I decided to check out the Blackhawk Talon Thumbhole Stock and see how well it performs. The Talon thumbhole stock is incredibly comfortable to shoot, and the recoil reduction system works very well, and could come in handy if you’re doing a lot of shooting on a particular day.
Ever since purchasing my Mossberg 500 Persuader, I’ve been looking for ways to enhance it and customize it.
Blackhawk makes a LOT of accessories and gear for the shooting sports, and over 10 different stocks just for shotguns. This stock in particular, is one of their most interesting designs. It’s a polymer and alloy stock that has a few great features that makes it stand out from the crowd. Basically, it’s a combination of the features of a regular stock, a pistol grip, and a recoil reduction system. Retailing for around $140, it’s pretty affordable, but it is a little bit on the high end price wise compared to other aftermarket stocks. That being said, the features do make it worth the extra money.
Blackhawk’s website claims that the dual recoil-compensation system reduces the felt recoil by up to 65%, but in my testing, it felt like at least 30-40% less than the original stock. While that doesn’t sound like all that much, if you’ve ever done a long day at the range with a few dozen rounds, you’ll know why that’s a big deal. The reduction in recoil is achieved through a combination of the very comfortable pistol grip (putting some of the recoil in your hand instead of all in your shoulder) and the really thick butt pad on the stock. Both of these, combined with their patented Knoxx technology, which is a set of springs that act like a buffer, really do a great job of reducing the felt recoil.
Reducing the recoil of a firearm isn’t just about saving you from a sore shoulder. It’s also about accuracy. The less the firearms is moving around, the more accurate you’ll be, and the faster you’ll be with target re-acquisition after a shot. In my opinion, what makes someone more accurate with shot placement, besides practice of course, is comfort. If you’re more comfortable with a weapon, you’ll perform better when using it. Firearms come is all shapes and sizes, just like people. And one firearm might be amazing for one person, but not so much for the next. This is because of all the little details that make a person a person. Hand strength and size, height, eyesight, etc etc.
This stock wasn’t my favorite one I’ve used, and that in no way means it’s not a great stock. The reason for that was it wasn’t my favorite, is because it didn’t fit my hands. The issue is with the stabilizing bar attached to the pistol grip. My hands are too big for the space, but this isn’t going to be an issue for most people, I just happen to have larger hands. This kinda bummed me out, because I actually really liked this stock, and would have kept it on my Mossberg if it wasn’t for that one issue. But it’s like I stated above, it’s a personal preference issue, and comes down to being 100% comfortable with the weapon you’re using.
I would absolutely recommend this stock to anyone looking for a non-collapsible, recoil reducing stock for their shotgun.
Blackhawk makes the Talon Thumbhole Stock for a variety of shotgun models, including Remington 870 (12 & 20 gauge) Mossberg (500, 535, 590, 835 and 88) and Winchester 1200 & 1300 12 gauge. Besides black, it’s also available in a universal camo pattern to match the Remington and the Mossberg patterns.
Check out their site for more information and for full technical specs: http://www.blackhawk.com/product/Talon-Thumbhole-Shotgun-Stock,1514,165.htm