Have you ever thought about recoil before a shot at game?

Probably 99% of the guys on here will say no but that doesn't mean recoil does not affect their shooting. I know a few guys who acquired .300 magnums for hunting and developed a pretty substantial flinch. The guns were either too light or poorly stocked for their build. Plus they did not practice enough pre season to master the rifle. These same lads did not think of recoil when shooting at game per see but their subconcious mind certainly did, they shot poorly. All the power in the world does no good if the bullet hits in the wrong place or not at all. A friend of mine has quite a selection of rifles; 7mm magnum, .300 magnum, .30/06 and the like but he claimed the most unpleasant rifle to fire off a bench that he has owned was a pre 64 model 70 Winchester chambered in .257 Roberts!! The rifle weighed around 9 lbs. scoped and loaded and the Roberts is a mild round even handloaded but for whatever reason it kicked like a mule so much so he sold it cheap. I have always wondered if it had an undersize bore or something.
 
I can honestly say I never feel nor hear a rifle when shooting at game and my ears never ring either. To the extent that my 340 Wby bit me 4 times over the eye on a hard uphill string of shots at a running goat. I still have the scars but never felt a single bite, my focus was trying to ascertain the right lead and spot my shots for correction..........all over him but never did get that goat.
 
yes I can ,,,I was a young buck and thought I was tough. So I got a 10g single shot took it to my gun smith and had him weld iron sights on her just for turkey hunting .Boy was that a mistake ,she kicked like two mules .you could shoot her standing up but as soon as you sat down and tried to shoot her she would just boot you and because I was young and tough I shot it a lot showing off ,,anyways I got a bad flinch from it and had to work threw it with a 22 mag for a year before I got to were I would not flinch when pulling the trigger ,,20 years latter and a 375 and 416 rem latter I have out grown my flinch ,I can now shoot the 3.5 inch turkey loads with out flinching ,,lol to shoot a gun that is very light like the 10g single shot that was less the 6lbs is dumb and you can develop flinches .I now spend more time finding a gun that fits and learning to shoot it then worrying about having the biggest gun in the woods ,, Dutch
 
I have once. 458 wm with a bear directly between my feet with his claws on my stand. I thought about shooting thru the stand then about just leaning over and shooting without the gun on my shoulder. However I decided to yell at him an shot him as he turned on the ground. The actual shot I didn't think about recoil but trying to get the muzzle around the bears face without the stock on my shoulder I sure did
 
I'm more focused on the shot than anything and with that comes rifle placement.

Only one rifle so far made my ears ring, a .375 H&H with a bit of magnaporting on the end... The deer never heard the bang I'm sure.
 
I have a 12 guage SXS that I regularly fire both barrels, and a 45-70 custom rifle that I have loaded to 458Win levels. Neither have felt recoil like that 338WM did in my OP.

As I figured the "not me" s dominate this thread, but hopefully, it will get you thinking.
 
Only once. I was invited on a duck hunt in the U.S. and used a borrowed gun and shells. It was a Benelli Nova with 3-1/2" shells that was very light and didn't fit me at all. Dropping the first duck was very painful. When I rose out of the blind for the second duck all I could think about was getting the snot pounded out of me when I pulled the trigger. I called it a day right after that.

You will never shoot well with a gun or cartridge that hurts you. I've tried many cartridges in different rifles and ruled them out realizing they are beyond what I will tolerate for recoil.
 
The only time I ever did, I was pass shooting geese shooting a Benelli SBE with 3.5" black cloud in BBB shot. First knew I had ever shot a semi auto as it was borrowed so my girlfriend could shoot my gun. First shot I dropped a goose, 2nd shot I missed because my shoulder hurt so bad, 3rd time I hesitated and missed. Never shot that gun again. Never got another semi auto without recoil reduction. So yes, too much recoil ruined it. But with a pattern master and custom tubes now, 3.5" only ever come up for spring snows
 
Firing 3" T-shot at geese or #3 at ducks, nope.
I haven't fired on an ungulate yet, but I am a bit leery and really need more trigger time because I know that the 18" barrel's muzzle blast and the recoil of my Gunsite Scout can be a bit fierce since the surroundings are so much different than a shotgun's shooting scenario. I would really like to try more rifles to see if this gun actually doesn't fit me.
 
Funny there's been no mention of being scoped yet. It's another area where a gun that fits you properly can help. (along with a proper scope for the application, properly installed.)

I have a friend that was knocked out cold shooting his 270Win. He'd never fired it prone before, and crawled up the stock for his stitches.
 
John Y Cannuck said:
Funny there's been no mention of being scoped yet. It's another area where a gun that fits you properly can help. (along with a proper scope for the application, properly installed.)

I have a friend that was knocked out cold shooting his 270Win. He'd never fired it prone before, and crawled up the stock for his stitches.
Click to expand...

Buddy got it, shooting up a steep hill. :)

Grizz
 
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