30-06 Recoil Question. - Page 2

Bravo · 02-19-2008, 06:47 PM

When hunting, you don't even feel the recoil of the 30-06. When sitting at a bench and target shooting, the recoil from my Springfield 1903 gets old after about 25 rounds. I'm sure a decent recoil pad would let me shoot longer though.

I'd say it's close to a 12ga recoil, but I find them to be different. A 12ga is more of a shove/push, while the 30-06 is a punch.

win39 · 02-19-2008, 07:05 PM

Recoil is something if you worry about it, then it will bother you. An old friend told me a long time ago that a smaller person absorbs recoil better then a bigger person. To answer your question I would say a 30/06 is about the same as a 12 Ga.

MOD 70 · 02-20-2008, 01:08 AM

Getting your cheek down on the stock and keeping your rear arm horizontal will help you position the gun so it sits on your shoulder properly. Rearward pull is all front hand. Relax and squeeze your whole hand not just one finger when you pull the trigger. 30-06 and 12 ga. are close in felt recoil,but a with a good hold it`s not going to kick at all. Buy a P.A.S.T. recoil pad,good hearing protection and you will be shopping for bigger guns before you know it.

tbonecpk · 02-20-2008, 01:24 AM

I would agree with MOD

Halwg · 02-20-2008, 09:13 AM

I can tell you there is a big difference in "felt" recoil between guns. I have a Remington 760 in 30-06, and a Ruger M-77 in 30-06. The Remington rig is actually almost a pound heavier than the Ruger, but the felt recoil of the Ruger is much less. And this is shooting the same load. The gun is balanced better, the stock is shaped differently and it has a rubber butt plate as opposed to the hard plastic on the Remington. I find neither one uncomfortable, but there is a difference.

The same goes for 12 ga. shotguns. I have a Savage that I shot for years and never found punishing. But I bought an Ithaca Model 37, which is a much lighter gun, and I had to have a recoil pad installed because it beat my shoulder black and blue. With the pad it's now quite tolerable, but much heavier than my 30-06's.

A heavy load in a 12 ga. will actually have greater recoil than a .375 H&H if you can believe the recoil tables.

ArkansasHunter · 02-20-2008, 11:07 AM

Anytime your shooting game you don't notice recoil but i've not shot anything bigger than my 30-06 and my 12ga's.
I've got a Remington Wingmaster 12 ga. that will knock the liveing snott out of you with 2 3/4 mags but my 870 is a pleasure to shoot.
They both have recoil pads. I don't use the Wingmaster and would like to get rid of it, the butt stock knocks my right cheek over to the left side if I don't plant it right on my shoulder.
Why's it do that ? I bought it new in the early 70's it still looks new and I can't get rid of a gun but it'll hurt you.
A.H

MOD 70 · 02-20-2008, 12:41 PM

My shotgun is an IGA Condor 1 `12ga O/U with 28 in. barrels Imp/Mod chokes and a single mechanical trigger. Stoeger is the importer. Made deep in the steaming jungles of Brazil by a a chimpazee labour force. Not pretty, but a really reliable,good shooting shotgun. It`s sure death on skeets and birds and has less felt recoil than any other o/u that I`ve shot. It`s also on the lower end of pricing. I had an Ithaca Mod 37 for a while and didn`t like it as much as the IGA.Traded it for a Browning 22 semi-auto takedown.You`re all correct,a good fitting stock is the key to comfort.

Snakebite · 02-20-2008, 12:57 PM

Mine was a Remington with a stock made by Winchester. It had a 3X9 and was great to about 50 yards and then went to hell. That thing kicked worse than any gun I own.
And for the non believers, the stock had the Winchester grip, cap, and logo on it with a Remington action. It flat hurt to shoot that gun. I sold it for $175

Silent Shooter · 02-20-2008, 01:03 PM

The old Savage 110's with the cheap blonde stocks in .30-06 kick like a mule in heat...

MOD 70 · 02-20-2008, 02:38 PM

In rifle stocks I prefer Winchester Mod 70s. All of my current centerfires are post-64 push-feeds and I am always looking for more. Right now I am watching for a good .458 as a companion for my .375 Super Express. I like the look and feel of the traditional walnut stocks the best and these guns are the most comfortable firearms I`ve ever owned or shot. I don`t see myself even considering something else unless it`s needed to house a cartridge that won`t fit in the action (Rigby,Jeffery etc). Then it will be a Brno 602 or CZ 550 as I have shot them both enough to know their stocks are well designed and make the really big boys a lot more managable.

AKHunter · 02-21-2008, 11:29 AM

I have never considered the recoil of a 30-06 to be intolerable but, it may have to do with the fact that I learned to shoot with a 06' and a 12 g when I was 12 yrs old. Sitting at a bench certainly puts one in a position to feel all of whats there in recoil, a standing position makes it much easier to tolerate. Anyhow without repeating all the good answers before me, one other thing that seems to make a major difference in felt recoil I feel is a synthetic stock. They seem to be more forgiving to me, a quality recoil pad is always nice as well.

While coaching my wife to shoot I did have to work on a little phsycology regarding recoil. She thought far too much about it each shot. It is most important to concentrate on hitting the target NOT about the recoil. I even bought a Winchester featherweight in .280 rem shortened the stock to fit and mounted a compact 4x Burris on it for her. I think it weighs 7.25 or 7.5 lbs without the sling. With a handloaded 150g bullet and 51grns IMR 4350 it chronos at 2800fps ( near max load ) it feels to me to recoil at least as much as my 06', that she does not like to shoot. She thinks it is easier shooting and I certainly dont tell her otherwise

02-19-2008, 07:05 PM	#22
win39 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 201 Trader Rating: (0)	Recoil is something if you worry about it, then it will bother you. An old friend told me a long time ago that a smaller person absorbs recoil better then a bigger person. To answer your question I would say a 30/06 is about the same as a 12 Ga. __________________ Benny

02-20-2008, 01:08 AM	#23
MOD 70 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Southern B.C. Posts: 159 Trader Rating: (0)	Getting your cheek down on the stock and keeping your rear arm horizontal will help you position the gun so it sits on your shoulder properly. Rearward pull is all front hand. Relax and squeeze your whole hand not just one finger when you pull the trigger. 30-06 and 12 ga. are close in felt recoil,but a with a good hold it`s not going to kick at all. Buy a P.A.S.T. recoil pad,good hearing protection and you will be shopping for bigger guns before you know it. __________________ If God didn`t intend for man to eat animals he wouldn`t have made them out of meat

02-20-2008, 01:24 AM	#24
tbonecpk Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: San Diego Cal Posts: 1,582 Trader Rating: (0)	I would agree with MOD __________________ "Speak softly but carry a big stick" -Teddy Roosevelt

02-20-2008, 12:41 PM	#27
MOD 70 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Southern B.C. Posts: 159 Trader Rating: (0)	My shotgun is an IGA Condor 1 `12ga O/U with 28 in. barrels Imp/Mod chokes and a single mechanical trigger. Stoeger is the importer. Made deep in the steaming jungles of Brazil by a a chimpazee labour force. Not pretty, but a really reliable,good shooting shotgun. It`s sure death on skeets and birds and has less felt recoil than any other o/u that I`ve shot. It`s also on the lower end of pricing. I had an Ithaca Mod 37 for a while and didn`t like it as much as the IGA.Traded it for a Browning 22 semi-auto takedown.You`re all correct,a good fitting stock is the key to comfort. __________________ If God didn`t intend for man to eat animals he wouldn`t have made them out of meat

02-20-2008, 02:38 PM	#30
MOD 70 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Southern B.C. Posts: 159 Trader Rating: (0)	In rifle stocks I prefer Winchester Mod 70s. All of my current centerfires are post-64 push-feeds and I am always looking for more. Right now I am watching for a good .458 as a companion for my .375 Super Express. I like the look and feel of the traditional walnut stocks the best and these guns are the most comfortable firearms I`ve ever owned or shot. I don`t see myself even considering something else unless it`s needed to house a cartridge that won`t fit in the action (Rigby,Jeffery etc). Then it will be a Brno 602 or CZ 550 as I have shot them both enough to know their stocks are well designed and make the really big boys a lot more managable. __________________ If God didn`t intend for man to eat animals he wouldn`t have made them out of meat

02-19-2008, 06:47 PM	#21
Bravo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Maine, USA Posts: 1,775 Trader Rating: (0)	When hunting, you don't even feel the recoil of the 30-06. When sitting at a bench and target shooting, the recoil from my Springfield 1903 gets old after about 25 rounds. I'm sure a decent recoil pad would let me shoot longer though. I'd say it's close to a 12ga recoil, but I find them to be different. A 12ga is more of a shove/push, while the 30-06 is a punch.

02-20-2008, 09:13 AM	#25
Halwg Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 6 Trader Rating: (0)	I can tell you there is a big difference in "felt" recoil between guns. I have a Remington 760 in 30-06, and a Ruger M-77 in 30-06. The Remington rig is actually almost a pound heavier than the Ruger, but the felt recoil of the Ruger is much less. And this is shooting the same load. The gun is balanced better, the stock is shaped differently and it has a rubber butt plate as opposed to the hard plastic on the Remington. I find neither one uncomfortable, but there is a difference. The same goes for 12 ga. shotguns. I have a Savage that I shot for years and never found punishing. But I bought an Ithaca Model 37, which is a much lighter gun, and I had to have a recoil pad installed because it beat my shoulder black and blue. With the pad it's now quite tolerable, but much heavier than my 30-06's. A heavy load in a 12 ga. will actually have greater recoil than a .375 H&H if you can believe the recoil tables.

02-20-2008, 11:07 AM	#26
ArkansasHunter Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: South Arkansas Posts: 10,521 Trader Rating: (0)	Anytime your shooting game you don't notice recoil but i've not shot anything bigger than my 30-06 and my 12ga's. I've got a Remington Wingmaster 12 ga. that will knock the liveing snott out of you with 2 3/4 mags but my 870 is a pleasure to shoot. They both have recoil pads. I don't use the Wingmaster and would like to get rid of it, the butt stock knocks my right cheek over to the left side if I don't plant it right on my shoulder. Why's it do that ? I bought it new in the early 70's it still looks new and I can't get rid of a gun but it'll hurt you. A.H

02-20-2008, 12:57 PM	#28
Snakebite Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tucson, Mexico Posts: 1,837 Trader Rating: (0)	Mine was a Remington with a stock made by Winchester. It had a 3X9 and was great to about 50 yards and then went to hell. That thing kicked worse than any gun I own. And for the non believers, the stock had the Winchester grip, cap, and logo on it with a Remington action. It flat hurt to shoot that gun. I sold it for $175

02-20-2008, 01:03 PM	#29
Silent Shooter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 292 Trader Rating: (0)	The old Savage 110's with the cheap blonde stocks in .30-06 kick like a mule in heat...

02-21-2008, 11:29 AM	#31
AKHunter Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Alaska Posts: 904 Trader Rating: (0)	I have never considered the recoil of a 30-06 to be intolerable but, it may have to do with the fact that I learned to shoot with a 06' and a 12 g when I was 12 yrs old. Sitting at a bench certainly puts one in a position to feel all of whats there in recoil, a standing position makes it much easier to tolerate. Anyhow without repeating all the good answers before me, one other thing that seems to make a major difference in felt recoil I feel is a synthetic stock. They seem to be more forgiving to me, a quality recoil pad is always nice as well. While coaching my wife to shoot I did have to work on a little phsycology regarding recoil. She thought far too much about it each shot. It is most important to concentrate on hitting the target NOT about the recoil. I even bought a Winchester featherweight in .280 rem shortened the stock to fit and mounted a compact 4x Burris on it for her. I think it weighs 7.25 or 7.5 lbs without the sling. With a handloaded 150g bullet and 51grns IMR 4350 it chronos at 2800fps ( near max load ) it feels to me to recoil at least as much as my 06', that she does not like to shoot. She thinks it is easier shooting and I certainly dont tell her otherwise