Lead shot in stock question...

[rdlange]

I have lead shot in the stock of my 45-70 with foam at both ends.  Wondering about the best way. 

Should I let it be loose to move when I fire or leave it packed in with the foam?

[mechanic]

The only way I've used it is to first stuff a sock down the hole, and pour the shot in the stock.  It would have been snug but not compressed.  Worked fairly well, lessened recoil, and in that particular gun made it balance better to me.
 
Ben

[keith44]

It really is just your preference.  As long as you keep the shot from getting around the stock bolt (or screw) and keep it from beating up the recoil pad you will not have any problems

[thejanitor]

I do know if you have it in there for years and years it creates a nasty white dust that must be bad to handle... And I had a heck of a time with a 45-70 last year getting the stock bolt out when a BB lodged in the groove and I couldn't get the socket on the bolt head. I would lean toward a fairly full bag or sock with a little something to keep the recoil pad nice, like stated in both above.  thejanitor

[Itegorm1609]

In my experience I have taken a length of copper pipe and melted lead into it to form a weight then put it in the stock bolt channel with a leather disk or two on each end to keep everything snugged up and keep it from rattling around.  Works great for a day at the range but I usually take the weight out when hunting.

[petemi]

I put #4 shot in a sock in both my .45-70 and .30-06s synthetic stock.  I had to put too much in to keep it from slopping around, and I don't like it.  It's about 36 ounces.  I'm just going to put them on wood stocks with a good recoil pad and call it done.  The rifles do sling well, but are too heavy to lug around all day.  I hadn't thought about the lead oxide hazard.

Pete

[rdlange]

I guess what I was thinking is: does the shot work better for recoil reduction simply as weight in the stock, or by having it move when you fire and how best to install a moving weight.

I agree the heavier gun recoils less and is too much to carry around and a good recoil pad is needed no matter what.

Sorry to have to clarify.

[keith44]

Ok, here are my thoughts.


First yes just adding weight will help with free recoil as well as felt recoil.  Mercury recoil reducers rely on the slosh of the mercury to effect a reduction of felt recoil.  So if you have a pipe with shot in it that should (in theory) provide the most recoil reduction.


Now in practice the fixed weight of shot tightly contained can be used to balance the rifle to your liking, while reducing recoil.  Loose shot is also noisy and I think it detracts from the gun.  (there are just a few noises a gun should make, click, and boom are the typically acceptable noises, while a rattle is not acceptable)