Pit blinds and duck boats almost always have some water in the bottom of them, in my experience. A 3/4" to 1" recoil pad keeps the water off the wood as well as helps prevent it from sliding. I understand that many posters here hunt grouse, or other upland birds that do not require the rough use of doubles that mine receive. Understand, I do not neglect my guns, nor abuse them ......but, I do not pamper them either. They get dings and scratches. Duck hunting with doubles is a paradox.You know, going in, that your guns are going to get used hard and roughed up. You try to protect them the best you can, but you know that, if that double could speak, it would tell you that it is much happier being used .....even used up ...... than sitting in a rack.
I like the looks of a nicely checkered butt, or one with heel and toe plates and horizontal grooves cut in the wood between them, like my Hollis. But, my opportunities for hunting with a gun that nice are few and far between, unfortunately. I'm much more likely to be drifting some creek or river in my "kayak", getting muddy water and mud all over my gun, than I am cradling it in my arms as I follow a grouse dog around. Thus, my preferences. Fortunately for the rest of the world, they are only mine.
SRH
