Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors M70 recoil pad question

Those of you who like red pads for Pre '64 M70 rifles, do you use this one?
Pachmayr 752B Medium 1.00" Red

I like the traditional look of red pads, I have four or five to do, and I would like to know if there is something else I should consider before I buy a bunch of them.
If knowing my criteria helps, I don't care if the pad is "correct", I'm not a fan of visible "ventilation", and I don't like white line spacers.

Before anyone feels the need to comment, no, I will not cut an original butt! I put pads only on stocks that came to me already cut.

Thanks in advance for any replies,
Gun Doc

I’m not sure of the model number but I know they are Pachmayrs. All of my 70’s get them eventually.

That is the one I use, if they'll fit.

Some of the recent Super Grades are just big enough in the butt to require a large and have to use a black pad.

That sounds about right on the red pad. 752 medium.

One of my pre'64 M/70's has a repro Winchester solid red pad which is horrible at recoil reduction, the rest have Pachmyer Decelerator pads which are very effective in reducing recoil.

I agree with gunwizzard. The Galazan, just doesn't work as good.

That.. It's red, but pretty hard.. But frankly the red pads that the M70 came with from the factory weren't any better..

The original Winchester pads and the repros are ancient technology, modern Decelerator pads are no comparison they handle recoil very effectively.

Nor were the pads on the old Ruger M77 tang safety rifles (I'm not sure how Ruger's are now.) My guess is some companies didn't consider the pads for reduction of felt recoil, but to take the "thunk" out of setting the rifle on the butt, not chipping the toe of the stock, and giving the butt some traction to prevent sliding. I know I like a rubber pad even on.22 rim fires for just those reasons.

So we tend to put red pads on Winchesters because that is the traditional color?

I know I occasionally see a Winchester with a red pad that seems a bit "off", but then most of the time it is the other way around. I see a rifle with a black or brown pad and think "That pad needs to be red." I'm speaking mostly about wood stocks here but not entirely. Even synthetic stocks, and especially ones in "woody" colors like tan or brown.

Red pads were on the earlier models and some of the later ones too. But I have seen black pads on many of the later Classics - especially in the heavier calibers..

Hmmm, were these the relatively hard Winchester pads (in both red and black)?

Yep... But IIRC I had a M70 blue/walnut in .416 RM that had a black and fairly soft pad on it, right outta the box.. 'Course, for a .416 SOFT is still gonna bang yer shoulder a tad.

Redneck, just sent you a pm about putting a new pad on my '56 .30-06 FWT.

Got it..

The later vented Winchester pads were not much of an improvement over the solid type, they're pretty hard.

They're hard as a rock and look like schit!

Gundoc, I totally agree. Funny thing is I bought an old winchester the other day and after leaving the shop I had to try and remember if it had the original red pad on it!!!:


I was hoping like hell that it did not have a black pad or was unoriginal. Thankfully when I picked the rifle up yesterday it had the original red pad on it. I dug this older thread up because I am in the market for a new Pachmayr pre fit for another rifle I bought yesterday. I love the red pads on my winchester rifles though, so I may go that route and paint the stock brown. They just look right, and yes I think it is more of a "traditional" look. I've added the Pachmayr 752B red pads to many of my pre 64's. They really help to soak up that recoil:

Yep, the 752 B is the one I have on all my padded Model 70's, works well and looks great.

Couldn't agree more. However, sometimes I leave the original pads on. Well, 99% of the time I do with my XTR's and classics. I'm starting to regret that belief after todays range session with the XTR sporter 300wby. Ouch!!! They look nice and they are original, but I'd rather have the red pachmayr if I'm going to be doing much shooting with a heavy kicker. What a difference they make.