I'm going out on Sunday and I don't want to have a sore shoulder from recoil. I have a Remington 870 wingmaster magnum 12-gauge pump action that shoots slugs, but also shot. So it doesn't have the recoil that a lighter gun would have. But it's still more than enough.

Someone told me that padding helps. I'm a pretty competent seamstress, but I'm not quite sure how to design a pad. I'm right-handed. I'm not looking to buy a manufactured pad, even if they exist. They would probably be designed for guys six feet tall.

I was thinking about a belt around the waist, with a second belt attached to it at my left side and up over my right shoulder to anchor it, and a thick pad of quilted cotton in the area where I usually nest the stock.

Any suggestions?

Hi babs,
I think you have a great idea. Is this what we would call clay-pigeon shooting in the UK?

If you want to get really fancy, there is this:

Shoulder Pad Recoil Reducer

As you said, you aren't looking to purchase something, but maybe this will give you some design ideas.

But I think your idea will work just as well, and if you really want to, you could cover the whole contraption with a vest.
This is the beauty of participating in sport in North America, rather than in the UK: it's is a generalisation, but here it's all about having fun, whereas, in the UK there's way more emphasis on how you look, before you can even start to enjoy yourself.

Since I can't sew very well, I try to think as easy as possible and my solution would be to take an old shirt that is well fitted and sew the padding direct to the shirt - either outside the shirt or inside.

To me the whole prospect of dealing with straps and having to deal with adjustments sounds like a lot of fussing.

and I think you are right that most designs probably don't take a woman's figure into consideration. The last thing I want is more straps to deal with!

Thanks, you guys! I now 'ave a PLAN! As Tatoo would say