.308 recoil

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Dylon Fisher

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I am not recoil sensitive, but I am just wondering. Would a Remington 700 sps in .308, kick more or less than a savage 340 in 30-30. Both shooting 150 grain factory ammo. The 700 comes with a recoil pad. The savage just has a little piece of plastic on the end, I dont think it helps. I cant even feel the savage.
 
I have a 30-30 Marlin without a recoil pad and a Rem760 carbine in 308 without a recoil pad. I never thought a 30-30 kicked much and the 760 with an 18" barrel with no recoil pad , I don't mind at all. Neither one is a big deal no matter how you position your self when shooting them.
To answer to question, I doubt you would notice a whole lot of difference with the guns you are describing.
 
In rifles of equal weight, the .308 will kick noticably harder then the 30-30, recoil pad or no recoil pad.

It's simple physics.

The 30-30 puts out 2,390 FPS / 1,900 ft/lb energy.
The .308 puts out 2,820 FPS / 2,650 ft/lb.

Say the rifles both weight 7 pounds:
Free recoil of the 30-30 is about 10 ft/lb.
The .308 is about 15 ft/lb.

rc
 
RC's numbers are about right, but each persons recoil tolerances are much different. I know the 308 kicks more than a 30-30, but frankly I simply don't feel either. For me, anything under 20 ft. lbs of recoil is pretty much nothing. Depending on the load and the rifles weight a 30-06 will be in the high teens. Above 20 and I start to notice that the rifle has a little kick.

Others may reach a point where they are uncomfortable at much lower, or higher recoil levels.
 
The perceived recoil has more to do with the fit of the rifle, the buttpad, shooting position, adrenalin etc for the user.

The real recoil is simple math.
 
308 recoil

Science tells us: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I would like to know how the mercury & other recoil reducers work. And could an average guy make one. I think the M79 grenade launcher recoil is lessend by a high pressure chamber in the case. Could this technology be applied to rifle ammo? Who wouldn't want a 308 feel like a .22? I hope this isn't too far out.
 
^^^ Mercury works because it slows down the recoil impulse. Compensators/Muzzle Brakes work by redirecting gases to counteract the recoil forces.

Semi autos often help reduce felt recoil through added mass and also by slowing down the recoil impulse through the gas systems, most modern semi autos also have compensators.

The reason a shoulder fired 50BMG won't bust your bones is the Muzzle Brake.
 
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Variables upon variables...
With everything the same except:
A). heavier bullet - more felt recoil.
B). faster bullet - more felt recoil.
C). lighter weapon - more felt recoil.
D). weapon doesn't fit the shooter - more felt recoil.

Fixed action, more felt recoil over an auto loader.

Add to the mix recoil pads, muzzle things, and those recoil buffer/collector things. (I say 'things' over so many products names.)

So the answer to your question, I don't know. Some of the variables I can quantify, others I can't.

Mr. Elmer Keith was a short 5 foot tall and thin. He said that he 'just whip with the recoil'. Interesting man, he test fired M2 machine guns by hand.

So, if you are muscular or fat like me, we will feel more kick. If you are like I was 45 years and 95 pounds ago, you won't feel it as much.

Enjoy while you can.

OSOK
 
My friend has a FAL. It recoiled pretty hard shooting prone, enough for a sore shoulder after 100 rounds. A muzzle brake made a world of difference and was a pleasure after that.
 
So, if you are muscular or fat like me, we will feel more kick.
Click to expand...

That's not true at all. The bigger a shooter is, the less they will feel the recoil.
 
the .308 recoil is nothing compared to the fad mags, super mags, ultra mags etc. I know people that own and shoot these animals cause they are the guns to own and shoot, they are so afraid of recoil they cant hit squat, the .308 is pretty much all you need in north America shy of the biggest game like grizzly. I own lots of .308s (imagine that) from bolt action rifles, single shot No.1s and some AR10s and M1As. I think it is the best all around caliber out there still.
 
I have a super lightweight Kimber 84M in .308. Gun weighs around 6.25 lb scoped. Also have a pre-64 Winchester 94 in .30-30 that weighs 6.8 lbs.

Kimber has a well designed stock with a 1" Pachmayer decelerator pad. Winchester has metal buttplate on an old style stock.

I would rather run 50 rounds through the Kimber with only a tee shirt than 10 rounds with a heavy coat on with the 94. That butt tends to hit me in a very uncomfortable way.

In other words, it's all in the design.
 
If you can handle the 30-30 you'll be ok is your base answer. Yes its recoil is more and is managed easy enough. Notice I didn't say kick. Design of the gun=fit to you, good/bad pad etc are larger variables to concern about rather then the cartridge.


Get a buddy who has one, buy him a box of ammo to shoot thru and offer even to clean the gun at the range. Click boom. Problem solved!
 
.308 is pretty much all you need in north America shy of the biggest game like grizzly.
Click to expand...

Swedes used 6.5x55 on polar bear all the time in the early 1900's. .308 is enough for anything on the planet.
 
There is also "where" the recoil is felt. For me (melon head), it's in the cheek bone. Even an old 30-30 with a fair bit of drop in the butt stock can hurt cause it comes in right under the cheek bone and smacks it hard enough.

The answer for me a is straight stock and occasionally a "Cheek-eze" pad. Also, not trying to force my face down onto Iron Sights helps too. Any rifle with a scope is an easier fit for me. So what size and shape is your face?
 
A .308 is deffinitely going to win a recoil contest, hands down, with or without a recoil pad. I shoot a lot fo high powered stuff including .308's and it is deffinitely a cartridge that qualifies as a higher recoiling cartridge. The .308 falls into the 30-06, .270 win, 280 rem. and a host of other 3000 fps -ish cartridge class of high powered cartridges. Where as the 30-30 is in a class some where below the .243 regarding recoil though, not performance.
 
FWIW, I have found that my 30-30 seems to kick as hard as my 308 and 30-06 rifles. It surprised me as . None are painful. It's just for some I'd prefer to shoot fewer rounds. I find the bend much more punishing that shooting uprights say hunting.

less -> more recoil

22 LR rifle < semi auto 223 = semi auto 308 < 12 gauge with limbsaver pad with bird or buck (I can shoot these and below in terms of recoil all day till boredom sets in) < 30-30 lever action= 308 bolt = 30-06 bolt (I stop enjoying it after 40-60 rounds but can go to 100 if need be from a bench posiiton) << 45-70 light weight lever action with hot rounds = 12 gauge with 1 oz slugs (after about 20 rounds I've had enough).
 
I can answer the OP since I fired my Rem 700 .308 for the first time on Monday. And before I get to the recoil, I have to add a disappointing note to the Remington haters - it worked great right out of the box...

Anyway, my opinion is that it's all about how much you weigh and/or how much body fat you have. I weigh 150 lbs and with the stock pad, I can still feel it in the shoulder two days later. Firing this one is waayyy different than my AR-15. Kinda like firing a .45 pistol held against your shoulder. But like I said, what feels to me like getting kicked in the shoulder may very well make you just shrug if you weigh 250 lbs, so it all depends on your build. Or maybe I'm just a girly-man...

I'm going to re-stock mine and will be adding an additional pad, so we'll see. Of course, it's simply not that big a deal in the long run. I mean, how many shots in one setting are you planning on taking?
 
I'm 150 pounds soaking wet also and .308 doesn't bother me a bit. But I've shot more 3.5" 12 gauge goose and turkey loads than most folks. You need to shoot more KB!

.308 is light, especially with a good recoil pad. I find my 30-30 model 94 with the hard butt stock recoils harder than my limb-saver equipped .308.
 
I'm going to re-stock mine and will be adding an additional pad, so we'll see. Of course, it's simply not that big a deal in the long run. I mean, how many shots in one setting are you planning on taking?
Click to expand...

Take a 3 or 4 day precision rifle course....then you'll know how many shots you do in one setting. ;)
 
Funny you mention that you mention this. I was getting ready to take some shotgun and rifle classes. I spent about 3 range sessions shooting slugs out of my 12 gauge over a week. The following weekend I took the 30-30 out to confirm zero and it felt like a semi-auto 223. It took me a while to figure out why and its for the reason you mentioned.

If you do want a 30-30 lever to feel like a semi auto 223, use the Remington managed-reduced recoil rounds. Myselfs and two others shot them and weree amazed how much the recoil was reduced.
 
I'm 150 pounds soaking wet also and .308 doesn't bother me a bit. But I've shot more 3.5" 12 gauge goose and turkey loads than most folks. You need to shoot more KB!
Click to expand...
That reminds me of an old "Cheers" episode, where Carla asks Woody, "Did it hurt when the horse kicked you in the head?", and Woody says, "You get used to it!" Doesn't make it more pleasent though.
 
Everything is relative.

I have shot .300 WSM out of a modern Remington bolt action with no discomfort- it had a big rubber buttpad on it.

My Dad has a Winchester 1894 manufactured in '54. It has the heavy octagonal barrel and a steel buttplate. That thing kicks like a mule.
 
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