Learning to Handle Recoil

[noharleyyet]

I’m shooting 150 grains. Not that heavy.

Dry firing and shooting rimfires will help. I do practice those, and plan to do more. But I can watch a pig roll over dead with my .17hmr yet with one of the misses with the .308 I caught myself flinching in trigger pull, telling myself to focus, and then still missed on a small pig. Maybe it is mental and decreasing the trigger pull sounds like a good idea.

Starting with a limb saver recoil pad sounds like a good place to start for continued live practice with the .308

Since I began reloading I shoot a lot....like weekly. Magnums all, the smallest bore a .25 Roy jumping to .28 and .30 mags amd ultra mags....all with OEM pads. Frequent range time has really helped with trigger discipline..a lot. But honestly, there's something about pigs that gives me the yips. This is the first year I haven't missed when they've availed a shot.

 

[JTHOMP]

Since I began reloading I shoot a lot....like weekly. Magnums all, the smallest bore a .25 Roy jumping to .28 and .30 mags amd ultra mags....all with OEM pads. Frequent range time has really helped with trigger discipline..a lot. But honestly, there's something about pigs that gives me the yips. This is the first year I haven't missed when they've availed a shot.

If you need to get over the yips there’s plenty of public land full of them in Louisiana. Enough targets in the woods should be the cure.

 

[noharleyyet]

We have plenty JThomp....hopefully I've turned the corner.

 

[JTHOMP]

We have plenty JThomp....hopefully I've turned the corner.

Good luck to you. Killem all

 

[huntnpack]

Remember, any added weight to your rifle decreases your felt recoil as well.

 

[2ski]

You could try taking multiple guns to the range too. Shoot 3 with your rifle. Take out a pistol and empty a mag. Shoot more with the rifle. Give your shoulder a break.

 

[ShadowFast1]

If you end up going with a muzzle brake also try something like Wilson Combat's Q Comp. It reduces recoil, compensates to keep the rifle flat as you shoot it, reduces flash, and has very little muzzle blast. There are many other brands that work similarly but that's the one I have experience with.

 

[Losing_Sanity]

Lots of ways to reduce perceived recoil on a budget. Confirm proper length of pull (can cut down or add spacers as needed), swap butt pads, add a slip on butt pad, add weight to the stock, confirm proper cheek placement and build up if needed, ensure proper rifle placement on shoulder, buy low recoil ammunition, if you hand load chose a powder that requires lower charge weight, load to lower end of velocity range, go with lighter bullet and moderate velocity, add a muzzle brake (Witt has a cheap clamp on that works well if your rifle is not threaded already). More expensive options include changing cartridge to lower recoil option like 6.5creedmoor or going with a suppressor. There is also a PAST shoulder pad you can use while practicing and hope that you can break the flinch on the range so that your one shot in the field can be tolerated without recoil reduction. Once you get your rifle recoil moderated to your needs do lots and lots of dry fire practice to make sure the flinch goes away and stays away.

I agree with VikingsGuy!

One other thing I have done that seems to have helped a lot for me and my kids is to "focus on trigger squeeze" and not the punch. What I mean by that is I actually make myself mentally follow a checklist and talk to myself in my mind. Something like, "Okay there is where I want it, pad of finger on the trigger, squeeze the trigger, don't pull..." By concentrating on that stuff the rifle going off is a surprise and not a flinch. My Chiropractor uses this type of method to get people to relax a certain area he is adjusting. He will say, "wiggle your toes" or "move your feet apart" and when you do he manipulates the joints. I feel it helps to take your mind, the subconscious, off the issue.
I hope it helps!

 

[elkduds]

To all of these worthy suggestions I would add: Full coverage ear muffs, padded gun case between shoulder and buttstock. I was able to defeat my flinch by putting lots of rounds through a 22, and dry firing my 7 mag a lot to emphasize trigger squeeze and keeping crosshairs on target. Plus @ the range: better hearing protection, padding shoulder w gun case, 2.5# trigger, putting hunting rifles down to shoot 22/handguns after each round fired, use of sling snug around L elbow.

 

[noharleyyet]

To all of these worthy suggestions I would add: Full coverage ear muffs, padded gun case between shoulder and buttstock. I was able to defeat my flinch by putting lots of rounds through a 22, and dry firing my 7 mag a lot to emphasize trigger squeeze and keeping crosshairs on target. Plus @ the range: better hearing protection, padding shoulder w gun case, 2.5# trigger, putting hunting rifles down to shoot 22/handguns after each round fired, use of sling snug around L elbow.

I tend to be suspect of snugging the sling and it's attendant fore end tug mitigation....am I wrong?

 

[Europe]

when I moved up to calibers needed to hunt DG in Africa, we did everything mentioned, except for the brake and/or suppressor. Recoil Pad, Length of Pull, using the sling, heavier rifle and they were all beneficial, but for me I felt "fit" might have been the most important. Once we had the stock custom made specifically to fit me, it made all the difference in the world. Make sure the firearm fits "you"

Also I was never a 'shooter", always a "hunter". I did not enjoy range time. My husband diid, but when it was time to hunt, I would squeeze of a couple to make sure everything was shooting where it should be and working properly and then hunt. shotguns however, one might shoot 10 to 20 times a day ( or more if shooting doves in Argentina ) but again, "fit" was the important factor for me.

I would like to touch on "physical vs perceived" recoil. I never forgot everybody telling me that child birth is not as bad as some make it out to be. Most of the pain is in your head because of what others have said--or--perceived, not physical

Bull Sh-- !!!

 

[elkduds]

I tend to be suspect of snugging the sling and it's attendant fore end tug mitigation....am I wrong?

Perceptive! Depends on the stock and how hard you push against the forearm w your front hand. My Interarms Mauser has a solid walnut stock w mildly tapered forearm. It takes a lot of pressure to get the forearm to contact the barrel. My Stevens 200 has a pool noodle for a stock, so it takes less pressure to pull the forearm against the barrel.

It occurs to me that lots of shooters use bipods etc, I don't. I use sling tension for stability when shooting from standing, kneeling or sitting (my favorite) field positions. The perfect amount of sling tension is the amount that holds the rifle against my shoulder without using my trigger hand at all. Dry firing from a standing position is how I learned the just-right amount of sling tension.

 

[memtb]

when I moved up to calibers needed to hunt DG in Africa, we did everything mentioned, except for the brake and/or suppressor. Recoil Pad, Length of Pull, using the sling, heavier rifle and they were all beneficial, but for me I felt "fit" might have been the most important. Once we had the stock custom made specifically to fit me, it made all the difference in the world. Make sure the firearm fits "you"

Also I was never a 'shooter", always a "hunter". I did not enjoy range time. My husband diid, but when it was time to hunt, I would squeeze of a couple to make sure everything was shooting where it should be and working properly and then hunt. shotguns however, one might shoot 10 to 20 times a day ( or more if shooting doves in Argentina ) but again, "fit" was the important factor for me.

I would like to touch on "physical vs perceived" recoil. I never forgot everybody telling me that child birth is not as bad as some make it out to be. Most of the pain is in your head because of what others have said--or--perceived, not physical

Bull Sh-- !!!

Reading your post, virtually mirrors what my wife might write! memtb

 

[BrentD]

I think Europe and vikingsguy have the right idea. It is fit above all else, especially for a .308 which is a nice medium round.

The problem is how to know what fit is. This is harder to figure out than anything, but I would wager that Limb Saver pad was more important for length that for the cushion it provided. Length isn't the only commodity to be concerned with, but it is the only one you can do much with, unless you are willing to restock or bend stocks (I don't know if you can bend plastic, but wood is plastic, except when it is not).

One thing I have found that helps me is to put something like chalk powder or lipstick or whatever on my right thumb knuckle (I'm a right-handed shooter). If I find that stuff has tranfered to my cheek bone after a session, the stock is too short.

Some other things that might help are a lace on cheek pad - http://www.cheeknstock.com/, but without seeing you shoot, I can't really say.

But last of all, what is your fit like? By that I mean how do you fit yourself to the rifle to hold it? A lot of folks go to the range with a stock that is too short, has a lot of drop and then shoot from a stool that is too tall or a table that is too low. Consequently, they are hunched over the stock and not in a proper position. Not only does it suck for felt recoil, it sucks for accuracy and precision as well. Learning how to shoot from a bench is a bit of an art and a bit of practice and a few other things. Without seeing you shoot, I can't really comment other than to say - it is a problem for more guys that not. Also, good form at the bench is not the same as good form in the field.

I lied. Fitting yourself to your gun is not last of all. This is: When all is said and done, recoil will be annoying, unpleasant, and maybe even painful, but only moderately so - if you have done the other things. Yet you will still find yourself dreading the break of the trigger. For me, and maybe only for me, I simply remind myself, this isn't going to kill me, not even injure me. It will be and annoyance and not really painful in any meaningful way. So, I just have to hold myself together and break the trigger properly. I'll survive, and jerking the trigger with a big flinch will not do one thing to make it less annoying or painful. And somewhere in all of this thought process the gun goes off, the x-ring is achieved and I find that I have survived just fine. You said somewhere up above that maybe this is mostly mental. It is.

So, fit the gun to you as best as you can. Then fit yourself to the gun the rest of the way, and finally, remind yourself that this is not a purple-heart experience. No big deal, this is all in your head and a shot with a flinch is just as uncomfortable as a shot without one, so do it right.

 

[MJE2083]

Recoil pad is nice. Shooting a lighter bullet will also help. That Hornady Custom Lite ammo is nice stuff, I find most 120-130 gr bullets to be fairly tame.

 

[devon deer]

Also, good form at the bench is not the same as good form in the field.

Never a truer word spoken!

From my experience with others, once you have a flinch it can be difficult (but not impossible) to stop.
Some good advice already on this thread.
Whilst I am not a fan of suppressors they could help you, I have one for my 30-06, and it 'tames' it a lot.

One of the best bits of advice I was given when I first used a full bore rifle, the shot should come as a surprise, in other words gently squeeze that trigger.
You would love the trigger on my Blaser, a light touch and off it goes.

Cheers

Richard

 

[bullbugle307]

I notice a lot of people here talking about light triggers as a solution. If you go that route be sure you drop test that trigger before you go leaning your gun on something with a round in the chamber. I know it's common sense and don't mean to sound preachy, but the outfitter I worked for had an accidental discharge on a hunt due to a guy not properly drop testing his fancy super light trigger and leaning his loaded gun against the truck. That's one of many reasons I don't let people chamber a round until they're absolutey ready to shoot, but that's veering off topic.

I had a similar problem flinching with a 300 win mag. I ended up giving it back to the guy who gave it to me and just said hey, it's too much recoil for me. I could shoot one good group with it but after that I was all over the place. He gave me the 3006 I now own instead. It took me a little bit to get over the flinch habit with that gun even though I grew up shooting a different 3006 with no problems.

One thing that helped me, ironically enough, was getting a 22 from my dad that has the worst trigger imaginable. I would force myself to have a good trigger pull and stay on target with that POS trigger and then shooting anything else was a breeze. Sounds stupid but it was cheap and it works. I think that savage 22 was like 130 bucks brand new.

But don't be afraid to admit you've got too much gun for you if it comes down it. There's a certain segment of macho men in the hunting population that like to equate shooting anything with light recoil to brokeback mountain and caitlyn jenner. I'm pretty sure a lot of them would be dead halfway up the ridge where I shot my bull elk this year with a lowly 6.5.

 

[Gut Shot]

You've been given some good advice here and I'll throw in my $.02.

Savage, for the most part, makes great rifles. They are simple and accurate...and cheap. My biggest gripe with Savage (and I have several of their bolt action rifles in various calibers) is that they kick worse than any other modern bolt action I've shot. I believe it is the stock design. If you think your 308 kicks try a 300WM. I've replaced the stocks on most of mine with Bell and Carlson stocks, it has helped and a heavier stock like a Boyd's laminate would probably be even better.

Edit to add. To get rid of the flinch you've already developed spend a lot of time at the range behind a 22lr.

 

[Hertervillian]

I am a big believer in dryfiring. Dry fire till you are so stinking tired of it you can’t stomach the thought. You need to hit the range pull the trigger and expect no noise or recoil because the last 5000 times that is what happened. Bring only 5 rounds to ensure you don’t over do it.
If you are confident of your zero I’m not sure what sending bullets down range does that dry firing can’t do. Another thing that seems to help is doubling up on ear protection, plugs and muffs.

 

[NR_Hunter]

I lied. Fitting yourself to your gun is not last of all. This is: When all is said and done, recoil will be annoying, unpleasant, and maybe even painful, but only moderately so - if you have done the other things. Yet you will still find yourself dreading the break of the trigger. For me, and maybe only for me, I simply remind myself, this isn't going to kill me, not even injure me. It will be and annoyance and not really painful in any meaningful way. So, I just have to hold myself together and break the trigger properly. I'll survive, and jerking the trigger with a big flinch will not do one thing to make it less annoying or painful. And somewhere in all of this thought process the gun goes off, the x-ring is achieved and I find that I have survived just fine. You said somewhere up above that maybe this is mostly mental. It is.

I really agree the right mentality can help.

Back in my days I did a lot of mma training, and one of my buddies at the gym, who was a natural born ass kicker about 50 pounds bigger than me and has since gone on to have a successful career as a professional fighter, punched me so hard in the solar plexus one time I thought I was gonna die. He told me it was only %70 and I had to remind nobody in my weight class would ever hit me as hard as his %70.

When I’m shooting, sometimes I still remind myself that it’s not gonna hurt as bad as that, and it seems to help. Perception is key.