At what caliber and rifle weight do you guys lose the scope sight-picture from the recoil upon firing? I had a lightweight(slim barrel) old style M77 semi-CRF/pushfeed in .280 rem. that had a sharp kick to it and would always blur the sight-picture at instant of firing. I shot a fine large-frame 4 1/2 year old 8 point last week with my 7x57 mauser using 160 grain nos. part. full-power handloads. He was broadside at 50 yards and had his very rut-swollen neck in a twist as his head was up and looking my way, nervous like. Although there was some mild recoil at the shot, I could plainly see him instantly rare up on his hind legs with three spurts of red blood in a whippy/stringy fashion rocket from the entry hole and then he fell on his back and over on his side with no more movement other than a few breaths. The bullet missed the spine(I was in an elevated position) but strangely took a right turn down into the front of the lungs and exited out the off upper leg where it meets the shouder. Now this rifle with a heavy 30mm tube scope weights 8 1/4 lbs.

One of the reasons I was taught to shoot with both eyes open was to be able to see the animals reaction at the shot.

Interesting question, Leo, and I think the answer is we really can't define this by a particular caliber. I think it depends on your POSITION with a given rifle and just how much YOU can recoil with the gun. Example: Standing up you probably roll off target with the recoil. Sitting down in a good braced position, you WON'T likely lose the target. Yes? No?

I was able to observe my 7mm RM bullets in flight at a target range one day, so started to pay more attention to this. It wasn't to hard to see impact on whitetail, elk, moose, at ranges to 300 yards, while watching bullet flight prior to impact. It helps to have the sun over your shoulder to see bullet flight best. 160gr Noslers gave a dinner plate size opening in the hide which snapped back to normal size immediately, interesting to watch. I lost the ability to do this when going to the 8mm RM.

Like stubblejumper said, if you learn to keep both eyes open you can see where the animal drops or runs, even through the recoil. It takes a little time to master, but it works.

I shoot with both eyes open as well.

I also agree with it being your position that affects it the most. I remember clearly seeing a couple of mule deer go down or react to the shot when I had a solid rest for my rifle.

I also remember NOT seeing anything through the scope when shooting offhand or form kneeling or squatting.

This is using .270,7mm RM, and .300. I don't rememeber being able to see anything after shooting .338 WInchester, though. I have never shot anythign more powerful than the .338, so I can't comment on the Really Big Guns...

I had never seen anything after firing a shot. This includes the .22LR and varmint rifles like the .222 Rem. Then a friend mentioned that he recalls seeing the bullet hit a deer from his .270 but that the .358 Win kicked him enough that he was off the target.

Since I started shooting at targets and always did well for score I figured that my nervous system just closes my eye(s). At this point I write it off as something that I can't do a lot about.

8mm or More, you must have eyes like Ted Williams had. I have a video produced by the NRA where in a hunting scene the bullet's path can be seen before it hits the elk. That just simply amazed me to see something that fast. Don't know the caliber but I assumed it to be a big bore of low velocity but seeing a 7mm RM.....well, I'm impressed. Of course, artillery shells can be seen regulary.

Leo, I first noticed this one PM while shooting at the 300yd gong at a range with the 7mmRM. At the range, I found that by shifting the focus of what I was looking at to about 100yds at the time of firing, then refocusing on target (complicated, but it works) allowed me to "see" the bullet base in flight, best viewed with the sun coming over your shoulder parallel to the target line of sight. Not something I would recommend anywhere but a controlled range environment, with few adjacent shooters. While interesting, it is not what I would do it a hunting environment. Bullet impact is not to hard to see, if recoil can be managed well, if you use a scope, which I don't anymore. Last one I watched was whitetail at about 20yds, 270 win. I put the rifle in a safe posture while being yelled at to shoot again, you missed. It was a perfect heart shot on a keyed up whitetail, resulting in a 100yd dash ending in dropping to the ground in mid stride. I could have kept firing, but would only have made hamburger of some real good whitetail. I saw the impact, no one else did. As I get older, I see less and less of these type things, darn!

Leo: I have a NRA hunting video where most animals hunted are deer, but at the end an elk is shot by a hunter with a .338WM. This one may be the one you are talking about.

The guide shows the elk to the hunter, and the hunter in turn shoots the elk one time through what looked to me like the heart, and the elk instantly falls forwards (dead) and slides a couple of feet on the snow. That was an amazing shot, and one can clearly see the bullet path though the cold air.

I have dropped a few moose just as fast with my .338WM, but I haven't seen the bullet path through my scope. I have seen it maybe a time or two when watching other shooters at the range.

I see most everything I shoot with any rifle, including Buffalo, Lion and whatever with my 416 and 404, irons or scope, but I shoot at 3X and under for DG but see all with 5X also as best I recall....I lost the sight picture with the 458 Lott and 505, probably the tears caused that. I think I squent one eye...I'm not sure.

I think the biggest mistake most folks make with a scope is looking up and over the scope, at the minute of the shot to see if they hit!! This is a miss in the making everytime, you must, I say must follow thourgh....Most don't even realize they are doing it, others don't even know better, some never heard of follow thourgh with a scope...I catch myself doing this on rare ocassions and it really pi$$e$ me off........It cost me the biggest Muley I have ever seen, I did it twice in a row on that big 40 plus incher!!

Oh well if it were not for such foopaws we would soon grow bored with just killing and quit hunting altogether, I always remember the failed hunts best, they are fine memories, some revive a chuckle, others a tear, but each one a lasting memory.

I see most everything I shoot with any rifle, including Buffalo, Lion and whatever with my 416 and 404, irons or scope, but I shoot at 3X and under for DG but see all with 5X also as best I recall....I lost the sight picture with the 458 Lott and 505, probably the tears caused that. I think I squent one eye...I'm not sure.

I think the biggest mistake most folks make with a scope is looking up and over the scope, at the minute of the shot to see if they hit!! This is a miss in the making everytime, you must, I say must follow thourgh....Most don't even realize they are doing it, others don't even know better, some never heard of follow thourgh with a scope...I catch myself doing this on rare ocassions and it really pi$$e$ me off........It cost me the biggest Muley I have ever seen, I did it twice in a row on that big 40 plus incher!!

Oh well if it were not for such foopaws we would soon grow bored with just killing and quit hunting altogether, I always remember the failed hunts best, they are fine memories, some revive a chuckle, others a tear, but each one a lasting memory.

I almost always see my hits. Occasionally I see the bullet flight as well, and it doesn't seem to matter what caliber.