do .308 and .30-06 kick too much for you?

[BeltfedMG]

Can and do shoot 308 for hrs straight, no prob, 30-06 you start to feel after about 40 rnds.

 

[scythefwd]

AFTER shooting several boxes of slugs though my shotgun, I don't even notice my garand has fired (except that I have to re-aim). Never fired a bolt in either, but I am looking forward to shooting my buddies semi in -06.

 

[ar10]

They all can kick you hard if you don't know how to shoot it. hold it away from the shoulder a little, fire a few rounds then look at your shoulder. it's best to wear some type of tee shirt when doing this experiment

 

[KiltedClaymore]

not really for me. only after shooting 3-4 boxes of greek surplus .30-06 (no long resting periods) thru my deer rifle, my right shoulder starts to sting alittle. nothing too bad, just "tender".

 

[Halo]

I've never fired either one. How does the recoil compare to 7.62x54R? For me, forty rounds is about enough of that for one day. My shoulder usually gets the red spiderweb effect after shooting my Mosins.

 

[TnShooter83]

I picked No.....
But I've never put 100 30-06 down range in my bolt action in one day?????

 

[dmazur]

No, but I don't have a featherweight .30-06, and all 4 rifles have either a recoil pad or a brake.

I've heard that extended shooting sessions with a 7 lb rifle (w/ scope) can be a whole different thing than shooting a 9 lb rifle.

Of course, stock fit makes a difference, too.

 

[butters]

I would say that they both kick fair amount. Not very noticeable when the adrenaline is pumping and you have a deer in your sights but at the range it can wear on you. I haven't shot the reduced recoil 308 rounds to compare but hear they are a bit nicer on the shoulder. I think my next rifle purchase will be a 7mm-08. The deer won't know the difference and the recoil is much lower than the 06 or 308 plus it will be a good caliber for my son when he gets a little older.

 

[transformerguru]

recoil is mild compared to a 12 gauge or a Mosin

 

[XD-40 Shooter]

I've shot both of my dad's rifles, a Browning A-Bolt 30-06 and a Remington 700 SPS tactical in .308. Neither are objectionable recoil wise, but I would say the 30-06 is about all I can handle for extended shooting sessions. The Remington .308 is very enjoyable to shoot, since it weighs about 8 lbs with scope, it cuts the recoil down to about 15 ft lbs, not bad at all. I can certainly tell the 30-06 thumps me harder, as it only weighs about 7 lbs. I could easily shoot the .308 all day.

 

[Kymasabe]

.30-06? Not even close. Most of the .30cal common stuff (.308, .30-30, .30-06) is pretty much average recoil. I shoot a 7.62x54R Mosin carbine pretty often and you get used to it. A couple of hundred rounds in a day though...and your shoulder lets you know it!

 

[taliv]

i can shoot a 308 all day long. (and have many, many times)

a few rounds out of a 30-06, especially from prone, and i'm done for the week. i really hate shooting 30-06.

 

[shadowalker]

I don't mind .308 at all, I perceive less recoil than with my 12 gauge. I do wind up with a small bruise now and then but it is part of the fun.

I think that most people could handle .308 and 30-06 just fine. The .308 and 30-06 have great ammunition choices, from 110 grain varmint all the way to 200+ grain bullets.

There is also managed and reduced recoil hunting loads for those that are a little recoil sensitive.

 

[cbrgator]

Which shooting position best combats recoil? I would think standing...?

 

[KiltedClaymore]

when shooting in a standing position, you are able to "roll" with the rifles recoil. makes it not beat your shoulder so hard. but, accuracy is reduced compared the groups you would get shooting prone or benched.

 

[mosinmadness]

heres an idea if you dont mind extra wieght. I got this idea from a 30-06 handi rifle. Take of you but plate find a lenth of pipe that will fit in cap one end and fill it with lead [ shot, sinkers, or if you have the ability liquid]cap the other end and place inside the rifle stoc kand attach the but plate. it adds a coule of pounds and cuts out some recoil, and a good solid recoil pad and you good to go

 

[tasco 74]

the only 30.06 i ever shot was my friends m-1 grarand with that steel butt... i shot a full clip and didn't care to shoot anymore........... the experience was painful!

 

[onebigelf]

I'm 6'4" and 225lbs. I think size does help. I don't find 308 or '06s objectionable in anything I've fired them in. I don't think I've ever shot anything heavier than 168gr match loads in either, but I don't recall thinking, "that kicks" about any of them. I've run hundreds of rounds through the CETME and the FN-FAL in an afternoon. I've run a couple of hundred through the 1917 in the same afternoon 'cause the CMP is a wonderful thing (.25/rnd 30-06! YEA!!!!) and had no bruising/soreness. I did shoot a friend's 300 WinMag last weekend. That was fairly ridiculous. Particularly in Florida. (Doesn't kick harder here, there's just nothing to shoot with it.)

John

 

[crebralfix]

You'll get used to it. I took a week long long range rifle class and fired 300 rounds over four days. I distinctly remember noticing that recoil wasn't affecting me other than as visual vertical movement through my scope. My concern was getting the gun back down on the bipod and maintaining alignment with my target. If I did so, I would see the splat of the round on the steel.

Just practice properly a whole bunch and you'll be fine.

 

[Speedo66]

The determining factor is the gun.

Fired M-14 (.308) hundreds of times in the military, no problem.

With my light weight Browning lever action in the same caliber, sighting in at the range is enough.

As has been said previously, it's all in the type of action (gas operated is lighter feeling), the weight of the rifle, and the shape of the butt plate, with crescent shaped being the worst.

 

[Art Eatman]

If I'm going to shoot any full-power rifle with a steel butt plate or a sporting '06 from the bench for any protracted session, I interpose a small sandbag between the butt of the rifle and my precious, tender shoulder. I'd do the same for prone, but I rarely shoot from the prone position.

It doesn't take a lot of smarts to figure that Padding is Good. Heck, I'd wear a thick jacket in summertime, if I'm gonna mess with a Big Banger...

 

[BoilerUP]

My 742 semi-auto in 30-06 was quite uncomfortable after 6-7 rounds, but was fine for three shots in a pie plate @ 100yd and a single shot at a time during deer season. It had a rounded plastic buttplate.

My 700BDL in 30-06 had a thin factory recoil pad and was okay for about 10 rounds, then it started getting uncomfortable.

I bought a $20 slip-on Limbsaver and went through 2 boxes of 30-06 in the 700 and it was like shooting my 22-250...really a non-event and a necessity for load workup.

That said, I don't have a dedicated range and most of my shooting is done prone with the rifle supported on sandbags...standing or sitting I could take the recoil MUCH better.

 

[goon]

It depends a lot on the rifle, but in general, no.

And if I owned one that did, I'd do my practice with handloads on the lower end of the load data and then just change my zero and hunt with full power ammunition.

Mostly though, when I shoot .308 the only thing that hurts is my wallet.

 

[JesseL]

It depends on:

• How well the rifle fits.
• The bullet weight.
• The shooting position.
• The clothes being worn (light t-shirt vs heavy winter coat).

My .30-06 Mauser that was my Great-Granfather's, with 150 grain bullets (heavier won't fit in the magazine) is a sweetheart to shoot. A few rounds of 180gr .308 through my Father-in-law's Ruger M77, shooting prone, beat the snot out of me.

 

[Fumbler]

I have a lightweight bolt action 308 have have owned and shot many 30-06s.
The recoil is not too much.

However, many people will say the 30-06 in a bolt action is the recoil limit for many people.
I would disagree.
For your average hunter shooting only enough rounds to sight in a gun, I would say yes, it is the limit.
For the average Joe off the street who doesn't shoot guns I'd say it was too much. For the average hunter I'd say the 30-06 is too much for more than a few rounds.

When I first started shooting for fun I'd start flinching after 5-10 rounds.
I've seen many a skilled hunter (not recreational shooters) start flinching after 5 rounds or so too.