.308 has a kick?

My .308 AR is pleasant to shoot. That said, the semi-auto system does take up quite a bit of that recoil impulse. The .308 Savage Axis I traded to my son, had quite a kick. Probably due to how light the gun was. I have a couple of 7mm Mausers I like to shoot much better than the Axis. They're also heavier... Maybe I've just had one too many shoulder surgeries, I know there are guys my age, and older who like to shoot the .308, but except for my AR, I'm over it. I have no need for it anyhow. My little .243 is extremely easy shooting, and it's a freaking laser...

A couple of points after scanning all the other good ones.

1) There is a reason that the Army emphasized pushups as an exercise. It really builds up the shoulder area with muscular padding so that handling recoil is easier.

2) A bench is really not the place for learning to shoot for hunting if you are not going to hunt out of a blind or from some other fixed position. Bench shooting makes perceived recoil worse than shooting from field positions. Bench shooting of a hunting rifle is primarily to confirm zero on scopes and sights, perhaps load testing, and familiarization--these are not bench rest rifles so minimizing firing them via benchrest will minimize the recoil absorbed.

3) Last but not least, the amount of surface area of the butt can make recoil worse--narrow butts will put more recoil in a smaller area making it seem worse than a big beefy rifle butt which spreads the recoil area.

While I do not view the 375H&H brutal to shoot of a bench rest it is manageable. I also had a 338Win before acquiring the previously mentioned and found it quite manageable shooting from benchrest. My tolerance limit is and was the 458 Winchester that I helped a gentleman sight in at the range. He was anticipating the recoil from firing and was backing of from the rifle thus shoulder contact was not maintained letting the rifle getting a running start slamming into his shoulder almost fracture the facial cheek bone!

You've already gotten some good advice from this thread. I would personally recommend going with the 6.5 CM. It will do what you want to do with commonly available ammunition and noticeably less recoil than the .308. If you shoot more, you will shoot better, and be more lethal with your chosen rifle so it's definitely a good idea to pick up something you can enjoy shooting. 6mm CM and .243 would also be good options, but your rifle choice is a bit limiting here, I don't see that Howa chambers the 6mm, and they use a slower 1:10 twist in their .243, which might unnecessary limit your bullet selection down the road.

Would definitely concur with the suggestion of getting a .22 at the same time to get in more trigger time and work on your basic technique and field positions.

Good choice. I started with a .308, but I had to do a lot of alterations to get that savage comfortable. A .243 might eliminate all the work I had to put into mine.

Get a quality 308 with threaded bbl and maybe a muzzle brake. You can choose to use a brake or not. Savage 110 with a brake in 308 feels like a 223. I know because I had that gun. Savage is about 7.6 lbs. It is not expensive.Savage 110 Hog Hunter in 308 is not expensive.

KJamesJr said:

For the sake of keeping it simple I’m going to start with the .243. It’s an effective round on whitetail and I know I won’t have issues with it.

Worst case, I’ll wish I had gone with more gun but at least I won’t be under gunned.

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Should be a good choice. No deer will walk away from it. The wife has been using a 250 Savage for more than 30 years and I had one built 6 or 7 years ago. Same weight bullet as a243 but a bit slower. We are getting some bigger bucks lately due to antler restrictions. They go down to the little 250 also, so, a 243 will do well.

Boy, a Howa 1500 in 6.5 Grendel would be a great low recoil deer rifle. Low recoil, quick handling, lot's of stock options if you want/need to change stocks to one that's more adjustable. And yes, Howa's are a great 700 pattern rifle. Let us know what you decide on!

I will add, as you shoot 308 more the recoil may not bother you as much. When I first got my 308 I found it a bit intimidating and it's a beast weight wise (pic below, it's a Savage 10 FCP w/ heavy barrel in a Choate Tactical stock [which is a beast itself]). As I fired it more, though, I became accustomed to it and while I still wouldn't want to shoot it all day, it really doesn't bother me that much.



On another note, I think you'll be happy with the Howa. I have a Weatherby Vanguard in 223 which is the same action as the Howas and it is crazy smooth. I dropped mine in a Hogue Overmold stock and it's a handy little rifle if a bit heavy but I like heavier rifles. I had to raise the cheek weld as well, I ordered one of the MidwayUSA Pro Series cheek rest for it, raises it just enough for me. For the Savage, I ended up buying a riser specifically designed for that stock, its supposed to screw on but I didn't want to put a hole in the stock and friction holds it on well enough for now. I may end up buying one of the adjustable ones from Matthew's Fabrication, though I'm not in a huge hurry because I don't shoot it that often. I just need it removable or adjustable to be able to use my bore guide and cleaning rod for it.

https://matthewsfabrication.com/product/adjustable-kydex-cheek-rest/

There are lots of factors, as well as personal limits.

I shoot .30-06 for hunting. I use a 70 year old Remington 721. It is quite lightweight, and has no recoil pad. It does what I want, it is very accurate, I don't feel bad banging it around in the boonies, but I don't want to shoot more than a couple of rounds at a time. I can shoot equivalent ammo out of a .30-06 M1 Garand all day long without complaint. It is heavier, and being semi-auto it also absorbs some of the recoil impulse.

I personally don't want anything more powerful than the "ought-six", and cringe at the thought of a bolt action rifle in .300 Win Mag.

Ruger American Predator in 350 Legend.

KJamesJr said:

For the sake of keeping it simple I’m going to start with the .243. It’s an effective round on whitetail and I know I won’t have issues with it.

Worst case, I’ll wish I had gone with more gun but at least I won’t be under gunned.

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Smart move.

Weight is everything like many others have said,dad had a 308 custom shop Ti model seven. That think recoiled pretty bad, not a hard smooth push but a fast kick. His xpr100 in 350 rm was the same.

Maybe a nice JM stamped Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70.
Muzzle energy ranges depending on load from 1550 to 3500 foot lbs.

I think certain guns have sharper recoil with others maybe a duller fuller push type recoil.

Case in point, had a .308 long, heavy barrel. Had a sharp, unpleasant kick which was un-enjoyable to shoot.

Had a .458 Win Mag that was a soft, dull push and far more pleasant to shoot.

I'm also in the recoil adverse camp. I cannot shoot 30-06 at all, and 308 will beat me up too (unless they are heavy gas guns like the garand or m1a.) Different stocks shapes help some, gun weight helps some, but the muzzle brake recommendations are absolutely right. It does an astounding job knocking recoil down. Now, it's stupid loud. Wear ear plugs and muffs. And everyone else at the range will hate you, but it is effective at taming recoil.

I'd rather shoot a 308 with a brake than 6.5 Creed or even 243 without. You can always pull the brake off when you go hunting. A hunting shot has less perceived recoil. I think it's the adrenaline or something, but you don't much feel the shot, whether it's a shotgun or a rifle. It's the range where recoil is an issue.

boom boom said:

A couple of points after scanning all the other good ones.

1) There is a reason that the Army emphasized pushups as an exercise. It really builds up the shoulder area with muscular padding so that handling recoil is easier.

2) A bench is really not the place for learning to shoot hunting if you are not going to hunt out of a blind or from some other fixed position. Bench shooting makes perceived recoil worse than shooting from field positions. Bench shooting of a hunting rifle is primarily to confirm zero on scopes and sights, perhaps load testing, and familiarization--these are not bench rest rifles so minimizing firing them via benchrest will minimize the recoil absorbed.

3) Last but not least, the amount of surface area of the butt can make recoil worse--narrow butts will put more recoil in a smaller area making it seem worse than a big beefy rifle butt which spreads the recoil area.

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This right here are some great observations. I recently purchased a 308. I also recently purchased a 45-70. The 45-70 is used more for fun right now, shooting at steel. I reload, so I have been testing loads for my 308 (and the 45-70). All bench rest shooting. I will take the 45-70 with a max load standing and unsupported all day long over the 308 on the bench. There is a big difference. With my limited testing, the 308 is an incredibly and wildly versatile round. I would not give up on it. Use a pad for extended times on the bench. 20 shots in a row is quite a bit.

Embrace the recoil

Pete

KJamesJr said:

Thinking outside the box a little ...

So Howa offers some variants in the 1500 when chambering in .308. The rifle itself is already 8.5lbs. I can take the heavy barrel for more weight if needed and it comes threaded, plus the accessories. Which might put it around 9lbs. Tailor the rifle to fit me better with a cheek riser and butt extension if need be.

I can start by shooting managed recoil factory loads and work my way up to the standard match and hunting loads.

If I get stuck with managed recoil loads then at least a have a good rifle to shoot steel with, long barrel life and when needed I can take normal hunting loads for deer. If I decided I want to bring home different proteins I still have a rifle that can do it.

I don’t want to give up on the round after one shooting session because it’s pretty well regarded. Ammo is also everywhere. Does this sound like a good alternative?

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Not sure your age, but recoil bothered me a lot more when I was younger. I am not sure if I got used to it, or maybe my mass has increased enough to not notice. I have 2 how's based rifles, a weatherby vanguard 2, in 308, and a how's 1500 in 270. The rifles are heavier than a Remington 700, but not so much heavier that it is a problem. Both are excellent in accuracy, sub moa. I bet if you have the proper recoil pad, you won't be bothered by the recoil. I would let you come try my rifles if you were close. I am in eastern TN.

I think you will like the howa. Get the 308. :')

I'm sure someone already mentioned butt pads and muzzle brakes, otherwise .243 is good for deer, I'd even trust .223 to drop them. .308 is good for bigger game like hogs IMO, but of course you can do anything with any cartridge you want, i.e. .22lr in the ear hole. I've had hogs shrug off .243, but every deer I've hit with it either expired on the spot or shortly after, .308 had the same effect on deer.

LNK said:

Not sure your age, but recoil bothered me a lot more when I was younger. I am not sure if I got used to it, or maybe my mass has increased enough to not notice. I have 2 how's based rifles, a weatherby vanguard 2, in 308, and a how's 1500 in 270. The rifles are heavier than a Remington 700, but not so much heavier that it is a problem. Both are excellent in accuracy, sub moa. I bet if you have the proper recoil pad, you won't be bothered by the recoil. I would let you come try my rifles if you were close. I am in eastern TN.

I think you will like the howa. Get the 308. :')

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He could always gain 50 pounds, that would help with recoil.

KJamesJr said:

Please note; new to the forums/rifles/hunting.

I’m getting my shopping list together for the first rifle I will take on my first hunt. North East whitetail. I’m new to shooting and firearms in general, although I have a buddy from work helping me out. He took me to the range today to test fire some of his rifles. One a .308, one a 30-06 and the other a 22-250 (I believe).

I had intended to purchase a .308 from Howa but now am second guessing the caliber. After 15 rounds through a Mossberg Patriot my shoulder was feeling it. 20 rounds and I was done. I’d also like to point out it’s winter and I had three layers on including a Carhartt. So I’m feeling a little emasculated. It wasn’t exactly pleasurable to shoot and 99% of my shooting will be from a bench. I was hoping it would be a good “all purpose” round because I’d like to pick up target shooting as a little side hobby (nothing too serious) or at least grow confidence in my ability to shoot.

I’m not exactly a small guy either 5’9” medium build. The ammunition itself was 150 gain and for some reason I just couldn’t get with it. To me it feels no different than a 30-06. The 22 was fine. Super light recoil could shoot it all day. My buddy was checking for form, everything was choked up nice and snug and was hitting plates at 300 yards. That rifle shouldn’t have been putting out more than 15lbs of recoil right?

My buddy tells me everyone reacts different and no one really likes felt recoil. That I shouldn’t feel bad. He basically suggested to go as light as I’m comfortable with and we’re playing with the idea of a 6.5 Creedmoor. 7mm-08 was on the list however the 6.5 ammo has flooded the shelves and the 7mm is hard to find.

Still set on the Howa 1500 platform. Should I give their .308 a shot? Step down to 6.5, or just settle with .243?

Anyways, sorry for the long post but thanks for reading.

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I too was looking for a howa in .308 a few years back. I wanted a good hunting round, but nearly all my shooting would be done at the bench.

I'd had experience with the 7mm-08 and was very fond of it. I figured I'd step it up to the .308 because of its better ammo availability and match bullet selection for realoding.

I ended up going with a weatherby vanguard (weatherguard) with a grey cerakote finish and heavy 22 inch barrel. It weighed around 8.25 pounds with a composite stock out of the box. I eventually put a boyd's thumbhole laminate stock on it for bench shooting which added more weight to soak up recoil from heavier match bullets.

I remember shooting full house 180 grain hunting loads through it with the composite stock and thinking it was recoiling pretty good. Nowhere near my 7 STW, but enough to turn a new shooter off.

The mossberg has a straight stock and the synthetic models I see only weigh 6.5 pounds, so that rifle will abuse you a little in. 308.

Check out the Vanguards. The actions are made by howa and you can pick up one of their heavy barrel models if you need more weight to soak up the recoil. You also get a stock with a higher comb. The 7mm-08 is a great round, but someone who is recoil sensitive might not approve of it.

I'd reccomend the 6.5 creedmore. 120-130 grain bullets are plenty of medicine for white tail without all the extra recoil. You can always go to 140+ grain bullets for hunting larger game or long range shooting. Factory ammo and bullet selection seem to be getting better for the 6.5 in recent years. A .243 is a nice caliber for deer and bench rest shooting, but in the long run bullet selection in the 6.5 will alllow you to do more. It's considered marginal by many for bigger game (like black bear and elk) compared to the. 308, but for the most part it should get the job done.

Hope this helps! Good luck!