I am looking at buying a new rifle and want one light enough to carry all day and powerful enough to use for whatever I want. I am pretty much sold on the .300 Win Mag but I am not a fan of getting hammered on the bench all day. I was wandering how many here have had good success loading this cartridge down to .30-06 levels with good accuracy. Does the recoil go down in proportion? I would really like to hear from the guys who have loaded and personally fired these rounds.
Taming .300 Win Mag recoil???
- Thread starter Cypress
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i guess i just load mine to full throttle and let 'er rip (82 grains of powder behind a 165 grain bullet).
put a good pad on it and don't feel compelled to shoot 50 or 100 rounds from the bench. the recoil is pretty salty from the bench, but not too bad from field positions.
you might look into a 308 - it will probably handle most or even all of your problems just fine.
put a good pad on it and don't feel compelled to shoot 50 or 100 rounds from the bench. the recoil is pretty salty from the bench, but not too bad from field positions.
you might look into a 308 - it will probably handle most or even all of your problems just fine.
Funderb
Member
just get a 30-06.
it will be lighter anyway.
and you are loading the rounds down there to begin with..
Really, 30-06 isn't enough bang for you? What are you shooting? polar bears?
it will be lighter anyway.
and you are loading the rounds down there to begin with..
Really, 30-06 isn't enough bang for you? What are you shooting? polar bears?
GearHead_1
Member
Ummmm..... this is a bit misleading. Are you making the comparison to the ounce? The .300 WinMag will weigh essentially what a .30-06 weighs in the same model rifle. This is where part of the perceived recoil problem resides when compared to the .06. Light rifle, big bullet, lots of powder. I've got an artificial shoulder and don't shoot large caliber rifles much these days. Actually I still shoot a .50 BMG but the recoil is similar to a .308 or 12 gauge. To say the least I'm recoil sensitive and don't shoot more than a .308 very often. .300's recoil no doubt about it but not significantly more than an .06 in my very limited opinion. You can load an .06 up or a .300 down and get very similar recoil. The real difference is when you start pushing some of the heavier bullets, a .300 will do it better and of course the recoil is higher with these bullets.
I have a 270 and a 45-70 that I hunt with. I WANT a .300 Win Mag because I WANT a .300 Win Mag. I also WANT to load it down to 30-06 levels. I thought that was enough around here. Besides I always looked at the potential to make a gun do what you want one of the fun things about reloading. And yes the 45-70 kicks a little.
SSN Vet
Member
Helped a buddy sight in his brandy-new Rem. 700 SPS in .300 Win Mag.
The nice Limbsaver Remington puts on there tamed the recoil well....
but not the EARTH SHATTERING KABOOM!!!
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to loud for my likings.
not a fun rifle to shoot, imho
The nice Limbsaver Remington puts on there tamed the recoil well....
but not the EARTH SHATTERING KABOOM!!!
waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to loud for my likings.
not a fun rifle to shoot, imho
You do not say what type of 45-70 you have but Marlin levers are most common and I'll assume that is what you have. The stocks on them do not handle recoil nearly as well as most modern bolt action stocks. I would say if you can handle even moderate loads from the 45-70 the .300 will be no problem. They do not kick as hard as many claim. A well designed stock is huge. I once had a Colt Light Rifle in .300 mag that only weighed 6 1/2 lbs but was tolerable because of the stock design.
One of the nice things is that the .300 can be so versatile with loadings and if you want one loaded to lower levels I have no real problem with it. Remington is offering reduced loadings in a lot of different chamberings for this very reason.
The only downside is that you will probably have to settle for a rifle that is heavier and longer than a standard weight rifle. There are exceptions like the Colt rifle I had but most will be heavier. Just as an example Ruger shows standard calibers at 7 lbs even while the .300 is 7 3/4 lbs. I have a Ruger in .300 win. mag. and it does make a difference. But then if you want lighter you have the .270 for that.
One of the nice things is that the .300 can be so versatile with loadings and if you want one loaded to lower levels I have no real problem with it. Remington is offering reduced loadings in a lot of different chamberings for this very reason.
The only downside is that you will probably have to settle for a rifle that is heavier and longer than a standard weight rifle. There are exceptions like the Colt rifle I had but most will be heavier. Just as an example Ruger shows standard calibers at 7 lbs even while the .300 is 7 3/4 lbs. I have a Ruger in .300 win. mag. and it does make a difference. But then if you want lighter you have the .270 for that.
I have shot a .300 in a remington sendero and the recoil was enough to get my undivided attention. The rifle I am going to get will be lighter as it will not be a heavy barrel. The thing is that I don't shoot my 1895G prone or even sitting for that matter. Makes a huge difference!!!! And I don't target shoot with it much. I want the .300 to be an all around rifle that I can bench shoot, carry around the house, and if need be get those 180 gr. bullets running a little flatter than the '06 will do. My question is if I load the .300 down to '06 velocity with a 150 grain bullet, will the recoil be about the same. I have read that the amount of powder used to get a bullet to a certain velocity is part of figuring recoil.
454PB
Member
Get a Past Magnum recoil pad for use at the bench. It fits over your shoulder much like a shoulder holster and does a great job. I regularly shoot 50 to 100 rounds of .300 WM and .338 WM using one of these.
In the field, there is no sensation of recoil at all, adrenaline stops that.
In the field, there is no sensation of recoil at all, adrenaline stops that.
whoah... excuse the practical suggestions, then. given that i have no experience if this is rifle #1 or rifle #100 for you, i was merely trying to make a suggestion that made sense. pardon.
further, as having some experience w/ loading the various 300 mags down, i can tell you it is not always easy. i have been able to take a 300 down to low-power 30-30 levels, but accuracy was really tough, and the light loads in the big case can be awfully tricky. however, loading down to 30-06 levels should be quite a bit easier. try a medium burn rate powder like 4350, rl-17, etc. 4895 is my favorite powder in this application.
yes.
it does, but in a bottleneck case of that size it is not a tremendous difference.
Sheesh, how about we all answer every question BUT the one he is asking. I wish I knew the answer, but I'm a reloading noob. I feel your pain Cypress. I've asked questions on THR before only to have every answer but the one I need given. Good luck.
My intuition says that if you load a lighter bullet with lower velocity then recoil should be lighter, but I just don't know. I was really interested in this thread, because I have a 300 Win Mag, and although it doesn't bother me to shoot it, even from a bench, I'd love to load it down for hunting deer herein Texas. My Hornady manual has loads all the way down to a 110 grain bullet, so I expect those would recoil less, but I just don't know. Maybe I'll just have to try it. I have a bunch of brass sitting around.
My intuition says that if you load a lighter bullet with lower velocity then recoil should be lighter, but I just don't know. I was really interested in this thread, because I have a 300 Win Mag, and although it doesn't bother me to shoot it, even from a bench, I'd love to load it down for hunting deer herein Texas. My Hornady manual has loads all the way down to a 110 grain bullet, so I expect those would recoil less, but I just don't know. Maybe I'll just have to try it. I have a bunch of brass sitting around.
I wasn't trying to be a smart @$$, I was just saying that that was the cartridge that I wanted and I enjoy tinkering with loads to make my .300 as easy to shoot as my .270 or as potent as a true magnum. I guess I was expecting the usual argument that the .308 and .30-06 will do anything a ballistic missile will do though. Sorry for sounding so short.
Cypress,
Your accuracy is going to depend on the rifle more than anything. Sure you will be able to get accurate, 30-06 level loads, so long as the rifle will provide good accuracy to begin with. I suggest you get something with a medium contour barrel instead of a light sporter contour, assuming you don't need the lightest rifle weight possible. Find a rifle with a crisp light trigger also.
As far as recoil numbers, you can find the answers by using the calculator here: http://handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp
If you are looking for accompanying load data for recoil calculation, go to Hodgdon's site and view their reloading data center. Hodgdon.com
Your accuracy is going to depend on the rifle more than anything. Sure you will be able to get accurate, 30-06 level loads, so long as the rifle will provide good accuracy to begin with. I suggest you get something with a medium contour barrel instead of a light sporter contour, assuming you don't need the lightest rifle weight possible. Find a rifle with a crisp light trigger also.
As far as recoil numbers, you can find the answers by using the calculator here: http://handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp
If you are looking for accompanying load data for recoil calculation, go to Hodgdon's site and view their reloading data center. Hodgdon.com
Matt, thanks for the link to the website. It is very helpful. It appears that my intuition was correct. Here is the data:
Bullet 100 grains
Velocity 3331 fps
Pwdr 60 grains
Recoil 14.57 ft/lbs
Bullet 180 grains
Velocity 2620 fps
Pwdr 58.5 grains
Recoil 19.72 ft/lbs
In the same weight rifle, I'll get a lighter recoiling round. Don't know how much difference it will make, but it is lighter.
Bullet 100 grains
Velocity 3331 fps
Pwdr 60 grains
Recoil 14.57 ft/lbs
Bullet 180 grains
Velocity 2620 fps
Pwdr 58.5 grains
Recoil 19.72 ft/lbs
In the same weight rifle, I'll get a lighter recoiling round. Don't know how much difference it will make, but it is lighter.
snowpro440
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- Feb 11, 2008
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- 68
300 Mag
get a compensator / muzzle brake , any good gunsmith should b able to set you up, it will take agood bit off [ less than a.308]
get a compensator / muzzle brake , any good gunsmith should b able to set you up, it will take agood bit off [ less than a.308]
redneck2
Member
Recoil is pretty much a function of bullet weight, powder weight, and velocity. The quick answer is that the .30-06 and .300 will have the same recoil with the same bullet and powder weight (assuming the gun weighs the same). I suspect that the .300 with lowest end beginning loads will have nearly the same velocity as the .30-06.
Obviously, there are other factors like action (semi-auto), muzzle brake, etc. I have a Decelerator pad on my .45-70 and it's actually quite mild even with second stage hand loads.
HTH
Obviously, there are other factors like action (semi-auto), muzzle brake, etc. I have a Decelerator pad on my .45-70 and it's actually quite mild even with second stage hand loads.
HTH
I had a very lightweight 308 that hurt when I shot it. I could handle four rounds before I had to put it down. Recoil has much do do with the rifle's weight and the design of it's comb.
I did tame that rifle, here's how.
I put a limbsaver butt pad on it. Any other high quality pad should work the same. Before that, a medium jacket worked really well. I had to use a lead-sled (before the pad) to develop a load for it.
Irregardless of the pad or the jacket, one or two rounds didn't bother me.
I did tame that rifle, here's how.
I put a limbsaver butt pad on it. Any other high quality pad should work the same. Before that, a medium jacket worked really well. I had to use a lead-sled (before the pad) to develop a load for it.
Irregardless of the pad or the jacket, one or two rounds didn't bother me.
Well, now I know I'm a reloading addict. I was at the toy store today (aka Sportsmans Warehouse) and saw some 110 grain spire points in 30 cal. I bought them as a result of this thread. I don't have dies or powder, but I have the bullets! Maybe next month . . .
Bartkowski
Member
A good compensator will make is recoil like a 150gr. 30-30 loads.
But then the blast and noise are increased.
But then the blast and noise are increased.
Sport45
Member
Lighter bullets should reduce recoil, but possibly at the expense of accuracy. The barrel's rifling twist rate determines the optimum bullet length (weight).
I suggest sticking with a bullet weight that works at the magnum loading and working up a reduced load using a medium burn rate power as suggested by dakotasin. IMR 4895 is about the slowest powder that I'd try for this. Read the chapter on reduced loads in Lee's Modern Reloading.
I suggest sticking with a bullet weight that works at the magnum loading and working up a reduced load using a medium burn rate power as suggested by dakotasin. IMR 4895 is about the slowest powder that I'd try for this. Read the chapter on reduced loads in Lee's Modern Reloading.
pike hunter
Member
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2008
- Messages
- 51
300 wsm
300wsm all the performance with less kick.
and lighter because of the shorter action
and a little more accurrent
uses less powder when handloading saves $s
just a thought think it over
300wsm all the performance with less kick.
and lighter because of the shorter action
and a little more accurrent
uses less powder when handloading saves $s
just a thought think it over
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