45-70 question

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Yankee Doodle

New member
Hi folks,
I have a Ruger #3 in 45-70, which is my all out favorite rifle. It is set up with a peep sight & sling. With a chambered round it weighs 7 lbs., 1 oz. Needless to say, there is no doubt in my mind when it goes off. However, at a prolonged range session, (50-75 rounds or so), my shoulder tends to get a bit sore. (colorful) My question is, should I cut the stock and install a quality recoil pad, or restock with a buttstock from a Ruger #1, which I have been told will fit. My other alternatives would be Magnaport, wear a heavy shooting jacket, or shoot a reduced load when at the range. For hunting purposes, I love it the way it is, so I ask you for a bit of advice. If I go with a #1 stock, where can I get one, and do you have any idea of the cost?
Which way would you go if you were me?
Thank you for your help
Y.D.
 
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paul s

New member
Try

Reduced hand loads with 300 gr. lead bullets and 11 gr. or so of Unique powder will give a light kickin load for plinking, a #1 stock would set ya back $200-300 bucks easy.
 
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Vic303

New member
Try a slip-on recoil pad first. It will change your LOP but at least you can see how it helps tame things before you shell out $$ or alter your existing stock.
 
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nofearlk

New member
This one will cost you about 3 bucks and probably will work better then both, take a medium size wash cloth fold it over a couple of times so that it has some bulkiness to it try and fold it so you keep the length of the towel as long as possible so you can throw it over ur shoulder... rest the gun against the bulky part of the towel on your shoulder this should help pad most of the recoil... if this doesnt do the trick buy a shoulder pad ! if that is still too much buy a limbsaver recoil pad + a shoulder pad should be more then enough padding you need.
 
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snuffy

New member
past pad

I bought a past magnum pad when I got my 300 WSM. The hard rubber pad that came with it was of no use in taming the recoil. With the past pad on I could shoot comfortably. It IS a nuisance to have to remember it for each shooting trip, so I installed a kick ease. I did not cut the stock, it works good a little longer for me.
 
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Mike Hull

New member
If it was mine, and I liked it like you do, I'd flatten the butt out (make sure to cut the length of the recoil pad out if the stock fits you now), and install a decellarator recoil pad.

I'd say Mag-Na-Port too, but that won't win you any friends at the range with the increased side noise. ;)
 
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DPris

Member Emeritus
My #1 in .45-70 is a tremengous thumper with hot loads.
Before I even shot it, I had a KICK-EEZE pad installed. For any serious rifle work at the range above a .223/7.62X39 caliber I use a PAST shooting bra.
The #1 is even painful to shoot with the KICK-EEZE and the bra, but it makes it bearable if you're working up a load, sighting in, or testing a number of factory loads. Mine is my most "experimented with " rifle, when we were testing it out a couple years ago it'd take most of a full week between sessions for shoulders to quit aching.
That rifle wasn't bought for plinking, I wanted one good bearbuster load at the end of the project, so I set it up with that in mind. It's not a range gun, I don't shoot it for fun, I wanted one load with one POI to regulate the sights to, and don't see much point in using one POI with reduced loads at the range & a different POI with the real stuff in the field. That's just me.
You could probably keep your same stock & add the KICK-EEZE pad without cutting it down, unless it's already borderline too long for you.
If you talk to Ruger about a #1 stock, they'll probably want you to let them do it as opposed to just selling you one, if they'll even do that.
Good luck.
Denis
 
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Yankee Doodle

New member
I really appreciate and understand what you all have been saying. However, the buttstock of the #3 is curved, as in an oldtime carbine. Same as a mini-14. The only way I can change the butt plate to a recoil pad is to cut the stock. Although I have no plans to sell this rifle, cutting the stock will greatly reduce its resale value. Besides, it fits me as it is.
I use this piece for all my big game hunting. This includes Bear, Boar, Deer, Moose. I practice with the same load I use for hunting, so that I don't have to fool with the sights. My hunting load is a 400 gr, at about 1900 fps. Needless to say, it kicks. So, being that I can't find a recoil pad that will fit the uncut stock, and downloading is really not what I think I want to do, where do I go from here.
Please, do not hesitate to tell me if you think I am being stupid about this. I am just trying to find a way to eliminate some bruising. Been shooting it this way for years, but as I get older, shoulder is becoming more sensitive.
Thanks again.
Y. D.
 
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mete

New member
That load is rather warm !and effective on all the beasts mentioned. If you like the cartridge and like the gun I think it would be worth a new stock. If the #1 stock fits ,the easiest would be to get that and a good recoil pad.
 
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Jim Watson

New member
A friend put No 1 wood on a No 3 Ruger. We call it a No 2.
Looks good and has a shotgun butt so a recoil pad could be fitted without much trouble. But. The No 1's pistol grip brings it awful close to the curl of the No 3 lever, which resembles a Winchester's. I'd worry about my knuckles on a hard kicking rifle. (The one above was a .22 K-Hornet and he eventually cut the lever down like a Sharps anyhow.)

You can probably get a takeoff No 3 stock, cut it off enough to eliminate the silly carbine contours, and put on a thick pad cheaper than going to No 1 wood.
 
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Yankee Doodle

New member
Hey MK5
No, actually the 45-70 is not as hard kicking as some of my others. I have a .460 that really gets your attention. Always felt that if it don't kick, it ain't worth having. No such thing as being overgunned. As with any hunting arm, I carry them more than I shoot them, but I am just trying to make myself a bit more comfortable for long shooting sessions.
Y.D.
 
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wolfdog45

New member
Have you thought of using a Mercury Recoil Reducer? They cut the kick down a whole lot. And they come in different sizes and weights. All you have to do is take the Butt cover off drill a hole large enough for the Mercury reducer and then put the Reducer in and the cover back on. It saves your shoulder and you won't have to cut your butt. I have done this to a couple of my rifles and they work perfect.
 
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Jeffro250

New member
DONT port it...the increaced muzzle blast ive seen come out of #1 45-70s isnt worth the tiny reduced amount of recoil...do yourself a favor and get a PAST recoil sheild. They made the world of difference shooting stout 500 grain loads out of my #1...i used to be able to fire about 20 rounds before i called it a day. With the recoil sheild, i can shoot 50+ and feel perfectly fine the next day. Limbsaver recoil pads would be a good option too, but may require you to modify your stock.
 
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Yankee Doodle

New member
Wolfdog
You da man. I did not think of that at all. Is this a do it yourself project, or a gunsmith job? Do you know a source for the parts?
THANK YOU
Y.D.
 
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wolfdog45

New member
There are a couple places that have Mercury Recoil Reducers. They list them for shotguns but they work for rifles to. You can install one yourself if you have the right stuff it's not that hard. Bass pro shop has a few.
But Brownells has a bunch of different sizes and weights. I think the biggest is 15.2 oz. Which is plenty for a 45-70. And they cost about the same as a good recoil pad. Good luck and safe shooting.
 
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Spinner

New member
If you can't get a #1 butt stock from Ruger, you can always get a walnut #1 butt stock from Boyd's (http://www.boydboys.com/BrowseEbus/2pieceruger.asp) for $100. A little finishing and application of an oil finish will give you a buttstock to swap onto the rifle that you can add a pad to. You can even hog out timber and add lead inside the butt stock itself or a mercury recoil reducer. If you want to then return the gun to its original configuration then all you have to do is put the original stock back on the rifle.

There may be other stock makers out there who offer a replacement #1 stock cheaper. Perhaps worth considering.

Spinner
 
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drinks

New member
Ruger

Junk that dog and buy a Handirifle in .45-70, comes with the pad installed :D
Don, member handiholics anon.
 
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DPris

Member Emeritus
DO NOT JUNK THAT DOG & BUY A HANDI RIFLE! :eek:
Mine in .45-70 is loose as a plastered goose after about 500 rounds of various Trapdoor-level loads. :rolleyes: It's been sitting for three years now, never could get it to shoot decent with lead, H&R sets them up for jacketed factory bullets.
Other people have had better results, but it can't handle anything like the heavy loads the Ruger can.
I've had good results from a .22 H&R breaktop, but the .45-70 and the .38-55 were very disappointing. H&R doesn't understand the potential market for either one.
Denis
 
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