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Mild recoil?! REALLY?

16K views 25 replies 19 participants last post by  NonPCnraRN 
#1 ·
I don't know if it's a stock design issue, a lack of recoil pad, or what, but my brother's Marlin 336 .30-30 kicks MUCH harder than my Remington .308. At least, that's what my shoulder is telling me. Since it now looks like I've "inherited" this rifle, I need to either do something to make it more comfortable to shoot, or hang it on the wall as a decoration. Don't get me wrong, I like the look, I like the feel, I like the way it shoulders, I just don't like shooting it :)! So any suggestions to help tame it a bit? Thanks.

Dave
 
#2 ·
Both stock design and lack of recoil pad I think. Were you shooting 170's?

Easiest fix is to add a thin recoil pad without modifying the stock, thus not changing the LOP too much. Look for one that has rounded edges (vs square-edged), and is 'slick' - not sticky - so shouldering isn't hindered. You could do this with any make you prefer by grinding-to-fit.
 
#3 ·
What Shawn said. I know my .444 isn't supposed to kick more than my .30-06, but I swear it is worse than my .338 Win Mag.

A thin recoil pad will do wonders. Keep a firm grip on the forend (as close to the receiver as possible) when shooting off the bench. Don't let it free-recoil.
 
#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
Its the stock, the physics of recoil don't take into account how the gun fits to the shooter.

New recoil pad and shoot it from a more erect position. IF shooting from a bench, then built up for a high rest so your body is more erect rather than the humped forward stance of most bolt guns.

Got the devil beat out of my shooting a freinds 257Weatherby. Not a hard recoiling gun, but I'm right handed and it is a lefty. One of the old ones, with the exaggerated "California Style" stocks..shooting it from the wrong side, had a nice thin edge for a cheek rest that would wack my cheek bone with each shot.

Another example of recoil absorption.... shotgunners can go through a couple of hundred heavy 12gr. loads. The difference is they are standing, and their body can sway and absorb the recoil gradually. Set them down at a bench with the same gun, same loads, and they'll usually call it quits after 20 rounds.

When working on .375H&H loads (an 8 pound rifle), would bring along an adjustable ladder. Would set up a rest on the latter so that I could stand up to shoot, but still have a more stable/repeatable rest than off hand.
 
#5 ·
Lay the two guns on a table, with the Remington on top and the 336 below it. Look at the difference in how much the stock drops at the heel and comb, on both stocks. If you aren't sure what I mean by that, this website gives a pretty good description:

http://waterandwoods.net/2008/10/gunstocks-what-you-need-to-know/

How a gun stock is shaped has a lot to do with how any given shooter's body feels recoil from it. If the comb doesn't fit you right, it can be hard to line up the sights properly. If there is too much drop at the heel, the stock can jump up and smack your cheek pretty good. Too much point at the toe can drive it into your shoulder over a small surface area, which just makes it hurt more. Different stock styles need to be mounted differently to the shoulder, to mitigate the amount of felt recoil it will deliver. There are several things you can do to improve how the stock fits you but the first step is to get a decent recoil pad on it.
 
#6 ·
We have had several threads on this subject in the past, mostly dealing with the 444 Marlin in the Winchester Timber carbine.
When I was a kid I would shoot my Dads 308 Jap rifle and my Savage 110 in 308 and then the Model 94 30-30. I thought the Model 94 kicked much worse.
This is just an acquired feel as I now shoot the lever guns from the bench with a light hold and let them kick back into my shoulder when I am shooting for accuracy.
When shooting the 444 Timber rifle and the Marlin 1895 in 45-70 I wear a Past Pad. At the bench the Past pad makes all the difference. Second thing to do is to change your sitting position at the bench. The straight stock on the bolt rifles allows you to get your face down on the rifle while bent over the stock.
With the lever guns it is best to have a more upright sitting position with your back straight. I lower my seat a little and don’t lean over the rifle. I won’t be long and you will not even think of the recoil. My wife shoots the 30-30 and the 307 Winchester without trouble but she has a problem with the 255-grain bullets in the375 Winchester and the 444 and the 45-70 with any full power load.
My wife shoots the 35 Whelen with 25 grain bullets and no complaint so the drop at the heel of the stock has a lot to do with felt recoil. Shooting off hand changes thing quite a bit.
 
#7 ·
I took my 336 to the gun store and bought the correct size LIMBSAVER slip on recoil pad. That pad works on both the 30-30 and the 35 Rem. Best $30 I've spent on guns for awhile.
And I've found that removing the Limbsaver when storing the rifles prevents any damage to the finish.
 
#8 ·
Thanks, Brewster, I picked one up at Wally World yesterday, will try it out this weekend and see if it helps. The increased LOP is actually an advantage, I have long arms and do better with LOP's in the 14-15" range. I'll let you know how it works out.

Dave
 
#9 ·
"Don't get me wrong, I like the look, I like the feel, I like the way it shoulders, I just don't like shooting it
! So any suggestions to help tame it a bit? Thanks."

I predict the gun will shoot like a dream and you will really begin to enjoy what it has to offer.
 
#10 ·
I don't know if it's a stock design issue, a lack of recoil pad, or what, but my brother's Marlin 336 .30-30 kicks MUCH harder than my Remington .308.
Well, if you have one of the newer M700's with the gummy rubber recoil pads, that might be so. ??? My own 336, with Sierra 170's and a max load of W748 isn't bad at all, even with the solid butt plate.

If you handload for it, try some Sierra 125gr FP/HP's, or 150gr cast over 8gr of Trail Boss. My daughter is good for a box of those in a TShirt. It's not a deer load, but a lot of fun to shoot.
 
#11 ·
I have always said exactly what the rest of you guys are saying....the 30-30 thumps. Thumps alright, at least off a bench.
whether shooting an old glenfield [marlin] or my Winchester 94, the 30-30 seems to have a very pronounced recoil from a bench rested shot. After getting beat up sighting these guns in years ago, I only shoot them from sitting, standing or prone now, and my 'percieved' recoil sure seems less than that of the bench. The Winchester shoots 170 grain best, of course.:rolleyes:

Funny how when we take that shot hunting, we never feel the recoil.:p

There used to be an old timer at my old shooting club who only shot one gun....a mid 50's model 94, in 30-30. The finish was weathered, and blue almost gine from the receiver, from many years of woods carry. When he came to the club, he'd shoot in his Woolrich red plaid hunting coat, hot weather or cold. Some would laugh about it, but he'd just say he shoots it practicing like he shoots it hunting. Kinda makes sence when you really think about it
 
#13 ·
Dave,

Do be sure to pull the stock hard into your shoulder. It doesn't hit as hard when it doesn't have a running start. Get a PAST recoil pad like Slim's if you want to hold the gun loosely at the bench, or perhaps your Limbsaver will do the same for you. I use a PAST pad under my shooting jacket in service rifle matches because the service rifle LOP's are too short and my eye ends up trying to give the rear sight a real time corneal transplant if I don't (I'm a terrible stock crawler and have had the scope marks to prove it).
 
#14 ·
Don't know about the Marlin 30-30's but my Winchester 94 30-30 will kick the snot out of you! and that's with Speer 100grn "plinkers"!:confused:, my marlin 336A 35Remington with full house 200grn loads is MUCH more pleasant to shoot!
 
#15 ·
my mdl 94 kicks like a baby, the stock design isnt that great, but it just doesnt have enough kick to bother anyone.. i usually shoot 170 grain corelokts in it. It is a trapper, i can even hold it one handed and shoot it like a pistol, and im not a big guy by any means. A few times getting a really good steady rest at weird angles i have had to be really loose on my shoulder and move my head closer, getting wacked in the eye...that doesnt really hurt either, dont even leave a red mark.

After you site it in, youd probably have more fun just shooting it off hand, better practice anyway.
 
#16 ·
As a youngster, many long years ago, I remember thinking how hard the recoil was on the 1st centerfire rifle I had ever shot. It was a 30-30 lever. I still remember it as the most recoil I have ever felt until I touched off a heavy 12 ga. slug for the first time. I think it has something to do with your expectations on that 1st firing, not being what you expected. After , the felt recoil, becomes the norm, it seems to be normal and expected for that particular configuration. Wow! Sometimes I sound deep. I ain't.
 
#17 ·
I still remember it as the most recoil I have ever felt until I touched off a heavy 12 ga. slug for the first time.
The difference in felt recoil is pretty much between the ears, most of the time.

I owned a couple of .375's over the years, and many people sitting next to me thought the recoil bouncing me around was over the top. And to someone who never touched off anything larger than a .30-30, it definately was. But a trip to the range for me is a one hour drive each way, so when I go, I take at least four rifles/handguns at a time.

Shooting the .375 along with my 7600 Whelen with a peep (6lbs), the .375 M70 was not in the same class for abuse. With 3" 1 1/4oz slugs, my M870 slug gun kicks far worse. I sold a Winchester 1200 Turkey Special, because it nearly blew me outa' a tree stand with a heavy buckshot load. A M60/.357 with a 170gr Speer GD over a case full of 2400 kicks worse than anything I've ever fed my .44 SBH.

It's surprising how perception affects reality.
 
#18 ·
Yep. Get a good buck in your sights that has all your attention or get enough adrenaline in your system for any reason, and recoil goes unnoticed except as to how long it takes to get your sights back on target.
 
#19 ·
I once was sensitive to recoil when I was a kid. So one day I bought two boxes of full house 12 ga shells, went out in the woods and sat down and shot all 50 rounds, one after the other. Once that was out of the way, recoil is usually the furthest thing on my mind when shooting. Only exception is shooting and chronographing heavy loads off the bench
 
#21 ·
IIRC there is a PAST recoil pad made for women that uses velcro to attach to a bra strap. I found the pad attaches to the strap of a tank top undershirt aka "wife beater". This is worn underneath a larger T-shirt, henly or sportshirt. This is especially usefull if you don't want to wear a pad on the exterior. The covering T-shirt also helps hold the pad in place. With a pad on the outside I am constantly moving the pad back into place after each shot.
 
#22 ·
My wife has just such a shooting pad for when we go to the trap range, but never liked it. I bought her one of those canvas shirts with a recoil pad quilted into the shoulder and she has been much more comfortable with it. In fact, even though it's long-sleeved, she'll wear it even during the summer.
 
#23 · (Edited)
458 Winmag

Most of my rifles have what I call negligible recoil, but, my 458 Win will get your attention.
I shot it several times with sane loads, and thought I had it beat. Then, I loaded 20 rounds of 405 grain jacketed bulets to near maximum.(I don't remember the load)
I took it to the range and fired 12 of them. While taking a break , my head began to clear and I realized that I took up shooting to have fun. I took the rest home and unloaded them.
I don't mind some recoil, but that d3456d thing was trying to kill on both ends!!!
 
#24 ·
To me it is all just a state of mind. I work heavy construction with hard men in a hard proffesion where broken bones and knocked out teeth are common. Most just accept it and go back to work. Yet some of these men whine like a bunch of schoolgirls when they pull the trigger of anything bigger than a 22 rifle. I have a wife weighing less than 100 pounds that regulally shoots a 375 H&H magnum and often shoots my 9 pound 458 Winchester Magnum with full power loads. Even if it hurt het she would never admit it.
 
#25 ·
I was at the range with my Mossberg 464 today. 30-30. Shot total of 18 rounds. 12-150gn & 6-170gn. Bent forward range bench shooting. Now, 8 hrs later, I can feel a slight ache in the arm. Mostly in the fleshy part of the arm a little below the top shoulder bone. I'm sure it will be gone by morning. I'm used to it. Only takes about 3 rounds from my .300 WM to get the same amount of ache.
 
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