What happens if someone shoots a big bore (more than 5000 ftlbs) downhill at 30 degrees of more?

Does a person need to brace one's neck more than normal in order to avoid having a scope impact a forehead and cut an eyebrow? Is there any shooting trick, or is recoil absorption pretty much the same as when shooting on a level?

Most shooting in Africa is fairly flat and one does not encounter long, steep shots like commonly heard of in the North American mountains. So if I were to take a flatshooting 416Rigby on a deer or elk hunt, are there any precautions to take if shooting down a steep mountain side? Since I've never shot a heavy calibre down a steep slope, and have never cut my forehead, I thought it prudent to ask.


Thanks for your thoughts.

Unless your shooting Prone; non issue. your body and the gun remain is fairly constant angle alignment for all field shooting under reasonable positions. Prone is another game. But again, shooting down hill prone is not the problem angle, uphill is. Shooting downhill is usually "over the hill and down" so you have plenty of angle between your body and the rifle.
Learn how to cheek weld the rifle at the positions you want to shoot and don't worry about the angle of the shot/ground once you have a solid trusted position hold.
My favorite is sitting over sticks no matter what the slope. just works.
Best regards,

Usually its shooting uphill that gets people clobbered. Downhill is safer than level.

I don't see how shooting down hill would do anything but pull your head back away from the scope..Shooting uphill make little half moon designs in your eyebrow that bleeds profusely. Been there done that a couple of times, but I tend to climb a stock..

If you keep your head GLUED to the stock like I've told you it doesn't matter if your shooting uphill or downhill! Practice this!

I shot a bear from a tree stand with my 416T and didn't have a problem

quote:

Usually its shooting uphill that gets people clobbered.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
I shot a bear from a tree stand with my 416T and didn't have a problem

That is somewhat reassuring, though the Taylor is pretty gentle. The reason for the question is that I notice that rifles tend to 'jump' on me a little more when they reach 416Weatherby levels and up. (My Rigbys are loaded to Weatherby levels. They often rock me off my rests when shooting at a bench. Especially the 500ARNyati)

On a steeply downhill shot I would assume that my head is leaning forward too, so a sharp jab backwards at the neck/shoulder level coupled with a bit of up thrust by the rifle itself toward my forward-leaning head seemed like a potential 1-2 situation. I'm glad to hear that it doesn't work that way.

quote:

Originally posted by Robgunbuilder:
If you keep your head GLUED to the stock like I've told you it doesn't matter if your shooting uphill or downhill! Practice this!

Indeed, that is what I practice. And a better grip on the foreend than with light calibers.
So maybe I'll get a chance sometime soon for a steep downhill or uphill.

quote:

The reason for the question is that I notice that rifles tend to 'jump' on me a little more when they reach 416Weatherby levels and up

More velocity well do that it is called physics.

You can always wood screw a football helmet to the stock aka shootaway style! Uphill, downhill, scope 1 inch eye relief, you'll never have an issue! Looks stupid, is stupid but an out of the box fix for this serious problem!