Recoil management

[Wodez]

Hey enoughgunners

I am trying to shoot more consistent, with less bad groups and flyers and I think I need more consistent recoil management to help.

I can rarely see the target through the scope after the shot follow through.
I’m shooting a sako 85 243 and a sako a7 300win mag. Both light weight hunting barrels. I know not ideal but I’m sure I can improve my current recoil management because currently the barrel jumps around inconsistently, especially the 300wm.
I would rather not put a break on it, being a stalking rifle mainly, and having a pointer pup I don’t want to blow here ears off.

I have looked at heaps of YouTube vids, but mostly American with silencers or breaks that make it look easy.... I learnt a few tips from them and I will put them into practice, but most of them don’t grab the front of the stock because their rifles don’t kick that much, I don’t think this is an option with how much mine kick.

I am shooting prone or bench with Caldwell front and rear bags.
I understand the basics. Straight behind rifle, square shoulders, consistent cheek weld and trigger follow through. I have tried a few different hand grips and strengths with little difference.
Some tips and tricks would be great

[Noisydad]

This is something that’s had me scratching my head for while.
People go and buy the lightest rifle they can even to the point of fluted barrels, polymer stocks etc. - anything to make them lighter and then try and tame the recoil.
The one thing that tames recoil best is mass and that’s the one thing modern rifles don’t have. That mass one of the many reasons I love big old BP rifles that quite manageably hurl massive lumps of lead of 400 - 600 grains.
A modern 3.5 kg rifle in big critter calibers can’t soak up recoil like my typically 1” diameter 30” long (and sometimes more) barrels can.
Perhaps a padded leather recoil pad that straps on your shoulder may help.

[Wm.Traynor]

I have one of those "strap-on" pads that Noisydad refers to. It's a Past Recoil Shield and it works for me. Something else that works for me is follow through and my idea of it might be different to Wodez's.
FWIW, I concentrate on getting the feel of the muscle tension in the stomach area and maintaining it through the recoil. I hold the tip of my tongue against the roof of my mouth at the same time. Bear in mind that FT is degraded by shooting. You have to practice it; say, a few dry fires at the beginning.

[Potatoes]

Here’s a link to a video from the real gunsmith who shoots high powered hunting rifles. He puts his left hand on the scope. I think there is another video where he goes into this more detail but I couldn’t find it.

https://youtu.be/IFbNSjBrqsk

[Stix]

Im not much a fan of his theory in that video spuds...

He appears to be sitting next to the rifle with the butt in his arm--not in his shoulder, & he hangs his head over from the side.

You want a rifle to be able to recoil straight back exactly the same every time without choking or hindering it, & his position doesnt allow this...
Also, by locking down the rifle with a hand, you're just preventing the rifle doing what it naturally wants to do...

I think the fact his groups improve by wrapping his hand over the scope is indicative of how bad & inconsistant his technique is in the first place...

Hand wrapped over the scope is potentially a good technique for a 100yd shot on a goat when resting on a rock when you've just climbed a mountain & your lungs are burning as if you're breathing acid & your heart is pumping like your on a large hydraulic jack hammer..& for that purpose i think is worth practicing--but not for good group shooting...

If its a good technique condusive to good groups, id imagine all varmint & long range shooters would do it...


Rather concentrate on a soft shoulder & relaxed consistant muscle tension in your 'butt stock'/trigger arm.
Let the rifle recoil straight back--adjust your position until you get this happening consistantly.
Go through a mini meditation routine every shot if ness until you get good consistancy.
A relaxed shoulder is what you need--let that rifle come back--the more you restrict its backward/recoil movement, the more jump in any other direction you'll get.

Random direction recoil is telling you the rifle is not coming straight back & that you've too much shoulder tension-- it's like bouncing a tennis ball off of a rocky surface--could go in any direction.

Just my opinion...

[SCJ429]

You need to add weight as Dad said in post 2. You could swap stocks for bench work and bolt on the biggest walnut bench stock you can find. Get a second hand one, use a router to remove the wood that doesn't suit a Sako and bed it into the stock.

Or you could try a Caldwell Tackdriver bag which has a bigger surface area to hold the fore end of the stock. I can shoot big bores quite well off one of these.

[Wodez]

Here’s a link to a video from the real gunsmith who shoots high powered hunting rifles. He puts his left hand on the scope. I think there is another video where he goes into this more detail but I couldn’t find it.

https://youtu.be/IFbNSjBrqsk

Cheers Potatoes
I’ll give that a try next time I’m out

[SCJ429]

Have a look at how this guy shoots, not touching the top of the scope but good enough to compete at an international event. Do you think that there is a reason to not interfere with the tracking of the rifle by hanging onto the scope?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qHdUtKbnCWg

[SCJ429]

This guy runs through some fundamentals, I was trying to find some links that Marksman posted earlier but couldn't find them.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhxVS5A3gk

[Stix]

Have a look at how this guy shoots, not touching the top of the scope but good enough to compete at an international event. Do you think that there is a reason to not interfere with the tracking of the rifle by hanging onto the scope?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qHdUtKbnCWg

Im not sure what youre saying here scj...

Yes i do think there is a reason to not interfere with the scope/rifle by not handling it when it recoils...are you suggesting im wrong here by saying what you've said...?

[marksman]

l would prefer to be able to hang onto the forend with something that kicks and dont stiffen up for the shot
good breathing, trigger control ect..

many woman can shoot a kicker better than a bloke because they roll with the kick not stiffen up to take the recoil, it takes a bit of practice but works

l think the vid SCJ was talking about is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYCTMf_ ... e=youtu.be
or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLeJ8rRUSXc

[Potatoes]

Hey stix, relaxing the shoulder is something i’ll try next time at the range, as it turns out ive been doing the opposite.

In relation to putting fingers on the scope, i tried it once and it didn’t really tighten my groups so i stopped trying. 223 isn’t really a kicker anyway, but i thought for the OPs sake I’d put up a video I remember seeing of someone who knows more about shooting magnum hunting rifles than i do.

[SCJ429]

Im not sure what youre saying here scj...

Yes i do think there is a reason to not interfere with the scope/rifle by not handling it when it recoils...are you suggesting im wrong here by saying what you've said...?

No, I think you were spot on. In the field I would use a sling or hang onto the fore end. Sometimes in the paddock you have to improvise. At the bench I would let the rifle sit on the bags, if I didn't want to squeeze the rear bag, I would hold onto the fore end. I do this with bigger Rigby and Weatherby cases and it works well.. I have seen guys drape a sand bag or one filled with lead over the shoulder to add mass to the shooter.

The guy shooting the 50 BMG is dealing with heaps of recoil, even thought the rifle is braked, the stock allows him to shoot without holding the stock with his left hand.

[Stix]

No worries Spuds...

I wasnt having a go at you or your input mate...was just saying what i think...

I did a good bit of practice with my 7-08 using that hand over scope technique off a bench & got it working well but i dont think its the best way by a long shot...hahaha...!!...get it..?. ...long shot... ...ah i still crack me up...

And Im not a magnum shooter either...



Good luck with it mate...