How'd you get that nasty flinch?

8 years old with Dads 30-30 and I thought I was the tough guy telling him over and over he didn't have to hang on to it.He finally said go ahead than and up she came,hammer hit me in the nose and broke it.Took me a long time to get over the flinch.
 
philthygeezer said:
I bought a Ruger RSM in .458 Lott. Four rounds and a split stock later, .223 made me blink. Still not over it completely!
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Use everything you can, ear protecting, double ear protection, muzzle break, recoil pad etc to minimise the guns impact on you. Then stick with the 223 or a 22lr for fundamentals, and try some snapcaps through the bigger guns for getting used to working the big rifle without to much flinching, but never assume your brain is a dumb as you. I picked up a nasty flinch from years of bench time with 300-338wm guns, and when I step down to a 223 or even light 12ga load the flinch goes after a couple of shots. Once back into the bigger stuff it sneaks back in. Even playing with snap caps, once a live round goes in there the brain knows, and its like its just waiting for a bad reaction. As mentioned above, a good fitting gun is key. I added weight to my current primary rifle, got a great fitting stock, and it keeps the flinch at bay.
 
I felt the same when I was working up loads in my 9.3 x 64mm Brenneke. I had made some light loads with a 250-grain Nosler Accubond for deer, and then I started working up some heavy loads with a 286-grain Hornady for moose. Those moose loads felt like I was shooting a howitzer in comparison! Took me a while to go back to the lighter loads and shoot accurately again!
 
If I'm wailing away at the range in something big, I'll notice myself anticipating the recoil but I can get rid of it just by consciously thinking about the trigger pull. Out in the field aiming at a deer, no flinch or anticipation of recoil.
 
Newb question here. As I have never shot any of the mentioned above larger calibres. How does their recoil compare to 12 ga. slug recoil? I have shot a bunch of those. 2 3/4 - 3.5 in.
 
milkman said:
Newb question here. As I have never shot any of the mentioned above larger calibres. How does their recoil compare to 12 ga. slug recoil? I have shot a bunch of those. 2 3/4 - 3.5 in.
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hehehe...if your shotgun allows for it, shoot a 3" or better yet, a 3.5" magnum shell with a 1oz slug...hehehe.
 
I've been battered by a bad fitting stock before, and when i go back to the heavy hitters again, it will be with a stock that fits. I had a Browning stainless stalker in 338WM. Sighting it in was the first time any firearm actually bruised my shoulder (even tripping both barrels on the 12 gauge doesn't do that). I've fired other 338WMs since with no issues. That rifle was just not for me.
 
John Y Cannuck said:
I've been battered by a bad fitting stock before, and when i go back to the heavy hitters again, it will be with a stock that fits. I had a Browning stainless stalker in 338WM. Sighting it in was the first time any firearm actually bruised my shoulder (even tripping both barrels on the 12 gauge doesn't do that). I've fired other 338WMs since with no issues. That rifle was just not for me.
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You should try one of those stalkers in a 375mag. :rolleyes:
 
I never picked up a flinch but 4 then another 4 quick shots from my Remington .375 H+H 300 gr. Nosler partitions, open sights, standing. I still remember my concussion like symtoms? My brain got rattled inside my skull!!!!! That is a feeling I will never forget.
 
I can shoot 3" 12ga loads without flinching, but my 375 takes alot of concentration to get over. It's different recoil; more horsepower, less torque.
 
Moving to a 12 gauge up from a 28 gauge as a kid of about 10. Really started flinching then but i figured it didn't matter since i was shooting a bigger shotgun and the spread would be bigger :rolleyes: So i kept on flinching over the years and still catch myself almost 20 years later doing it more often than i would like. Like some others have said, it's more about the anticipation of the recoil than the actual recoil. I think i would have been better off using a .22 as a kid to hunt than that old 12 gauge.
 
I fired 260rds of factory .340 Wby from the shoulder in one day. Recoil sensitivity and flinching was an interesting ordeal that day.
 
Lodi said:
I fired 260rds of factory .340 Wby from the shoulder in one day. Recoil sensitivity and flinching was an interesting ordeal that day.
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I just have to ask...to what end? Even shooting 30 rounds an hour it would have taken over 8 hours. Plus you would have peed over $1000 down the drain and burned a barrel out. If you did it, I would seriously wonder why you bothered.
 
A .30-06 sporter that was way too light for my liking....:redface:...I'd rather take a "weight penalty" and have something to soak-up recoil, anyday.


The "cure" was range-time with the .223.....:yingyang:
 
BigUglyMan said:
I just have to ask...to what end? Even shooting 30 rounds an hour it would have taken over 8 hours. Plus you would have peed over $1000 down the drain and burned a barrel out. If you did it, I would seriously wonder why you bothered.
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If I did it, well of course I did! But to be honest, it was 1 day, 500rds, 20 rifles, and 2 guys, including myself.

I worked for Weatherby, in the stocks department, in the old South Gate shop back in the mid-80's. They were doing some R&D on the current (at that time) wood stocked .340's.They were wanting to watch the progression of damage due to recoil, and make changes if needed.
 
Probably should have been committed anyway, 260 from the shoulder was too much in such a short time span.
 
My first few shots I ever took with my Mosin Nagant were... Interesting.

I was waiting on my surplus crate and just had to try it, so I went out with a box of commercial 203 grain softpoints. Turns out I had the stock lined up all wrong on my shoulder, and between the heavier bullets and the unforgiving steel buttplate, I walked away with a nasty bruise. Didn't develop a flinch, per se, but it took a few sessions to fully trust the old warhorse again.
 
cyclone said:
A .30-06 sporter that was way too light for my liking....:redface:...I'd rather take a "weight penalty" and have something to soak-up recoil, anyday.
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I feel this way about barrel length. A 24" barrel is nice to keep the muzzle blast out of my face. Carbine barrels are loud and nasty.
 
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