Hey Guys... I took my Browning A-Bolt 338 out today for the first time and it shot well. However I would like to take the edge off of that recoil a bit. I have a Sims pad on it what else can I do to ease it up a bit? I can shoot it just fine the way it is but my father is elderly and can't take the shock. Do the mercury recoil reducers work? Tell me what you think.
Lawdogso

You've just discovered why, despite possibly being the "best" elk cartridge, the 338 WM isn't that popular. I'm not trying to be a smart alec, but the best way for your dad to deal with the recoil is to not shoot it.

Merc. reducers help a bit, but the only real way to get over it is reduced loads. The 210gr Nosler Part. is a great elk load & recoil is more tolerable than shooting the 250gr. Try a box of Fed. prem. or stoke up your own, RL19 & H4350 as well as IMR4831 work well.

Don't know if you hand load but if you do download or use the 180-185 gr bullets. Just a thought

You could also take a look at the PAST recoil shield that you strap to your shoulder. It works well, especially at the bench when trying new loads.

I'll tell you what worked best for me. Shoot something with the gun and see first hand the killing power of the 338 Win Mag! It will change your perspective of the recoil issue all together.

Seriously, it's a big magnum, that shoots heavy bullets, and it kicks at both ends. I generally shoot 210 grain Noslers because of that. If you have been shooting 250 grain bullets, the lighter ones will recoil significantly less.

Yes, to the mercury reducer and yes, to Dave, with the PAST pad. However, Brad's point is exactly right. It isn't just the recoil energy that drives people off. The energy is less than the .375, which is a pussycat in the right weight rifle. What the .338 Win has too much of is recoil velocity. Not only is there plenty of energy but it comes at you with a nasty, high-speed snap that loosens fillings and makes the head ring. Try loading the 250 gr bullets back to the standard of the .338/06 or the .318 WR, 2500 fps. All you give up is 20-30 yards of point blank range and what you gain is a lot more comfort. No animal down range receiving a bullet will ever be able to tell the difference.

Yes, the mercury recoil reducer does work. I have them in both of my 338's coupled with SIMS pads and I have found them more pleasurable than my Wby mags. More of a push that an poke, with the reducer and pad.

A high quality composite stock from McMillan will take the sting off of it pronto, even for full house loads with 250 gr loads.

My whole thing is to download it. You can reduce the recoil by 60% plus and still have a good rifle to shoot at 200 to 250 yds.

Email me if you want some load data using SR 4759 or blue dot shotgun powder. Guys on here who have tried some of those recommendations will attest to the accuracy and the reduction in recoil.

Cheers
seafire

I restocked my .338 Win Mag Win 70 with an Hogue overmolded and that thick and soft recoil pad makes shooting 250's almost comfortable.

Here's another thought:

I don't like muzzle breaks on rifles. The muzzle blast will take the top of your head off. Better to learn to put up w/ the recoil. Yet, not everyone has that situation. Shoulder surgery, age, etc., make recoil reduction desireable.

There is a guy out here by the name of Richard Scott who does a porting that's away from the muzzle (probably 6 inches). 16 holes at a 14 degree rearward angle. I don't have one, but several people I know do. They claim that its not as effective as a full brake (like KDF) but no increase in noise and significatly better than Mag-na-porting.

He not a clown drilling holes. He is the orginal owner of High Tech Stocks (Mark Basner's stocks now) built stocks for Shilen, taught the gunsmithing at Lassen JC, & built some of the best ultralight rifles 20 years ago.

He claims 40% reduction in felt recoil & 29% in actual w/ little loss of velocity. Seems like he gets about $85 to do this. I'm thinking about having this done on an ultralight .300 Win, when I get around to finishing it. If you're interested call him (530) 253-2571

I quess I'm a firm believer in matching the weight of the rifle to its power. I decided not to purchase a Ruger Stainless Steel 338 WM because of the injection molded plastic stock - too darn light weight - and instead bought a nice used Ruger 77 with the tank safety and beefy wood stock and I'm pretty sure a heavier barrel. Added a Pachmyr Decellerator pad. The recoil is there but manageable with 210 NP or 225 HSP. With the Ruger steel scope rings,
1 1/2" leather sling and Weaver K4 scope it probably weighs around 10 lbs. Also Nosler just announced a new 180 gr Accubond for the 338 and that just might help - some. In comparison I have a Ruger 77 Stainless in 7mm mag - old canoe paddle stock and slender barrel - that gun is very light and the recoil is noticeably very sharp - I shudder to think what it would be like if it was a 338.

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Originally posted by lawdogso:
Hey Guys... I took my Browning A-Bolt 338 out today for the first time and it shot well. However I would like to take the edge off of that recoil a bit. I have a Sims pad on it what else can I do to ease it up a bit? I can shoot it just fine the way it is but my father is elderly and can't take the shock. Do the mercury recoil reducers work? Tell me what you think.
Lawdogso

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The A-bolt is one of the lighter rifles made in .338, so that is one of your problems. Yes, the mercury recoil reducers do work, but there's no magic in them: They simply add weight (despite nebulous claims otherwise), which does dampen recoil. It does so, however, at the expense of balance, so I don't recommend them. First, try filling the butt cavity with lead shot. If this change in weight/balance doesn't bother you, then shoot it that way or spring for the mercury device if you prefer.

You don't say how you were shooting your new A-bolt. Shooting a rifle off of the bench is the most punishing in terms of recoil. There are some excellent rifle rests available on the market now (Lead Sled and others) that absorb most of the recoil for you when sitting at the bench. Standing upright and shooting at live game, the recoil of your A-bolt will be the last thing you notice.

If you really want a flinch and to experience something even less pleasant than recoil, have your rifle fitted with a muzzle brake.

The A Bolt is too light for a .338. One of those in a .375 is a handfull as well. Put about 2 pounds of lead shot in the butt of it and see if that calms it down. When shooting from the bench, try one of the Benchmaster or Caldwell rests with a bag of shot across the bottom of it. The extra 25 pounds of weight will make it fun to practice with.

I bought a new Ruger 77 .338 Win. Mag. in 1974, and after a couple of range sessions, sent it to Magna Port. Got it back and the recoil had been reduced substantially, at least to my "feeling" of it.

Several years ago, I had a Pachmayr Decelarator recoil padd installed and that helped a bit more.

I have killed a number of elk and several Mule deer with it, using my favorite and most accurate load (3/4") with the good ol' 210 grains Nosler Partition bullet in front of 72.0 grains of IMR 4350 powder. Works for me.

Good luck.

L.W.

I generally advise folks with recoil problems to use two stocks...one light and handy and the other heavy and with an oversized butt. This gives you 4 choices when you combine the variables of 1. light loads, 2. heavy loads and a. light stock, b. heavy stock.

As a rule of thumb, try to make the heavy stock bring the weight of the rifle up 33% more than the light one offers. Heavy stocks are easily made from cheap synthetic stocks by injecting/filling them with dense material that will remain slightly pliable.

Once you feel the effect of the heavy stock on those full house loads, the extra weight will NOT be a problem when carrying it. Be sure to use a high quality, wide slingand learn how to use it.

Finally, a recoil shield you wear is better than some super-pad on the butt, because every butt pad has edges and they stretch your skin under compression. A shield you wear has no edges and can spread the force out over a very wide area compared to the footprint of a butt.

The PAST heavy Mag shields are technically very good, but one really needs to wear a knit shirt over them to keep them in place in the field.

quote:

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Originally posted by seafire/B17G:
My whole thing is to download it. You can reduce the recoil by 60% plus and still have a good rifle to shoot at 200 to 250 yds.

Email me if you want some load data using SR 4759 or blue dot shotgun powder. Guys on here who have tried some of those recommendations will attest to the accuracy and the reduction in recoil.

Cheers
seafire

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I am one of those guys who loads 36 grains of Blue Dot with a 200 grain Ballistic Tip bullet. Precision is good, kinetic energy close to the 30/06 and it kills reloably. If sighted in 4 cm high at 100 m crossing of line of sight is at 150 meters. Enough for me.

Made a universal rifle I use more and more out of my hard-kicking and seldom used 338 big game whacker...

Thanks for all the great info guys. I personally think that the rifle is just fine the way it is. However my father is pushing 70 years old and I think I will just keep him on the trusted 30-06. His hunting area offers shots under 150 yards and thats perfect for him. I don't think I will punish him with the 338. Hunting is supposed to fun right? I do think I am going to try the mercury reducer just for something to do. I haven't worked up a load for this rifle yet but that won't take long. I have plenty of spare time on the weekends to play with that.
Thanks for all tha advice.
Lawdogso

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A high quality composite stock from McMillan will take the sting off of it pronto, even for full house loads with 250 gr loads

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I have to agree.My 300ultramags with mcmillan stocks and decellerators seem much milder than the factory 300ultramag rifles that I have fired.

Come on guys, a .338 doesn't kick as hard as a .300 Win!!! I had an A-Bolt in .300 and then bought one in .338. The .300 with a 180 gr bullet loaded to 3050 fps kicked harder than my .338 with a 210 Partition loaded to 3050 fps. The .300 seemed to have a a sharper kick. I sold the .300 and still have the .338. I just love what it does to big elk. A few years ago, my wife drew a cow elk tag. I bought her a brand spankin' new .30-06 and set it all up for her. She didn't want any part of it, she wanted to shoot my .338. So I coached her to stay away from the scope so she wouldn't get cut and she shot it. She handled the recoil like it was nothing!!! That's the gun she carried on her elk hunt. So I don't want to hear an A-Bolt is too light for a .338, or kicks too hard. There are many women out there that use them!!!

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Originally posted by Brad:
You've just discovered why, despite possibly being the "best" elk cartridge, the 338 WM isn't that popular. I'm not trying to be a smart alec, but the best way for your dad to deal with the recoil is to not shoot it.

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The .338WM not popular? Well, maybe in the lower 48, because in Alaska it's as popular as the most popular cartridge in the US, the .30-06.
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As for the original question: A lightweight rifle from the .300 and up will kick hard. The wife of someone I know, reloads and tests .338 loads for him at the range each year, but his rifle weights a little over 8 pounds. My .338WM Ruger is just as heavy. I replace the stock with a Hogue Rubber-Overmolded one, which benefits form a thick recoil pad.

But in your case, you should get a .30-06 for your Dad. He will probably enjoy it much more that a .338WM.

According to ammo sales the .338 is right up there and if it wasn't popular they would have dropped it by now, it increases in sales every year according to the experts..It started out slow and has gained momentum every year......

I don't mind muzzle brakes, they are the most effective way to lower recoil and they will make a 338 feel like a 243...Use them on the range and for testing and hunt without the brake attached if you must...The nice thing about a brake is after a while you will be leaving it off more and more until you don't use it anymore and the 338 recoil will cease to bother you at all....this process normally takes a year of two, but it works.

Ray

I agree with you - there was a day when I found the 7mm Rem Mag a big kicker. My 416 cured that and now I don't mind the 416 any more. I find the more I shoot anything that recoils, the more I get used to it.

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Originally posted by Atkinson:
According to ammo sales the .338 is right up there and if it wasn't popular they would have dropped it by now, it increases in sales every year according to the experts..It started out slow and has gained momentum every year......

I don't mind muzzle brakes, they are the most effective way to lower recoil and they will make a 338 feel like a 243...Use them on the range and for testing and hunt without the brake attached if you must...The nice thing about a brake is after a while you will be leaving it off more and more until you don't use it anymore and the 338 recoil will cease to bother you at all....this process normally takes a year of two, but it works.

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Ray,

I have heard lots of good comments about the Vais muzzle brake. Mine has a KDF, and this one is a loud as thunder. But the most important thing for me is that I have become much more accurate with my rifle after installing a brake on it, maybe because I can shoot it more often at the range without thinking about recoil. Most of the moose I have killed with my .338 for the last few years have dropped to one shot.

All I can say about the .338WM is that it impresses me a great deal each time I kill a moose with it.


MLG: The .416 is quite a great cartridge. All i have and use is a .338WM, but the following would be my ideal rifle battery:
.22 LR
.270
.338WM
.416

BREAK-O! Any questions?

But seriously, I think changing the stock from plastic to fiberglass or laminate from Boyds in a thumbhole or classic design is the way to go.

Kick-eez pad and a break-o will go a long way. I have muzzle brakes as much as anyone, but I do own a few with those nasty bastards on them.

Just a minor point but heavy bullets actually will kick LESS in rifles of the same weight than lighter bullets generally because of the increased powder charge of lighter bullets will increase recoil VELOCITY which translates into more/faster felt recoil. That's why I shoot heavier bullets in my 340 WBY. than the 210's.
Yes, Mercury recoil reducers work. I have one (110z.) in my 458 Lott with 21" hvy bbl.(10lb loaded). It's fun to shoot even with full power loads. Yes it recoils but it's not the sharp jab of a Weatherby. There are a couple of different weights of mercury recoil reducers (110z. & 6oz.). Remember to tell your gunsmith to install it at a slight rearward angle so the mercury stays at the rear of the tube when shooting level or slightly downhill, otherwise the mercury slides forward in the tube BEFORE you shoot and it's effect is neutralized as will become immediately apparent.

I totally concur with sbsmith. My 300 Win Mag has a much more unpleasant recoil (jab) than my 458 Win Mag with 500gr loads.

only a-bolt i've had was a 7mag and it was one of the most odious rifles to shoot, mostly because the stock is a really poor design. small butt, inadequate face support, and i realize i'll be in a minority but straight comb stocks always give me whiplash w/ calibers of any consequence as my neck is bent into a kink to get my cheek on the comb and look thru the scope.

my 338 and 340 both were restocked w/ fajen stocks (quite some years ago obviously) and are monte carlo's w/ nice deep butts, good thick combs and rounded f/e's. both scoped weigh almost exactly the same - 9.5# - and neither is remotely unpleasant to fire. i've put 40 rds thru the 340 in one session before, in addition to other rifles, altho 2/3 of the 40 were field position. sure they "move" under recoil but the felt sensation can't even be described as discomfort, let alone pain. the abolt 7mag on the other hand felt like somebody was trying to drive a 1x4 into my shoulder - not far from the truth. i got rid of it; why bother w/ a 7mag if a 338 isn't a problem.

the sad thing is, back when browning was making the safari they KNEW what a stock should be to be shootable. the most comfortable larger rifle i've ever owned was a safari in 375. the recoil sensation in it was negligible.

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Originally posted by lawdogso:
Do the mercury recoil reducers work? Tell me what you think.
Lawdogso

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The short and simple answer is YES!! And one thing a mercury insert won't do is put you on a first name basis with your local hearing aid supply retailer. Don't believe the RUMORS that birdshot works just as well or that a lead bar does the same thing as mercury. It doesn't and isn't!! Remember one thing about muzzle brakes, there is NO such thing as a quiet muzzle brake. All they do is redirect the noise of the blast away from the shooter which means towards someone else. Lawdog