After 43 years in the firearms business, one tends to be jaded concerning the claims surrounding new products. Most of these “new” products are like laundry detergent—last year’s soap in next year’s shiny box! But, every now and then a product comes along that really has that WOW factor!
Now let's face it...we've all seen a million different recoil pads that work the same way and do basically the same thing. At best, they absorb some recoil and keep the stock better planted in your shoulder pocket. At worst, certain pads have the ergonomics and hardness of a rock! However, I discovered something truly different at the 2022 Grand American Trap Championships. That something is the Falconstrike recoil pad. Borrowing principles and technology from aircraft landing gear, Falconstrike claims a 41% recoil reduction above and beyond a conventional rubber recoil pad. It all sounded too good to be true, but I sincerely wanted to believe it. So, to satisfy my skeptical curiosity, I bolted a Falconstrike my own trap gun.
On the way out the door of our vendor building at The Grand, I grabbed a box of Fiocchi White Rhinos (1 1/8oz at 1250fps) and went straight to the practice trap. “I’m gonna see what this thing can do,” I said to myself.
To complicate matters, this was just before my full shooting-side shoulder replacement surgery. My shoulder was a mess from motorcycle- and parachute-related injuries, to include bone spurs randomly floating around inside. Shooting 1oz trap loads was painful enough, but shooting full power handicap loads was downright agony—even with my trusty Precision Fit Stock!
Quite simply, I was NOT prepared for what happened! I loaded the shotgun and called for a target. Bang! “Oops,” I thought reflexively, “must have been a bad shell.” The target broke, but the sensory input made no sense. There should have been at least a little pain! So I loaded the next shell, expecting a more “normal" amount of recoil. But…no. Same thing happened! I was truly astounded—a phenomenon which frankly doesn’t happen very often. Interestingly, the Falconstrike also kept my muzzles flat. As someone who favors a ported gun, I’m very aware of muzzle jump. There just wasn’t any with the Falconstrike!
The net result is that the Falconstrike recoil pad is staying on my gun. If it helps me that much, it’s a no-brainer for a wide array of shooters. Recoil is always your enemy!
We are stocking the Falconstrike recoil pad now at Target Shotguns. Please feel free to call or email me with any questions or comments. Also be sure to visit our website at http://www.taretshotguns.com
Thanks for reading my post. For anyone interested, you can purchase the pad HERE.
Bob