How much recoil from 30-06, .270, 25-06??

[mikey3]

As an ardent gun nut and whitetail deer hunter for a very long time now, it has recently occured to me that I have more "practical shooting accuracy" with a 22 long rifle than with a 30-06. By this I mean that off the hood of my truck, at 75-100 yards it is easier for me to hit any object, be it tin can, small rock, dead D battery, tree knot etc, with a 4X scoped Marlin 39 .22 long rifle than with a 7.5 pound 30-06. The 30-06 is a Weatherby with a 24 inch barrel, a Kahles 3.5 x 10 scope dialed to 10X, zeroed to be right on at 100, shooting 150 grain WW ballistic silver tips! Now I am sure that many out there could probably shoot the 30-06 as well as I can shoot the .22 long rifle! However it just seems that I shoot a lower recoiling rifle much much better. Don't get me wrong, with a good bench rest, this particular Weatherby and I with those factory loads will make one nice little 3 shot cluster with all holes touching at 100 yards!

I am considering buying another Weatherby in 25-06 or a 270 just to have a rifle that would recoil less and be more "fun" to shoot. Which should I get the 25-06 because it is quite a caliber distance from the 30-06 or the 270 because every Wally world carries cartridges in that caliber? Will the 270 with 130 grain bullets recoil significantly less than the 30-06 or should I get the 25-06 for the 115 grain bullets???

 

[cratz2]

While the 270 and 25-06 are both excellent cartridges, two of my favorites as a matter of fact, I would call either of them light recoiling cartridges. All else equal, the 270 kicks less than the 30-06 and the 250-06 less still but for killing dead batteries and tin cans, the 243 will do it just as well as the 25-06 with considerably less kick. 243 will cost less to shoot and if you plan on reloading any time, the 243 costs less there as well. 243 rifles will be available from more companies as well as in a short action and the ammo will be on more store shelves than 25-06. When you start wanting to shoot things that move around on their own, the 243 is pretty capable in good hands and the less it kicks, the more you will practice. The more you practice, the more likely the shot will go exactly where you want it to go and that is what kills animals.

I'd give a good hard look at the 243. Lots of reasons to go with one and welcome to TheHighRoad.

 

[BHP9]

Here are some things to consider when comparing recoil.

1. Weight of the rifle. Heavier rifles kick less than lighter weight guns.

2. Shape of the stock. A well proportioned stock with a cheek piece that slopes away from the users face will actually walk away from the shooter under recoil resulting in less percieved recoil.

3. Bullet weight. Heavier bullets will kick more than lighter ones

4. Amount of powder. Higher velocity will create more muzzle blast and recoil.

5. A well designed recoil pad will often dampen recoil

6. Muzzle break will dampen recoil but increase muzzle blast.

7. Add on weights and hydraulic systems also will dampen recoil

8. Practice with a firearm will accustom a user to even heavy recoiling guns.

9. Position when shooting. The heaviest recoil is often experienced when shooting off of a bench and the lightest when shooting freehand (offhand)

10. Age of user. The older one gets the more pain he is likely to feel when shooting heavy recoiling guns. Ever notice that it is often the younger shooter that enjoys getting the hell kicked out of him and often chooses large magnum caliber guns while older shooters in their final years often come full circle and end up shooting the gun they stared out with as boys namely the .22lr..

 

[Gewehr98]

One more recoil factor...

Autoloaders tend to have lower recoil than their bolt-action counterparts.

(ie, Remington 7400, Browning BAR, etc.)

 

[Red Label]

Maybe a 257 Roberts? Had an uncle that took his hunting for just about everything and swore by the thing.

 

[Art Eatman]

My Wby '06 weighs 9-3/4 pounds, fully dressed, so it's not recoil that's the problem, it's the toting at anything over a few miles.

One thing about a .243 is that it's very effective for a precision shooter. If I'm sure about my shot placement, I'd not worry about deer to 300 yards. Neck shot or heart shot...I wouldn't go after a running mulie at 200 or more yards, though. I've killed some 20+ whitetails with my little Sako carbine, and they all were DRT. I've found Mr. Sierra's 85-grain HPBT to be an amazing little monster, and there's hardly any recoil. Great coyote load, as well.

, Art

 

[HSMITH]

I have never been able to feel much difference at all between the 270 and the 30-06 until 180 and heavier bullets are used in the 06. The 25-06 I find to be a real puppy. Been shooting mine since I was 9 years old, and it has never so much as laid a mark on me.

The 243 is even less rifle and less recoil. With good bullets and shot placement they work fine on deer, but I would rather reserve them for shorter range coyotes and long range prairie dogs.

If I were you shooting GA whitetails, I would buy the 25-06 and give it a try. Try loading some Sierra Gamekings, 117 grainers. Run em fairly hot if the rifle you buy will still stack them on target. If you are a shoulder-shooter you had better look for some type of solid bullet like a Barnes X, the 25-06 is not easy on meat when you start hitting big bones. It WILL wreck BOTH front shoulders.

 

[GinSlinger]

Has anyone else noted that recoils are "different" in different calibers? My friend and I have sometimes swap rifles at the range "for a lark". He shoots .30-06 and I .270. Rifles are about the same weight and nearly identical in set-up. My .270 seems more accute in the recoil department--a sharp backwards force, kind of like a finger push on the sholder. My buddies .30-06 is more like a palm push, more forcee over more time. Also, his .30-06 seems to "echo" in my chest with 170gr loads. Just curious if I am "feeling" things. The first shot when we exchange rifles is always surprising.

GinSlinger

 

[Soap]

Unless you have medical problems, an '06 should be just fine for you. Are you holding the gun properly? You might be holding it too tight or too loose. You might be holding the butt too high on your shoulder pocket as well. Gadgets and gear are sometimes useful and always fun to tinker with, but since you have a nice rig, I would invest some time into mastering it.

 

[Marshall]

If I were buying a new Weatherby in .25 caliber, the 257wby mag would be my baby in a heartbeat!


Marshall

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I agree with the above post. If you want a weatherby, get the 257 weatherby. I own a 25-06 rem sendero and find the recoil is pretty mild. It is a great plinking round and very accurate, but I would not mind the extra speed of the weatherby round.

Maybe Remington will make a 25 Ultramag (that would be a barrel burner!)

 

[mikey3]

I was interested in the 257 Weatherby, a friend of mine uses it to good effect on Georgia Whitetails. He also used to hunt with a 30-06. The effects of the 257 Weatherby on a 120-175 pound whitetail is best described as awesome. Naturally he is carefull with his shots, as was mentioned shoulder shots leave no shoulders! The 257 burns a lot of powder, Weatherby tells me they guestimate about 1200 shots out of the barrel before their 1.5 inch group warranty would no longer hold. I may go that route anyway as I am also contimplating finally getting a reloading press and getting back into reloading. The cost of the weatherby cartridges would be prohibitive if you did not reload! As I have not shot his rifle, I would imagine that this round recoils pretty good!

 

[Weaps]

Weight makes a big difference.

I have a Remington M1917 in .30-06 (Enfield Pattern 14 bolt action WWI rifle) that has a steel buttplate which I can shoot 180 grain bullets all day. My dad has a Smith & Wesson (Howa mfg., yeah we have wierd rifles) in .270 which starts to hurt me after 30 or so rounds, especially with 150 grain projectiles. My dad is bigger than me by a few pounds and he also complains about the .270 after a certain number of rounds. I have shot HK-91's in .308 and the semi-auto action really reduces the recoil nicely.

I would consider the recoil between the .30-06 and .270 in your standard deer rifle to be pretty much the same. But then I'm kinda recoil sensitive when it comes to rifles. Doesn't stop me from shooting them accurately when I want to though!