4.5 pound 30-30 contender recoil pad help

[Trackselk]

Several years after putting this together, I am finally putting my contender 30-30 back in to service. It took a few elk and deer in it's early life, but hasn't been hunting since I had the barrel cut to 16 and milled down to a tiny .5" at the muzzle. It will be 4.5lb proper if I can find a light recoil pad that will work with the hollow plastic stock.
I haven't been able to find anything that doesn't say it's for the encore yet, so i'm hoping you all can help. I'll settle for a heavy one if necessary, but the factory one is about as soft as my trucks tires, so it's not pleasant to shoot as you can imagine. Thanks for any advice!
*edit: It will now be my deep wilderness spring blackbear gun. Shots out to about 200 yards, haven't chrono'd it yet...
Here's the pics:

 

[Hunt4lyf]

If you want lightweight you could always use a flip flop, cut and epoxy it to the the stock and form it into the shape you want. Not pretty but it’s functional.

 

[Tod osier]

Several years after putting this together, I am finally putting my contender 30-30 back in to service. It took a few elk and deer in it's early life, but hasn't been hunting since I had the barrel cut to 16 and milled down to a tiny .5" at the muzzle. It will be 4.5lb proper if I can find a light recoil pad that will work with the hollow plastic stock.
I haven't been able to find anything that doesn't say it's for the encore yet, so i'm hoping you all can help. I'll settle for a heavy one if necessary, but the factory one is about as soft as my trucks tires, so it's not pleasant to shoot as you can imagine. Thanks for any advice!
*edit: It will now be my deep wilderness spring blackbear gun. Shots out to about 200 yards, haven't chrono'd it yet...
Here's the pics:

Limbsaver has a PDF of their pad profiles that you can print and match up the pad and screw holes with their product line.

I've had good success doing that for guns that don't have a pad listed or stocks that I've chopped.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1999/2905/files/Recoil_Pad_Template_Guide_-_WEB_07_2022.pdf

 

[Rich M]

I agree - you could make one. Plenty of neoprene seat pads out there…

 

[Trackselk]

Thanks for all of the replies! I guess what I'm worried about, or should have asked about is, can I get away with a pad that doesn't have the rigid backing plate (flip flop vs hard backed limbsaver)? I assume that I have to have the backing plate style because otherwise most of the force would be transferred to the perimeter of the stock, because its basically completely hollow?
Also, I am probably SOL with any glue on ones, unless I add a backing plate first, right?

 

[Trackselk]

I forgot to add that I think the balance will also be much improved by reducing the recoil pad from 4oz to 1oz

 

[Rufus]

I made a recoil pad from a flip flop for a hollow stock similar to the contender stock you’re working on. I made a backing plate out of some 1/4 inch cedar closet lining. You could also use 1/4 inch pine or other kind of wood. I cut the backing plate and shaped it to fit the end of the stock first. Once I had that, I used it as a template for the flip flop. I left the flip flop a little larger so I could trim it down after I mounted it to the stock. I used gorilla glue to glue the flip flop to the backing plate and then that assembly to the back of the hollow stock. Once it was dry, I put a wrap of masking tape on the stock to protect the stock material. I then used (very carefully!!!) a 4” angle grinder to gently shape the flip flop to the correct shape and dimension. Once that was done, remove the tape and paint the wood backing plate to match the stock. It sounds way harder than it is. Just go really slow with the grinder. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Thanks. -Rufus

 

[Trackselk]

I made a recoil pad from a flip flop for a hollow stock similar to the contender stock you’re working on. I made a backing plate out of some 1/4 inch cedar closet lining. You could also use 1/4 inch pine or other kind of wood. I cut the backing plate and shaped it to fit the end of the stock first. Once I had that, I used it as a template for the flip flop. I left the flip flop a little larger so I could trim it down after I mounted it to the stock. I used gorilla glue to glue the flip flop to the backing plate and then that assembly to the back of the hollow stock. Once it was dry, I put a wrap of masking tape on the stock to protect the stock material. I then used (very carefully!!!) a 4” angle grinder to gently shape the flip flop to the correct shape and dimension. Once that was done, remove the tape and paint the wood backing plate to match the stock. It sounds way harder than it is. Just go really slow with the grinder. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Thanks. -Rufus

Thanks! I got smart and looked at my encore stocks, and there was a limbsaver that fit the contender exactly on the stock that i'm selling anyhow. No idea why they don't list contenders at all. I would have to trim the screws about 3/8", but I'm actually going to cut the old pad off of the plastic plate, and see how light the plate is. I'm guessing an ounce, and then add a 1" micro cell, and I'll be below 4.5 lbs and add some LOP for my lanky frame. Next is swapping out the steel leupold scope mounts for some talleys or whatevers light

 

[Trackselk]

Just for reference, the plastic base plate of a limbsaver classic is 1.1oz, and easily trimmed to one ounce or a little less. What what I read on here, looks like the flip flop pad is about 1oz? So, if I glued one to the plastic plate I'd be right about 2oz with a screw on pad. With that in mind I just dropped the $40 and ordered an 11mm miscrocell which will finish a bit lighter, as it's supposedly just under 2oz from the manufacturer. I got a limbsaver for the 30-30 barrel (20+ ft/lbs recoil) and the thin microcell for the new 223 barrel. Going to see if I can get this closer to 4lb with the 223. Should be an amazingly capable rifle with hand cannon weight range.

 

[ezwy]

I Think you should go this route. When I get my hands on a contender, that's what i'm going to do.

 

[Trackselk]

I Think you should go this route. When I get my hands on a contender, that's what i'm going to do.

Thanks, I forgot about the various AR style options. Any idea how lightweight all the "buttstock" parts add up to? I'll throw my current plastic stock on the scale and post it. I'm all about losing some more 1/4's+ of pounds if possible.

 

[ezwy]

Thanks, I forgot about the various AR style options. Any idea how lightweight all the "buttstock" parts add up to? I'll throw my current plastic stock on the scale and post it. I'm all about losing some more 1/4's+ of pounds if possible.

those two parts would be 20.5 oz i believe.

Plus its folding if yo wanted to put it in a backpack. Their non folding might be lighter.

 

[lonedave]

I don’t have anything for your recoil pad, but I just wanted to say I like your rifle. I have a TC Contender carbine with a super 16 7/30 watters barrel and a Choate stock that weighs 5.55# with one round and nylon mountain sling. I’ve wondered about having the normal weight barrel turned down to lighten it. From your description, I’d probably drop nearly a pound, which would be neat. They do make a great lightweight rifle that is a treat to pack and still have good 200 yd capability.

 

[Trackselk]

Thanks, that waters is a better cartridge than my 30-30 for sure. I had a few turned down, but it would probably be a much better bet to try and get bullberry to build you one so it will shoot better. He's the only one I've found that will build a light profile barrel.
-weighed my shortened stock with the thinnest microcell pad = 15.7 ounces. That's without the action bolt/screw and the tiny plastic cap that has 3 tiny screws, because I just leave that off. Home depot had a cheap stainless bolt so the cap is only cosmetic...

 

[Loper]

I like your rifle too. How much material did your take off of the forend? Did you simply chop it off with a miter saw and then reshape it and epoxy a swivel stud in?

 

[Steve O]

I’ve done a number of “flip flop” pads with Bansner Sheephunter stocks. Never actually used my shoes as there are actually “foam” stores where you can look around and feel the different densities and types of foam. Buy a lifetime supply for $10. Those stocks are filled so it is a simple glue job. If I had a hollow stock, I would find a thin piece of carbon fiber sheet and glue that to the stock and then glue the foam to that and sand both to shape.

 

[Trackselk]

those two parts would be 20.5 oz i believe.

Plus its folding if yo wanted to put it in a backpack. Their non folding might be lighter.

One more thing, the rifle is 29" assembled, so it doesn't hardly stick out of my pack, where it lives much of the time. But, I'm 6' 4", so I use tall packs. At 15.7 oz I'll probably leave the stock alone unless someone post a pic of a significantly lighter AR option.

 

[Trackselk]

I like your rifle too. How much material did your take off of the forend? Did you simply chop it off with a miter saw and then reshape it and epoxy a swivel stud in?

I luckily had a pistol forend that a previous owner had simply epoxied in the wood screw swivel stud. I think the mount is in the factory rifle position in the barrel (rear), and the front mount dovetail was completely milled away. All I did was take a file to make the forend not push on the action for accuracy, and got a stainless screw. I'm probably going to set the forend screw with locktite in a slightly loose position so it's as "free floated" as I can get.

 

[Trackselk]

I’ve done a number of “flip flop” pads with Bansner Sheephunter stocks. Never actually used my shoes as there are actually “foam” stores where you can look around and feel the different densities and types of foam. Buy a lifetime supply for $10. Those stocks are filled so it is a simple glue job. If I had a hollow stock, I would find a thin piece of carbon fiber sheet and glue that to the stock and then glue the foam to that and sand both to shape.

These plastic ones are hollow, so the microcell with its backing plate was an easy solution. I think it finish right about 1oz. You can see the factory mount holes in my pic earlier in the thread. I did have to drill new holes in the microcell, because cutting the stock 3/4" changed the spacing. Took like 2 minutes...

-another thing that's probably hard to see in the pic, and that's that it's a stainless action and barrel with OD green cerakote. I'll post better pics sometime. Probably going to get the new 223 fluted and cerakoted, that should leave me well under 4.5 lbs

 

[yfarm]

I have a Contender with a Choate survival stock and forend and a 23” 6.8 spc barrel with 3-9 scope. Considering chopping the barrel to 18”, my gun weighs 7.4lbs currently any idea on what the 5” would do to the weight?