The Ins and Outs of the Gracoil XT from Graco Corp.

Gracoil XT

The Gracoil XT is the newest version of the Gracoil. It was designed to accommodate anyone that shoots a lightweight shotgun or higher brass hunting loads. The tension of the XT spring body can go higher than the original Gracoil, but there is overlap. The highest setting on the original Gracoil is the same as the lowest setting on the XT spring body. Several shotgun manufacturers are beginning to manufacture ultralight models that weigh in around 6 pounds. These lighter shotguns are very useful for youth shooters that are wanting to shoot without quick muscle fatigue and less gun control and shooters that make quickly acquiring a target a priority.

The youth shooter needs a lightweight shotgun because they are less physically developed. The downside to the lightweight shotgun is the added felt recoil. Many kids end up with a bad flinch or stop shooting all together due to not being able to get a custom fit and combat the recoil. The Gracoil XT offers the ability to tame the unruly recoil of a light gun as well as offer an inch of adjustment in length of pull. The added length of pull adjustment enables the shooter to grow with the gun. A youth shooter grows at a rapid rate and needs the flexibility to get comfortable and shoot the same gun for years. It is common for a youth model gun to have a length of pull of roughly thirteen inches. Most full-grown adults have a length of pull around fourteen inches that will vary depending on height. Based on that information a Gracoil XT would be ideal for a young shooter that is expecting to grow.

Another common application for the Gracoil XT is for high brass hunting loads. These higher brass and larger shot loads used for waterfowl or other birds of prey can also have increased recoil. The XT is made to withstand the higher recoil. The spring body has adjustable tension. At the lowest possible setting the tension of the spring body is very comparable to the highest tension offered from the original Gracoil. This overlap allows it to be a suitable for trap and sporting clays while also offering the needed tension increase for the higher brass game loads.

Another application for the Gracoil XT is for the larger individual that likes to press the gun against their shoulder to really feel the gun against their shoulder and get a tight fit and feel. Some other recoil reduction system will start to compress against the shoulder of the individual and lessen the effects of the recoil reduction when the gun is fired. The initial tension needed to start compressing the XT model will prevent this right out of the box and do an exceptional job of preventing this with precision tuning of the spring body tension.

The Gracoil XT is an excellent choice for shooters that are looking for a recoil reduction system that offers the adjustability, versatility, and dependability of the classic Gracoil but desire more recoil reduction that initially provided. The youth are the future of sport shooting and being able to provide them with a comfortable, encouraging, and lasting shooting experience could start with installing a Gracoil XT. The Gracoil XT spring body can also be purchased separately and installed on a traditional Gracoil allowing you to have the best of both worlds in a dependable system. The XT spring body is an easy install and simply involves loosening a few screws taking the Gracoil off the stock and screwing the new spring body into the threaded hole. The entire process can be completed in roughly five minutes.