It can be kind of hard to tell if the balance is really right for you when the LOP is way off. I recently asked a gunsmith to replace an old pad with a buttplate that reduced LOP by almost an inch. The gun was there for inspection, so I hadn't handled it before. The switch reduced the overall weight by about 6 ounces so had to affect the balance, but for me it handles just fine. It's possible that the new weight and balance are closer to what the gunmaker intended than they were with the pad.
So yes, it can make sense to adjust weight and balance by removing wood from the stock, but it might be good to go slow. Measure weight and balance point before adding the pad. then shoot the gun a bit and see if you want to adjust things to reproduce the original weight and balance. Good Luck!
Builder, have to shot with the microcell pads? Do you feel they do a good job reducing recoil? As light as they are, are they suitable for field guns? Any concerns about their durability?
Bill
Last edited by billwolfe; 02/08/18 07:56 PM.
