Shooter
You're being argumentative, and a ####. Magnum eyebrow is caused by being too close to the scope. I've seen guys smacked by a 308 Model 70 when shooting prone because of bad technique. I've also seen guys not touched by the 416 Rigby. Worst I ever saw was a guy get his eyebrow cored out by crawling the stock on a 7mm Weatherby - not a hard kicker in anyone's books. Which brings us to the factors in recoil. You don't mention what "your setup" weighs? Nor (unless I missed it) how it is stocked. I know that Rick's 338 L.Imp. delivers the same bullets you speak of at 3100 FPS (and save the "he's a liar" song. The results are verified and credible). the weight will effect the recoil. If you rifle is a sporter weight rig then, yes, it will kick like a piebald pony. But in a 16-20 lb (or more) rig like Rick builds with a muzzle brake it wouldn't kick nearly as much. I've handled 3 50 BMGs at his place...28 lb, 42 lb and 62 lb. Essentially the same rifle, but which kicks more? Incidentally, Rick's daughter burned through 150 rounds in one of his 50s a few years back, then came looking for more ammo. Not the sign of someone who was punished by the recoil (and for all you guys out there, that's about $1500 worth of ammo - that girl will never be a cheap date - best move along!). Was it because she was slight or because the rifle was built with recoil mitigation in mind?
I think Rick's logic about light weight shooters (like Rick's daughter) versus heavy-weight shooters (like Westicle
) isn't so much a question of their weight, per se, but the fact that heavier shooters tend to try to "lean into" recoil and soak it up. This causes an increase to felt recoil. If the same shooter stood up and fired the rifle off a standing bench (what they use to test fire double rifles) there would be much less recoil
perceived. When I was working up loads for my 416 I started off the bench. Bad idea. 15 rounds of my bench was too much. When I got smart and shot standing with the rifle rested on a round hay bale I perceived much less recoil. There was only possibly a grain difference in the loads (less than 1% of the total charge weight) so the only variable was how much recoil I soaked up trying to stop the rifle in both scenarios.
An interesting anecdote - several years back I bought a #1H in 458 Win and a 1885 in 45-70. I had a big old time working up loads for the 45-70 and shooting the 458. The 45-70 ended up lobbing 418 gr cast bullets at 1950 FPS - brisk from a light rifle like that and the 458 was no pussycat. I didn't think anything of it because the recoil didn't seem to be having an effect on me as my groups were not getting bigger. Then for Christmas my buddy got a Browning A Bolt with the laminated thombhole stock and the BOSS in 223. The first time I got in behind that rifle I had it snugged right into my shoulder and had a good grip on it. When it went off I hardly noticed. It was then I realized that, perhaps, I'd been shooting big rifles a hair too much. I was waiting for the recoil. I knew then, as much as I know now, that the 223 wasn't going to recoil, but subconsciously my body was waiting to get drop-kicked. There's a lot of recoil sensitivity between the ears and that's tough to change. That said, physical recoil can be mitigated.
(I actually need someone to help me with a physics project at school, if you're near Calgary and have someplace to shoot stuff PM me.)
