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Jesse's Hunting > Hunting Articles > Hunting Articles Archives > Taking the Shock out of your Stock
Taking the Shock out of your Stock
Phil Loughlin - JHO ProStaff
- SF Bay Area, CA
May 06, 2005
Whenever I go to one of the hunting, shooting, or outdoors shows, I can’t help noticing all the different gadgets and gizmos. Some of them look interesting, some look practical, and some just look kind of silly. After a while, I kind of get saturated, and stop paying much attention.
Space gun?
I was skeptical when I first saw the unit. Another gadget to make your hunting gun look like a combat weapon. But as I found, there is function to this form. |
This was the case this year as I wandered through my last day at the SHOT (Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoors Trades) Show. I’d seen most of the major vendors, and was looking for something innovative and noteworthy. The little booth that was showing what looked like tactical rifle stocks didn’t even register until a fellow stepped out and asked me, “hey, I see you’re with the Press. Have you seen the new Stock-Shox?”
I answered, “I’m not really into tactical equipment,” and started to move on.
“No, this product is for hunters,” he corrected me.
So I stopped to see what he had to offer. The thing on the table looked like the sliding stock from an AR-15, complete with pistol grip. I looked a little closer, though, and saw what looked like a shock absorber piston between the receiver and the butt. “So, you’re going to tell me that this thing reduces the recoil from my hunting rifle, right?” I challenged.
“Sort of,” he answered. “Except it’s for shotguns. We’re marketing toward turkey hunters and slug-gun shooters. Try this.”
He handed me a Remington 870 outfitted with the stock. It did look kind of cool, and once I adjusted the length to fit me (a quick matter of clicking a release and sliding the stock in or out), it actually felt kind of good. It’s definitely not for wing shooting, but I could see the benefits of the pistol grip for holding on point of aim. I’ve also noticed an upswing in pistol and thumbhole grips in the turkey and slug gun market. But I had my doubts about the recoil absorption… a shock absorber on a shotgun?
The rep gave me his card. “Give me a call after the show, and we’ll set you up with a unit for testing if you’d like. Write it up, and let us know what you think.”
I took the card thinking, “why not?” It could be fun, and if the thing fails, it could be entertaining to write about the experience. Besides, maybe it would work. Turkey season was right around the corner, and nothing tests a recoil reducer like 3” magnum turkey loads.
Skip ahead to the second weekend of the CA turkey season.
I received the Stock-Shox in a plain, white cardboard box the week before the season opened, but didn’t have an opportunity to set it up prior to hunting season. As it turns out, I brought the unit along on a camping/hunting trip with thoughts of maybe giving it a go.
What you see is what you get.
When my test model arrived, this is all I got. A simple instruction sheet, the StockShox unit, and an allen wrench. The packaging is being updated for commercial sales, but as I found, what I got is really all you need. |
Before doing the installation, I loaded the Remington 870 with a magazine full of 3” magnum #5 turkey loads, then touched them off at a safe backstop. My teeth thoroughly rattled, I limped back to my camp table. As I remembered, these turkey loads pack quite a wallop. When my shoulder quit throbbing, I sat down to install the Stock-Shox unit.
Installation instructions consisted of a printed page with five or six illustrations and some simple direction. The unit installs in two parts. The pistol grip attaches to the receiver with the main screw, then the butt and shock absorber section is attached to the pistol grip using four set screws. I’m not comfortable with complex gunsmithing procedures, so I was very happy at the simplicity of this process. The only tools required were screwdrivers (Phillips and straight) and an Allen wrench (provided with the unit).
Five minutes later, I had the Stock-Shox assembled and was ready for the test. I’d expected the apparatus to add weight to the gun, but if anything, it seemed lighter than the original wood. Given my layman’s understanding of firearm physics, a lighter stock did not seem like the best way to counter recoil. Still, once I’d adjusted the length of pull and used the pistol grip to achieve a nice, firm hold… my skepticism didn’t completely abate, but I have to say the gun felt pretty good. As I’d expected, I found the unit too unwieldy for wingshooting.
Now for the trial by fire… I reloaded the magazine and took a bead on the dirt berm. My shoulder seemed to remember the trauma of the last round of shooting, and there was some slight trepidation before I squeezed off the first round. Instead of the bone-jarring kick I’d experienced earlier, the shot resulted in a very firm push. I tried another shot and got the same result, then quickly pumped and popped the third round. I’ll be damned, but this gizmo works!
The 870 was outfitted with a 28” vent-rib barrel and a Comp-n-choke XXFull turkey choke. I’d patterned it before with these loads, and it hit a little high, but with that tight choke compression it would load a pie plate with pellets at 40 paces. I decided to see if the Stock-Shox made any difference in my point of impact or accuracy. I grabbed a paper dinner plate and paced off 40 steps to a dirt pile.
Trying it out
This thing works! After several loads of high-velocity Turkey loads, as well as some buckshot and a few others, I definitely found the Stock Shox unit to perform as advertised. |
My first shots were fired from an offhand, standing position… the least accurate position for precision shooting. Pulling the gun in tight against my shoulder with the pistol grip, I steadied the bead on the plate. Instead of having the bead circle around the center point, it actually laid in quite solidly. The enhanced grip also seemed to improve my trigger pull, and I squeezed off the shot.
The shot pattern covered the top two-thirds of the plate, almost completely. For the next shot, I held the bead at the bottom of the plate and crumpled it against the hillside, covering almost every inch of the paper with holes. I sent the last shot downrange with the same result.
I fetched a new plate and settled into a sitting position (the grass was too high to shoot prone). The gun was almost completely stable for each of the three shots, each of which went just above the point of aim. The new stock did not change my point of impact to any appreciable extent.
After finishing the box of turkey loads, I dug through the truck for something different. I came up with three rounds of 3” 00 buckshot and bunch of 3” magnum #2 waterfowl loads. None of these seemed to have the same recoil as the turkey loads. Even the buckshot barely registered as more than a good shove.
To my mind, that was good enough for practical range-work. Now to take this thing into the field…
The first three outings didn’t give me an opportunity to try the stock on a bird, but it gave me plenty of opportunity to experience carrying this thing around. There is an integrated sling swivel on the butt, but I didn’t have a sling to attach so I carried it loose. The only issue I encountered was the allen screws worked loose on the first trip. I tightened them down a little more aggressively, and they held up fine from that point forward.
Finally, with the season nearly over, Brett Holmes, my hunting partner, and I were able to bring a flock of jakes across a pasture and into the kill zone. The birds came into the open together, giving us the opportunity to double (one for Brett and one for me). The shot would be a bit long, approximately 35 yards, but after seeing how the gun and load performed at 40 yards I had high confidence in making a clean kill.
We were both down on our bellies in the grass, stretched out in full prone position. Brett counted to three as I leveled the bead on my bird’s outstretched neck. With the extra stability provided by the pistol grip, the bead hovered dead-on until the moment came and I pulled the trigger. My bird dropped in a clump, as Brett’s bird rolled and got up running. A moment later he gave it another round and it, too, went down for the count.
As gadgets and gizmos go, I definitely give the Stock-Shox a hearty thumbs-up!
The proof is in the pudding!
This is what I call a successful testing cycle. From the gun table to the dinner table! |
More on Stock Shox
Where to get them: StockShox are available online, at http://www.stockshox.com. You can also find them in several shooting equipment catalogs, such as Brownell's.
How much: The units are retailing for about $99 at most locations.
Available models: Currently, the Stock Shox as described here are available for Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 shotguns. The company is working with some other manufacturers, and will likely introduce new models over time.
Enhancements/Updates: Since my testing unit was shipped, StockShox has upgraded some of the parts to machined aluminum. This replaces some of the plastic parts on my test unit, and should make the Stock Shox even more durable.
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