Ouch this gun hurts! Opinions??

So I have a Vanguard in .300 WBY. Took it to the range today to get it ready for an elk hunt next year and let me tell you what. She HURTS!! 5 shots and I said that's enough. So looking for options. What can I do to this gun to make the recoil less? Should I just sell and buy an easier on the shoulder elk gun? What do you guys think?
I had a Mark V chambered in .300 Weatherby
And had the same issue
I sent it to Magna Port international
And had a muzzle brake installed
Problem solved, reduced the recoil to that of a
.30-06
 
I have an yet "unproven" theory about felt recoil and body size. 🙂

My thought is…….a smaller framed, lighter person "will not" absorb as much recoil energy before his/her body starts to move with the recoil. A much larger person will absorb much more energy before his body starts to move.

I'm probably wrong about that theory, but it gives me a certain comfort to believe that! 😜 memtb
You may be on to something. My 80 lbs daughter used to shoot my unbraked 300 WM very well.
I look at it a little differently...nobody likes to be punched in the face, but I for one am not ever going to question if I brought enough gun...223s for everyone :p
 
So I have a Vanguard in .300 WBY. Took it to the range today to get it ready for an elk hunt next year and let me tell you what. She HURTS!! 5 shots and I said that's enough. So looking for options. What can I do to this gun to make the recoil less? Should I just sell and buy an easier on the shoulder elk gun? What do you guys think?
I own two Vanguards. In my opinion they are heavy. Heavy enough that I only care to carry them to a tree stand. But being heavy, they are also tame on recoil. They are not .300 WBY but stout enough. I have a .444 Marlin that kicks like Mike Tyson. Took me two range trips to get it zeroed. 5 shots each trip. Once zeroed I fired once before bear season to confirm zero, then if lucky a shot at a bear. So for me managing recoil with that rifle was just that I didn't shoot it that much. I have had it 29 years and use it every year as stated. Wear the clothes you would during the hunt. Thicker clothes will tame recoil as well. For me when shooting at game recoil is the last thing that I notice.
 
I have an yet "unproven" theory about felt recoil and body size. 🙂

My thought is…….a smaller framed, lighter person "will not" absorb as much recoil energy before his/her body starts to move with the recoil. A much larger person will absorb much more energy before his body starts to move.

I'm probably wrong about that theory, but it gives me a certain comfort to believe that! 😜 memtb
I think you could be on to something there. I need to add more bacon to my diet, so as not to lose any absorption property.
 
I have an yet "unproven" theory about felt recoil and body size. 🙂

My thought is…….a smaller framed, lighter person "will not" absorb as much recoil energy before his/her body starts to move with the recoil. A much larger person will absorb much more energy before his body starts to move.

I'm probably wrong about that theory, but it gives me a certain comfort to believe that! 😜 memtb

Yep. Inertia is a thing. The more weight behind the gun the more force is required to move that weight.
 
Yep. Inertia is a thing. The more weight behind the gun the more force is required to move that weight.

WEIGHT!!! I'm pretty sure that helps tame my 460 S&W …..of course that big, noisy brake helps too.

I wish that I could find the replacement that S&W once offered to eliminate that brake. I'd like to see if it's tolerable without that darn brake! memtb
 
You have time. Buy a suppressor. Thread it and stick a brake on it for the time being.
 
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Yeah it's all relative. 100# child/female may not have the same peak force on their shoulder as a 300# man whose body resists the sharp movement more but the rest of them is being jerked back faster. My point is there is no reason for it. None of the big magnums are required to cleanly kill anything and nobody shoots them better than a lesser recoiling rifle of equal precision.
Totally disagree with your opinion.
If a person is completely accustomed to shooting big recoiling rifles, then they shoot them just as accurately as their smaller counterparts.
Making broad assumptions helps nobody. I shoot the same size groups with my 25-06 as I do with my 300RUM, 375 Weatherby & 416 Rigby, and I don't have brakes on any of them but my wildcats on 416 Rigby Improved to tame muzzle jump, not necessarily recoil…
More folklore bandied about because someone said it once…

Cheers.
 
I had a rifle I loved, I became convinced a brake would lessen recoil and increase my love
Boy was I wrong…instead of having the brake removed I sold a great rifle that I became to dislike
 
I had a rifle I loved, I became convinced a brake would lessen recoil and increase my love
Boy was I wrong…instead of having the brake removed I sold a great rifle that I became to dislike

I'm sorry for your loss!

The ultimate buyers of the brake…..seller of the rifle remorse! memtb
 
Totally disagree with your opinion.
If a person is completely accustomed to shooting big recoiling rifles, then they shoot them just as accurately as their smaller counterparts.
Making broad assumptions helps nobody. I shoot the same size groups with my 25-06 as I do with my 300RUM, 375 Weatherby & 416 Rigby, and I don't have brakes on any of them but my wildcats on 416 Rigby Improved to tame muzzle jump, not necessarily recoil…
More folklore bandied about because someone said it once…

Cheers.
There's studies on this. No one can shoot a high recoil rifle as well as low.
And it starts falling apart at a surprisingly low ft-lbs.
 
Totally disagree with your opinion.
If a person is completely accustomed to shooting big recoiling rifles, then they shoot them just as accurately as their smaller counterparts.
Making broad assumptions helps nobody. I shoot the same size groups with my 25-06 as I do with my 300RUM, 375 Weatherby & 416 Rigby, and I don't have brakes on any of them but my wildcats on 416 Rigby Improved to tame muzzle jump, not necessarily recoil…
More folklore bandied about because someone said it once…

Cheers.
No, just no.

Empirical evidence suggests it is true. My medical degree and experience shooting as well as understanding of physics guarantees it is true.

You may be the rare person who shoots heavy's as well as lighter recoiling rifles but that is the exception, not the rule. I'm shooting my 300 PRC very well these days, but I have practiced a lot with it as well as with 6.5 CM in (relatively heavy rifles) out to 1000 yds to build my technique first. Even still, if I had to hit a target every time I'd take a 7 or 6.5 PRC rather than a 300 PRC in the same rifle. Spotting your impacts for follow up shots (as needed) is a thing too.
 
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