Zullo74
member
Nortexed,
What was the distance? 25 yards? 50 yards? 100 yards? Better to express group size in MOA, it's more meaningful.
30-06 for me?
- Thread starter SinfulFate
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Nortexed,
What was the distance? 25 yards? 50 yards? 100 yards? Better to express group size in MOA, it's more meaningful.
woody22-250
Member
I have always liked my 30-06,eventhough its the only gun to ever blacken my eye and get me some(4) stitches.As far as the kick to me it just seams like a much sharper kick than that of a 12ga ,maybe a little more. Just remember if u use a scope to get one with good eye relieve and that rubber ring doesnt hurt as bad either. I live and hunt in MD. and we are restricted from rifle use for deer hunting in most of my area so i was forced to use a 12ga for years,but I like the longer shoots so I started using a Knight disc muzzle loader much happier, can shoot twice as far and doesnt tearup asmuch meat!
woody22-250
Member
:banghead:
ArchAngelCD
Member.
If you are only 5'7" and recoil sensitive then I suggest a good recoil pad. I also suggest buying a .408 over the .30-06. It's a short action round, it's recoil is slightly less than the .30-06 and it's very accurate. I’m a big fan of the .308 Winchester. Factory rounds are available from 125 gr all the way up to 180 gr. I'm sure you will be happy with a .308 chambered rifle for deer hunting. You might also want to add a muzzle break, it's unusual in a hunting rifle but no unheard of.
Zullo74
member
scrat
Member
5'7"
ehhhhh
who cares.
im 5'6". i shoot 30-06 7mm remington mag and 30-30.
hands down i love my 30-30. NO one can say it cant shoot deer. The Winchester model 94 has shot more deer than any other rifle in the united states. Now im sure its not going to win any accuracy awards compared to a 30-06. However with enough practice and patience you too can shoot any deer at ranges up to and maybe even over 100 yards with a 30-30.
Its amazing to know that the 30-30 cartridge was designed in 1895. Today it is still one of the most famous rounds out there. Selling in the top 10 in the united states. ok so you know what id recomend.
ehhhhh
who cares.
im 5'6". i shoot 30-06 7mm remington mag and 30-30.
hands down i love my 30-30. NO one can say it cant shoot deer. The Winchester model 94 has shot more deer than any other rifle in the united states. Now im sure its not going to win any accuracy awards compared to a 30-06. However with enough practice and patience you too can shoot any deer at ranges up to and maybe even over 100 yards with a 30-30.
Its amazing to know that the 30-30 cartridge was designed in 1895. Today it is still one of the most famous rounds out there. Selling in the top 10 in the united states. ok so you know what id recomend.
Lobotomy Boy
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I'm about as strong a supporter of the .30-06 as anyone on this list, but you may find the recoil a bit much. I don't notice the recoil when hunting, with all the adrenaline going from the kill, but I sure do when I sight in the gun each fall. After 30 rounds or so my shoulder is beat to hell, and I have pretty big shoulders, much more so than it is after a day of shooting trap with my 12-gauge shotguns.
You'll get used to it, and the recoil is only a problem when shooting from a rest at a bench, but if the gun makes you flinch, that won't help your hunting accuracy. You might want to try a few different rounds, anything from .243 up to .300 Savage. I can shoot my Model 99, which is chambered for .300 Savage, all day long without ill effect. A .30-30 is another good choice, or a carbine in a handgun caliber like a .44 Magnum. These should provide adequate range unless you're hunting on the plains or in the mountains, in which case a .270 might be a better choice.
You'll get used to it, and the recoil is only a problem when shooting from a rest at a bench, but if the gun makes you flinch, that won't help your hunting accuracy. You might want to try a few different rounds, anything from .243 up to .300 Savage. I can shoot my Model 99, which is chambered for .300 Savage, all day long without ill effect. A .30-30 is another good choice, or a carbine in a handgun caliber like a .44 Magnum. These should provide adequate range unless you're hunting on the plains or in the mountains, in which case a .270 might be a better choice.
30-06 recoil
I had a remington 700 bdl 30-36 wood stock bdl with added recoil pad in the 1960s.
Recoil brutal.
Ejector didn't work well.
Floor plate unload frequently dumped shells on ground.
I sold in 1992.
I bought remington 700 adl 30-06 synthetic stock with integral recoil pad in the 1990s.
Recoil appears much less. Ejector works great.
Accuracy same in both guns.
I had a remington 700 bdl 30-36 wood stock bdl with added recoil pad in the 1960s.
Recoil brutal.
Ejector didn't work well.
Floor plate unload frequently dumped shells on ground.
I sold in 1992.
I bought remington 700 adl 30-06 synthetic stock with integral recoil pad in the 1990s.
Recoil appears much less. Ejector works great.
Accuracy same in both guns.
recoil a bit much
I saw
I first reloaded with imr 4895.
Then I switched to imr 4350.
I now use Hogdon 4831. For senior citizen shoulder reasons, of course.
4895 - slam
4350 - punch
4831 - PUSH
Senior citizen
I saw
I'm about as strong a supporter of the .30-06 as anyone on this list, but you may find the recoil a bit much.
I first reloaded with imr 4895.
Then I switched to imr 4350.
I now use Hogdon 4831. For senior citizen shoulder reasons, of course.
4895 - slam
4350 - punch
4831 - PUSH
Senior citizen
Lobotomy Boy
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...assuming the poster reloads...
off to bed
Senior citizen is going to call it a day.
Just mounted low Millett scope mounts on Stevens 200 .223 today.
regards from us seniors
Senior citizen is going to call it a day.
Just mounted low Millett scope mounts on Stevens 200 .223 today.
regards from us seniors
____hoot____
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- 92
BillP has it right with the differences between 30-06 and 308. Felt recoil differences often depends purely on the type of powder used. I have always thought that the 308 has the more jarring recoil with the usual loadings of quicker burning powders in it; given the same weight of bullets. Buy the 30-06. If it is OK with you then you'll never have to buy another general purpose hunting rifle, if not trade it out. Put a pillow on your shoulder and perhaps sight it in with reduced or 125 grain loads. Useing a gas autoloader like the Remington 742, or BAR also reduces felt recoil.
Another option would be an SKS for a first rifle. I have always cut all my rifle stocks to 12 1/2" because I am a stocky 5'8" guy with short arms and found that standard stocks are always way too long for me to handle quickly when I have the heavy winter clothes on that are needed for northern Michigan deer hunting. Didn't have to do this with my SKS's; cool! The gas action SKS doesn't kick much at all with the 7.62x39 load and it is identical to the 30-30 energy wise at 75-80 yards where the pointed bullet of the 7.62x39 passes the flat nosed one of the 30-30. Ammo is about the cheapest of any center fire round and they now have 154 grain softpoints available.
Another option would be an SKS for a first rifle. I have always cut all my rifle stocks to 12 1/2" because I am a stocky 5'8" guy with short arms and found that standard stocks are always way too long for me to handle quickly when I have the heavy winter clothes on that are needed for northern Michigan deer hunting. Didn't have to do this with my SKS's; cool! The gas action SKS doesn't kick much at all with the 7.62x39 load and it is identical to the 30-30 energy wise at 75-80 yards where the pointed bullet of the 7.62x39 passes the flat nosed one of the 30-30. Ammo is about the cheapest of any center fire round and they now have 154 grain softpoints available.
Lobotomy Boy
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It means that custom tailoring loads and bullets for reduced recoil is a much more viable option for someone who reloads than it is for someone picking up his or her ammo at the local WalMart. Sinful Fate said that he or she (never specified a gender) is "very new to the hunting scene," and thus is highly unlikely to load his or her own ammo.
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If you can handle a 12 gauge's recoil, then you probably can shoot a 30.06 just fine (though as others stated, comparing the two is sort of an apples and oranges situation). I shoot a 30.06 and think that it is a great caliber. However, I also believe that it is the upper limit of recoil that your average new rifleman is willing to take. You need a gun that not only can you shoot, but that you also find pleasant to shoot (otherwise you won't practice with it). Realize also that you really don't need a 30.06 for deer, and many other calibers that have less recoil are equally effective. If you are just concerned with deer, take a look at the 7mm-08, .260, and the old .257 Roberts. All of these calibers are considered to be mild in the recoil department, but have more than enough range and killing power for deer.
brentwal
Member
Any of these would be a good choice, but the .270 Win has been THE medicine for deer for a long time in my neck of the woods.
Lupinus
Member
Ok here are some basics-
30-06 is a great gun if you can handle it and with the wide selection of bullet weight you can hunt just about anything on the North American contenant short of small game....unless you want piles of goo.
Now then if the largest you will go for is whitetails you have other options-
.270 winchester. I have a bad shoulder and with a past recoil shoulder pad I can shoot it relativly comfortably at the range with no problems. Have my limits but thats only due to the repetative motion with the shoulder problems more so then the recoil knocks me out. .270 winchester is basically a .30-06 case necked down for a smaller bullet. You can hunt up to (some would argue) elk sized game with the .270 winchester as well as knock deer over al lday long and its a good black bear round too. Do not confuse this with the .270WSM, which I have never looked into and can't comment on.
.243, smaller still and good for up to whitetail sized game. If you are really worried about recoil and aren't power hungry a .243 will do the job just take some extra care on shot placement and it will take out deer jsut fine as well. Was gonna go with this due to the shoulder but wanted to step up to a bit more power so sacraficed a few shots at the range for a more powerful gun.
Keep in mind also that a heavier gun means less recoil, more of the energy is put into moving the gun in the first place therefor less is transfered to you. So provided you don't mind carrying around a few extra pounds of gun going with a heavier modle will cut down some recoil for you.
Semi-autos also tend to have a bit less recoil. Agian more of the enery is going somewhere other then your shoulder, in this case movign the bolt.
On a final note past shoulder pads are wonderful and well worth the few bucks spent on them, same goes for limbsaver recoil pads if you want to put a better recoil pad on the gun itself.
30-06 is a great gun if you can handle it and with the wide selection of bullet weight you can hunt just about anything on the North American contenant short of small game....unless you want piles of goo.
Now then if the largest you will go for is whitetails you have other options-
.270 winchester. I have a bad shoulder and with a past recoil shoulder pad I can shoot it relativly comfortably at the range with no problems. Have my limits but thats only due to the repetative motion with the shoulder problems more so then the recoil knocks me out. .270 winchester is basically a .30-06 case necked down for a smaller bullet. You can hunt up to (some would argue) elk sized game with the .270 winchester as well as knock deer over al lday long and its a good black bear round too. Do not confuse this with the .270WSM, which I have never looked into and can't comment on.
.243, smaller still and good for up to whitetail sized game. If you are really worried about recoil and aren't power hungry a .243 will do the job just take some extra care on shot placement and it will take out deer jsut fine as well. Was gonna go with this due to the shoulder but wanted to step up to a bit more power so sacraficed a few shots at the range for a more powerful gun.
Keep in mind also that a heavier gun means less recoil, more of the energy is put into moving the gun in the first place therefor less is transfered to you. So provided you don't mind carrying around a few extra pounds of gun going with a heavier modle will cut down some recoil for you.
Semi-autos also tend to have a bit less recoil. Agian more of the enery is going somewhere other then your shoulder, in this case movign the bolt.
On a final note past shoulder pads are wonderful and well worth the few bucks spent on them, same goes for limbsaver recoil pads if you want to put a better recoil pad on the gun itself.
.38 Special
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Much as I love the .270, I've never noticed it to recoil signifigantly less than the '06. I mean yeah, you can usually tell the difference, but it's never "Gosh! This is so much more comfortable!" or anything.
As an aside, with this being the centennial of the '06 I've been reading a bunch of old articles about it. Surprising how many folks back in the eary part of the century felt that the '06 was a cannon guaranteed to teach a flinch and blow huge holes in deer. "Only for the hardened expert", etc. Seems kind of quaint in this age of super magnums, but telling, as well: human bodies haven't changed in the last 100 years, and the '06 still kicks just as hard. Our minds now tell us that the .30-06 is a sissy caliber, but our shoulders know it's a lie.
As an aside, with this being the centennial of the '06 I've been reading a bunch of old articles about it. Surprising how many folks back in the eary part of the century felt that the '06 was a cannon guaranteed to teach a flinch and blow huge holes in deer. "Only for the hardened expert", etc. Seems kind of quaint in this age of super magnums, but telling, as well: human bodies haven't changed in the last 100 years, and the '06 still kicks just as hard. Our minds now tell us that the .30-06 is a sissy caliber, but our shoulders know it's a lie.
K.L.O.sako
Member
yeah i've shot some fire breathing .270's too, i think it's mostly stock design and weight. i shot a .270 mountain rifle , a 700 custom that was 6.25 pounds scope and all, that kicked like a 12 guage single shot. it was surprising. 
redbone
Member
Hmmm... The original question was comparing 12 gauge to .30/06 recoil. Here's my take.
I've shot dozens 12 gauges. Skeet guns with light loads thru deer guns with buckhammers. There is a tremendous range of perceived recoil just in the 12 gauge.
I've also shot a few .30/06s. I had a lightweight Model 70 with a plastic stock that really beat me up with about a box of off the shelf 180 grain loads, and I've shot my M1 for a few hundred rounds without even noticing recoil. Most other .30/06s have been somewhere in between, recoil-wise, with the lightweight hunting rifles tending toward the high-recoil end.
I'm 6'3", about 250 lbs and am not recoil sensitive. Given the parameters expressed by the poster (just over 100 lbs, and looking for a first deer rifle), I'd suggest something that will encourage a bit more time practicing at the range than a typical .30/06 hunting rifle will; something that makes the shooter want to practice a lot, learn the ballistics of that rifle at various ranges and with various loads, etc.
I'd suggest a bolt gun in the range from .243 to no more than a .270 at the high end (and that may be pushing it a bit). That's just my take on things; certainly a .30/30 or even a .357 mag lever gun would be okay, although I think it's hard to beat a bolt gun for a first hunting rifle.
Oh yeah, I second the suggestion to get a good recoil pad installed. Makes a lot of difference.
And one more thing: Most shotgun shooting is done standing, while most rifle shooting will be done either prone or sitting (at least while practicing). This makes a lot of difference in felt recoil. Shooting a 12 gauge at a moving target while standing is quite a bit different than shooting the same firearm from a bench with slugs to sight in a deer barrel.
RBH
I've shot dozens 12 gauges. Skeet guns with light loads thru deer guns with buckhammers. There is a tremendous range of perceived recoil just in the 12 gauge.
I've also shot a few .30/06s. I had a lightweight Model 70 with a plastic stock that really beat me up with about a box of off the shelf 180 grain loads, and I've shot my M1 for a few hundred rounds without even noticing recoil. Most other .30/06s have been somewhere in between, recoil-wise, with the lightweight hunting rifles tending toward the high-recoil end.
I'm 6'3", about 250 lbs and am not recoil sensitive. Given the parameters expressed by the poster (just over 100 lbs, and looking for a first deer rifle), I'd suggest something that will encourage a bit more time practicing at the range than a typical .30/06 hunting rifle will; something that makes the shooter want to practice a lot, learn the ballistics of that rifle at various ranges and with various loads, etc.
I'd suggest a bolt gun in the range from .243 to no more than a .270 at the high end (and that may be pushing it a bit). That's just my take on things; certainly a .30/30 or even a .357 mag lever gun would be okay, although I think it's hard to beat a bolt gun for a first hunting rifle.
Oh yeah, I second the suggestion to get a good recoil pad installed. Makes a lot of difference.
And one more thing: Most shotgun shooting is done standing, while most rifle shooting will be done either prone or sitting (at least while practicing). This makes a lot of difference in felt recoil. Shooting a 12 gauge at a moving target while standing is quite a bit different than shooting the same firearm from a bench with slugs to sight in a deer barrel.
RBH
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Lobotomy Boy
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One advantage of a caliber like .243 or .270 is that they are both as widely available as .30-06, which is an important consideration if you hunt in an area as isolated as where I hunt (Marshall County, MN). The hardware store in Newfolden, MN, a town of about 250 people, has the closest hardware store to my dad's farm, and the owner carries a wide selection of ammo in those calibers at decent prices. And he's open Sundays so you can pick up an extra box of shells at the same time you register a deer. (Shameless plug for the Newfolden hardware store: the owner's gun prices often beat Gander Mountain's, and he carries a wide selection, so bring your plastic.)
NORTEXED
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ZULLO, 100 yds on the range.
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