March 16, 2025

The 45-70 and Limbsaver

The 45-70 is notorious for having serious recoil.

Limbsaver makes highly regarded recoil pads and I just purchased and installed one on my Marlin 1895CB. The 10102 and the 10806 are the same size and are what you want. The 10806 is what I installed. It is the newer "Air-tech" whereas the 10102 is the original "classic" precision fit.

A number of threads recommended the #10102 and said that it fit almost perfectly on their Marlin 1895.

10102: (Approx.) 4 23/32″ x 1 5/8″

They say it will give a 70 percent reduction in recoil. I imagine it does that by both absorbing some of the energy (turning it into heat) and by lengthening the amount of time it pushes your shoulder.

Looking at their templates, a 10806 looks to be the same size as the 10102. (They share the same template).

The 10806 is now on my 1895CB. I did a little work using a dremel on the screw holes on the Limbsaver and it looks just fine.

Figuring out what limbsaver you need

I have wished that Limbsaver Inc. doesn't make it easier. I have wished that I could just look up my rifle on their website and then know just what pad to buy.

They actually explain this and it makes sense. Companies that make rifles change the size and shape of their stocks unpredictably. Yes, I believe this. So, if they did what I say, then Winchester would decide to do something new and unexpected, and their information would be wrong. They must have been burned already by this.

Better to not give the customer wrong information and then have them come back angry and blaming limbsaver when Ruger is to blame. What they do is to make available pad outlines as a PDF file. You determine a candidate, perhaps by online recommendations, then print the outline and see if it will fit your rifle.

I also see recommendations for "Kick Eez" recoil pads. I have no experience with them.

What about my Savage .308 (model 10)?

People say you want the 10111 for the synthetic stock, which is what I have. The template shows that the 10807 is the Airtech with the same outline. I just printed and cut out the 10111 outline from their PDF templates and it does look like a good fit (except for one screw hole). I ordered the 10111.
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Tom's Computer Info / tom@mmto.org