Help. My 30-06 is beating me to death
- Thread starter jduff8505
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Actually a heavier bullet can reduce your recoil. It seems counter-intuitive but they can have less muzzle energy. Less muzzle energy means less recoil. Heavier bullets use less powder than a lighter one.
A 110gr bullet at 3000 fps has about 2200 foot pounds of energy. A 180gr at 2300 has 2114.
Recoil pad and loads with less muzzle energy.
A 110gr bullet at 3000 fps has about 2200 foot pounds of energy. A 180gr at 2300 has 2114.
Recoil pad and loads with less muzzle energy.
RevGeo
Member
Plenty of good advice here. I'm one of those folks who are relatively recoil-tolerant. Maybe it's because I've been shooting center-fire rifles for a long time. I'm pretty much a little guy - 5'7" and about 160lbs. I have definitely found that a higher, straighter combed stock reduces felt recoil. A friend of mine bought a used Rem 700BDL 7MM Rem Mag and he hated shooting it. He bought a straight combed thumbhole walnut stock (ugly as sin, but some guys like thumbholes, I guess) and it tamed that gun right down.
I hunt with an 8lb Mauser chambered for 30-40AI, which is pretty much a 30-06. It has a steel butt plate on the sporterized military stock. Only when shooting from the bench do I notice the kick. I always use a shoulder pad when sighting in at the bench. I don't shoot from a bench unless sighting in or developing a load, and I've found '06-class rifles to be easy to shoot from all field positions.
It sounds like the OP really has a problem here and I think the perfect remedy would be to trade the Ruger for a 7X57. The little 7mm does pretty much anything a 30-06 would do anyway, and it's way easier to shoot well.
I hunt with an 8lb Mauser chambered for 30-40AI, which is pretty much a 30-06. It has a steel butt plate on the sporterized military stock. Only when shooting from the bench do I notice the kick. I always use a shoulder pad when sighting in at the bench. I don't shoot from a bench unless sighting in or developing a load, and I've found '06-class rifles to be easy to shoot from all field positions.
It sounds like the OP really has a problem here and I think the perfect remedy would be to trade the Ruger for a 7X57. The little 7mm does pretty much anything a 30-06 would do anyway, and it's way easier to shoot well.
mortablunt
Member
Rifle firing from the bench is always more punishment. You might want to use a less fierce, lighter bullet as well as weight the gun down with stuff. 30-06 is a powerful round, but it doesn't go around at the behest of Chiropractors. Take it off the bench and give it a go, holding it like a 12ga shotgun full of buckshot.
Thanks everyone. Lot of good information here and I'm learning a lot. I really like Creature's shoulder pad. I may try one of those. I'll break down my shooting history a little. I am good with the .22s and have been shooting them since forever. Now with the centerfire I am experienced with the .223-5.56, 250-3000 Savage, M14. I could shoot those all day long and they are fun to shoot (that's the key to getting good at shooting I believe.) So I'm tossing around the idea of getting over my ego and going .243, if it is fun to shoot I will get better and be able to put the bullet on target as well as the guy shooting the .30 caliber round. I would rather be good and take the deer with one shot and very little suffering rather than maiming him and losing him and he has to suffer. Keep up the recommendations because I'm a sponge when it comes to this stuff.
Jeff
Jeff
a-sheepdog
Member
Get a good recoil pad, either a pachmyer decelerator or a Sims Limbsaver. It will make quite a bit of difference.
TenDriver
Member
It's all been said, but there's also the possibility of swapping with someone looking for an .06 who has something lighter.
If you were closer I'd offer my 270 for trade. Just bought a Garand and want to consolidate to one high power cartridge.
If you were closer I'd offer my 270 for trade. Just bought a Garand and want to consolidate to one high power cartridge.
Dthunter
Member
Has anyone mentioned putting a recoil reducer in the stock?
Brownells sells them.
Just buy the size you want, take off your recoild pad, and fit it into the butt of the stock.
Some stocks have to be drilled, but its easy enough to do.
Wrap the reducer with duct tape till it fits snugly in the stock.
You dont have to glue it in place.
Put you butt pad(the butt pad should be the softer type) will hold the recoil reducer in place.
In the future, you could easily remove and install the reducer in any of your other guns.
Hope this helps.
Brownells sells them.
Just buy the size you want, take off your recoild pad, and fit it into the butt of the stock.
Some stocks have to be drilled, but its easy enough to do.
Wrap the reducer with duct tape till it fits snugly in the stock.
You dont have to glue it in place.
Put you butt pad(the butt pad should be the softer type) will hold the recoil reducer in place.
In the future, you could easily remove and install the reducer in any of your other guns.
Hope this helps.
Mauser lover
Member
I don't have, or use a fancy recoil pad when I shoot off of the bench. I just take my Allen padded gun case and stick part of that between me and the gun... Works great, cheap too.
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