Working up loads for magnums

[Don A Parsons]

Purhaps doing it in stages...

Pop off a few shots at 2 or 300 yards,,, next trip to the range to find out if you can match that last outting,,, """or""" tigthen it up more...

If its punching holes on Tuesday,,, it sure would be nice to repeat it on the next trip to the range...

I'm doing the same thing with my rifle,,, I just rapped up a Three shot load test,,, next trip is to test the best of them once again,,, confirmation that it's working...

Spread out over a time frame...

I think it was a A. Wheeler thread that got me onto this,,, """if""" I recall...

He said something about reputabile-consistency time and time again over the months and year with out touching the cross hairs when the rifle/optic are settled in...

Hopefully it works for my hunting rifle... it sure wasn't working last year... LOL

Just sharing in an idea is all...

Don

 

[mwkelso]

For what it's worth-
I went back out today with the next batch of ammo to keep working the load on my .300wm.
Still following the principles in the article I shared with you, I was creating groups less than 1moa.
20 fired yesterday, another 20 today. That said, my shoulder is definitely feeling it today. I won't be firing another set until next weekend

 

[112Savage]

I have some heavy recoilers:
8.25# 9.3x62 heaviest load 286gr A-frame at 2506fps
9.5# 375 Ruger 300gr Accubond 2675fps
after doing load workup with 223 and 300 blackout I find their recoil extremely harsh, but after using them and training myself to absorb the recoil, even shooting them prone is not terrible. I will say however, that my next load workup with a lightweight 300 Winchester Magnum and 190 ABLR's is intimidating. I'm going to start with a ladder test with 8 rounds the first day then shoot 3 shot groups another time limiting my exposure.

Working up loads with the 9.3X62 before putting a decelerator pad on, I could only do less than 10 shots per session. After adding the pad I could do 20. Now that I have lost conditioning I'm thinking I would see groups grow after 6-8 rounds.

To summarize it depends on what you are used to. Don't expect to go from shooting a 223 to a 338WM or 375 and not notice a difference in your ability to tolerate recoil without it affecting groups.

 

[358 Guy]

I own and shoot several high recoiling rifles: 416 Rigby, 375 Ruger Alaskan, 350 Remington mag, a pair of 300 Weatherbys, and a beautiful Ruger No. 1 in 300 Win. mag. I've learned to limit my shooting of these rifles to about 12 rounds at a time. This allows for 4 3 shot groups. (enough for load development) Once I have my loads developed, I only shoot occasionaly to stay familiar with that particular rifle. I shoot more if I have an upcoming hunt planned. I once had the opportunity to fire an 8 bore double rifle that threw 850 gr. lead bullets. The owner of the rifle told me to hang on to it as if someone was trying to steal it. I'm not a large man, but I have never had a problem with recoil, but this thing was something else! I fired it from a sitting position, and at the shot, I found myself looking at the sky as I was laying on my back. ( still had a hold of the rifle though)

 

[jimirwin]

I used to have this issue for sure. Funny that this thread came up, I just did the seating depth testing on my .300wm this afternoon.
I came across an article on Sniper's Hide that was geared specifically to recoil management and it helped this issue exponentially for me. Let me know if you'd like the link.

I want to see this, too.
Thanks

 

[zb338]

If your .338 recoil bothers you think about putting a brake on your barrel. They really
work great and make big bad rifles into ***** cats. My Son had a .458 that really kicked
hard off of a bench rest. I found a thin phone book in my car (I was at the range) and stuck
that under my jacket. It worked really well and I managed to sight in his .458 without a problem.
It was a good temporary fix.
Zeke

 

[Bdubose]

I shoot my 7 Mag with 168 grain ABLRs all day long with no issues.
But when I acquired my 300 RUM I took it straight to the gun smith and put a brake on it before I fired the first shot.
I've shot them without brakes and did not want to develop a bad habit. And that RUM will teach bad habits!

 

[Rich Coyle]

Occasionally there is a tread I just don't understand. This is one.

About thirty years ago I had a 7-.300 Weatherby. It fired Nosler 175 Partitions at 3,150 feet per second. One day while deer hunting I noticed a deer about fifty yards away standing there looking at me. Maybe it was laying down and I didn't see it till it stood up. Anyway I figured there was no hurry because it knew I was there for awhile before I saw it so I sat down and took my time to shoot it right below the chin. I was amazed at the amount of recoil and loudness of the blast. Since then I use brakes and electronic hearing protection.

After that barrel wore out I converted it to a .375 wildcat firing Sierra 300 grainers at 2,990 fps or Barnes TTSX 250 at 3,190 fps. I can fire a couple boxes or more at one session with nary a bruise or discomfort. Good brakes and good pads are a must.

A friend of mine who is a world class shooter purchased a .338 RUM. He was used to a .25-06. The best group he could get was over 1 1/2" at 100 yards. I convinced him to have a good brake installed. His next range session gave him 1/2" groups. Like I already posted good brakes and good pads are essential.

And don't forget the electronic hearing protection. They are like binoculars for your ears.

 

[Chuck32571]

I'm in my late 70's and still like to fire my Savage 110BA in 338 Lapua. Found that using my Nosler reloading guide and subtracting 10% from the maximum load gives me an accurate round and saves my shoulder for another day.

 

[Critter Picker]

There's nothing that I hate more than squeezing the trigger and praying that the gun won't go off.

My 6 BR is good to a grand and fun to shoot. Don't laugh at me but I really enjoy low recoiling guns. Just use the boomers to hunt once they are tuned up. .22 at 200 or more is fun also.

 

[Pointman]

I also shoot my Savage BA 110 stealth 338 LM from a bench. I do use a "Lead sed" during load research. With this setup, I'm good for around 100 rounds. I am an old turkey, 75 and change but am stocky so perhaps that mitigates the issues.

 

[MontanaJack]

I use a Caldwell lead sled without the lead. It is heavy enough to absorb some recoil. Have to be careful, there are horror stories about the barreled action ripping out of wood and synthetic stocks that aren't reinforced by metal. I shot my 300 Weatherby Mark V (wood stock) without a problem. As I aged, the kids left, etc. so I have more disposable income, I had a custom 300 Win Mag built on a McMillan stock. I can shoot it all day. So now, I just don't keep a rifle that punishes me too much. Sold the Weatherby, the 300 Win Mag maintains 1000 ft-lbs of energy to 900 yards. I don't hunt dangerous game. If one can shoot, the punishing rifles just aren't necessary for me. I did buy a Browning A-bolt in 300 Win Mag as a backup rifle for an Alaskan moose hunt. Took it to the range once. The recoil was as bad as the Weatherby. I put it in the consignment shop for sale the next day. Just don' need the pain. Worse, excessive recoil can lead to flinching. I'd rather put a well placed shot down range with an adequate cartridge than shoot a cannon and make a bad shot.

 

[Chase723]

Along with fundamentals of recoil management, weight and a suppressor and/or a muzzle brake are your best friend. The difference in recoil between an 8lb rifle and a 12-14lb rifle is substantial, put a brake or a suppressor on it and it's night and day. If your rifle weighs 50% more and the recoil is further reduced by 50% it's about 70% less total perceived recoil. That makes a massive difference. For perspective, shooting the XM2010 which is a 300 Win Mag shooting a 190gr SMKs and weighs 12-14lbs with a suppressor, I've shot 200-300 rounds at a time no problem. Try that with something weighing 7lbs unbraked. You'll want to hang it up before 40.

 

[dougduey]

There's nothing that I hate more than squeezing the trigger and praying that the gun won't go off.

I think this is the greatest statement I've seen on this website!!!

I learned years ago to put a muzzle brake on all of my heavy recoiling rifles. My 300 WSM beat me up to the point I didn't want to practice shooting it. Muzzle brake installed and it became a joy to shoot.