Recoil, what recoil?

[Brad Quarnberg]

I own a 325WSM in the original Coyote Light and can tell you unequivocally it doesn't kick like a mule
In fact, shortly after I bought it I was sighting it in with a friend of mind who was sighting in his 338. His gun weighed about the same as mine and after him complaining about recoil I had him shoot my 325. He bought one later in the week and sold his 338
I find, personally speaking, the recoils of the WSMs to be less than their full size opposites. I own a 270WSM Winchester classic, a 300WSM Coyote Outback, a 300WSM Browning Hells Canyon Long Range and the above mentioned 325WSM Coyote Light.
I had and sold all my 300 Win mags to include a Browning A Bolt Boss, a Remi from 700 and Weather Vanguard with a break.
I reload and shoot a lot and have no problems putting 1-2 boxes of full power loads through any of my WSMs which wasn't the case with the full size Magnums even though they wore breaks and quality pads.
To be fair, I have several friends that also shoot and love their 338s but every one of them will tell you they don't shoot them much outside of hunting and typically don't shoot off the bench except to check zero - because of the recoil.
Everyone experiences recoil different and many physical factors of a particular gun like recoil, stock profile etc. play a role in how that recoil transmits to the shooter.
If recoil bothers you, mitigate its effects by doing what's been suggested here already: different pad, muzzle break, an better stock or maybe a different caliber.

 

[Gcan]

IMO, there should be few comments about recoil.
A came to that realization after doing a search on the 325WSM and noticed someone's comment about it kicking like bay mule, then making another comment about how the 338WM is so much better. I am not denying that recoil exists and shows itself in very light rifles but an effective recoil pad will effectively tame recoil for everything up to the elephant guns and beyond, provided you have a scope with enough eye relief. I keep the crosshairs on and let the thing jump. If you haven't tried the new generation recoil pads, they are game changers. I love to shoot my WSMs and a very light 338WM without flinching at all due to my Limbsavers and all are custom fit, 2 min installation. If any gun has an issue with recoil, it can be tamed easily. cheers

Worst ever? Rem 870 3-1/2" mag pump with turkey loads wearing a T-shirt. Way worse than Merkel .470 double. I Shot 3-1/2" mags two times. The second time was to see if I had screwed up in my form the first time. Nope! It sucked both times. Gun still basically new. Sits in safe like a vile of smallpox. I keep it for people who are really-really tough. They all cry. Glad to sell it to a really really tough guy.

Second worst? Rem Sendero in 338 UM. No break. Mistake? Shot it off bench one time. Sent gun to Dave Tooley for break next day. Had rotator surgey week later. 1/2" pc of cartilage broken off inside shoulder.

Both these produce 120 ft/lbs +/- recoil. Same as 458 win mag in 8lb gun. Exactly the same as being hit in the shoulder with a 16lb sledge hammer at 15mph.

My BMG is a pussycat by comparison.

Strange how you never feel or hear a shot fired in anger/hunting.

Never got a scope ring tattoo in 65 years.

Good thread.

 

[bigtuna431]

To really know and trust a rifle you must put it and you through the paces. The rifles I trust the most are the ones that I've shot the most. Trigger time is important but shooting a thousand rounds of 223 won't get you comfortable with a bigger magnum. The saying there is no replacement for displacement is so true in this case pun intended.

Once a gun is sighted in, and you know what you're doing, it's trustworthy. But I guess if you don't feel comfortable after 40-50 rounds you never will. The idea is to enjoy your time at the range...

 

[mdk777]

so,

get the best of all worlds:

50% reduced recoil and very limited flash and concussion:



I simply avoid the silencer due to excessive regulation/Gov. red tape.

Edit: sorry, thought link would maintain time point.

see 13:21

EFAB brake

 

[Hunterguy36]

Here's my spin on recoil. Why does anyone take a big caliber gun out to the range to hunt paper targets in the first place, unless they're a closet masochist?? Take a 223 and punch holes all day long. Big bore is for hunting?? Sure. A couple of rounds to sight the gun in at the begining of the season, and maybe one or two rounds when they're zero'd in on something for the whole season. A 20 round box of ammo should last you for years. If a big bore is all you have it's time to go hunting for a small bore range rifle and a carton of bulk ammo... and go have fun...

This isn't just a hunting forum though it's a shooting forum which is also just punching paper or steel. For me personally I love taking my big guns out and shooting them whenever I can. I think it is a good way to stay in tune with your weapon. Sure I like to take my little AR 15 out to the range or out in the field and have fun as much as anyone else but I'm honestly not into just wasting bullets either.

 

[INVICTUS]

IMO, there should be few comments about recoil.
A came to that realization after doing a search on the 325WSM and noticed someone's comment about it kicking like bay mule, then making another comment about how the 338WM is so much better. I am not denying that recoil exists and shows itself in very light rifles but an effective recoil pad will effectively tame recoil for everything up to the elephant guns and beyond, provided you have a scope with enough eye relief. I keep the crosshairs on and let the thing jump. If you haven't tried the new generation recoil pads, they are game changers. I love to shoot my WSMs and a very light 338WM without flinching at all due to my Limbsavers and all are custom fit, 2 min installation. If any gun has an issue with recoil, it can be tamed easily. cheers

Recoil always matters. Some tolerate it better than others. As stated throughout this thread, people rarely shoot rifles with heavy recoil more than the minimum for functional testing. Address it properly to your tolerance and shoot more. It pays off when conditions are unpredictable and adverse.
Lighter recoil and less muzzle blast is always easier to handle over time. Good advise from the original post.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

Here's my spin on recoil. Why does anyone take a big caliber gun out to the range to hunt paper targets in the first place, unless they're a closet masochist?? Take a 223 and punch holes all day long. Big bore is for hunting?? Sure. A couple of rounds to sight the gun in at the begining of the season, and maybe one or two rounds when they're zero'd in on something for the whole season. A 20 round box of ammo should last you for years. If a big bore is all you have it's time to go hunting for a small bore range rifle and a carton of bulk ammo... and go have fun...

Why? Because all guns are fun to try and shoot accurately and precisely. It's not always about the qty of lead sent downrange.

+1 on the 12ga turkey load comment! Holy cow, I've never felt such a shock with any gun.
Also, that comment about the recoil being "more of a punch or sharp rap, the latter are more of a push," is very true and it'd be interesting to see data correlating burn rate to recoil forces. I've heard that applied to the bark of the shot as well.

I shoot 200 grain partitions out of a 5.25 lb 325WSM, it has a bit of a wallop not bad, but I don't plink with it. Verify zero, few 1-2-300 yard shots, ready for season.

Here is my Win 70 in 325WSM. Love it. Just loaded some 160gn Barnes TTSX for it. I think these guns are not for plinking.

 

[Ratdog]

I used to shoot .338wm Browning A-Bolt 200gr with brake and dampener well until a session at the range where I developed a flinch
I switched with my sons 7mm-08 and all is well in my world again.
I need to try new recoil pads as suggested and get back on that horse, thanks

 

[Hunterguy36]

I keep seeing different comments about recoil pads and silencers and muzzle brakes when there's another factor of shooting that I think a lot of people overlook and that is how you sit behind the gun. If you are tensed up and holding onto that gun like it's going to just get up and walk away then even a smaller caliber can cause recoil pain. Most of the time I find that if I just relax and move with the gun as it comes back I rarely have issue with said recoil and that's behind a lightweight belted magnum. These guys that pull that gun into their shoulder as hard as they can trying to hold back that rifle and then complain about their shoulder feeling like Mike Tyson just punched them in it only have themselves to blame for that.

 

[SMK1000plus]

Do you sell or manufacturer said recoil pad?

You are referring to rifles producing 35 lbs of recoil in a 9 pound rifle and telling everyone on this forum you are shooting under 1 MOA with these rifles? If you are, I give you props (as I'm NOT calling you a liar), but I would say that you are about .1% of the population.

I'm not sure the purpose to the post, but here you go I guess:

Steve

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss sub-MOA groups from a big bore.

The Winchester M70 Safari in 416 Rem Mag I referred to in my previous post most assuredly shoots 100 yard sub-MOA 3 round groups off the bench, very consistently. There are often clover-leaf groups. I usually shoot ten groups of three on most range trips with this rifle and have yet to have had over two groups larger than MOA in a single outting, with the factory load mentioned above. The occasional group that does go over MOA, is closer to MOA than to 2 MOA. Of course I shoot each round with 30 to 60 seconds between, to manage barrel heat. I also let the rifle cool for at least 10 minutes or until the barrel is at ambient shade temperature, between groups.

If you want to join me at the range and buy the ammunition, I'd be more than happy to demonstrate! I love that rifle and I love to shoot it! It shoots much better than any of my three 375 H&H Mags do.

 

[Josh P]

Once a gun is sighted in, and you know what you're doing, it's trustworthy. But I guess if you don't feel comfortable after 40-50 rounds you never will. The idea is to enjoy your time at the range...

You said sight it in and a box of shells will last you for years. I disagree to be able to shoot a heavier recoiling rifle proficiently it takes practice with that class of rifle. The ten of thousands of bbs I shot as a child and the thousands of 22s never got me ready or used to the first time I pulled the trigger on the old 32 win special. But the hundreds of 32 got me ready for the 06 and the 06 got me ready for the 300. I shoot a lot of smaller calibers as well and trigger time is good no matter what it is but to be proficient at anything takes practice and the only way to become accustomed to recoil is to shoot something with recoil. I shoot my heavier recoiling rifles at the beginning of my sessions and move to the lighter recoil guns as I fatigue. So I do enjoy and have a better experience at the range or where we shoot steal. All the 223 in the world won't get you conditioned for 50 to 100 rounds of magnum cartridges doing long range work with a few magnum rifles. By the way as to be able to shoot more,enjoy my range time more, and extend range time I shoot most of my rifles suppressed. As to the if you don't feel comfortable after 40 or 50 rounds you never will you mean to tell me you in 50 rounds have a rifle figured out and are completely comfortable with it? A rifle in most cases isn't completely broke in until 100 or so rounds and learning it form there to distance take say another 50 to 100. Guess I just have a different way of being comfortable with my rifles.

 

[Jack R Tishue Jr]

Biggest reduction in recoil can be obtained by having the firearm stocked so it fits YOU. And the shape of the stock made to reduce recoil. I have a 300 Wby and it will hurt you. WILL practically jump out of your hands offhand. I have a 340 that doesn't have much recoil. The Limb Savers I've tried only gave the rifle a running start as too soft. My feeling about brakes is, if you need one, you have too much gun, and go to something else. A 416 Rigby doesn't really kick, put pushes, but the 416 Rem will shock you with recoil. As I said, most recoil can be tamed with a stock made to fit you and the right shape. My 7mmRM has a steel butt plate, as do most of my 06s, and doesn't "kick" because the stock made right. Way back in the 40s, it was determined that the 06 had about all the recoil a normal person can tolerate. Don't think they are making tougher people today, just think more brainwashing going on, so people think it's not going to kick. I use a 20 ga to hunt deer with as nothing more required where I hunt. A 50 caliber MLer that pushes a 250gr slug at 2850 is like shooting a 340 wby and I can't imagine that kind of speed, even with smokeless powder. Would have to chronograph that one.

 

[cohunt]

I've found that recoil is subjective
So is "noise to shooters ear"

So when it comes to someone's opinion on recoil, muzzle brakes, suppressors it's all subjective and opinions --- I find that a "poll" of opinions will give you an average subjective opinion which seems to be better than a single one--- just my opinion though

 

[bigtuna431]

As to the if you don't feel comfortable after 40 or 50 rounds you never will you mean to tell me you in 50 rounds have a rifle figured out and are completely comfortable with it? A rifle in most cases isn't completely broke in until 100 or so rounds and learning it form there to distance take say another 50 to 100. Guess I just have a different way of being comfortable with my rifles.

Shooting a gun is like tying knots.... If you can't tie a knot....tie lots of them...