Working up loads for magnums

[Rugerman77]

Get a slide on recoil pad for load development. I shoot mostly magnums only. I can handle it well but it really does help on a long session

 

[Mike Matteson]

I shoot 308 Norma Mag and 338 W. Mag mostly. The 338 is a Ruger and had about an 8 pd trigger pull. I changed it out for 1.5 lbs trigger. That help quite a bit. The best I had a mussel brake added. Now it's a little puppy dog. 1st I found that a heavy trigger pull was hard to control on the bench shooting for groups. I got under 1/2 min. groups with it, and did a little better with the trigger change out. The mussel brake made it a pleasure to shot, but didn't improve the grouping, but fun to shoot. The 308 N. Mag I had built and I put in a 1 pound trigger to start with. Not knowing the trigger pull on your rifle, and butt pad. That can make the different some. Mussel brake is the most gain. Nosier yes. At the range ear protection, in the field how many shots are going to be shoots? the other is your rifle is on with a cold barrel. Good to know. The 308 w/165 gr. @3300 fps, and the 338 w/200 gr. @3230 fps.
SSS
Mike

 

[oldpilot]

I work on the premise that virtually all of my hunting shots will be cold barrel. I clean between each with a bore snake, set that rifle aside and work on the next rifle; so often with a three gun rotation it is about 30 minutes between firings. Typically the 7mm Weatherby, 6.5-300 Weatherby, 300 Weatherby. I am not a big guy, but I shoot relaxed with the gun in firm contact to shoulder, sounds like you are all knotted up. I mostly shoot 80 rounds per 4 or 5 hour sittings. Your rifles are tools, not your adversary. The only rifle that is hard on my shoulder is my 270 Winchester that has a sharp kick like a mule. It my lightest rifle.

 

[C S Fever]

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.

I love my 110BA in 338 Lapua I can shoot it in a t-shirt the brake is very effective on it. My 338/8mm Rem mag imp is a different story shooting 250 partitions @2950 it's nasty on the bench (no brake). Most I did was doing a ladder test working on a load. Crazy beating I got from that rifle. Couldn't lift my arm for a day. Also developed a huge flinch from it! Had to go back to my .223 the next session out to get back to where I was as a shooter before. I have to find a good smith in Saskatchewan to put a brake on that rifle. The last guy I had retired. Recoil can definitely screw you up especially on a light rifle! Btw hunting Moose with it I never even notice the recoil!

 

[hunter0528]

I've got a Ruger #1 in 375H&H and 458 WIN. I've shot if from the bench many time, the trick I found is I took and old 25 lb shot bag and filled it with sand, put it between my shoulder and the but of the gun. Worked perfect and the stock did not take the beating that a Lead Sled give when shooting.

 

[mwkelso]

I want to see this, too.
Thanks

Mechanics of the Firing Hand

Sniper's Hide, Precision Rifle Instruction, Training Shooters, Acccuracy International Rifle Bipod, Fundamentals of Marksmanship Mechanics

www.snipershide.com

 

[greenejc]

Just curious if any body else has issues with working up loads for hard recoiling calibers. I seem to get a good load for 338 win mag and then trying to verify it things start gettin squirrels and make me question my load. If I take 1 shot on different days they're right on the money , brings my confidence back. Just wonder do you guys shoot your loads at one range trip. It's easy for spreading it out cause I have 100yd range behind house

This depends on what you call squirley. I shoot multiple heavy recoiling rifles, and I shoot test loads to determine both cold and hot barrel impact(which can be important, depending on the rifle). I shoot 5 shot groups, and if changing bullet weights/loads, one 5 shot group before shooting the group for record, to let the barrel settle in for the change in load. Fatigue from recoil will take a toll, so I try to take breaks to let my shoulder rest, and I use a Past recoil vest when benching my 35 Whelen with heavy 250 grain loads, or the 300 Win Mag loads. So yes, I think we all have had issues with heavy recoil from the bench, especially during extended sessions. Get a Past recoil pad for your shoulder, and set up your rest system so you can sit as straight up as possible and still shoot. This will change the angle of your rifle's recoil against your shoulder, and your body's resistance to recoil, lessening felt recoil and allowing more body movement under recoil. The straighter you can sit, the more your body can travel with the recoil, and that lessens felt recoil because it is absorbed over a longer period. Don't get low on the bench. Get more sandbags and get higher in your sitting position.

 

[Rflshootr]

If the rifle really isn't hurting you by the time you want to do verification, it's probably because it's getting dirty. Take the time to clean it which will also give you a recoil break, then do your verifying.

 

[greenejc]

I work on the premise that virtually all of my hunting shots will be cold barrel. I clean between each with a bore snake, set that rifle aside and work on the next rifle; so often with a three gun rotation it is about 30 minutes between firings. Typically the 7mm Weatherby, 6.5-300 Weatherby, 300 Weatherby. I am not a big guy, but I shoot relaxed with the gun in firm contact to shoulder, sounds like you are all knotted up. I mostly shoot 80 rounds per 4 or 5 hour sittings. Your rifles are tools, not your adversary. The only rifle that is hard on my shoulder is my 270 Winchester that has a sharp kick like a mule. It my lightest rifle.

I work on the premise that most of mine will be, too. However, I have had hunts where I had more tags and got immediate targets for those tags, requiring second and third shots within just a few seconds, thus verification of whether my rifle would group the second and third shot into around 0.5 or 0.7 inch of the cold barrel shot has always been something I have done. Also, I'm retired Infantry, and I like to insure that I can hit with multiple rounds at distance with the rifle/load/scope combination because being able to do so used to keep me alive. Its an old habit that I can't (or won't) break. Thus, I note and record my Cold Barrel shot, but I record and note the second, third, fourth and fifth shot, also, and where and how much the group spreads as the barrel heats. With some rifles, the spread is less than 0.6 in. at 100 yards, vertical, and some spread horizontally, while two spread both, while maintaining group centers of under 0.5 in at 100 yards, which puts the groups edge to edge within 1 in at 100 yards. This is good enough for killing hits out to around 1100 yards, which is currently outside my limits, due to lack of practice. That wasn't always the case, and as I get more practice shooting prairie dogs at distance, that changes. Then I may try for loads that are a little tighter.

 

[carnac]

In my younger days I had a thing for big bores. Had 1 of almost anything that started with a .4xx or .5xx but 1 stands alone. 460 Weatherby Magnum. A MK V with 26" tube. Leupold 1 piece base and Leupold rings - NO muzzle brake. Since owning it, I was into it 40 or 50 rounds (off hand of course) when that 1 shot felt strange. Looked at the gun to find Leupold 1.5x scope, rings and base were gone! LOOKED DOWN AND THERE THEY WERE. Scope facing down range and whole package was still together. Smith replaced 6 steel #6's with #8's in stainless Since I couldn't find an Elephant in DE - sold it 8 months later.

 

[nicholasjohn]

When I was about 11 -12 years old I shot my dads 300 weatherby. Not knowing really what was about to transpire. I knew bigger cartridges kicked harder but not like that and my dad never told me what I was about to do. Ended up getting the crap kicked outta of me and scoped pretty good. Up until I was roughly 22 or so did I do well with recoil took quite a bit to get over that episode. Lots of short sessions at the range , go and maybe only shoot 2-3 shots with bigger guns but shoot the crap out of 223 or whatever else I'd took with me . Over time I " trained " myself and got mentally prepared for the recoil now I can go and burn through a box of pretty well whatever I've got and do real well with it . With the exception of my 30-378 without the brake. Without the brake it will uproot you almost!

The hardest and nastiest kicking gun I've got is my 870 super mag turkey gun with a Tom rooster dual blended hand load I generally only shoot one target each spring then if everything goes right 2 shots in the field . That thing is brutal but man does it kill and at a long range for a shotgun. If needed

I once shot a Mossberg pump gun, when they first started selling the 3-1/2 inch 12 gauge shells for shooting turkeys. Once was enough !!! Recoil was BRUTAL.

 

[Upsidedownjack]

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

I had somewhat the same problem. But, I had lost a Disk in Neck "C6-7" put a KDF Break on my Winchester Featherweight 300 WM. Light gun, light 3X9 Luppy scope. Shot like a 243
never looked back! Have a Burgura HMR-PRO in the 300 WM and a 3 Port Canon "type" Break. Have shot some where about 30+ rounds and not even a Red spot on shoulde. And shot the same amount the Next few days! I break everything! LOL I Break everything

 

[greenejc]

I shoot 308 Norma Mag and 338 W. Mag mostly. The 338 is a Ruger and had about an 8 pd trigger pull. I changed it out for 1.5 lbs trigger. That help quite a bit. The best I had a mussel brake added. Now it's a little puppy dog. 1st I found that a heavy trigger pull was hard to control on the bench shooting for groups. I got under 1/2 min. groups with it, and did a little better with the trigger change out. The mussel brake made it a pleasure to shot, but didn't improve the grouping, but fun to shoot. The 308 N. Mag I had built and I put in a 1 pound trigger to start with. Not knowing the trigger pull on your rifle, and butt pad. That can make the different some. Mussel brake is the most gain. Nosier yes. At the range ear protection, in the field how many shots are going to be shoots? the other is your rifle is on with a cold barrel. Good to know. The 308 w/165 gr. @3300 fps, and the 338 w/200 gr. @3230 fps.
SSS
Mike

I use plugs when hunting with a muzzle brake on my .300 Win Mag or my 35 Whelen. I've shot the Whelen without plugs and it actually hurts due to over pressure. I do have plugs which will pass normal sound, and they allow me to hear most of the noise around me, but drop the muzzle blast and noise from the brakes down to something that doesn't deafen me.

 

[greenejc]

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

Differences in altitude, humidity and temperature will have an effect on your zero. I always take a target and stand with me when I go into the mountains, and then find a place(away from where I'm hunting) to shoot a couple of verification shots the day before the season, just in case.