Help. My 30-06 is beating me to death

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go to walmart. buy a funoodle pool floatie with the hole in the center. cut off 7", then slit lengthwise. slip it over your butstock. see if that works for you as far as reducing recoil. you can give the rest of the floatie to the kids. if it works for you, you can get an aftermarket recoil pad that is more aesthetically pleasing. no point in adding a pad if it's still not going to be enough for you.

I recently added a big squishy shotgun pad to a heavy 257 roberts. (not known as a bruiser) I just found it far more pleasant to shoot.
 
Sometimes a new rifle takes some time getting used to.

I just took a look at the rifle on Rugers web site, it does look like the stock has a little more drop at the heel, more than the M77 or Hawkeye. That can contribute to a little more muzzle rise on recoil.

Vern has a solid point, the gun isn't really made to shoot from the bench and that could be the reason for the extra felt recoil. I have a M77VT .308 it has a bench stock hardly any drop and a wide forearm for shooting off bags or rest.When I get sloppy in my form it gets to popping me pretty hard.

Give your form an honest evaluation and see if it's that and the combo of a new gun, especially before giving up on the gun.
 
I would install a one inch thick Pachmayr decelerator recoil pad with a length of pull that is comfortable to shoot with a light jacket. Then I would try some Sierra or Speer 150 grain boattail handloads with 48 grains of IMR 4064. Recoil will be noticably lighter but your velocity will still be around 2700 fps. It has been fashionable in later years for stocks to be made without a cheekpiece and to me they seem to have more recoil because the shooter can't place the cheek in tight to the stock. BW
 
pachmeyer magnum decellerator buttstock pad,
Click to expand...
I had an 1895 Marlin in .45-70. First thing I did was add one of these. I shot some VERY heavy loads rated for these lever action rifles. As in nearly .458 Win Mag levels. Recoil was fine.

The macho men here can carry on about how tough they are. At my age, I've figured out that pain hurts and if there alternatives I'm gonna take them.

Honestly,I suspect that it's bench shooting more than anything, but the new pad REALLY helps.
 
My J. C Higgins M50 in 30-06 is a very light rifle and with its plastic buttplate, it was not fun to shoot. So I put on a hard rubber recoil pad. That made the recoil tolerable.

The 30-06 was originally shot in 8 to 9 pound M1903 Springfield rifles and even then, the recoil was described as vicious. You just have to shoot a steel butt plate straight grip 03 to understand that vicious is an accurate description.

If you want to cut felt recoil try 125 grain bullets. The 270 Win gained its reputation with 130 grain bullets, a 125 or 130 out of a 30-06 has about 100 fps more velocity than a 270 Win and should perform just fine.
 
Wrong length of pull and scope height will increase felt recoil. Get the LOP and scope height adjusted to fit you and install a good recoil pad like the Pachmyr Declerator and felt recoil will be reduced
 
I have a limbsaver on both my 30-06 it makes quite a difference. I did put a muzzle break on one of them out of necessity after I dislocated my shoulder. It feels like a 243, but the only bad thing about it is anyone withing 100 yds will have their ear drums blown.

Now that my shoulder is healed the limbsavers makes it very nice and I don't get dirty looks at the range anymore since I no longer use the break.
 
The Ruger American weighs just over 6 lbs in 30-06. One of the lightest available. Some are more recoil tolerant than others. I've no doubt it is a good rifle, but maybe not a good choice for you.

I'd suggest a heavy scope, and possibly filling the hollow buttstock with something to add a little weight. They already come with a pretty good pad on those.

Personally I like lightweight rifles, I have 5 lb. 308's and have owned 6 lb. 300 win mags in the past, but a heavier rifle might be more to your liking.
 
When I go shooting with my Mosin I just grab an old towel and drape it over my shoulder. The soft towel absorbs a great deal of the recoil and unpleasantness provided by the steel buttplate. I'd assume it would work well for you as well.
 
Federal makes low recoil rounds.
But ask yourself: "Why do I need/want a 30-06
I traded for a 4 digit Winchester 88 in .308 and after one trip to the range traded for a Winchester 1897. My next rifle was a 257 Roberts.
 
I commonly place a small sandbag behind the butt pad when at the bench rest. That adds to the apparent weight which is under recoil, as if adding about a pound to the rifle itself. It also spreads the impact across a wider area.

And I'd install one of the above-mentioned recoil pads...

Papa G's comment has merit, but it seems like a bit of overkill. :D
 
I understand where you're coming from. There are intangible factors that influence how any particular shooter and stock interact. I'm relatively insensitive to recoil--when I get the opportunity to shoot I usually make a day of it and shoot a whole bunch of rounds from my various centerfire rifles. It's not uncommon for me to shoot 100 centerfire rounds from hunting rifles off the bench in a day.

I say that not to brag but as context for this statement: two of the most painful shooting rifles I own are a 44 magnum Marlin and a Tikka lightweight 308. Neither of those are remotely thought of as 'heavy' calibers but there's something about the particular stock designs of those two guns that really makes them unpleasant. The 44 lever gun seems to be especially bad because I'm a lefty--my cheek really takes a pounding. I would rather shoot a full-power milsurp with a metal buttplate than that little rifle chambered for a handgun cartridge.

For sighting in and shooting from a bench the others have given you plenty of good advice: get a PAST recoil shield or use a folded towel. On game you won't feel the recoil or even hear the shot.
 
I would say evaluate your form, make sure you're not too low on the bench where too much of your body is behind the rifle and you have room to roll with the recoil. Next try a recoil pad like others have suggested. Make sure the LOP and all fits you as well. Too short a stock can always be a big issue.
 
Not trying to be a jerk, but are you sure you are holding it right? Lots of people have problems when they put the butt to far inside or outside of the pocket in the shoulder or they don't raise their elbow (about parallel to the ground) enough. Once they get proper stance and hold, they find 12 gauge isn't too bad.
 
Ruger American weighs in at 6.25#, add a base, rings, and a scope, and you add another lb...

Anything over 7#'s in an aught-six is fine...

But then, been shooting them since I was 7...
 
If the rifle is not already to long try a small sandbag between your shoulder & the rifle.
 
You need to shoot the rifle more to condition your shoulder to the recoil. How much rifle shooting have you been doing lately. If you have not been shooting at all, see sentence number one. When I don't shoot my short Mosin Nagants for a while, the recoil is a bit stiff until I shoot them on a regular basis and my body is conditioned to the recoil. Try shooting from a standing position. That way your body can more easily absorb the recoil. As posted above, get a recoil pad. There are alot of good ones on the market today....chris3
 
From what I've seen over the years shooting the clay games and rifles, a man 6' 1 and 210 is going to absorb all the recoil from said gun. Smaller framed and lighter shooters seem to flex a lot more and are not bothered by recoil as much. Not carved in stone, but just what I've experienced.
 
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