Many rifles shooters and certainly myself have experienced arm/shoulder bruise (see pic) from recoil particularly when shooting repetitively over a short period of time such as during competitive matches. I shoot 6.5x47 rounds on a front rest with a bag under the back stock using mid level powder loads and still get these bruises even though my arm/shoulder is not touching the stock butt until it recoils in the rests upon discharge. Maybe I need to position the butt nearer toward where my upper arm meets my shoulder. I know there are various pads that can be affixed to the butt but don't know which are most effective. There also may be other ways to avoid the bruise. Any thoughts regarding what I can do to minimize or eliminate this problem.
How to minimize/prevent rifle recoil upper arm bruise
- Thread starter Cassidy
- Start date
JMayo
Silver $$ Contributor
I use a shooting sholder pad with my 30br bench gun. BR rifles don't normally have a cushy butt pad.
In the beginning i hurt myself letting it get a running start. Now my free recoil set up includes getting as close as i can to it without changing it .
Im putting together a 10lb 30br .. that's gonna be a kicking sob. I imagine I'll need holding on to it differently.
In the beginning i hurt myself letting it get a running start. Now my free recoil set up includes getting as close as i can to it without changing it .
Im putting together a 10lb 30br .. that's gonna be a kicking sob. I imagine I'll need holding on to it differently.
tmwinds
Gold $$ Contributor
I’m certainly no expert but it looks like the butt is recoiling into your bicep. Try placing the butt into or near the cup of your shoulder below the collar bone and let the butt lightly touch the shoulder.
Do you take blood thinners like I do? That will cause bruising. Good luck.
Do you take blood thinners like I do? That will cause bruising. Good luck.
no wonder it hurts that is 100% not where you want the butt plate. here is a video showing you a fclass rifle and where it needs to be, He is running a RAD recoil pad, I got a falconstrike pad the other day and i am going to try it 
every duck hunter has short shouldered a shotgun and let it rip with the same results that freaking hurts
every duck hunter has short shouldered a shotgun and let it rip with the same results
that freaking hurts
Nick Caprinolo
Gold $$ Contributor
I am sure you were never in the Marine Corps. Even if if you are shooting free recoil the butt plate should come back into your shoulder.
Shooter13
Gold $$ Contributor
LOL, not laughing at you (well a little) I've had the same thing BUT it is better then "scope eye" ;-) man, it took me almost 2 years to get the gun positioned right and find on my 30s only that I need to have my shoulder touching the butt. It worked for me, hope this helps.
Why do you have a bruise on your bicept from a x47 none the less?
JMayo
Silver $$ Contributor
Y'all that don't shoot benchrest free recoil just don't understand.
You're beside the rifle more than behind it.
Some benches don't have the corner cut. That makes it even harder to get to a good sholder placement.
Ive found raising my chair enables me too get more toward my sholder &
Again a shooting pad protects my coller bone sholder joint.
You're beside the rifle more than behind it.
Some benches don't have the corner cut. That makes it even harder to get to a good sholder placement.
Ive found raising my chair enables me too get more toward my sholder &
Again a shooting pad protects my coller bone sholder joint.
Watch Bart’s gun handling video, he wins a lot!https://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/big-bart-sauter-story-6-bra-tack-driver-winner.4057413/
JMayo above understands the problem - its difficult for benchrest free recoil shooters to get their shoulder behind the stock butt because on many benchrest shooting tables you're shooting more beside the rifle than behind it. As he suggests, raising the chair, i.e., using a shooting chair that can be raised, may help get more shoulder behind the butt. In addition, as others suggested above, using a recoil pad on the butt and also a shoulder pad (maybe sewn into the shirt or worn) may help. These are helpful thoughts. Which recoil pads for the butt do you think work best? All comments are welcome.
I shot a LV in 308 for a while and never had that problem but I would get a headache. My Dad, a fairly tall man (6'5"), perfected the technique of shooting free recoil and, frequently, catching the rifle with his beak. When he tried out my 308, it took some work to get the blood off the stock. WH
It's been said but bears repeating - position the rifle properly in the shoulder "cup" area. Many videos illustrating the proper position.
My Tikka 308 kicks like a mule with a bad disposition regardless how I hold it. To mitigate the recoil, I purchased an inexpensive shoulder harness pad from Cabela's, and it works very well. It's adjustable and easily removable. I imagine other shoulder harness pads work about the same.
I mostly shoot this rifle in the colder months, and I wear a heavy vest with the shoulder harness which lowers the felt recoil to that of a 243.
I don't shoot a lot of free recoil because mostly I'm practicing or checking sight in for hunting, so I hold the forearm while sitting on the front rest. This helps a lot, but this is type of hold doesn't work if you're committed to "free recoil" bench shooting.
My Tikka 308 kicks like a mule with a bad disposition regardless how I hold it. To mitigate the recoil, I purchased an inexpensive shoulder harness pad from Cabela's, and it works very well. It's adjustable and easily removable. I imagine other shoulder harness pads work about the same.
I mostly shoot this rifle in the colder months, and I wear a heavy vest with the shoulder harness which lowers the felt recoil to that of a 243.
I don't shoot a lot of free recoil because mostly I'm practicing or checking sight in for hunting, so I hold the forearm while sitting on the front rest. This helps a lot, but this is type of hold doesn't work if you're committed to "free recoil" bench shooting.
The recoil from that cartridge in a 15 pound rifle is light. If you like free recoil ( I don’t) you’re not only giving it a ‘head start’ but coming back on your bicep. Only in front of your teeth could be worse!
I also would question blood thinners as that’s a considerable bruise for that rifle weight and that cartridge. If you’re into the free recoil at least let it wack up much higher. I’ve found that climbing forward on the bench helps me. Is your scope mounted exceptionally high?
There should be no rifle that requires the butt to be in the bicep.
I also would question blood thinners as that’s a considerable bruise for that rifle weight and that cartridge. If you’re into the free recoil at least let it wack up much higher. I’ve found that climbing forward on the bench helps me. Is your scope mounted exceptionally high?
There should be no rifle that requires the butt to be in the bicep.
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