Recoil Report: half a good day at the range.

[wraith56]

I was going to write a range report, but recoil got in the way.

Last year I found a sale on a Savage 111 in 30-06 with accu-trigger and bottom release detachable box magazine. It was the last one in stock, and must have been taking up space in the backroom at the Big box store for too long. Then I spent the rest of the year looking for a deal on a scope. Midway USA came through at the end of the year with 30$ off Burris Fullfield II 3-9s. Today I took that rifle to the range.

The scope did NOT hurt me!! thank you to all on the interwebz who warned me of scope bite. I felt like that rifle pushed my shoulder back six inches, but my face was far from the scope. (shooting off two sandbags, seated with my left hand supporting the rifle butt.)

At 25m I shot factory Winchester 150 gr PP, not a "heavy recoil" load. First shot was 4" low and 2" right. adjusted scope a little. shot about 2.5" low. Adjusted. Put 2 shots 1/2" low through the same hole. Close enough.

Next at 100m, I fire four shots, the bolt feels a little slower extracting than loading. The rounds impact about 3" high but in a 4" group. In hind sight, I should have moved the target to 50m, but I was optimistic to the get the rifle sighted in at 200+m. so I moved to the 150m and fired 3, made adjustment to shoot a little lower and shot 3 more. the second group was flat, but 5" wide.

I stopped shooting here. Maybe that group was wide on the Kansas wind gusting hard today, but I was flinching and while I put that rifle down to do some therapy with the 22lr I felt the scope move. I poked at the scope and the one piece weaver rail was loose, not coming off yet, but moving a milimeter or so.

My fault. While I had made the scope, rings and base fit when they arrived I had intended to locktite and wrench them down really tight later, because my toolbox with loc-tite was in another state. Two nights ago, I added loctite to the screws in the vertical split rings, but did not take them off and apply it to the screws in the one piece base. Fixed now, I hope. Have to wait and see next weekend.

God bless the US Army of my Dad's generation that stopped issuing 30 cal "battle rifles", and gave me something easy to shoot and deadly enough. A box of 30-06 in a typical scoped hunting rifle on sandbags is harder on the shoulder than a 12 gauge 870 express through 2 rounds of skeet.

Share your recoil anecdotes, scope mounting hardware, reduced recoil loads, etc.

 

[BrocLuno]

All 06's hit your shoulder. That's why they are the dividing line between average folks and he-men who shoot big stuff. I don't like 06's off the bags either. Standing or kneeling - not so big a deal. Shooting off the bench - ouch. That's also why lead sleds are so popular. Let the sled take the hit when you are doing something like a long day of sighting in

 

[45Fan]

I never really noticed the recoil as that bad with any of the '06 s Ive had over the years, but if its uncomfortable for you, it might be worth looking for some reduced recoil loads, or even better, looking into getting set up to reload your own, and try some lighter bullets.
Just the difference between 150gr and 180gr loads is pretty noticeable after 20-30 rounds.
As the previous post says, shooting from the kneeling position would help, as would wearing a sweatshirt under a snug jacket.

Whatever you try, just dont push yourself too far, unlearning a flinch can be very difficult.

 

[788Ham]

Looks like you've got a pretty good recoil pad on that rifle. Were you shooting in a light shirt? Sometimes this can affect things, make the recoil seem more hammering. Possibly and old shooting trick, pull the rifle in against your shoulder tight, if held loosely, mmmm hammer time.

 

[Lazerbeans]

I don't know exactly your form when your shooting off the bench, but from my experience there is something to your form and recoil when shooting off a bench. I have found that if you have to lean forward for one reason or another the recoil will punish you. But if you sit up with the rifle and shoot off the bench, it isn't half as bad. I once went to a range with a .270 and didn't have any sand bags, just shot off my hands over the table, leaning into the rifle. The recoil I experienced doing that is twice as bad as my .30-06 shooting 180 grain bullets. Something to conceder.

 

[double bogey]

Get a PAST magnum recoil pad that you wear. Makes 30.06 easy to shoot. 30 years ago I had issues grouping with any medium centerfires. Got a recoil pad, wore it and lost my flinch. Now I don't go to the range without one. Hunting, you don't notice recoil, but on the range, as you found, you do. No sense getting beat up.

 

[redbullitt]

I grew up taking deer with a pump action 30 06 (after dad decided the mini 14 was a bit light haha). I will tell you right now that I missed that mini lol. That rifle kicked my butt from 12 years old on... still whomps me pretty good today and I am around 180 lbs...

I think that rifle had a deer count of 8 or so on it. Shot well; just really let you know when it fired. The fact that it had a hard buttplate and no recoil pad didnt help lol. I shot it enough and shot enough 22 and bb gun to avoid ever developing a flinch or anything like that.

Were I you, I would check out one of those simple slip on recoil pads. They work great (that rifle has one on it right now hah), are cheap, easy to install, and WORK. Do be mindful of that flinch though. Get some 22 rounds down range ASAP.

Another thing you could try is to get ahold of some "managed recoil" rounds or simply lighter bullets or loads to get some practice in. Work your way up to the recoil. You will get used to it, but it is important to do it in steps.

Good luck!

 

[Mr. T]

When I go to the range and plan on shooting my .270 Win or 30.06, I will sometimes drape the padded gun case over my shoulder to soften the recoil. The padded case also simulates wearing cold weather clothing. My 30.06 is a semi-automatic and that really eats up a lot of the recoil. That's probably why the M1 Garand was a semi-auto...it really does make a difference. One thing you could look at doing is getting a muzzle brake put on the gun...that could help you out as well. Good luck.

 

[aka108]

Get a PAST recoil pad. You can shoot anything all day long and not get spooked by recoil nor get a black and blue sholder from the battering off the bench. Nice thing is that you can put it on in privacy of your home and wear it to the range under you shirt if you think your shooting buddies will call you a wussie or if you want to impress them with your total disregard of recoil. Either way or both. These PAST recoil pads really work. No BS.

 

[SifuGun]

Reduced recoil load

Well I shoot a 7mm Remington Magnum Rem 700 action 26" barrel on an Axiom Stock, a canon to be sure, and I love it. After awhile the recoil and noise is noticeable. So, I experimented with a reduced recoil receipt I picked up at the Imr powder site. I substituted a 139 grain Hornaday for the one they called for, and My Powder supply place only had Federal 215 primers instead of the Windchester Imr called for. So here it is:

139 Hornaday bullet #28202, 18 grains trail boss 1400-1500 fps, Fed 215 primers, Windchester brass 7mm rem mag.

The result , almost no recoil. And I got clover leaf groups at 100 yards.

Just wanted to share this with forum. So others can have some data to go off of if they chose to do their own reduced recoil rounds. Bottom line it worked and had no squibs which is the biggest concern with this type of load. Also trail boss is reduced recoil and pressure unlike other reduced recoil receipts.

There were some complaints about the powder's smell. I found it to burn clean and had no smell at all.

 

[wraith56]

Thanks for all the answers. This weekend I will try to not lean forward, stay straight up or against the back of the chair.

 

[txhoghunter]

My Savage .270 WSM pushes me around a bit as well. To keep from flinching though, I still just tell myself that whether I'm expecting it or not, the rifle is still going to pop my shoulder and it keeps me from slinging the shot away from my POA

The stock recoil pad from savage is less than taming, but a limbsaver helps. The limbsaver takes the recoil down to about a .243 or less so I am very appreciative

 

[dnthmn]

Looks about like mine. After getting used to shooting steel butt plated milsurps, it doesn't seem bad to me at all, but there are lots you can do to tame her. A better recoil pad is a good place to start. The stock Savage one is so-so. Limbsavers are really nice, slip on which increases LOP or replace the stock one. If that's not enough, add the PAST shoulder pad. If that still isn't enough, you can always thread the barrel and add a muzzle brake. By far the most expensive option, but a good one can make a huge difference and you can keep practicing with full power loads. That's the order I'd go in. From easiest and cheapest to most expensive and labor intensive.

 

[unwise11]

Just use a Slip-On Limbsaver from Walmart over the factory pad at the bench, or take the factory pad off and use the slip on, I've shot 30-06's with metal plates and plastic, so I'd probably be happy with that rubber butted rifle you have, but I also shot trap all summer and I like to play with slugs from time to time.. I'm crazy in that sense.

 

[SpeedAKL]

Rifle stock fit is a major factor in felt recoil. A wide, well-countoured stock will produce more of a "shove" sensation against the shoulder rather than the sharp "punch" produced by a harder or thinner stock. Savage makes a great gun in many ways, but the cheap fiberglass stocks on many of their models don't do a great job of managing felt recoil. I've found that some of the less-expensive Remington models have the same issue (the "recoil pad" on them is often a joke). When chambered in a catridge like .30-06, which is generally on the upper limit of what many shooters can manage comfortably, a rifle with a poorly-contoured stock can make a session at the bench pretty miserable.