Lowering "RECOIL" for hunting & Shooting

[WildRose]

Thanks for your reply, the 110BA is a heavy gun, but will a after market muzzle brake do better than the factory tuned one that comes with it? Please let me know as well as aprox. price for a aftermarket one installed... Also what would you recommend for recoil-reducer pads for the 110BA?? Or even a new recoil reducing stock?? Please let me know asap. Thanks again...gun)

Their factory brakes are crap. Replace it with one of Kirby's or any one of our other sponsors here who make them. They will all do the job very well for you.

There are only two butt pads worth spending money on, one is the Simms and the other is the Pachmayer Decelerator. I have both, love them both. On my unbraked 300 win mags the Simms makes the recoil negligible and I have the pachmayer on my 300 Rum with the same results.

 

[FEENIX]

Thanks Dr. Vette, But, I was told that the regular Burris elem has to be a "full" 12X for the rangefinder and compisator to work, I'm not just buying this gun/scope for this hunt only... I need a gun for "Any" hunt anywhere here in North-America

That is correct! The new one has lots of upgrades and works at all magnification.



However, you might want to check with the proper authority (i.e., the game warden that will enforce it, etc...) if it is legal to use this scope where you are going to hunt. In some states, it is illegal for big game but OK for varmints.

Good luck and happy safe hunting/shooting.

 

[Dr. Vette]

That is correct! The new one has lots of upgrades and works at all magnification.

However, you might want to check with the proper authority (i.e., the game warden that will enforce it, etc...) if it is legal to use this scope where you are going to hunt. In some states, it is illegal for big game but OK for varmints.

Good luck and happy safe hunting/shooting.

In addition, he might want to wait a month until the SHOT show to see if the improvements to the III version show up on a less expensive model.

 

[Damascus]

I agree on getting an aftermarket brake. I only charge my customers around $60 - $80 to thread a muzzle for a brake. Im working on a rifle right now for a customer that i installed a jewell trigger and brake on a .30-378 mag custom rifle, which was painful to shoot before, now it's a pussycat, however muzzle blast sounds and feels like a half stick of dynamite going off lol. Recoil was reduced to feel about like a stout 30-06 load, or 2.75" 12 ga. Buckshot load, completely manageable.

Like already said, heavy rifles kick less.... i would buy a Rem 700 SPS Varmint (26" heavy barrel with cheap plastic non bedded stock) in .300 WM, install an aftermarket brake, trigger, and a Bell & Carlson A5 tactical style stock, which is heavy but not too heavy, has full length aluminum bedding block, and cheekrest and vertical foregrip.... then youll have a long range tack driver... or if u can afford it, an H-S Precision or McMillian stock.

 

[diriel]

For $2500+ you are encroaching in custom territory.

300wm

-- Weight to be 16lbs minus scope
-- Good muzzle brake
-- MCS-GAT stock from Manners. Ask for 5 lb. "sniper fill". We want the weight... The thumbhole does help with recoil management.
-- Coming up with an action in probably Rem 700 should be easy enough.
-- #7 barrel contour @ about 26" before muzzle brake. Do Not Flute...we want the weight.
-- Possibly a nice bi-pod? Only if you plan to shoot prone of course.
-- Rifle Slings - Tactical Intervention Specialists Sniper Rifle this guy makes seriously good slings. When I say good I mean comfortable, durable, and *useful*. Far too often the sling is an afterthought, but if used with some training it is a nice tool.

Plenty of gents here who could smith something like this up for you. At the end of the project you have a rifle that will For SURE hammer them in tight. It should also fit you well as the MCS-GAT stock comes with a spacer system to allow you to modify Length Of Pull to suit you. LOP makes a serious difference, it is a detail that needs to be addressed up front. With your size you will probably be somewhere between 13 7/8" and 14 1/8". I am 6'1" and I went with 14 1/4" but my rifle is for primarily prone shooting and I vehemently hate "scope kiss". My next stock will be 14" dead on, but it will also be for General Purpose shooting.

Have a good one,
Gary

 

[Bravo 4]

What I got from your first post is you want a low recoiling accurate 500 yard elk rifle that you can basically drive around with. Maybe the guide said 500 yards because he thinks thats as close as you will be able to drive up to one??? For that I would use a heavy, braked rifle in any of the cartridges listed. But at 500 yards I wouldn't hesitate to use a 30-06 with a good bullet, maybe even a .308 with the right bullet. If the .300 mag can be considered a 800 or 1000 yard elk rifle then a 30-06 or even a .308 can be considered a 500 yarder...especially if recoil is the big concern.
But you also want a single do all rifle. You keep getting responses about adding weight. I do agree that, besides shooting a lower level cartridge and adding a brake, adding weight is one of the best ways to reduce recoil. However, I think a man in your physical condition (no matter how big) should think of weight as a hindrance. I don't mean for a rifle you will drive around with and carry very little but from the do it all rifle. What happens if you do go on that goat/sheep hunt or have to venture any distance from a vehicle (especially on restrictive/severely restrictive terrain)? I think a medium/sporter weight rifle with a good brake and recoil pad chambered in a decent cartridge of your choice (.280, 30-06, whatever...) would be your best bet. You can even load them up or down as much as you can tolerate.
I think you are going about it right by wanting to shoot different rifle/cartridge combos.
Good luck to you; on you rifle decision, your hunt and your health.

 

[Red Sparky]

To me reading your post you are worried about the range time inflicting damage to your shoulder with the pin and your back. What I would do is get a lead sled or something similar to use at the range. Then you just need a rifle you can handle the recoil of twice. Once for the one shot kill. And once for a follow up shot if needed. You can put the break on it and other customizing to reduce the recoil for field use. I thought they had something you put in the stock from the butt that has lead and a spring to work as a reducer but the gunsmiths would know more about it than I do.

 

[Wheatgerm]

This may have already been covered I didn't read threw all the posts... I shoot a I 300 WSM rem 700 with 210 bergers. Its good to dump an elk out to 800yards and them some. The kick was pretty hard but 2 weeks ago o put a good muzzle break on it. It now kicks about equivalent to my 243 im not exaggerating when I say it took easily 85% of the kick out of the gun.. but still has more UMPH than a 308 on the delivery end. Id say and magnum with a good performing muzzle break will be ok for you.. (maybe want to stay away from the 300rum)

 

[Damascus]

+1 - I completely agree with Bravo 4. I try to keep weight down as much as possible, since a heavy barreled, scoped, long range rifle is heavy enough on its own! To me, the .300 Win Mag is perfectly manageable, especially in a heavy barreled rifle, but with an added muzzle brake - you need to keep stock and optics weight down, especially if you are going to be lugging that thing around for any given distance. Good stocks with alloy bedding block systems are heavy as it is, so anything else I could do to shave weight, such as barrel fluting, etc, I would do.
You say "a rifle you can use anywhere"... well, here, shooting at elk 500+ yards away, an 18 pound rifle is fine... What happens when you want to come down here to western North Carolina to hunt whitetail or black bear?? Then, lugging even a 10 pound rifle up and down these mountains gets old realllllly fast..

 

[diriel]

@Damascus, The OP's huge problem is that his body is beat to hell-and-gone and he just can not take much punishment from recoil. He also mentioned he does not usually have to lug such things too far as he has Motorized Toyz to lug him and his gear. Just saying I have a friend who has pins in his shoulder and he can't take much recoil at all because of it. Stuff I consider very mild messes him up. Gary

 

[COBrad]

Referring to my post at the beginning of this thread, not only are you hearing all kind of gack about you "NEED" a .300 something, you are also now being recommended heavy rifles suitable for ranges in excess of 1K yards.
You still want relatively mild recoil and a pretty universal kind of hunting rifle, right?
Forget the 14 pounders and the .300's. I have what you need.
This rifle weighs about 8 lbs scoped, has been accurate enough to take numerous rock chucks between 5 and 600 yards this year, shot 1/2 MOA at 842 yards last time out, will kill elk with authority and won't kick hard.
It happens to be chambered in 270 WSM, just .007 shy of the 7 mag. I am shooting 140 gr. Berger VLD's, and have a box of 140 gr. Accubonds I had planned to try, until back problems ended any idea of big game hunting this year. There are several really good bullets available in 150 gr as well.
Unfortunately for you, my rifle is not for sale. Fortunately for you, there are others like it available.
Mine is a custom, and it was guaranteed to shoot as well as it does. That's why I bought it. One I would suggest as an accurate, relatively light, and all around great rifle is a Cooper Excalibur. I have had 5 Coopers and they all shot exceptionally well. I still have 3. The others had too nice of wood for my conscience to bear roughing up hunting elk.
Another place to look is Hill Country Rifles. They always have something available, and their Harvester series sells for less than 2K.
You still have time to have a custom finished by next season, if your builder is quick, and you can order one off this very site that will be done pretty darn quick.
You can have what you want, and it doesn't have to kick like a mule, blast your ears to hell with a muzzle brake, or be uncomfortable to carry if you throw it over your shoulder and head for yonder elk hidey-hole. All that and still make a 500 yard elk rifle, which really isn't that far once you get the hang of it.

 

[WildRose]

Referring to my post at the beginning of this thread, not only are you hearing all kind of gack about you "NEED" a .300 something, you are also now being recommended heavy rifles suitable for ranges in excess of 1K yards.
You still want relatively mild recoil and a pretty universal kind of hunting rifle, right?
Forget the 14 pounders and the .300's. I have what you need.
This rifle weighs about 8 lbs scoped, has been accurate enough to take numerous rock chucks between 5 and 600 yards this year, shot 1/2 MOA at 842 yards last time out, will kill elk with authority and won't kick hard.
It happens to be chambered in 270 WSM, just .007 shy of the 7 mag. I am shooting 140 gr. Berger VLD's, and have a box of 140 gr. Accubonds I had planned to try, until back problems ended any idea of big game hunting this year. There are several really good bullets available in 150 gr as well.
Unfortunately for you, my rifle is not for sale. Fortunately for you, there are others like it available.
Mine is a custom, and it was guaranteed to shoot as well as it does. That's why I bought it. One I would suggest as an accurate, relatively light, and all around great rifle is a Cooper Excalibur. I have had 5 Coopers and they all shot exceptionally well. I still have 3. The others had too nice of wood for my conscience to bear roughing up hunting elk.
Another place to look is Hill Country Rifles. They always have something available, and their Harvester series sells for less than 2K.
You still have time to have a custom finished by next season, if your builder is quick, and you can order one off this very site that will be done pretty darn quick.
You can have what you want, and it doesn't have to kick like a mule, blast your ears to hell with a muzzle brake, or be uncomfortable to carry if you throw it over your shoulder and head for yonder elk hidey-hole. All that and still make a 500 yard elk rifle, which really isn't that far once you get the hang of it.

You're thinking too much like me now. I was about to come back and suggest a Model 70 outback in one of the wsm's or the mod 70 Extreme weather in either 30-06 or 7mm Rem mag.

They weigh in at or just under 8lbs and with a decent brake on them will deliver more than tolerable recoil.

Even my unbraked 300wm is a pussycat shooting 165's as is my 7mm Rem Mag shooting 140's and 150's.

Even a half mile in rough terrain can flat beat up someone with physical limitations trying to pack around a 10-14lbs or heavier rifle.

 

[COBrad]

I'm with you wildrose. I used to run 168 gr. TSX bullets through a Kimber 300 WSM. They were very effective on elk, and recoil was moderate. My LR rifle is 13.5 lbs, and I'm not going to pack that around hunting elk, even in the Eberlestock day pack I use. For a general hunting rifle, this little Allen Precision 270 WSM is just the thing.

 

[farout]

. So, many have suggested the Savage-110BA as the perfect gun for me. What are you thoughts on that,

I believe for your situation, they are 100% correct. I ran some numbers through a recoil calculator to see what this 110BA in 300 WM might really kick like.

Numbers for the calc were as follows:

Savage 110BA weight = 15.75 LB.
Savage states brake effectiveness = 35%
Used this load data for the calc from Hodgdon:
180 Nosler e-tip
H4831 71.8 GN
Velocity 2938 fps.

The results of this calc give a total of 8.71 (ft/lbs) of recoil for the 110BA. Checking Chuck Hawk's rifle recoil table shows the closest match to be a .243 Winchester shooting a 100 GN bullet for a recoil 0f 8.8 (ft/lbs).
Amazing!!! This means that all of the guys on here who state that a brake on their 300 WSM makes it shoot like a .243 are 100% correct.

But unfortunately, Debo, this may not be sufficient for you. You mention these issues in the thread:

COBrad: So I want a gun to hunt anything at any range that doesn't hurt me to shoot... )) If you had a bad shoulder that was Very sensitive to the touch and could only have one gun to hunt "anything"(Elk, Moose, Bear, Rams?) at "any" yardage, out to 1,200 yards (Scopes limit) what would you own???

COBrad: I've hunted for over 45+years!! I now have a bolt in shoulder with arthritis and can't take the punishment I used to inflict...

I think a lot of us on this thread missed the severity of your limitations on shooting a powerful long range rifle.

Here's a short story about a young man at our gun club who had similar limitations that might help you. He had lost all sight in his right eye due to a work related accident. Then, wouldn't you know it, he draws a once in a life time trophy elk hunt in our state. This guy taught himself to shoot left handed! He was at the range every weekend for a few months in the summer, shooting a left handed Sako in 300 WSM. At the end of those months he was shooting very good groups at 300 yards. He had all of our interest and admiration. He said he worked at it so hard because, if the chance he got was a 500 yard chance, he had to be able to make the shoot. He was shooting very good after a couple months, so I think it can be done.

My suggestion, would be to learn to shoot left handed and leave that beat up shoulder alone. I also saw where you lost some fingers on your left hand. This may not be an issue either. With the weight and recoil reduction offered by the 110BA, and the fact that you will probably always be shooting from a bipod, you could shoulder the gun on the left shoulder and use the right hand trigger finger. Maybe you could try this all out on a small rifle and see if you can get it to work before going to the 110BA.

One more comment... As others have said, I would not get that expensive Burris scope. I have read some discouraging reviews about them. I feel the electronics cannot hold up to rifle recoil and may fail at the moment you need them most. I suggest a Zeiss Conquest scope with a Rapid Z reticle. I use one on a 25-06 and it is very accurate at various ranges out to 500 yards. I really think you would like it. The Rapid Z reticle will take much of the burden off of having to dial scope knobs. Which I'm assuming, that with those missing fingers might be a little difficult.

You definitely have some challenges to overcome on this hunt. But as they say, where there is a will there is a way. I wish you the best of success on your hunt.

Please remember to post pics of that BIG BULL on this thread after you tag him. We are all going to want to see them.