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Curved buttplate relief

gdbleb

I have a Browning 1885 in 45-70.
It is fun to shoot and surprisingly accurate but the curved buttplate is a killer.
I've "light-loaded" with Trailboss but that doesn't seem to exist anymore.
Are there any slip-on or screw-on rubber pads (to replace the steel plate) that I might consider?
Last option is to have a gunsmith fit a rubber conversion I suppose. Has anybody had that done?
TIA
 
I bought a slip on pad for my 1886. It helps. I figured I’d put on a Pachmeyer when I have time. The steel butt plate is a killer!
 
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I've got a Winchester/Miroku M92 Octagon .44 Mag that I love, but hate to shoot with full power loads due to the steel crescent butt design. Now I'm also considering a sissy pad, as I don't want to alter the rifle.

 
Nothing fun about shooting an curved butt plate 1885 in any caliber with full power loads. 45-70 that would be 405 grain bullets. 5 rounds will bring a tear to most peoples eye. It certainly did mine. Sissy pad is the way to go. You can also cut the butt flat and install a recoil pad.
 
You can change the buttstock to the shotgun style with a recoil pad. I have seen one Turnbull converted using the original buttstock as well, but it requires gluing in a piece of wood into the stock to fill a portion of the steel buttplate along the top. Was pretty hard to tell unless you were looking for it. Either way it isn’t inexpensive. Here’s a possibility.

Model 1886 Repeating Rifle

Developed for handling the powerful centerfire cartridges of its time, particularly the 45-70 caliber used by the US government.
www.precisiongunstocks.com

IIRC, the tang lengths have some variations. Maybe someone else can chime in on that or verify fitment before ordering.
 
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I was educated by a really old dude once he said it was the intended design rest the butt plate on your arm not your shoulder, try a few different holds works for me, Savage 99s a few older Winchesters and a few German black powder double rifles that will leave a mark if shot from the shoulder, I think the newer plates that are not rounded suck no matter what you do. One of my biggest yayas is shooting OLD iron sighted rifles at 500 yards and wait for the clang
 
I love curved buttplates. So I would buy a shoulder pad and/or get a sleeve.

I use one or the other or both sometimes depending on the weather and if I am doing load development that requires doing strings of group shooting. If it's 80 degrees out, I'm wearing a tshirt and my old timey rifles tend to kick alot. In the fall however, if I am wearing a coat, I generally remove the shoulder pad and if it's really cold, I remove the sleeve as well.

Also, using these shooting aids in the summer helps me simulate what the length of pull would be when I am hunting in Nov.

If I were only making fun shooting loads, I would be looking up the 45-70 loads in the lyman cast bullet handbook, you will easily be able to find loads that wont kick much at all.
 
SEM said:
I was educated by a really old dude once he said it was the intended design rest the butt plate on your arm not your shoulder, try a few different holds works for me, Savage 99s a few older Winchesters and a few German black powder double rifles that will leave a mark if shot from the shoulder, I think the newer plates that are not rounded suck no matter what you do. One of my biggest yayas is shooting OLD iron sighted rifles at 500 yards and wait for the clang
Click to expand...
^This^

I recently got into shooting Kentucky rifle blackpowder muzzle loaders with radically curved buttplates.

After stamping several bruises on my shoulder, I did some research on black powder forums and came away with the same info SEM passed on.

The curved buttplate is designed to fit around your upper arm close to your body. It's surprisingly comfortable and steady shooting that way, at least with a moderate recoiling rifle. I'd avoid going too far out on your arm. Just enough to get the points off your shoulder.

With something that kicks like a ticked off mule, it might not be so good?

Give it a try before you modify your rifle.
 
I have one of the Winchester repros. That butt plate is okay, until you send it to Turnbull and have him make a 50-90 out of it. Not any rhyme or reason, just wanted a repeater to go with my Shiloh LRE in 50-90.

ISS
 
SEM said:
I was educated by a really old dude once he said it was the intended design rest the butt plate on your arm not your shoulder, try a few different holds works for me, Savage 99s a few older Winchesters and a few German black powder double rifles that will leave a mark if shot from the shoulder, I think the newer plates that are not rounded suck no matter what you do. One of my biggest yayas is shooting OLD iron sighted rifles at 500 yards and wait for the clang
Click to expand...
FWIW,
I heard that about shooting off the arm too.
 
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