Given that you have a big enough pad, the next step is to check the location of your attaching screws. It may be that your new pad has exactly the same spacing for the screw holes as the original pad; then again, it may not. If it doesn't, you may have to plug the old holes, mark the location of the new screw holes, and then drill pilot holes slightly smaller than the diameter of the new screws. On this Pachmayr pad, the diameter of the new screws is about .166 inch, so I would drill pilot holes of about .116 inch using a #32 drill. This would give me a "bite" of about .025 inch on each side of the screw for a good secure attachment. Fortunately, the screw spacing for the new pad matched the old pad.

Use very little pressure when fitting the recoil pad with a sander. Work slowly and carefully and match the top and bottom of the pad to the lines of the stock.

Tricks Of The Trade
A lot of folks don't realize it, but the contact surface of most pads where they bear against the stock is not flat. Most pads are molded, and I suppose there is a certain amount of warping and shrinking as the rubber or plastic cools. To ensure a good fit, don't rely just on your attaching screws to pull the pad down against the stock and straighten it. Instead, carefully sand the bottom of the pad so it is as perfectly flat as possible. I use a piece of old plate glass on which I have taped a sheet of sandpaper. A few minutes sanding is generally all it takes to make the pad smooth and perfectly flat.

Many recoil pads, such as this Pachmayr, do not have screw holes in the rear face of the pad. The rubber face of the pad is solid. How do you get the darn screws in the pad? Again, it's easy once you know a trick or two. Take a 7/32-inch flat-faced punch and insert it from the bottom or stock side of the pad. With the pad over your bench and the top end of the punch resting on the bench, press the pad down so that the end of the punch pushes up on the inside surface of the face of the pad.

Allow it to rise up about 1/4 inch or so. While this rubber is stretched nice and thin, use a sharp razor knife to slit the rubber in the center of the outline of the end of the punch. Repeat for the other screw hole. You can now remove the punch. With the face of the pad back in its normal position you should have to look darn hard to even find a trace of your two screw slots.

We want to keep it this way and avoid tearing of the face of the pad as it is attached to the stock. Torn, ragged screw holes in the face of a pad look really bad and are not indicative of good craftsmanship. A trick gunsmiths have used for years is to use a drop of liquid soap on each slit to lubricate the passage of the screw. Also, check the heads of the new screws for any burrs or sharp edges that might tear the rubber. If you find any, polish the heads so they are nice and smooth. It's also a good idea to use screwdrivers with smooth shanks and to lubricate the shanks with a bit of liquid soap as well.