When did folks become such recoil wimps?

hoytcanon said:
Recoil has a far greater effect on the mind than it does on the shoulder.

Rather than "dreading" recoil, begin using visualization techniques to learn to "enjoy" it. Changing your mindset will have a profound impact on your ability to manage recoil... AND still shoot well.

A good way for a .308 shooter to get comfortable with his .375 H&H (or it's runty nephew), is to shoot a .416 or .458 for awhile... or a 3.5" 12 gauge. Going back to the measley .375 and it will feel like a .243 (comparatively).
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A trick i have done. Again a mind game. Load a few dummy cartridges. Identical, except spent primer, and no powder. I did this with my 375rum, shuffle loads, one dummy, on the bench and load them blindfolded. You get a click, but which shot? How was your squeeze, did you flinch? Good follow through, and the click of the sear breaking come as a surprise? Thats the feeling you want.....i am the rifle, i am the squeeze, i am the reticle.....the reticle is me. All focused, yet relaxed, beyond expectation, all process.

Somewhat too ....snatch the balls from my hand grasshopper. Ahh, its late.
 
nowarningshot said:
A trick i have done. Again a mind game. Load a few dummy cartridges. Identical, except spent primer, and no powder. I did this with my 375rum, shuffle loads, one dummy, on the bench and load them blindfolded. You get a click, but which shot? How was your squeeze, did you flinch? Good follow through, and the click of the sear breaking come as a surprise? Thats the feeling you want.....i am the rifle, i am the squeeze, i am the reticle.....the reticle is me. All focused, yet relaxed, beyond expectation, all process.

Somewhat too ....snatch the balls from my hand grasshopper. Ahh, its late.
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Yeah, misfires really tell you were your "head" is at, as opposed to how you "think" your body was reacting after a shot.
 
We would train with one person loading the gun with back turned to the shooter. Hand the "loaded" gun to the shooter and watch. Sometimes it was loaded sometimes it was not. Good way to see if the shooter flinches and jerks the trigger.
 
Around here, I have seen many guys that hear about or see a great big hole in the end of a barrel incorporated with the word magnum. They will run out and buy one of these big beasts with no idea of what they are getting themselves into and end up scaring the CHIT out of themselves. Great way to develope a wicked flinch!!
 
Weatherby Fan said:
It’s when a long shot hunting used to be 300 yards from your 300 win mag or 300 Wby mag and you shot 3-5 shells a year........

To now when most guys like to shoot out to 1000 yards, and to do that consistently and expect a rifle to shoot 1/2” moa, heavy recoiling magnums without a brake are not that favourable or conducive to consistent accuracy,

folks are starting to see you don’t need to burn 80-100grs of powder per shot to do that, pick up a 6.5 CM or 6.5 PRC and your shooting skills just improved immensely and you can spend an afternoon of shooting without a bruised shoulder and a mild concussion, and you don’t mind posting pictures of your targets with a 1” group at 300 yards ;) instead of sneaking your targets into the garbage can when you left the range.
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Odd comment from a guy with a username incorporating the name of a company that is virtually synonymous with bruised shoulders and mild concussions. :)

My first reaction to this post was "total BS!", but I'm pretty sure that you don't really think that simply buying a rifle...or anything else...translates into "your shooting skills just improved immensely". That new low-recoil rifle will be easy to shoot, and will allow you to concentrate on your technique. It does not magically improve your skills...it just makes shooting easier, which might result in improved scores. In other words, exactly what others have been saying all through this thread: you are shooting to the maximum level that your individual ability and skill-set will allow. If you want to raise that bar, you need to shoot more; no other solution. The easier-to-shoot gun will allow you to do that, more comfortably and more cheaply.

But let's be clear: the guy who enjoys his larger-bore rifle is not confined to that gun exclusively. Over the course of a given year, I shoot a .308 probably 50x more than a .375H&H or a .458..and I shoot a .22lr probably 10x more than the .308. Unless I am working on a load, or doing some other type of testing, I am unlikely to shoot the .375 more than 20 rounds at a time. The point is that virtually any shooting session will be mostly practice/fun shooting with smaller cartridges...but they almost always end with a bit of big-bore fun shooting.

Nobody is talking about 300 rounds a day out of a big boomer. What we are discussing is the desire to enjoy shooting one, the commitment to practice enough shooting to become proficient with it, and the reality of then deriving enjoyment and satisfaction from it. Being referred to as somehow less intelligent by people who lack the desire and interest to do so isn't worrisome; who cares what they think?
 
When?
"I never believed in large-bore rifles, and one can shoot much more accuratley with a small bore, as there is no recoil to speak of."
"...and the recoil, though nothing to worry about, certainly influences the quality of the shooting."

-Denis D. Lyell, Memories of and African Hunter. Early 1900's.
 
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I had a pal whose nick name was "neck shot" for the number of deer he shot with his .300 Savage 99. As far as he was concerned , a 20 rd box of ammo was 20 deer down. He showed me his dog eared ammo supply one time, one of two boxes he bought he bought with the rifle - Dominion .300 Savage with the Harkley & Haywood tag on it; under $10 IIRC.

He came into some money and bought a .300 Wby. After missing every shot thereafter, he sold the Wby and bought another Savage 99.
 
Sometimes I think the need to send dozens of rnds downrange from every rifle every visit has changed caliber choices. Like drinking 8 beer instead of 2 good scotches. I had a Ruger #1 in 375 H&HAI and a 44 Blackhawk. I loaded heavy for both of them. I enjoyed shooting 12-15 rnds per visit, especially from the #1. Like ###, it’s not always about the volume... I want a bigger Ruger#1, but a 458WM something would be fun too.
 
Jim870 said:
It wasn't that long ago when the .308 and .270 Winchester were considered very capable but mild mannered big game cartridges that were well suited to nearly anyone women and teens included. When did they become beyond the comfort level of most meer mortals?
I am by no means unaware of how effective mild recoiling rifles shooting quality bullets can be I have just been noticing a lot more hunters and shooters being very concerned over the amount of recoil produced by rifles that as recently as 10 years ago were often suggested as all around cartridges for those looking for a first rifle.
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The world has Changed quite dramatically in those years, especially Speaking up about Mens Health and Well being.... The Machoness of the 80s and 90s is long gone... We're only Human.

I respect the fact Magnumitis has slowly been bred out of the machoness to the point it is now where any mild, comfortable calibre is more than capable with premium projectiles and a whole lot less buck for bang ;)
 
my first rifle i shot was a 270 win mag when i was 14 i think after using that for 2 years i went right to a 338 winmag shooting a 225 grain bullet i was 16 and from then till now ppl say that gun has to much kick its funny its not a pellet gun lol
 
WhelanLad said:
The world has Changed quite dramatically in those years, especially Speaking up about Mens Health and Well being.... The Machoness of the 80s and 90s is long gone... We're only Human.

I respect the fact Magnumitis has slowly been bred out of the machoness to the point it is now where any mild, comfortable calibre is more than capable with premium projectiles and a whole lot less buck for bang ;)
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I don't think I have one gun in my safe that has 'Magnum' behind it.
As far as olden days logic? My Grandfathers go to was a 22 Hornet. Got a 32-20 hanging around here too. They used to flog some pretty weak calibers.
Mostly I roll milsurp calibers, what I like I suppose. The calibers aren't as bad *ss as the ergonomics are.
Long before this thread I noticed folks like claiming K98's 'kick like a mule'... often wondered if they say it to sound cool or knowledgeable.
I've never really shot a lightweight magnum... maybe it'd bother me too, lol.
I've shot some sporters that were pretty stripped though...6 or 7 +/- lbs.
 
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