New rifle...... Flinching

[SSgt G Cody]

Hmmmm! Started out about flinching, and ended with 1000 yd Elk round! To tame recoil, consider lighter bullets, which must also be very tough for penetration (and hopefully exit wound)! Also consider extra thick absorbant butt pad, light smooth trigger, and muzzle brake. As for 1000 yd elk, I'd consider a Hammer Hunter bullet about 70% of my normal hunting bullet's weight (maybe 170gn) loaded pretty fast! This should provide the magic combo to solve these problems! Good luck!

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Best CURE for, "Flinching",.. SELL,.. the Noisy, HEAVY Recoiling,.. "Cannon" !
Replace with, an Accurate, "Medium" Bore, Rifle that, YOU "can",.. "shoot",.. well !
Life's too Short, to be, UN-Happy with, your Rifle !

 

[mercerbear]

OP, I didn't read all 16 pages.

If this has been mentioned, apologies.

My advice is lose the brake and get a direct thread suppressor. That will reduce recoil and decibel levels. If you buy your tax stamp now, you'll have the suppressor out of jail by next season.

That way, you can use the suppressor or shoot bare muzzle. I won't hunt with a brake, personally.

 

[DWier]

So I have been shooting practically my whole life. I consider myself a pretty fair shot. Last year I decided I wanna shoot farther. I'm hunting elk and I had been shooting 500 yards. Now I wanna shoot out to 1000 yards. Sounds simple right...??? Well I've got a huge education. Lol. So last year I started shooting with a good buddy who has been shooting long range for a while and he gets me hitting at 1000 pretty consistent. I was shooting a 300 RUM with 180 grain barnes bullets. After doing some research I see I'm shooting 775 ft lbs at 1000. I wanna be at least 1000 ft lbs. So I buy some 190 grain barnes LR bullets that's supposed to get me over the 1000 ft lbs. Problem is I haven't got a muzzle brake, so 180 grains have little recoil but 190's kick like a mule! I decided to buy a new rifle with a brake. I ordered a Weatherby 338-378. Sweet rifle! Now the problem is I am flinching BAD! The gun doesn't kick that bad, I think it's the brake messing with me. I never owned a gun with a brake before and it's different. With the price and availability of ammo I'm not sure what to do to quit wasting it. I can't even see what powder charge shoots best cause I can't shoot a group. Definitely not the gun it's just I'm a head case behind it. I'm not afraid of it, I'm just not sure why I'm doing it. Anyone have any ideas or pointers to help me out? Anything is much appreciated.

338-378 is a hard recoil gun

 

[HunterMann]

"Wanna" ??? "The recoil is not THAT bad" Coulda... Shoulda...

Nobody needs 2000 ft/lbs to kill an Elk at 100yds or a 1000yds.

Muzzle brakes can mess sure up your follow through.
Try shooting while wearing a full face motorcycle helmet and see if you flinch is reduced.
Just a thought I had.
I don't like muzzle brakes or shooting with those use them.

 

[jdavistx]

A muzzle brake is the first place to start. A second, which also worked is to find a way for the trigger to surprise me. Lighter, crisper and squeeze gently. Try to get intense and just focus on the target.

 

[jdavistx]

The rifle doesn't kick bad with the brake. And I'm liking the 2000 + ft lbs of kinetic energy at 1000 yards.

So you like the brake. Good. Check out the threads on MARKSMANSHIP BASICS - Trigger Control. A lighter, crisper trigger that surprised me a bit helped as well.

 

[vancewalker007]

The rifle doesn't kick bad with the brake. And I'm liking the 2000 + ft lbs of kinetic energy at 1000 yards.

It won't matter if you can't hit anything. And, you don't need 2000ft lbs to kill an elk at 1000 yards. You'll likely never get into a 1000 yard shot unless you purposely try to do it anyway. You can kill an elk with a 7mm Rem mag at 1000 yards. Proper velocity for good bullet function is more important then ft lbs anyway. Listen to some LR Podcasts from Gunwerks and you'll get an education. They have killed 1000s of head of game at long range, they got em a little experience doing it . As a hunter you're way better off with a rifle that you shoot accurately and consistently. I'm sure other said this, I just don't want to flip through 16 pages of replies.

 

[Gundog74]

I wanna thank everyone for the help.......... I got this thing figured out. I tried a lot of tricks you guys suggested. Most were helpful. Turns out it was the muzzle break, it's crazy loud boom and compression. I have roughly 200 rounds down range and have it dialed in to 1000 yards. I'm shooting 107 grains of IMR 8133 with 275 grain Parker bullets. Really rocking the plates. Can't wait to get an elk out in front of me now!!! Thanks again for all the help!!

 

[Chas1]

Good to hear you go tit figured out. Best of luck with the hunt.

 

[Gundog74]

Good to hear you go tit figured out. Best of luck with the hunt.

Thanks a lot

 

[Cowboyblaster]

So I have been shooting practically my whole life. I consider myself a pretty fair shot. Last year I decided I wanna shoot farther. I'm hunting elk and I had been shooting 500 yards. Now I wanna shoot out to 1000 yards. Sounds simple right...??? Well I've got a huge education. Lol. So last year I started shooting with a good buddy who has been shooting long range for a while and he gets me hitting at 1000 pretty consistent. I was shooting a 300 RUM with 180 grain barnes bullets. After doing some research I see I'm shooting 775 ft lbs at 1000. I wanna be at least 1000 ft lbs. So I buy some 190 grain barnes LR bullets that's supposed to get me over the 1000 ft lbs. Problem is I haven't got a muzzle brake, so 180 grains have little recoil but 190's kick like a mule! I decided to buy a new rifle with a brake. I ordered a Weatherby 338-378. Sweet rifle! Now the problem is I am flinching BAD! The gun doesn't kick that bad, I think it's the brake messing with me. I never owned a gun with a brake before and it's different. With the price and availability of ammo I'm not sure what to do to quit wasting it. I can't even see what powder charge shoots best cause I can't shoot a group. Definitely not the gun it's just I'm a head case behind it. I'm not afraid of it, I'm just not sure why I'm doing it. Anyone have any ideas or pointers to help me out? Anything is much appreciated.

Id just like to add here that regardless of your brutal recoil on what ever caliber you may be shooting i recently had a mercury tube installed in a boyds stock that i put on a 7mmRUM. This rifle is an XHR very light and hurt to shoot but now it has the recoil of a mild 270 just a thought for you. Also i know for myself the more i shot the least i flinched until I lost the flinch altogether. I now am able to shoot my 50BMG as accurately as I do my 223

 

[bluedog69]

Id just like to add here that regardless of your brutal recoil on what ever caliber you may be shooting i recently had a mercury tube installed in a boyds stock that i put on a 7mmRUM. This rifle is an XHR very light and hurt to shoot but now it has the recoil of a mild 270 just a thought for you. Also i know for myself the more i shot the least i flinched until I lost the flinch altogether. I now am able to shoot my 50BMG as accurately as I do my 223

Kind of like boxing. You just have to get use to getting hit in the head to the point that it doesn't bother you anymore.

 

[Cowboyblaster]

So maybe we should bring Butterbean into the conversation is what your suggesting? Hahaha

Kind of like boxing. You just have to get use to getting hit in the head to the point that it doesn't bother you anymore.