Which caliber kicks less?

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RyderYo

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Which caliber kicks less? 6.5 creedmoor or 308 winchester. If we take the same rifle.
 
It depends on many variables you are not considering. Most of the time, the 6.5 will have less recoil, but it is quite possible that you can load for a .308 such that it will recoil less than the 6.5.
 
Depends upon the load. Recoil potential is dependent upon the mass and velocity of the projectile and ejecta - a heavy bullet hot load in one will undoubtedly recoil more than a light bullet, light load in the other.

BUT...

Conventionally, it’s pretty easy to compare “expected loads” for a given application - meaning relatively similar design criteria, for example a light bullet at high speeds over lots of powder for varminting with both, or heavy loads in both under heavy bullets meant for long range shooting, but holding both to the same standards: in these “fair comparison cases,” the 308 is expected to be loaded with a heavier bullet with a heavier powder charge, such the 308 win recoils notably more.
 
Kick is highly subjective. A lot depends on the weight of the gun, the shape of the stock, how it fits you and the recoil pad you have, as well as bullet weight and other factors. For me, both of them feel about the same (when shot from the same platform) but I measure recoil feel by comparison to a 12ga 3” slug from an 870, so most rifle calibers feel considerably lighter than that.

All that said, the math says a 6.5cm should have less felt recoil.
 
In my rifles, with my loads, from equal weight rifles my 6.5 CM has 13.59 ft lbs recoil. A 243 has about 11-12 just for reference. My 308 has 19.4 ft lbs

Using a website like this will allow you to do your own calculations.

http://www.shooterscalculator.com/recoil-calculator.php

My loads are

6.5 CM

140 gr bullet
2700 fps
41.5 gr powder
8 lb rifle

308

180 gr bullet
2650 fps
44.5 gr powder
8 lb rifle

I chose to compare 180's to 140's because those are the bullet weights with the closest BC, SD, and velocity. Those are the weights most comparable down range for target shooting or hunting. But if I drop to a 165 gr bullet the 308 recoil drops to 18.5 ft lbs. I also shoot a lot of 155 gr loads at around 2800 fps. Recoil drops to 17.5 ft lbs. Still considerably more than 6.5 CM
 
In the example given above, the 6.5 will have about 20% less recoil than the .308. The formula is M1 X V1 = M2 X V2, where M1 is the mass of the ejecta (powder and bullet), V1 is the velocity of the ejecta, M2 is the mass of the firearm, and V2 is the resulting rearward velocity of the firearm.

Of course, this is "free recoil" -- as if the rifle were suspended in air when fired. "Subjective recoil" is how it feels to you and is affected by things like the butt pad, stock shape and so on.
 
With my Axis II 6.5 CM firing the 129 grain Hornady White Tail and my Savage .308 Scout firing the same product but in a 150 grain, the Scout, despite having a muzzle brake, does have a bit more recoil.

I went from the plastic stock on the Axis II (excuse me if I sort of like plastic stocks, even this Axis one) to a Boyds laminate stock. The rifle gained about 3/4 pound in the process. I am building this rifle as a position (blind) hunter vs. a still hunter. So, the additional weight I though might be advantageous to steady the rifle and allow me to pillar bed (the plastic stock was pillar bedded) and to fully bed the action for improved accuracy stability. But to the point, the rifle had been a soft shooter in the plastic stock. So I got the Boyds with the standard pad, which is okay as the rifle is still a soft shooter, but it is not as soft as it was, there is a noticeably sharper reaction now. My belief is, and this being the most recent example, wooden stocks transmit more energy to the shoulder than the plastic stocks despite being often a good bit lighter. The plastic must deform elastically and then return to shape dissipating recoil energy.
 
As others have stated, but comparing as close to apples to apples as you can (similar bullet weights, similar loads, similar weight rifles, etc), the 6.5 will have less recoil. But once you start changing variables, then it's not as clear cut.
 
There is, of course, a BUT.

All other things being equal (rifle weight and bullet weight in particular) a 308 will use less OF THE SAME powder to push a bullet to the same velocity as a 6.5 CM. Thus the 308 will recoil slightly less.

However, for all practical purposes, my deer load for my 6.5 CM recoils noticeably less than my deer load for the 308 with far superior exterior ballistic performance.

Go figure...
 
They will likely be similar to the average shooter. If your really noticing a difference, the Creed will kick less. Rifles and loads being equal. Creed is pushing a smaller pill.
 
Except for charge weights needed for those velocities, charge weight counts for a lot.

How??

Immediatly upon the bullet leaving the case the pressure begins to drop

Besides, I said similiar...not exact or identical.

Do you really think there would be any noticable difference between a 130gr bullet from a 308 and a 130gr bullet from a 6.5 each at 3000ish fps from the same 10 lb rifle??
 
How??

Immediatly upon the bullet leaving the case the pressure begins to drop

Besides, I said similiar...not exact or identical.

Do you really think there would be any noticable difference between a 130gr bullet from a 308 and a 130gr bullet from a 6.5 each at 3000ish fps from the same 10 lb rifle??
Oh homey, yes, yes there will be, if I use 5 gr more powder, my kids will know, I'll know, Sheldon and Amy will know, Lenard will know, and after 50-100 rounds per sitting, you'll know too. I see you're south Central, and I am familiar with the territory, so I'll suggest your math is broke or your "equal" isn't as equal as you think. @Varminterror summed it up well, I'll add that if you can tell the difference between a .223/.22-250/.243, then YES you'll notice the 6.5/.308 and if you don't notice that difference, then I'll wager some money on some long range prairie dogs.
 
Which caliber kicks less? 6.5 creedmoor or 308 winchester. If we take the same rifle.

At this point I would like to point out to the OP that the growing list of "viewpoints" about recoil levels of the two cartridges proves only that there are lots of variables that can have an effect on felt recoil so that it is very difficult to definitively answer the original question. The question itself indicates an inexperienced shooter asked it, and my advice is that anyone can learn to deal with the recoil levels of either of those cartridges with practice and proper technique. The actual level of recoil produced is far less important to the effectiveness and enjoyment you will get from shooting, than is proper shooting instruction about how to handle recoil of any cartridge. So get the cartridge your research tells you is "better" for the purposes you have in mind (and both of those rounds do most things you require equally well) and learn to shoot it. At the level of recoil produced by those rounds, (and the many cartridges of similar performance) there are far more important things to consider when choosing one than the relatively small differences in felt recoil.
 
At this point I would like to point out to the OP that the growing list of "viewpoints" about recoil levels of the two cartridges proves only that there are lots of variables that can have an effect on felt recoil so that it is very difficult to definitively answer the original question.

Too many in-depth viewpoints for his question IMO. The answer is that the 6.5 Creedmoor kicks less. You can make a .223 that kicks more than a .308 but.... .223 kicks less than .308.
 
The expanding gases have been proven to leave the muzzle, once breached by the bullet base, at 1.75 times the velocity of the bullet.

So adding 5 grains of powder in a larger, less efficient case, will be the equivalent of adding almost 9 grains of bullet weight.


Is there a formula to put that into numbers that can be easily compared, such as maybe an equation for free recoil.

Not quit as subjective as most of the answers, including my own have been
 
@newfalguy101 - yes, the physics (algebraic formulas) in this case are ridiculously simple:

Momentum is conserved, so we know the momentum of the rifle is equal to the momentum of the ejecta, then knowing the momentum of the rifle tells us its velocity, which then gives us its free recoil energy.

Momentum of the total ejecta:

Pe = [(muzzle velocity)*[(bullet weight) + 1.75*(powder charge weight)]]/7000

That gets you to a kinda silly set of units, but it doesn’t really matter, we’re simply in transition here.

The momentum of the rifle, Pr, is equal to the Momentum of the ejecta, Pe, so we can determine the recoil velocity of the rifle: rifle weight in pounds.

(Recoil Velocity) = Pe / (Rifle weight)

Then Free Recoil Energy is simply the kinetic energy of the rifle mass at that velocity:

FRE = (Rifle weight in lbs) * 7000 * (recoil velocity)^2 / 450380

• note: the 7000 multiplier converts the Rifle weight in pounds back to grains, then the divisor 450380 is the product of the 1/2 from 1/2 m v^2, then 1/7000 converting grains back to pounds, and 1/32.17 gravitational constant, such our FRE comes out unit converted to ft.lbf.

Quick and easy math.
 
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