

[Buckhead]

One thing I forgot to mention for a future gun recommendation. I can't believe I forgot. You are young, and like the power of centerfire, but need to buy a rifle and lots of ammo that won't break the bank. The perfect choice in my opinion is a SKS. Russian, Yugo, or Chinese. Whichever you can find in good condition for the best price for you. I love the SKS. I have a Russian and a Yugo. Don't let anyone tell you there is anything wrong with a Yugo SKS. They are currently the most easily available, have a cool looking grenade launcher muzzle, are built heavier than a brick outhouse, and shoot like a dream.:P

on the SKS bunkysdad I have a Chinese an it is a good accurate shooter. My Romanian AK 47 can put a lot led down range , but is know where as accurate as the SKS
SKS is a great gun as far as I am concerned.

[mrb7]

...Did you hold that rifle tight to you? What is your experience with weapons? M4's? Do you know any WW2, Korean, or Vietnam vets who could give you some pointers on shooting the .30 rifles? It sounds as if the weapon was battering you and that tends to happen when you are not positioning it properly when shooting. Enough of that shit and you will be developing a flinch.

JYD has this right on the money here. Keep it tight to your shoulder as you squeeze the trigger. The rifle should not bump into your shoulder on recoil. You and the rifle should be pushed backward as a single unit from the recoil. Suck it in to your shoulder securely, but not so tight you quiver.

It's absolutely a learned skill. Nobody here was born knowing this. And anyone of average intelligence can learn it with a little practice. But practice wrong makes it hard to unlearn the wrong things.

[Fred_G]

Well, I love my Limbsavor P pad. Maybe I have poor form, I don't know. But I can shoot 100 or more rounds with it, vs 10 to 30 and a bruised shoulder without one.

Guess I am a weekend warrior, fun should not hurt.

I shot with Weldonhunter today, he shot just as many as me with no P pad. Guess I am a 'wuss'.

[Sirex]

One thing I forgot to mention for a future gun recommendation. I can't believe I forgot. You are young, and like the power of centerfire, but need to buy a rifle and lots of ammo that won't break the bank. The perfect choice in my opinion is a SKS. Russian, Yugo, or Chinese. Whichever you can find in good condition for the best price for you. I love the SKS. I have a Russian and a Yugo. Don't let anyone tell you there is anything wrong with a Yugo SKS. They are currently the most easily available, have a cool looking grenade launcher muzzle, are built heavier than a brick outhouse, and shoot like a dream.:P

+1 My Yugo SKS was my first rifle I ever owned. I bought is mainly because here where I live it is an unregulated rifle unlike the AK which you have to get an extra backgound approval and the rifle logged into the state's data base. I had a gunsmith up the road inspect and clean it before I took it over. It was an unissued rifle, and he liked it a lot too. I enjoy loading the clips. I eventually bought a Saiga 7.62, and like it, but not as much as the SKS. The novelty items like grenade launcher, bayonet, night sights are just plain cool. I HAD a Russian as well, but had to sell that a while ago to pay a bill since the Russian was well used, and the Yugo had more sentimental value. The Russian had more monetary value I think, which is one reason it was sold, but since the Yugo had more sentimental, I don't know if I would have ever forgave myself for that. The SKS is just sucha pleasant rifle to shoot as well, for me. For me I also like the gas system. If you ever had a problem, you could always use it as a bolt action rifle too by turning the gas valve off. I love the Yugo weapons. Oddly they are far beyond their capabilities to build a decent car.

[bunkysdad]

I remember those little cars. 13" tires? 3500 bucks new? I did a few brake jobs and muffler replacements back when I worked at Midas.

[WeldonHunter]

Well, I love my Limbsavor P pad. Maybe I have poor form, I don't know. But I can shoot 100 or more rounds with it, vs 10 to 30 and a bruised shoulder without one.

Guess I am a weekend warrior, fun should not hurt.

I shot with Weldonhunter today, he shot just as many as me with no P pad. Guess I am a 'wuss'.

Nah bud you're not a 'wuss'. You're just not a fat ass like me, lol. I got lots of cushion.

[etprescottazusa91]

Hex when I was 7 and 8 years old my dad had me firing S@W model 37's and if I was lucky a model like the all steel model 36 19 ounces empty as opposed 14 ounces on the Airweight models, my numb little hand did not know what recoil was' when growing up. I was once out on a Sunday afternoon shoot with our preacher in Oregon back in the early 80's Most of the kids are playing behind the range when the pastor breaks out a Thompson Contender chambered for .35 Remington. He asked all the kids whose first and of course no takers, my dad volunteers me. I stand up straight hold the for-grip correctly and boom the pistol picked me up off the ground and dropped me about a foot and a half out of thin air, of course I was volunteered to shoot it three more times, no other takers in my age group would attempt it. After that weekend I was one of the men on every Sunday afternoon shoot, most kids played in the back behind the cars some fired there .22's with supervision but I hung with the adults from that point on for being only able to be willing to fire the big stuff without backing down, I was 11 and got a lot more respect on that range than many.
Recoil is not a big deal do some shooting remember the peasants that first fired these rifles were uneducated underfed men and you are superior, you do not need to fear recoil you do not need a pad.

[1934hexreceiver]

I have some opinions for you 1934. First of all, if you buy ammo online as suggested, be sure someone aged 21 is available to sign for it. Next, it sounds like you had 3 boxes of ammo, and if it was brass case and not surplus then it is likely reloadable, so save your brass. If you think you'll never need to reload, save it anyway. Try listing 8 or 10 boxes of reloadable brass for sale on the forum or Gunbroker, and get ready for a huge surprise.
As for being young and not made of so much money you don't have lots of guns yet- you are doing fine! You bought a milsurp before a commercial gun? I think I am liking you more and more. Yes you will love having a 22 sometime, and a Ruger 10/22 is a great choice. So is a mini 14 in 223 or a mini 30 in 7.62x39, the AKS round, but these guns are expensive these days. The new mini 14's come factory with a 20 round mag, except for California. M1 Garands will run between 700.00 and upwards of easily over a grand, and the M14, or correctly what would be a Springfield M1A for civilians, will turn out to be the most expensive of all you mentioned. That's the great thing about the Ruger Mini 14, it was designed after the M14, hense the name.
As for a slip on pad, I have one- some place. Ha! I have misplaced it from lack of use. I left it on my first 91/30 too long, a few months, and the shellac started to stick to it. When I removed it, a little came off, but fortunately not enough to hurt anything. If I had left it longer it could have beed a problem. Remember these stocks may still "bleed" a little and especially in the heat. If you get a pad I'd suggest removing it when not at the range. A alternative like a hand towel tossed over your shoulder would work, or a jacket, since it's about to cool down. I think the better idea could be a shoulder pad like the one Teleoceros uses in his shooting videos. Have you seen his videos? The pad did make a difference when I used it, but shooting without it has developed my resistance to the pain. I don't shoot nearly as many rounds as these guys that shoot hundreds of rounds at a time, and if I did I'd likely be at a place in the country shooting from a standing position, which doesn't feel the "kick" nearly as much as when sitting at a bench.

Hahaha. Ya man, bought milsurp first. I'm on a few other forums and posted about what I should buy first. Everyone told me to go with a 10/22. I'm glad I didn't. Like I said a .22 isn't very fun to me. I like big load and painful guns that can put someone down with one shot. Haha. Maybe that's just me but I'm still glad I got the mosin. I'm sure I'll own a 10/22 eventually. As for the mini 14 I have yet to look into. I've just been really busy this weekend. I'll get around to it at some poit this week. All these guns I mentioned are all just dream guns for now. I'm sure next week I will want something different. If I was 21 I'd be goin for a 1911 next but it's illegal for me to buy one in my state right now since I'm only 18. I'll definatly have to get the recoil pad at some point. Probly after next payday if I have any extra cash. As far as reloading ammo goes I was shooting surplus. Steel casings. The new ammo is just to exapensive compared to surplus. I can get 20 rounds for $6 at my lgs and 400 for $75 online. I really hope I can make it out to the range more than once a month. I ha a great time. I brought my mom along. She's a police officer so naturally she loves guns but hasn't got to shoot in probly around 7 years. She had a great time and is now talking about buying her own gun. She says maybe a Glock. I was suprised at how well she handled the mosin. I was expecting her to tap out after just a few rounds but once she got on it and got over the initial fear of how big the rounds are she loved it and shot almost as much as I did. Took some videos. I'll see if I can post a link I a few minutes.

[1934hexreceiver]

I hope these links work. If not just let me know and I'll try it again.

Heres the first one of me. Shooting with the bayonette attached
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v-s9tbYDxvI

And the second of me without the bayonette
For some reason the quality is better in this video. Dunno y

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KSFGMWcBMCs

Please feel free to subscribe to my page, I try to take as many mosin videos as possible.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I will try watching that at home later, my computer here at the shop has video issues. I remember that Yugo car Russell, I still have one up back on the lot

[mrb7]

Well, I love my Limbsavor P pad. Maybe I have poor form, I don't know. But I can shoot 100 or more rounds with it, vs 10 to 30 and a bruised shoulder without one.

Guess I am a weekend warrior, fun should not hurt.

I shot with Weldonhunter today, he shot just as many as me with no P pad. Guess I am a 'wuss'.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with using a pad. Equipment is just equipment. But if you're getting that bad a shoulder bruising then your form does need work.

It has nothing to do with being a wuss. It's 100% about learning and applying the skill. So take the wuss idea off the table. That's not it.

Like I said, nobody here was born knowing this stuff. It doesn't come naturally like suckling. But it's not so difficult that it can't be learned by darn near anyone.

And getting your shoulder under control will also help your target placement. It's a total system.

But I don't know how to describe it in a posting. Maybe someone knows some YouTube links.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I hesitate to recommend youtube videos about this sort of thing without carefully going over them myself first, something I can only do from home.

[etprescottazusa91]

An outfit like the big O Tire Guy wheres may be whats in order here,

[sde]

Well, I'll contribute my 2 cents (but there has been so much excellent help that it is pretty much just an opinion what helps me). If possible, look into some sort of shooting vest or shoulder style pad. I use my vest every time I go out back to shoot. Between throwing a few boxes of ammo down range out of my rifle getting ready for deer season or a nice Saturday afternoon clay target shoots, the occasional recoil issue is bound to happen. Maybe you didn't put it into the shoulder pocket just right or whatever. My first vest was just an old hunters vest beat to hell I found at the Goodwill and sewed some batting cushion inside. Then a few years later, got a real nice hunting/shooters vest for Christmas and no matter what I shoot, the recoil feels like a gentle push. Plus I don't have to remember to remove the recoil pad from my rifle before I put it up, I don't take a chance of damaging the finish of my guns, I don't have to buy multiple size pads for all my firearms, and the padding of the vest is similar to the layers of clothes I would wear out in the field during the winter so I maintain the muscle memory of shooting.
And bunkysdad, I would consider trading the Chinese Norinco "paratrooper model" SKS I got for a good Yugo. I like my SKS but after shooting a friends Yugo, it just felt better for some reason. Or I could try to find a Yugo myself and just buy another safe. Then I would have to fill that new safe up too (and with the way MN's reproduce, wouldn't be a bad situation to be in).