Recoil Control Methods

[Barrelnut]

I use a big honkin' "Dog-gone-Good" shooting bag up front and a rear bag off the bench. Prone,

I use a Dog-Gone-Good bags too. They are awesome. Trump Jr. uses them also. LOL.

 

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

None of the cartridges Remmy700 mentioned provide much recoil to deal with--not in those 12-15 lb rifles. So you can get away with a lighter hold and a looser shoulder pressure; somewhat more like shooting rimfire.

But you wouldn't want to employ those same techniques when shooting a rifle/cartridge that has a lot of felt recoil. Certainly would not want to leave any space between my shoulder and the butt stock--that's a big "No-No" for shooting hard recoiling rigs. Also would not want to rest on my collarbone; but since I don't normally shoot from a prone position, I can sit up and get the stock cradled into the pocket of my shoulder without resting on the collarbone.

shoot a 300 win mag and shoot it just like I would a match rifle if your body position is right and a good brake is used no trouble at all shooting like that off of a bipod I do push the bipod forward with around a few lbs of shoulder push and ( times out of 10 I can see the bullet strike, my ne rig is 8 1/2 lbs with scope bipod and bottom metal loaded magazine it is 11 1/2 lbs. same gos for my buds sheep rifle if the body postion is right it takes all the recoil

 

[Remmy700]

I always use about same method with big magnums with exception to loading up on bipod a little more.

 

[skipglo]

So got a buddy I am trying to get into some LR work and he asked me a question about controlling recoil and best method. I have always used free recoil with bipod and rear bag and try to refrain from fighting the gun and just let it do its thing. Normally I try and make sure alignment is good with rear bag so it's nice straight rearward recoil even with big magnums. I use very light grip very little cheek pressure, and it simply works for me. For a new shooter getting into LR is this a practice I should pass down or is this just a bad habit I have learned and adopted? To be honest it's instinct to me and I don't even think about it now so when he asked me I was like, hmmmmm?

I found over the years that folks CHOKING THE HECK out of their guns is what hurts most of them, but it's hard to convince new shooters to LET GO. Your method is correct. But don't forget to tell him to load up the bipod! Some things just come as second nature to a seasoned shooter and we forget to convey everything we know!

 

[Buzzsaw]

Free recoil can bust a thumb open if you lay it to the side, behind the safety. I like to let thumb sit on tang

 

[skipglo]

I always use about same method with big magnums with exception to loading up on bipod a little more.

Darn... didn't read far enough before responding Remmy...sorry bro! ( You caught the bipod) or someone did before me..lol
.

 

[skipglo]

Free recoil can bust a thumb open if you lay it to the side, behind the safety. I like to let thumb sit on tang

Another great point!

 

[Remmy700]

Appreciate all the help fellows. Just want to make sure I am passing down good info and not my bad habits lol.

 

[skipglo]

One other rule of thumb I'm real insistent upon with folks shooting new magnums is the Three finger rule I use with them....put three fingers wide between their forehead and the scope so they don't creep up and get the permanent Crescent moon above the eye! I had a VERY SEASONED so he kept telling me shooter that I had never met before want to shoot my .460. He was at a neighbor's party boasting about his shooting skills to my wife...I was at a golf tourney, came home, and after several times asking if he could just shoot once I gave in. Brought home and let him line up. THREE TIMES I pushed his head back and he got po'd at me....so I said "KNOCK YOURSELF DEAD...LET ER RIP"...he did...and bleeding profusely...went for stitches and was to embarrassed to return to the party!

 

[skipglo]

I know I sound like a broken record, but with my Limbsavers, it ends up just as you describe by not fighting the gun and letting it jump into the pad. I also agree with a reviewer that described changing the recoil from a kick to a push with these pads. I looked at my friend's two 7mm mags (a Ruger 77 and a Rem) last weekend and they both had very hard rubber pads, certainly nowhere near as effective as what I put on mine.

I have changed out the pads on all my magnums to Limbsavers. They are an excellent aid!

 

[Remmy700]

I let a dude at the range shoot this ol girl. He got behind it like it was a 22. Left about an inch of room between stock and shoulder, barely any cheek touching and grip hand was only touching trigger with index finger on an atlas and rear bag. One of the worst scope cuts I have seen yet. I was like 300 gr bergers will do that to a fellow lol. Here's to u Mr. professional shooter guy!

 

[Jon Bischof]

Yep, from the two examples provided of "scope-eye" there's not much you can do to prevent an arrogant know-it-all from hurting himself except I don't let them shoot my rifles.

 

[joseph singleton]

One hunting guy I've met used a mercury tube to help,(shot it a few times,300wm,took some bite out of it,or so I think)

 

[biff's reloading]

Those you mentioned aren't big recoilers especially in a bench gun. For guns up to 300wm or my braked rum, I just let it bounce. free recoil is fine up to a point, but beyond the win mag, he will need to learn some recoil control techniques. If I let my 12lb 475rum free recoil, the scope would break my face and the rifle would land 5 feet behind me