.308 Recoil?

[Sheepdog1968]

Modern light weight 308 bolt guns have a sharper recoil than the heavier gas operated semi auto's.

As mentioned, the set up, bench or off hand, are you all "Hunched up and bent over the gun" will have an impact, firm but not killer pull back into the shoulder, and loose (not tensed up) muscles in the back and shoulder, keeping the back fairly straight to allow your body to move with the gun.. with the proper technique even the smaller folks can handle some pretty heavy kickers..

B

IMO, you are very correct in this point. In fact, I've found my lever action 30-30 tires me out after about 40-60 rounds (same as a 308 bolt action) at a bench on a square range. Not that long ago I took my lever action to Frontsight for a 4 day class. We were shooting on the order of 70-100 rounds a day but not at a bench. I was absolutley fine with this volume of shooting and I think it was due to what you mentioned in your post.

 

[SpeedAKL]

.30-caliber rifles are not severe kickers if the stock is properly designed and the shooter is using good form. Lightweight hunting rifles with cheapo plastic stocks can thump you around a bit, but with a well-designed stock any non-magnum .270/7mm/.308 catridge is manageable for the average shooter. Want bad recoil? Try 3- or 3.5-inch buck, slug, or heavy bird shot in a break-action or pump-action 12-gauge.

Semi-auto .308s are relatively mild IMHO. The action seems to slow the recoil impulse down a good bit versus a bolt gun. On your scale I would rate it a 4-4.5. The AR-10 is the softest of all of them in my experience, while the H&K G3 is the sharpest.

 

[helotaxi]

Saying that soldiers in the World Wars thought that the .30cal mil rifles kicked is like saying the V6 Mustang is a fast car because the 16 year old girls that drive them say so.

Most soldiers are not shooters and have zero frame of reference when it comes to recoil. Compared to that frame of reference, yes, they kick. Most anyone who grew up or spent some time hunting big game would think otherwise. I'd trust the opinion of the latter.

 

[xfyrfiter]

A .308 in a semi is a very soft shooting rifle, maybe a 3, with a bolt action i'll give it a 4 to 4.5. The heaviest recoiling rifle I have ever fired was a 600 nitro express Westely Richards double, Lord have mercy, that thing kills on one end, and maims on the other.

 

[ForumSurfer]

I owned a DPMS AP-4 in 308. It was a 16" carbine, nothing fancy. I thought it was extremely light and recoil wasn't an issue. My dad (late 60's) tired of it due to back pain after 100 rounds and cut our session short. He said it was just too heavy to hold up. The ar I had at the time was HBAR 16" carbine with an eotech, and he had no trouble holding that up and shooting much longer. Since he enjoyed off-handed shooting while standing standing or sitting, he just didn't like the 308 since it weighed in slightly more heavy.

For me the weight difference was minimal to no existent, even in the same positions. The recoil wasn't even remotely a factor. 308 through an AR is only marginally more of a kick.

 

[DBryant]

The thing about recoil is that it is based mostly on perception. Perception can be affected by not only the cartridge, rifle action, rifle weight, shooter physique, style of shooting, and what the shooter is used to.

I have a Springfield M14 carbine (SOCOM). I don't think it recoils that much and can shoot it all day with no problem. My wife, on the other hand, shot it once, set it down, looked at me with her pouty face and said "Your rifle bit me!" She has declined to fire it ever since.

Does it kick? Heck yeah! It definitely kicks more than many rifles, however it kicks less than the Turkish Mauser I used to have, or my buddy's single shot 12 Ga.

 

[Kachok]

Anyone that says a 308 kicks hard has never shot a 7mm or 300 mag. I can shoot three boxes out of my lightweight 308, even prone. Semi autos kick even less.

 

[SaxonPig]

#106

How much recoil from this gun or caliber?

106. Trying to predict or explain with the written word how much recoil will be felt with any particular gun or load is a useless exercise. Everyone feels recoil differently and what is mild to one shooter may be killer recoil to another. Guns vary as to weight and stock design and this greatly affects felt recoil. Shooting position matters, as well. Except for saying that Newton’s Third Law tells us that a heavier projectile will recoil more than a lighter one there is really no way to effectively describe recoil level.

 

[jbkebert]

I have always regarded the .308 win to be a light recoiling rifle. I recently bought one for my 11 year old son. A Ruger M77 MII my 10 year old claimed it to be his. Caleb fired aroun 30-35 rounds through the gun in 45 minutes or so. He only whimpered when I ran out of ammo. I would put recoil slightly above a .243 win.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

I own several .308s (imagine that) in AR10s, bolt actions etc. the muzzle brakes take most of the recoil out, not to mention the blowback to chamber the next round. compared to a 30-06, the recoil is noticeably less in a bolt action. the recoil in my M1A with muzzle brake (california legal version) which I like, makes it a great shooter with little muzzle rise but louder report.

 

[Flatbush Harry]

I find that my Rem 700 SPS SS in .308 Win with 3-9x40 scope is comfortable to shoot with 168gr FGMM or my handload equivalent for at least 30-40 rounds. My M1A Supermatch is even more so (it should be at nearly 11 pounds) and my standard range day with it is 40-60 rounds, along with some shooting of one or more other rifles. I feel that the recoil from my .30-06 bolt actions, shooting 150gr loads, feel about the same as the slightly heavier .308 WIn shooting 168 or 175 gr bullets. Using heavier bullets, I find the bolt action .30-06s start to be uncomfortable after 15-20 shots, especially off a bench, as does a 7mm Rem Mag with 150gr loads. By contrast, my M1 Garands are even more comfortable than my heavier M1A due to their weight and their gas action. I often shoot two bandoleers (96 rounds) of HXP ammo at a practice session.

The above comments seem consistent with Chuck Hawks' comments about recoil and other free recoil calculations I've seen. Net, net, I think a .308 bolt action is a good all-around rifle but, if you haven't had useful training, I'd recommend taking an NRA basic course, participating in an Appleseed event or getting some other instruction from a qualified instructor. Good technique makes for comfortable shooting.

BTW, I'm 65.

FH

 

[rs3604]

I would give it a 5 , I have moss berg ssi-one and think it kicks less than my buddies savage 270 bolt.

 

[Sunray]

Hi. The felt recoil of any semi-auto .308 is virtually non-existent. Buy the rifle that feels right to you.
FNAR mags will cost you a lot more than an M14/M1A mag though. Cheaperthandirt wants $60.45 for the 10 round mag. A 10 round M1A mag runs $9. $10 for a BNIB issue 20 round mag.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

a 20 round M1a mag for 10$, I just got one from Cheaper than Dirt and it was 40 plus bucks. was it a Springfield Armory Mag?

 

[Tainta_Claus]

First off just wanted to introduce myself and say hello to everyone. To echo what some are saying...not only is recoil a tough thing to gauge, not all recoils are alike. its simply not a 1-10 thing. keeping to semi auto 308 rifles a CETME or G3 recoil is much different than an M1A Springfield. I think it really comes down to personal preference. All 308 semi autos I have encountered were quite manageable however.

 

[allserene]

308 recoil

When I was 19 and skinny, I shot a British 303 from prone and it HURT

I fired my twenty and walked away thankful

Now, 40 years later, I have two of em and I fire sitting position and I am 200 lbs - it's easy as long as I rotate my thumb to the right !

I think prone position gets you in your collar bone and sitting is easy peasy lemon squeezy

I assume a Brit 303 Enfield is no more than a semi 308. Actually, I think (memory !) I shot a 308 semi last week (one shot) and it pushed like my AR but somewhat heavier and it wasnt a nasty kick