SHOTGUN HACK: Less Recoil with This Easy Solution

When it comes to recoil, there seem to be 3 different camps.

1. First, you have the folks who love the pain of shooting their 3.5-inch hunting loads. It's part of the sport, and they love being hard-core.
2. Secondly, there are your indifferent folks who don't necessarily mind it but may get sick of getting beat up after a long day of shooting.
3. Finally, there are folks who hate the recoil or maybe can't shoot at all anymore due to an injury, or previous bad experience.

In our opinion, less shotgun recoil always results in better performance and more enjoyment. It's true that we can 'handle" guns with a lot of recoil, but at the end of the day, less recoil is always better. A few years ago we tested a product called the FalconStrike Recoil Reduction System and instantly became believers in the product. 

In today's blog, we're going to be walking through how to purchase and install a FalconStrike. If you're a sucker for pain or don't care to reduce recoil for whatever reason, you may want to read a little further: We're going to be giving away 2 Falcon Stikes! 1 to someone who wants recoil reduction, and 1 to someone who thinks that idea of recoil reduction is bogus. Just maybe, we'll be able to change your mind! 

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

1. Go comment on the YouTube video and tell us what 'camp' you're from when it comes to recoil (1,2, or 3-read above)

2. Go to the post on the TFL community and comment "Falcon Strike" - TFL community is free! Sign up (HERE)

What the heck is a FalconStrike?

First, let's clarify what we're talking about here. FalconStrike is a company that specializes in cutting-edge recoil reduction systems.  When they first reached out to us, we were a bit hesitant because we figured "Recoil is just a part of shooting! There's no way this little thing can help" There are many folks that would still agree with this thinking. However, when it comes to doing live exhibitions, and weekly videos, our annual shell count is often in the tens of thousands. Long story short we were blown away at how a simple little pad could make shooting so much more enjoyable. Turns out, this little pad isn't all the simple behind the scenes. 

So how does it work?

Falcon Strikes' staple technology is found within the pad. Unlike most aftermarket recoil pads, this one is filled with an oil-like liquid that absorbs the energy of the recoil as the fluid is forced through a series of plates. This fluid also converts the recoil energy into heat as it expands. It's all very nerdy stuff which is no surprise being that the technology FalconStrike has built on originated from the aerospace engineering industry. FalconsStikes website does a great job at explaining all this in further detail. You can check that out (HERE) The image below is from their website explaining the 3 step process of how the Flacon Stike mitigates recoil. 

As you can see, a hugely unique factor of this pad is that it contours to your body and shoulder shape rather than having a fixed position as many after-market pads do. But the main meat and potatoes of this pad is that it can expand across a larger surface area when the energy of the recoil pushes it rearward. Anyone who has taken a basic physics course can deduce that if the same amount of energy is spread across a wider area, the implications will be less devastating than the same energy focused on a particular location. In shotgunning terms: More surface area = less felt recoil. This is sort of comparable to the bed of nails trick. You could lay on a bed of nails assuming your body's weight is distributed throughout the bed. However, laying on a single nail will certainly penetrate your skin. 

So why Falcon Strike?

There are many pads cheaper than a FalconStrike, but they are not as good. There are others that are good, but most are more expensive and are very labor intensive to install and often require a gunsmith.  

But don't take our word for it. If you were to check out the reviews on their website, you'd find stories of people who were unable to shoot due to recoil pain or a contributing injury but are now able to enjoy shooting again because of FalconStrike.

The reality of the shotgun industry is that most shotgun manufacturers don't usually put a lot of resources towards recoil pads. Plenty of them dedicate time to making super-efficient and light-shooting gas systems, but the recoil pad is usually an afterthought, or designed to simply look cool. 

How do I order and install one?

1. Go to FalconStike website

2. First, select custom-fit pads and find the one recommended for your shotgun. If they don't have your gun, select the multi-fit pad, and input your stock dimensions to get a recommendation. If you can't figure it out, email them or give them a call - They're always super helpful!

3. Remove your old butt pad

4. If you have a custom fit pad, it should be as easy as installing the plate to the stock, and then attaching the pad to the plate. There are swiveling metal cams that you press down to lock the pad to the plate

If you cannot find the exact size you need, you may need to do some extra work to get the plate to fit your stock. In our video, the one we received for our Rizzini BR110 Sporter required a "G" plate. The G stands for grind. This means that we had to mark the plates' overhanging edges and use a bench grinder to slim the edges to fit the stock circumference. Check out the video to learn more, or their website to get a detailed step-by-step. 

In conclusion, we love FalconStike. We need every advantage we can get when shooting thousands of rounds every year in live shows and videos. Falcon Stike gives that advantage to make shooting all day in the field that much more enjoyable. 

Whether you're in the field or in life, you'll only hit the shots you're laser-focused on, so live target-focused!