There is a reason the 7 mag ,300 win mag and now the 7 prc have been so popular. Excellent ballistics and manageable recoil. If you look at the F class nationals 8 of the top ten were shooting 180 7mm berger. Excellent ballistics and manageable recoil.
Ouch this gun hurts! Opinions??
- Thread starter d_wit22
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rellison312
Well-Known Member
Yes. But often forget to but them on, usually sit around my neck
My ears are bad enough now I almost refuse to shoot without hearing protection. I'm trying my best to save it for when I'm older. I will shoot at ducks and geese occasionally without anything, but shotguns aren't nearly as loud.
Wind Gypsy
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No broad assumptions, basic physics.
When you say you shoot a 375 weatherby as well as a modest cartridge, is that prone? From bench?
I'd love you see you do a Kraft drill or Carl Ross's positional hunting drill https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt.../printthread/Board/29/main/643918/type/thread with a 375 Weatherby and shoot it as well as you would with a 6mm of similar precision potential.
memtb
Well-Known Member
I think that could shoot that with my 9 pound .375 AI, but…..I may not stay within the required moa. Shooting from sitting would be my downfall…..just was too stiff to get into a comfortable, locked-in position. The second round would also be a pretty tough round!
What was the average score?
I completed in a few of the original "poatal" (I think that's the way it was spelled back then)……I did OK. They were a lot of fun! memtb
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MagnumManiac
Well-Known Member
My simple question to you is, do you hunt off a bench? Do you shoot and practice off-hand shooting on moving targets?
Apart from F-class, I also compete in Big Game Rifle Club comp, rules state 375 is minimum, MUST HAVE 5,000ft/lbs at muzzle to qualify, big bore starts at 45 cal, but we changed the rules to accommodate smaller calibres.
A 6mm doesn't even come into the picture, and yes, I shoot prone, off-hand, from a bi-pod and even prone from my truck or standing in the tray…anything else you want to know.
You can quote physics all you like, experience trumps physics in regard to recoil, the bigger the recoil you are accustomed to, like 500 Nitro, 505 Gibbs or 600OK make most magnums, including the 375 Weatherby, feel like your 6mm…
Cheers.
Wind Gypsy
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No and that's my point. Fundamentals get compromised in actual field shooting conditions. More recoil exploits them.
Cool, you're so good that you're immune to physics. I compliment your exemplary marksmanship skills.
I'm not sure what "average" is. I've seen the Kraft Drill avg report as being 3+ MOA but haven't tracked down actual. Just know that I'm not shooting as tight with a magnum hunting rifle on it. I've done more of the modified Carl Ross drill with 20 Second par times vs 15 as outlined in the rokslide thread "equipment vs Practice posts". 10-15 seems like a pretty common score from people who actually report their score on the internet. I'd venture to guess actual avg for hunters score would be much lower.
These are 7.5 lb rifles... maybe 9 to 9.5 lbs with a scope. A .30-06 Winchester M70 weighs about a half-pound more but in .30-'06 has half the recoil, making it much less painful.
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Velocity is at both ends (how fast the bullet leaves the muzzle, how fast the rifle travels back to smack your shoulder). The Weatherby stock is designed in a way that can accentuate recoil, Roy Weatherby notwithstanding (a straighter 'classic'-style stock will recoil less and pop you in the face less). A .300 Weatherby Magnum is not going to be a joy to shoot from the bench. The newer Vanguards should have threaded barrels from the factory, and you can have a muzzle brake installed that you use at the range to get the gun mostly sighted in, and then remove it and put on the thread cap and shoot it a few more times to verify sight-in without the brake. Or, you can plan to use the brake while hunting and use a set of ear plugs or muffs, as described above. Be mindful that anyone with you will also want to have plugs or muffs handy.
Or, you can add some weight to the rifle by having a gunsmith put some weight in the buttstock and forend under the barrel.
I'm personally not a fan of the .300 Magnums. Yes, they shoot flat, but they kick like a mule. I find my M70 Classic in .338 Win Mag is much more pleasant to shoot. I think it's because it's burning less powder than a magnum cartridge with more powder capacity, and also because of the ratio of bore size to case capacity (expansion ratio)... the powder is consumed more fully and thus the pressure drops more so there's less of a jet effect to blast your rifle back into your shoulder when the bullet leaves the muzzle.
I have fired a Weatherby Mark V in .460 Weatherby Magnum... twice. That rifle KICKS, much more than my A-Square .470 Capstick. I got a concussion from it, and have never fired one since. I did it because I wanted to see what the recoil was like. IMO a Mark V in .460 is a dumb idea. I'd rather be gored, stomped, or bitten by some critter than try to shoot it with a .460. It would hurt less. Today, if I can't shoot it with at most a .375 H&H I'm not going to hunt it.
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Velocity is at both ends (how fast the bullet leaves the muzzle, how fast the rifle travels back to smack your shoulder). The Weatherby stock is designed in a way that can accentuate recoil, Roy Weatherby notwithstanding (a straighter 'classic'-style stock will recoil less and pop you in the face less). A .300 Weatherby Magnum is not going to be a joy to shoot from the bench. The newer Vanguards should have threaded barrels from the factory, and you can have a muzzle brake installed that you use at the range to get the gun mostly sighted in, and then remove it and put on the thread cap and shoot it a few more times to verify sight-in without the brake. Or, you can plan to use the brake while hunting and use a set of ear plugs or muffs, as described above. Be mindful that anyone with you will also want to have plugs or muffs handy.
Or, you can add some weight to the rifle by having a gunsmith put some weight in the buttstock and forend under the barrel.
I'm personally not a fan of the .300 Magnums. Yes, they shoot flat, but they kick like a mule. I find my M70 Classic in .338 Win Mag is much more pleasant to shoot. I think it's because it's burning less powder than a magnum cartridge with more powder capacity, and also because of the ratio of bore size to case capacity (expansion ratio)... the powder is consumed more fully and thus the pressure drops more so there's less of a jet effect to blast your rifle back into your shoulder when the bullet leaves the muzzle.
I have fired a Weatherby Mark V in .460 Weatherby Magnum... twice. That rifle KICKS, much more than my A-Square .470 Capstick. I got a concussion from it, and have never fired one since. I did it because I wanted to see what the recoil was like. IMO a Mark V in .460 is a dumb idea. I'd rather be gored, stomped, or bitten by some critter than try to shoot it with a .460. It would hurt less. Today, if I can't shoot it with at most a .375 H&H I'm not going to hunt it.
Frank in the Laurels
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I agree, for whatever reason there seems to be a huge difference in recoil once you step up to the 300wea. even from a 300wm, maybe it's just my ancient old shoulders, a 1000 football hits, I'm only good for about 3 shots off the bench and NO MAS !
Weakender
New Member
my grandfather hunted with a R700 .300 weatherby with a muzzle break for many years, took a few Elk and Mule Deer, and a lot of whitetails. I started using it as a teenager, recoil wasnt that bad, but wow was it loud… too loud. I'd like to say thread the barrel for a break or a suppressor to keep the .300 wby going!
VTbluegrass
Well-Known Member
Vangaurd is a great rifle but everyone I've seen had a recoil pad made of tire rubber. Same with my old 700 and 870. Limbsaver pad is the cheapest fix.
