I can handle 42 Ft LBs of recoil. Above that I hold real tight and then shoot. I weigh about 185 lbs. My weight helps alot. And I don't think about recoil when shooting. If it jars me good I hold tighter.

I have noticed that also, thanks for the reminder. I seem to experience the same, but like to hold 'less than tight' as I tend to want to 'snatch the trigger' than squeeze or pull it. In the field, I imagine a tight hold, with a steady controlled pressure break on the trigger is effective. That said, I want to cringe if shooting guns in 7mag or larger, including including say 350 mag with heavies. I can shoot ok for 10-20 rounds, then according to how I feel, put them away for the day.

I guess those 'free recoil' BR shooters can do it with rimfire and PPC's, but I don't even care to do it with my BR ctgs as I like to have more control on the gun.

Does anyone who holds a gun 'tight' also like me tend to want to 'hurry the trigger?'

I use the free recoil method but don't shoot big bores on the bench either. The way I fight the hurry trigger is with my breathing. I have found that I can control it much better if I tell myself to squeeze at the bottom of a long exhale. I seem very calm at that point.

Thanks for the advice, will have to think about that.....too often when squeezing for top groups, what works on bench would not be practical always in the field, nor needed at all times.

Here is my 2 bit weigh in on the BIG Magnums. I'm talking about the Remington Ultra Mags here. I thoroughly believe they were designed to fill a need for shooters who wanted Fastest and Firstust. Faster out the barrel, and firstes to the target/game animal. I know there was alot of hype about the crazy ranges you could take game with these rifles. The sad fact of the matter is, as far as accuracy goes, these rifles will shoot alot better than the typical rifleman is capable of accomplishing. That "Nut behind the Butt" maxim. Also, these "marksmen" have no clue how difficult and challenging a 800 or 1000 YD shot is.
That being said, let me adress the current rage in bullet design, The Bonded Bullets. A few years back, one friend had purchased a 7MM RUM thinking this would be the real ticket for long range hunting in Montana. He promptly purchased some 150 Gr. factory loads, went to the range, and was immediately dumbfounded at what he saw on the target. Lots of little tears in the paper at 100yds. Seems the projectile was going so zippy it disintgrated out the muzzle. Great pattern if it was birdshot. Anyway, I coached him into reloading some heavier Nosler bullets, slowing it down a bit, and it was much better. Thank goodness I talked him out of taking the Carlos Hathcock Challenge on Elk.
Another freind who is a very good marksmen, (he has taken elk with .270 Winchester and 35 Whelens for years) stepped up to the 300 RUM. He was using bullets that held together out the barrel, but they were so solidly built and moving so fast, he started LOSING elk with properly placed shots. He got rid of that fine piece after 3 seasons of frustration and bought a 325 WSM. He is in a state of ballistic bliss now.
And finally, my thoughts on the .375 Remington Ultra Mag. I actually shot one. Once. An aquaintance was shooting one at the range one day, and offered to let me pop a couple down range. I can say the recoil was exquisitely painful. And one of my rifles is a .375 H&H. Now, we all hear about barrel harmonics and barrel flex, it happens to some degree in all barrels. This, my friends, was the first time I actually witnessed this phenomenon with my own naked eyes. I think these rifle / cartridge combinations are a passing fad. Hopefully.

well i found out that with my 300wsm its the noise of the thing that was making me wonder why i was shooting it. I wasnt using a very good pair of earmuffs for a while but now i use them and a pair of ear plugs, certainly blocks alot of noise out! much more pleasent to shoot now and hardly notice the recoil of it. after all it aint no unbreaked .50 cal

For me the 30-06 and 7mm rem mag are unpleasent to shoot especially from the bench, but also in the field if I have to fire 30 shots or more.

Having owned a 300 win mag, 7mm rem mag and 264 win mag at one stage, as well as the use of 458 win mags and a couple of 375's, I was brainwashed in my younger days, thinking I needed all of the power(really it was because I thought my dick was big).

I mainly hunt pigs, so I dont need the power of the 30-06 or 7mm mag. I stepped down to a 7mm-08 and started enjoying my hunting trips again, the funny thing was, the game I hunted was just as dead and some days I even managed to shoot more of it.

When I start to get the "flinchies" I shoot 10-20 rounds in my 45-70 NEF Handi Rifle with full power loads. It kicks pretty bad, everything after that seems like a 22LR and I don't flinch at all...Hey..might not be the best method but works for me...

I hope the pendulum doesn't swing too fast. I've had good luck the last four years picking up slightly used rifles chambered for high intensity cartridges to convert to large bores.

There are a lot of 7mm STW's out there. Those make up into great 416 Rem Mag's. God bless Layne Simpson.

The 300 Ultra Mags are great for making into 404 Jeffrey rifles. Look at the picture of Fred338's rifle.

If I haven't been shooting in a while, I'll load up a bunch of 416 Rem Mag or 416 Rigby cases with 5744 powder and gas checked 350 grain lead bullets starting at 1,750 fps, and work up to 2,200 fps over a week or two. Then I switch to jacketed bullets, and go up to 2,370 fps - the classic Rigby velocity.

I think part of the problem is these "classic" styled stocks. I think they make recoil worse for most people. The syle is classic these days, so people will continue to get beat up.

The big problem with muzzle brakes on the super high intensity cartridges is bone conduction. We don't just hear through our ears. Very strong sound waves (think about a braked 300/378 Weatherby, or such) are passed through the bones of the skull. You can wear the worlds best plugs and muffs, and you will still have damage.

Everyone has a slightly different threshold of a tolerable recoil level. It varies with psychology, practice, age, build, gun fit, recoil velocity, etc., etc.

Over the years I have had a few sub 120# girl friends do pretty well shooting a 375 H&H and the 416 Rem Mag. Their size helped. They had no choice but to roll with the recoil. Also, there was no shooting while sitting at a bench. It was all sitting or standing out on the ground.

My one gun that I truly fear is my Marlin Guide Gun (18" barrel; no porting) with those Garrett bear loads. I guess it would indeed take a charging Brown or Grizzly bear to induce me to shoot that rifle/ammo combination. I would just take my chances with a black bear....

LD

If a rifle kicks so much that you are flinching, I think it's time to down size. I had that problem with the 338WM. Too much for me. Maybe a younger guy can handle the shoulder hit, but it affected my shooting. I think it's an individual thing. Those guys who are able to shoot without flinching can use the big boomers. I'm not one of them, now.
I've gone to 7x57's, 257 Roberts and 250 Sav for Deer hunting here. But, I got the hots to build up a 308 Win. I can use it without flinching, so that will be top of the line for recoil for me. My big boomer days are behind me.
There's a lot to be said for going with a chambering you are comfortable shooting accurately, as opposed to using a beast like the 338WM.. Grins.. Answer; don't get old. Stay young.

Don

Edit to add: There's another reason for me shooting low recoil rifles. I tore a retina in my eye from shooting big boomers. I'd am not interested in having a second tear. It's just not fun......

I am glad to hear that there are other shooters here that don't thrive on having the hell kicked out of themselves. I like to think that over the years I have gotten smarter than a chunk of hardwood.

While I don't like to be under gunned, with todays excellent crop of bullets, any deer at reasonable ranges hit with anything from a 25-06 to a 300 RUM should never know the difference. I shoot for fun and its not fun to be hammered trying to be Rambo. Take care of those shoulders and eyes while your young. Some of us didn't

Most hunters in the US are overgunned, and hence, lousy shots. With good, maybe heavy bullets, a 243 will take anything non dangerous on the continent. It will also take the dangerous stuff as well, just maybe not fast enough for some hunters. I am a pretty high volume (20K rounds annually) competitive shooter and I am just about to the point that if it kicks too hard, I don't want it.
I have owned many hard kicking guns and can manage them, but it takes extra effort. Hell, I'm a traditional bow hunter and just about anything well placed will work just fine. Most of the elk hunters where I live use a .270 and there are no complaints and no lost animals, but most of these boys can shoot pretty well. I used a 4 inch model 29 to take my elk last year at 75 yards. The loads weren't even hot, just a big,hard, heavy lead bullet going about 1000 fps.

Interesting thread.

I think as you get older your ability to tolerate recoil decreases, well it has for me.

I'm only a little bloke, 76 kilos; so the thump is what knocks me around. With decent ear protection I can take the blast.

I shoot anything from a 300 magnum up with a bag of lead shot behind it at the range.

Out hunting here in Oz, I always wear plugs, so some of my rifles are braked...........if you do volume shooting at kangaroos, as we do sometimes, it's a necessary evil.

The big 338/378 WBY I use for Africa.....it's braked and has a Gra Coil Rifle Unit in the butt............makes it a pussy cat

And the PH puts up with the blast, I just give him ear plugs every morning.

And his favourite single malt at night!

Cheers,

quote:

The big problem with muzzle brakes on the super high intensity cartridges is bone conduction. We don't just hear through our ears. Very strong sound waves (think about a braked 300/378 Weatherby, or such) are passed through the bones of the skull. You can wear the worlds best plugs and muffs, and you will still have damage.

Your not wrong.

I fired 2 shots from a mates 338/378 braked accumark and a mate fired one. Never again, I would rather have fired it without the brake.
I felt all 3 shots through my sinus and had a bad headache for the rest of the day.

I told my mate what he could do with his canon, I wanted nothing more to do with it.

For the original question, Why do we need cars when we have horses?, or why do we need bows when we have spears? Progress

I worked my way up to a 500 Jeffrey, and have been working my way back down. I've been able to shoot very powerful rifles accurately, but a few things are required to do so. Those things are rifles of reasonable weight for their chambering, I do not use muzzle brakes, and shooting frequently enough to master serious recoil.

For a variety of reasons, I simply don't shoot as much as I used to, and hence, I can't just pick up a 458 lott and have at it. I also found that for some of the hunts I go on, a 9# or heavier rifle is just too much to keep in your arms day after day. There is something to be said for a 7# rifle that you can shoot accurately.

Thus I'm thinking something between 25 and 30 cal inclusive with a case no larger than the -06 in capacity is a pretty good balance. With modern bullets, they are even better.

It always comes down to shot placement, so whatever allows you to properly place your shots, consider it as best for your use.

Muffs and plugs always for me as well.

Also, progress....that is subjective, as is recoil tolerance....heck, I guess hitting 40 I can't keep up with those 'young 120lb gals!'

Great feedback, also agree, no muzzle breaks for me either, they are harsh in my experience. I realize there may be better designs than some and perhaps it makes a difference.....but it is a non issue for my shooting, no plans for big 5 safari at this time.

Aw come on BR! Americans are speed merchants. You know that and so do I! How many times have you seen the new kid on th block go into a gun shop, grab a reloading manual and go to his calibre, and go STRAIGHT to the fastest load he can find? Heck, I was that way back in the early 60s. Then I discovered the 6.5s. I started to realize that the little 159 gr bullet from a MS did in elephants in capable hands. Made me think?? I wonder if it`ll kill a big Axis deer? It migh! Hell, Bell killed an elephant. Better try that. Would you believe?? It worked. Now I have been shooting a 264 Mag for over 35 years now and it has never let me down. BUT! I do not hot rod it either. 3080 is plenty enough for the 140 Sierra and me. But I also found that a 129 Hornady at 3008 out of my 260 AAR did it too. DUH! The 120 Sierra did it too.DUH Velocity wasn`t the king--accuracy was. So, for the last 30 + years I have worked toward accuracy, shot placement, bullet construction and, VERY important to me, the least amount of meat damage and as little suffering for the animal as possible. I have also preached this philosophyto my kids and whomever else is around. Some listened and learned and some didn`t! Those that didn`t don`t hunt with me anymore. I admit I have played with the hot-rods like the 264 Thor but that was an experiment. It worked and did the job it was intended to do. So be it. When all is said and done I grab the 263 Express I built back in the early 70s or my little 250 SAv AI for the deer around here. Going over on the eastern side I take the old 264. Shots there are longer and the deer a bit bigger. Same for Elk. People poo-poohed me for the 264 back 15 years ago when I moved her to Oregon. Hell, I don`t care! I have a full freezer. But BR! I agree with you about 99.9% of the time and you know that. And what you say about shootability is 100% true. If more people took the time to REALLY get to know their guns it would be a better place.

Aloha, Mark

quote:

Originally posted by Paul H:
I have been working my way back down.
There is something to be said for a 7# rifle that you can shoot accurately.

Thus I'm thinking something between 25 and 30 cal inclusive with a case no larger than the -06 in capacity is a pretty good balance.

Thus I'm thinking something between 25 and 7mm cal inclusive with a case no larger than the -7mmx57mm in capacity is a pretty good balance. Muzzle brakes are great. I guess I've been on this woking down caliber road a little longer than you ,Paul. roger

For those who have grown less tolerant over the years of recoil from the same rifle/cartridge combinations, think about doing some weight training. Rebuilding some of the muscle mass we've lost as we've aged will help with the recoil and make us healthier too.

Makes the wife a little more amorous too.

quote:

Originally posted by RBinNM:
For those who have grown less tolerant over the years of recoil from the same rifle/cartridge combinations, think about doing some weight training. Rebuilding some of the muscle mass we've lost as we've aged will help with the recoil and make us healthier too.

Makes the wife a little more amorous too.

Good thought ! Too late. roger

quote:

Originally posted by RBinNM:
For those who have grown less tolerant over the years of recoil from the same rifle/cartridge combinations, think about doing some weight training. Rebuilding some of the muscle mass we've lost as we've aged will help with the recoil and make us healthier too.

Makes the wife a little more amorous too.

Well at 190 or so now, about 3 years ago, I was 10-15 lighter, and running 4-9 miles 5-7 days a week, I am still not in bad shape, working out maintaining, not that I am bulky, but I am fairly solid, and the ladies have not complained much.....not that I am bragging, but I do agree.....on being fit, though I wonder if people who are less 'solid' tend to have recoil dispurse throughout their bodies more than say someone who is an ultra lean body builder where recoil just wants to push them back instead of their bodies roll more.

I do think that a good recoil pad would be appropriate for EVERY rifle mfg in most any caliber, as if anything, at least not having a plastic buttplate will allow you to stand up the rifle in any corner/surface.

Perhaps I tend to enjoy shooting in volume so much that I could not do with larger cartridges what I do now with milder ones.

I enjoy pulling the trigger so much I even pulled out the 22 pistols the other day. That poster about the 44 1000 fps elk kill reminds me of a deer-doe I shot with a similar load....that load shot years ago through a willow tree about 7-10" thick, and had enough impact coming out that I would not wanted to have been hit! I think it would have sailed through me too! Amazing what momentum and non-expanding bullets do. That load would be a pip squeak load in a rifle, but kill just as well.

Hey Mark, I read about a guy on 6br.com who built here.....read this link:

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek037.html

I think this article depicts the professional hunter who likes the challenge of the hunt, takes pride in a quick kill, and loves using PRECISION equipment, but w/o all the bang.

Worked for him.......

quote:

Originally posted by tnekkcc:

If you think that the 30-06 is big enough for 600 pound elk, then you must think that the .223 is big enough for 200 pound deer.

A friend in CO shot his elk every year with a 22 hornet Win 54. just as he had done for 40 yrs. I hunted deer for years in the south with a 222 & K-hornet and don't ever recall losing one. Shot placement & hunting within your rifle's limitations is the important thing. Not the caliber.

quote:

Originally posted by 6.5BR:
Muffs and plugs always for me as well.

Also, progress....that is subjective, as is recoil tolerance....heck, I guess hitting 40 I can't keep up with those 'young 120lb gals!'

Great feedback, also agree, no muzzle breaks for me either, they are harsh in my experience. I realize there may be better designs than some and perhaps it makes a difference.....but it is a non issue for my shooting, no plans for big 5 safari at this time.

Recoil seems to affect people differently & not always according to bulk. Some of the most recoil tolerant people I've known were women (small). They could shoot a 12 O/U all day with never a problem. I'm the opposite (170#). Recoil has always bothered me and I shoot sporting clays and some offhand rifle. I've had shoulder bruises that went clear over to my back & had to get cortizone shots in them to keep shooting skeet. Had surgery on my jaw bone to remove scar tissue from recoil. As a gunsmith, I see alot of it with customers who read the gun rags & get the hot, "trans pasture hog homogenizers" & then find they can't shoot them well. A well placed shot is always more effective than a huge bullet propelled at the speed of light . When I get a customer to go to a milder caliber that will still do the job, they usually come back & thank me.
As for flinching & trigger rush, I do it too. The thing that brought it to my attn. was muzzleloading competition. I see all these guys bragging about their half inch groups. When you think you're getting to be a good rifle shot, try a flintlock, offhand, @ 100 yards. Better yet, try a flint pistol! Great for a humility check .
Also agree with 6.5BR on those muzzle breaks & porting. I hate em. I think they are outlawed on some African hunts due to the ear damage to the workers.

quote:

Originally posted by Rug:
For the original question, Why do we need cars when we have horses?, or why do we need bows when we have spears? Progress

Interesting perspective on this thread, Rug.. Why do we need Rock-N-Roll when we have rap?

quote:

It would almost seem that all the cartridges one would need to take any game on the planet at pretty much any reasonable range was invented prior to 1970.

More like 1912, actually; newer designs have been redundant, but not useless.

I shoot with plugs under muffs, except with .22 LR rifles, and then I drop back to plugs alone.

I can shoot heavy recoilers, but I seldom bother to. It's great fun now and then, in moderate doses.

I'm a smaller 15 year old and I think I "roll" with recoil more than take it to the body. Some people can't stand recoil of my 7mm, but I don't think it's bad. I like shooting the Suhl 22 better, but I enjoy shooting bigger rifles in smaller numbers.

Tyler, I loved shooting my 338/06, to have a rifle with that power, and shooting into half inch groups.....or 1.25 at 200 yds, was impressive, 8lbs w/o scope, bullets 200-225 (250's would have increased recoil some), and a Decelerator pad, it was comfortable.

Stepping up to a 7.5 lb 338 Win Mag, too much, in fact the above was more pleasant than a Ruger Stainless Laminate 30-06 I briefly had, as it had a hard butt pad, and I was using 165's.

That said, I would not recommend you shoot a 416 Rem Mag, as I did .....ONCE, and probably never again.

I do recall in college being persuaded by an older gentlemen who had a nice collection, to try his 375 H&H, it was not bad, but I stopped either at 1 shot, or a 3 shot group, cannot recall, but I only sat down once with it.

Perhaps that is how the big boys should be handled at the range, less is more, in terms of rounds fired, and come back another day.

Great to see all the responses, reflecting the acknowledgement that shot placement is first.

i live on the A B C islands ive been shooting the 416 rem since it was invented, the secret to getting used to big calibers is to shoot them a lot offhand first. and proper fit and trigger pull makes a difference, also eye relief on scope. starting off bench shooting will beat you to death. when im hunting i never notice the recoil . ive had an nra expert ( offhand) rating since 1971 ive shot 3 shot groups offhand at 100 yds that were under 2 inches and i shoot clay pidgeons off the 200 meter backstop offhand, and i dont use a sling or any gear and all my triggers are 3.5 to 4 lb now the 416 is expensive to shoot and brass dosent last long and i do preferr to shoot 308. i learned proper target shooting with a 22 lr
the moral of this story is " learn how to shoot properly, and what works for you then recoil will be easier to manage"

quote:

Originally posted by anukpuk:
i live on the A B C islands ive been shooting the 416 rem since it was invented, the secret to getting used to big calibers is to shoot them a lot offhand first. and proper fit and trigger pull makes a difference, also eye relief on scope. starting off bench shooting will beat you to death. when im hunting i never notice the recoil . ive had an nra expert ( offhand) rating since 1971 ive shot 3 shot groups offhand at 100 yds that were under 2 inches and i shoot clay pidgeons off the 200 meter backstop offhand, and i dont use a sling or any gear and all my triggers are 3.5 to 4 lb now the 416 is expensive to shoot and brass dosent last long and i do preferr to shoot 308. i learned proper target shooting with a 22 lr
the moral of this story is " learn how to shoot properly, and what works for you then recoil will be easier to manage"

A collection of videos is found throughout. Check out Canuck 32 with the big bores.

Hi 6.5BR! Funny thing? I have a beautiful old Browning 78 I put a McGowan 6mm barrel on and chambered to 6 PPC. I also added a Canjar trigger etc. One HELL of an accurate rifle. But HEAVY! Hard to pack around loking for the bigger kitties in these mountains and at 67 yrs old with a bum back. So, last year, I did a push feed Mod 70 [originally a 223] in the same calibre but this time with a light weight Shilen barrel and left it in the FW stock. I took the old Leupold 12X scope off the Browning and put it on the little 70. It`ll still shoot in the 2s and 3s but not all 20 rounds! Ten is the limit but, as a hunting rifle, who needs more than one shot? That is ALL A Cougar is going to give you anyway. This rifle is a pleasure to carry/shoot. No recoil--ACCURACY and good killing qualities. All a guy would want. I just "acquired" another Mod 70 in 223 and am considering a 6.5 PPC or something. Harry [McGowan] had a hissy-fit when I mentioned perhaps a 1-12/13 twist though. The real pisser is that, somewhere, I have a Mod 7 in 6.5 BR! Maybe I should just find it and play with it some more. As I recall it was dirt accurate with the 120s so I just sorta gave up on it years ago. My best to you and yours. Send me your email address and I`ll send you a pic of the little 6 PPC.
Aloha, Mark

quote:

Originally posted by brayhaven:

quote:

Originally posted by tnekkcc:

If you think that the 30-06 is big enough for 600 pound elk, then you must think that the .223 is big enough for 200 pound deer.

A friend in CO shot his elk every year with a 22 hornet Win 54. just as he had done for 40 yrs. I hunted deer for years in the south with a 222 & K-hornet and don't ever recall losing one. Shot placement & hunting within your rifle's limitations is the important thing. Not the caliber.

I sure hope your friend wasn't hunting elk in Colorado as he violated afew big game laws with his 22 hornet.

quote:

Originally posted by Blair338/378:
Interesting thread.

I think as you get older your ability to tolerate recoil decreases, well it has for me.

I'm only a little bloke, 76 kilos; so the thump is what knocks me around. With decent ear protection I can take the blast.

I shoot anything from a 300 magnum up with a bag of lead shot behind it at the range.

Out hunting here in Oz, I always wear plugs, so some of my rifles are braked...........if you do volume shooting at kangaroos, as we do sometimes, it's a necessary evil.

The big 338/378 WBY I use for Africa.....it's braked and has a Gra Coil Rifle Unit in the butt............makes it a pussy cat

And the PH puts up with the blast, I just give him ear plugs every morning.

And his favourite single malt at night!

Cheers,

Now that is taking care of your PH...

I hear ya on the 338-378 as mine is a pussycat to shoot and my electronic muffs take all of ear ouch out of it... My '06 kicks harder then it does but then too it weighs about 7.5 lbs and the Weatherby is over 10 lbs... The only thing that I truely didn't like shooting that would induce a flinch was my hunting partners 300 Win Mag that weighs about the same as my '06 (OUCH)...

If you can't hit what you're aiming at there is no sense in being there anyway... Use something you can shoot with confidence....

Ken....

quote:

Good discussion. I shoot a 300 flinch-free for the first 15 to 20 rounds and then my groups widen up. So even though I hate to admit it, I do get the gips after awhile of shooting the hammers.

quote:

Had a .338/378 Weatherby for a while. It was a real "gee whiz" rifle!!! Almost destroyed 50+ years of flinch free shooting. The use of the Accubrake required DOUBLE ear protection!!
I sold it to make room for more pleasant shooting.

I own and shoot several of the big hammers without flinching!! I belive anyone can also do like wise.
I limit my shooting of the Big guns to load development, zeroing, and a very few familiarization shots. A lead sled and double hearing protection is a good investent for this.
When I go to the range to pratice I shoot 22 lr, 22 centerfire, and my M1A (9 Lb 308), I also dry fire concentrating on breathing and trigger pull. I'm looking for a good air rifle so I can shoot in the morining in my back yard. If you pratice the basics instead of punishing your self with the big guns you will shoot much better, and without a flinch.


DR B

Great point, and to REALLY test for flinching a Spring airgun, (slower lock time) and/or a black powder, not inline, or better yet, a flintlock, would REALLY make you check yourself.

I have done LOTS of airgun and 22 shooting in my life. High power spring airguns require concentration on shot follow through, very critical for accuracy.

Mark, I pm'd you.

I hate recoil in some guns more than others. An old blue steel Rem. Mdl 7 in .308 with 18 inch barrel was harder on my shoulder off the bench and wore me out faster than a Kimber 300WSM, both shooting 180 grain bullets! I have lost the mdl 7 somewhere....I do shoot my .270 and .243 a lot better however than the 300WSM, and as far as a bigger than 300WSM, I believe the 9.3 x 62 holds the answer for me over the 338WM for now...I just am not sure I like the only platform chambered for the 9.3 (CZ) in the USA, and I keep hearing these wonderful stories regards the .325WSM...

quote:

Originally posted by Jimmy P Coaltrain:
I hate recoil in some guns more than others. An old blue steel Rem. Mdl 7 in .308 with 18 inch barrel was harder on my shoulder off the bench and wore me out faster than a Kimber 300WSM, both shooting 180 grain bullets! I have lost the mdl 7 somewhere....I do shoot my .270 and .243 a lot better however than the 300WSM, and as far as a bigger than 300WSM, I believe the 9.3 x 62 holds the answer for me over the 338WM for now...I just am not sure I like the only platform chambered for the 9.3 (CZ) in the USA, and I keep hearing these wonderful stories regards the .325WSM...

I have admiration for the 9.3's, and perhaps a 338/06 would tickle your fancy, but not beat you up, I loved the one I had, and it was more than enough gun for what I needed with accuracy and range to boot.

Just rereading this post for the second time, and agree with most of what has been posted. I currently shoot a #8.5 30-06 and while I don't have time to shoot it as often as I used to when load developing, I am fairly familiar with it. One thing I always do off the bench is to use a cut-off leg of a pair of jeans filled with sand. I used to only start to flinch after 25-30 rounds of 180 gr. loads. Then I would quit. Knowing your limits is a good way to reduce flinch, even with a moderately recoiling rifle(relatively speaking). I bought that gun in that caliber because I knew that to become proficient takes practice and recoil tolerance development. In a t-shirt today I touched off three shots at a distant target of unknown size and distance. It was a stick in a huge dirt cliff across a river, so everything was safe. Inthe third shot, I hit it, but it took nearly all the mental discipline I could muster to not flinch on that last shot.
To sum up my own thoughts on the issue, I think that flinching comes down to practiced immunity and being extremely tough mentally. I have to "think the bullet to the target", and not think of the recoil. Just my two cents, and great thread. This kind of thread is why I'm a member of this forum.
Straight shooting
Graham

quote:

Originally posted by lawndart:
.....
Everyone has a slightly different threshold of a tolerable recoil level. It varies with psychology, practice, age, build, gun fit, recoil velocity, etc., etc....

Ditto on every aspect of that statement. I find my .375 H&H is very tolerable to shoot, however, I have a friend who is older & slightly larger (56, 5'11", ~240lb) than me (44, 5'9", ~220lb), that grimmaces and massages his shoulder everytime he shoots my .375 (standing, not benched). I can easily shoot 20 rounds of full-house 300gr loads, he can only shoot it once.

There is a story on this site I beleive it is the 577 tyranasaur where the author says he prefers not to use it in dangerous situations. The recoil is so bad that when being charged by a 2000 lb cape buffalo you might consider your chances with the buff rather than face the reciol of the rifle.