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Major cheek slap

sdeeut69

sdeeut69

.22LR
Okay, I kind of embarrassed about asking this, as I have read through MANY threads on here about people shooting slugs... MANY slugs, and no one complaining about cheek slap. I took my brand new Mossberg 500 w/ 28" barrel and synthetic stock out last weekend and the first 5 rounds I shot through it were Winchester 1 oz. slugs. The first one popped my cheek so hard it felt like someone hit me with a crowbar. For good measure, I shot 4 more slugs determined to prove I'm a HUGE glutten for punishment. Needless to say I ended up with something that looked like an egg sized tumor under my right eye. After I threw in the towel with the slugs I shot 3 boxes of 7 1/2 shot at clays and had no issues/slaps at all. I can only assume I don't hold my cheek the same on the slugs as the clay target loads. Is there anyone on here who can give me some suggestions/recommendations as to maybe what I'm doing wrong shooting the slugs? I have thought about adding a cheek pad to the stock, but I'll shoot far more skeet/trap/bird loads than I will slugs, and I don't have issues with the light loads. I actually do want to shoot slugs in the future for fun at still targets, but I could do without walking through Walmart looking like my wife beat me up. I will add I installed a Limbsaver pad, the one that replaces the factory pad, not a slip on one, and it was fantastic shooting the slugs, 00 buck and the bird shot. I just need to figure out how to alleviate the cheek slap with the slugs. Thanks for any helpful replies in advance.
 
You need to hold the gun better and work on your shooting stance.

That may sound like a smart aleck answer, but it isn't meant to be.

Here are a few video's that explain a few ways to hold the gun correctly.

Let your shoulder, arms and stance absorb the kick. Not your face.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlWh6tsCBrA[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ZMHl3mxno[/youtube]

I would be surprised to find out there would be anyone here that hasn't came away with a bruise at one time or another. I know I have.

Though not on my face/cheek.

Also, slugs kick more than birdshot. There are exceptions, but slugs almost always have more recoil. That's probably why you noticed it more with the slugs.

Birdshot shells are designed to throw out small pellets to kill a little bird or squirrel.

Slugs are throwing out a 450 grain solid bullet that will kill anything on the north American continent. Even grizzlies, and polar bears and elk and moose. You name it.

Big difference in purpose. Expect a difference in performance.
 
Thanks for the response. Just to make things clear though.. this was my first time shooting THIS new shotgun and my first time ever shooting slugs. I have owned/shot shotguns for years and have never had a cheek slap that I can remember. I know how to hold/mount a shotgun, hence the reason this seems more complex than just knowing how to hold a shotgun. As I noted in my earlier post, I fired 75 rounds of bird shot after shooting the slugs without incident, and I have fired thousands more over the many years at birds/clays. I knew there would be more recoil with the slug, I was just unprepared for the punch in the face it gave me... hahaha. I could have possibly placed my face tighter against the stock than I normally would shooting clays as I was using it more as a rifle to shoot a still target. I was just curious if others have had this and had a suggestion. Still, thanks for the response.
 
In that case, have you checked the muzzle to verify that you're not trying to shoot a slug through an
extra extra full choke or something along those lines?
 
Yes, I read specifically about shooting slugs in a smooth bore shotgun before going out and doing it, and it seemed the improved cylinder was the choke of choice for the slugs. It could be there isn't an answer I'll get that could help, and I just mounted it weird on my face/cheek. I'll try again and hopefully have a better outcome as I would like to do it on occasion on our outings of clay blasting. Thanks again.
 
Have someone else shoot it and or shoot the slugs from another shotgun and see what happens
 
I did actually try to get the guy I was with to shoot one.. he said "HELL NO" after seeing what it did to me. HAHAHA! But after thinking about what John A. was saying yesterday.. I went home last night and mounted the gun several times as if I were going to break a clay.. and then several times as if I were going to bear down on a still target, as if I wanted to shoot a bullseye... and I realized that I used the sites differently in those situations and did find that my cheek was a little farther back on the stock as I tried to line up both the front and the mid dot sites to aim it like a rifle. When I mounted the gun as I would to break a clay, I could see space in between the front site and the mid site. Using the sites like a rifle had my cheek a tad farther back and me pressing my cheek into the stock to get the sites to line up over the top of each other. I think that clearly is/was the problem. The next time out with the slugs I'll be mounting the shotgun just like I do as I'm shooting clays and I'm guessing/betting that I won't have the same problem. Thanks for the comments guys.
 
John A. said:
You need to hold the gun better and work on your shooting stance.

That may sound like a smart aleck answer, but it isn't meant to be.

Here are a few video's that explain a few ways to hold the gun correctly.

Let your shoulder, arms and stance absorb the kick. Not your face.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlWh6tsCBrA[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6ZMHl3mxno[/youtube]

I would be surprised to find out there would be anyone here that hasn't came away with a bruise at one time or another. I know I have.

Though not on my face/cheek.

Also, slugs kick more than birdshot. There are exceptions, but slugs almost always have more recoil. That's probably why you noticed it more with the slugs.

Birdshot shells are designed to throw out small pellets to kill a little bird or squirrel.

Slugs are throwing out a 450 grain solid bullet that will kill anything on the north American continent. Even grizzlies, and polar bears and elk and moose. You name it.

Big difference in purpose. Expect a difference in performance.
Click to expand...

Learned the hard way...my first time shooting a dual barreled shotty...

 
Not making fun of your bruises,,,,,,besides proper stance, try a Limbsaver recoil pad they work. ;)
 
old mossy said:
Not making fun of your bruises,,,,,,besides proper stance, try a Limbsaver recoil pad they work. ;)
Click to expand...

The absolute best modification I have ever made to every shotgun.
 
That ATI Razorback pad works pretty damn good on mine as well. Yep, I've had a sore cheek a few times coming home from the range shooting slug loads. The harsher recoil is just a fact you have to deal with when using slugs and get lazy with your cheekweld and stance.

I think you answered your own question when you realized you placed your face further back along the stock trying to line up the two beads. In effect its like your trying to shoot a bantam/youth sized stock that is too short for you. The further back your head is the greater the chance that stock is gonna bite back. You probably wound up not having it tucked into your shoulder tight enough but didn't realize it. Keeping the cheek weld and stock against your shoulder consistently every time is key.

Remember without a rear sight your eyeball in effect is the rear sight. I have to admit, I've never owned or shot a barrel with the dual beads like some of the Mossberg barrel have. I've always just had a bead at the muzzle and one thing to focus on. Those that are familar with the secondary bead mounted mid way on the barrel might have some advice on how to properly utilize it but I highly doubt moving your head back is correct. I could be wrong.

Try this. I know it sounds crazy. Have someone else load the gun for you with shot, buck, and slugs randomly mixed. Try to consistently use the same stance you tried with the clays since that seemed to work for you for every shot. Practice like that and you will get used to shouldering that shotgun the same everytime. It will not matter wether you have shot, buck, or slug sitting in the tube.

Good luck.

Great vids BTW John. Nice find and share.
 
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone with input on this. I had figured it out in the beginning and have since been out 3 more times firing anywhere from 15 to 25 slugs (yesterday) each time out and haven't taken even so much as a bump on my face. It had everything to do with trying to line up the two beads into a rifle type mount which did put my face back on the stock thus taking some recoil from the stock. The first time back out I just mounted it like I was shooting clays/birds and while it seemed weird to try and dial in the aiming at a still target... but once I did figure it out... it's a BLAST!... pun intended.. haha. It's fun watching those exploding milk jugs! And oddly enough.. shooting the slugs has made me a better clay shooter learning the exact point of aim of my gun.. I had been (unknowingly) shooting higher on the clays and missing.. 2 times ago I realized how much lower to point and track as where I was aiming with the slugs on the still targets, and boom... I was hitting more clays consistently. Thanks again for the input everyone.
 
another way to lessen recoil is to replace the polymer stock and for-end with some wood. More weight = less recoil.
 
clarke187 said:
another way to lessen recoil is to replace the polymer stock and for-end with some wood. More weight = less recoil.
Click to expand...
I agree, if you are using the stock recoil pad. I put the Limbsaver screw on pad on the polymer... EXCELLENT recoil management. I shoot many slugs, 00buck and trap loads (around 150 combined rounds) when were out each time and I have no pain afterwards. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone shooting the polymer stock.
 
I got a wood stock for mine but I would still like to find a limbsaver to fit it.

pLLCmJz.jpg
 
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