.30-06 recoil and scope

[antiliberal454]

hi guys, i was just wondering about the recoil on a .30-06 for hunting, i am thinking it will be a savage and will way 7 pounds, plus i would like to add a scope, i am wondering how it will kick and if i will get hit in the eye by the scope, i have never really shot a rifle except a .223 which is like a .22 lol but i have shot a thompson center muzzle loader with 100 grains, but how will it compare to a stevens model 67 12 gauge with two and three quarter inch slugs or any 2 and 3/4 shot will i be able to handle it, the 12 gauge is not bad at all for me
Thankshttp://www.thehighroad.org/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

[vicdotcom]

The kick of the rifle and getting hit in the eye with the scope has more to do with technique and the right scope rather than the power of the 30-06. It will have a punch to it. But as far as the felt recoil, thats subjective.

 

[K3]

Scoped my .375H&H. Haven't took a hit from it.

You just have to hold on.

 

[rcmodel]

A 30-06 kicks less then heavy 12 ga loads in similar weight guns.

Get a good quality scope, of reasonable power, and mount it properly so you get a full field of view when you crane your neck forward a little, and the scope won't hit you in the eyebrow.

Most people get hit from scopes improperly mounted too far back and close to the eye.

Or cheap, or very powerful scopes with too short eye relief.

Or shooting from awkward positions that puts their head closer then normal to the scope.

rcmodel

 

[PacketStorm]

Most of the guys who got hit in the eye with their scope while using the 30-06 back home were guys who were shooting out of the car window. Using the proper form and you should be fine.

 

[safetyjoe]

The 06 has a decent kick to it but nothing you can't get used to. As far as the scope goes, for me the scope is set so that as soon as I raise the rifle to my shoulder, the scope is clear (no parallax). That is far enough back that recoil doesn’t put it too close to my face. If you tend to hunch up on the rifle, you will get hit eventually, it hurts like hell, but the scar is fairly small. 

 

[Nhsport]

Stay away from the real featherweights and the recoil will be less than the heavy 12 ga loads. ( I am a hater of slugs.)

 

[jkingrph]

I have a pre 64 Win Model 70 featherweight 30-06 with a 4x Leupold. and have never had the scope touch my eyeglasses. That is not to say I have not shot some loads the really kicked but not bad enough to get my eye. Proper scope placement and the addition af a 1" thick recoil pad with no wood removal helps( I am tall and needed extra stock length)

 

[skoro]

A 7 lb 30-06 shouldn't be any real problem. Just hold that thing snug into your shoulder and use a sling the way it's supposed to and you won't hardly notice.

 

[KiltedClaymore]

i have a .30-06 and i love it. got hit by a scope one time. but it was by my .308, not my '06. recoil is not bad(but i enjoy recoil, so dont take my word for it).

 

[dagger dog]

It won't kick any harder than your 12 ga. thumper, and please heed the previous replys on using proper form, red eye brows are not fun I've had two on the same eye, but they were my fault from crawling up the stock.

With a good quality scope the eye relief is plenty sufficient and eye contact should not be a problem, as long as the rifle fits you and the scope is mounted properly.

 

[jmr40]

Savage rifles are a bit lighter than many others, but the stock is well designed and recoil will not be as bad as you think. Since you are new to shooting this class of cartridges I would suggest starting out with a couple of boxes of Remingtons Managed Recoil ammo and work up to the heavier loads. You may find that they give you all the power you need.

Scope selection and mounting is important. Do not mount it too far back and try to select one with a longer eye relief. I am a fan or Leupolds because they generally allow your eye to be much farther from the scope and still be able to see through it. This also helps you to find your target quicker in a snap shooting situation.

 

[EHCRain10]

ive found that shotguns are more of a push and rifles are a bit more of a kick, recoil energy is similar but the speed of the recoil is different

 

[antiliberal454]

well thank you very much for your time guys, i was just kind of curious i mean like i know quite a bit about guns and how to hold them and all, but i i dont know, i always pshyc myself out and think its gonna be worse like the first time i shot a .357 revolver i thought it was gonna fly out of my hand lol, but it ended up being fine, and i shoot those all day they barely kick with the 4 inch barrel and its a heavy gun, and how would the kick be on a 6 1/4 pound .308 from ruger, that does not include scope and sling and stuff, it would prob average at like 7 pounds but

 

[BoilerUP]

I'm 5'11", about 175lb.

I don't have any problem running a couple boxes of dove shells through my 12 ga. Rem 1100, but more than 8-10 shots through my 30-06 700BDL or 742 and I start squirming with discomfort. Doesn't make any difference in the deer woods, but plays hell trying to work up handloads, get a scope dialed in, or build proficiency...

I don't think you'll have any problems with the rifle you describe provided you use good technique...and if you do, there is Managed Recoil ammunition available.

 

[Shawnee]

If you are used to shooting full power 12 gauge slugs you are going to be able to handle any .308 or 30/06 pretty well. The 3" slugs in a Marlin bolt-action slug gun are much worse than any .308 or 30/06 you'll find.

 

[45crittergitter]

I'd recommend a minimum of 3.5" eye relief and be sure it's mounted to provide all 3.5" and you should be fine unless you crawl the stock or have a long neck. The '06 shouldn't hurt you very bad even if it hits you a bit. But don't ask me about the .378 Wby. with a steel-tubed Weaver....

 

[B Man]

Get a limbsaver recoil pad when you buy it for around $30 and it really helps the felt recoil. The 06' is nothing serious in recoil and not near a 12 gauge with magnum loads. If the biggest caliber you have shot was a .223 then the 06' will have a good kick compared to it but nothing some practice will not solve.

 

[Gator]

I don't have any problem running a couple boxes of dove shells through my 12 ga. Rem 1100, but more than 8-10 shots through my 30-06 700BDL or 742 and I start squirming with discomfort.

I'm just the opposite. I'll happily put 250-300 rounds through my .30-06s in a range session, but cringe at the thought of putting five slugs through my 870.

 

[jrfoxx]

I'm a pretty small guy, with a bony shoulder area, and my Win. model 70 30-06 is uncomfortable to shoot very much. But, a $10 slip on recoil pad totally eliminated that problem, and when that's on there, I can shoot it as much as I want with no issues. For the price, they are hard to beat, and the bonus is, you can take it on and off, and move it to another gun in about 30 seconds, so 1 is really all you need for multiple rifles. They also only add an inch or 2 to LOP, so no biggie unless you are already really close to your comfortable limit, in which case, you may need to take a little length off the buttstock, get a thinner pad, grow longer arms, or whatever suits you.

 

[woof]

Shotguns are seldom fired from a bench rest but rifles are. Yes a 12 ga has more recoil but you shoot standing up and will notice it less. The real problem with recoil, IMO, for new shooters is they develop a flinch. I always recommend a rifle adequate to the task but with less recoil. If you are going to hunt whitetails consider managed recoil ammo in .30-06 or .308. It will give you .30-30 ballistics and much less recoil. Get comfortable with the rifle that way and use it for whitetails, then if you want to hunt something larger you step up to regular ammo.

 

[robsc]

limbsaver

 

[BoilerUP]

I'm just the opposite. I'll happily put 250-300 rounds through my .30-06s in a range session, but cringe at the thought of putting five slugs through my 870.

The 700 isn't nearly as bad as the 742 is thanks to a small factory recoil pad. The 742 just has a hard plastic stock cap, and even as a semi-auto is fairly brutal to me off the bench when trying practice, sight-in, and work up reloads. One shot out of a tree stand with a deer in the crosshairs? I don't notice it...

Then again, I'm admittedly a sissy when it comes to recoil, especially out of lighter rifles.