[magnumitis]

.......the satisfaction of the wallop of a stout magnum rifle???

After reading through a couple recent posts on recoil levels and moderate cartridges, it got me to wondering if I am some kind of dying breed or just some sort of masochist or what.

To me, there's just a deep satisfaction in riding a hard driving rifle and getting good results on target at the same time. Not to say that I don't have light-recoiling rifles and ones of moderate velocity. I do. But waaaay more often than not, I find myself enjoying the ones that burn 70 or 80 or 90 or 100 or more grains of powder at a clip the very most. I love to watch a chronograph read big numbers. I like to hold over as little as possible at distance. I just loves big guns!!

Who's with me???

 

[Shawn Crea]

I used to, although I don't really have any huge-case-for-caliber chambered rifles. The belt from the 338 WM is getting more noticeable, and less appealing. Guess it's the advancing age factor. I did find my recoil tolerance limit in the 458 Lott though; it exceeds it!

 

[magnumitis]

I'm getting ready to turn 44. Not reached "old fart-dom" yet. But no teenager, either.

I've yet to find my upper limit. But I've yet to get my hands on any real big thumpers. So far the .375 H&H and .375 Wby, .416 Rigby and .458 Win Mag have all treated me well enough.

I have a Model 70 Classic .300 Wby. sitting in the safe awaiting conversion to something on the stout side. I'm leaning toward .470 Capstick.

 

[Bird Dog II]

I agree totally there IS a deep satisfaction in riding a hard driving rifle and getting good results on target at the same time. This is why I love my .30-06s above all others. They shoot hard and accurate. The fact that they don't have the word "Magnum" attached to their name means nothing to me. I am something like 35-0-0 with 06 on big game, so I am not sure why more gun would be necessary for anything short of Big Brown Bears. The .45-70 and .35 Whelen are rounds that friends of mine own that do not bear the word "magnum" in their names and they seem to kill everything dead. Too much marketing vs common sense in "magnums" IMO. Of course none of these I mentioned are exactly "moderate" recoiling rounds. One of my 06's (a carbon stock job) really kills on both ends. It shoots great though.

 

[OneShotKill]

I'm 45, and each to their own. What other guys like to shoot is up to them, and I don't have any problems listening to the enjoyment they get from shooting whatever it is they shoot. That doesn't mean I have to like their chosen rifle or calibre, it's just I can respect them and share their joy in shooting what it is they like.

Having said that, I've never owned a magnum, and I never will. For what I hunt in Australia I don't have the need or desire to own one. I also don't need or enjoy being belted on the shoulder and burning up a whole lot of powder when my 308 or 7mm 08 can do the job very well. If that's too much, there's always a shotgun, 223 or 22 rimfire, or then there's the 25/303 which many guys in Australia would have heard a lot about. What's in my gun cupboard I've learnt to shoot, and shoot well, and I think for the moment I have enough in my cupboard to cover my requirements.

I always strive for a one shot kill, hence my name on here. I believe it bullet placement, and with my choices mentioned and what I am likely to hunt in the majority of Australia, I'm well covered.

Still guys, I'm happy you guys enjoy your magnums. I don't see many magnums in my travels, so it's great to read things that you guys like about them. Some of the magnum lovers I've heard over hear talk about them like you've made the passage from boyhood into manhood when you've bought your first magnum, but I don't get that feeling from you guys, because it hasn't become a big gun versus little gun, big guy versus little guy, real shooter versus pretend shooter, grown up shooter versus still growing shooter etc. It's a nice civil topic and it's a credit to you guys for keeping it that way. I'm very impressed to not see this topic lose its way, and it's not what I want to see happen nor what I intend to see happen by posting my ideas. I guess add a bit more balance to why I don't have a magnum.

All the best!

 

[Kansas]

Magnum is really good for varmint control....22 magnum that is!

The only other magnum I have currently is a rifle and pistol in .357 magnum unless you count my shotgun which can take 3" shells. So far my only centerfire rifle (other than the 357) is in .308 win and it will take care of any animal I would encounter here...in fact, I believe the .357 mag. rifle would even do that within 100 yards with the right loads, so unless I plan to go to the mountains, Alaska, or Africa, I believe I have my needs all covered without getting into "big magnums", although I would like to shoot one sometime just for the experience!

 

[broom_jm]

The term "magnum" is truly subjective. The use of the term in naming a cartridge, or the failure to do so, does not necessarily speak to the relative power of the round. A 25-'06 is a magnum despite not being named as such and the 350 Remington Magnum was taking some liberties in claiming that title, particularly in the Model 600 rifles that restricted overall length of the cartridge, robbing space by requiring deeply seated bullets.

I cannot honestly say I enjoy shooting a gun with recoil greater than a 30-'06, or about 22lbs of felt recoil. I own, or have owned, guns that kick harder than that, but I shoot them because I hunt with them and need to be proficient in their use. If I want to shoot for fun or for tight groups I will choose a cartridge that does not kick as much. I will never be accused of using way too much gun to hunt a given species and the biggest gun I ever see myself owning would be a 338WM or a 35 Whelen.

Oddly enough, I DO enjoy shooting fairly powerful handguns and have never had a fear of them. Even the handguns I have shot that I didn't enjoy weren't because of recoiling too much, it was mostly because I did not like the way they fit in my hands. I am not at all bothered by shooting 44Mag revolvers or 45 ACP auto-loaders; I think those are more fun than handguns chambered in 38 Special or 9mm Luger.

 

[264WM]

upper limit

I'm getting ready to turn 44. Not reached "old fart-dom" yet. But no teenager, either.

I've yet to find my upper limit. But I've yet to get my hands on any real big thumpers. So far the .375 H&H and .375 Wby, .416 Rigby and .458 Win Mag have all treated me well enough.

I have a Model 70 Classic .300 Wby. sitting in the safe awaiting conversion to something on the stout side. I'm leaning toward .470 Capstick.

If you want to test your upper limit get a J.C. Higgens 12ga single shot break with 2 3/4" chamber and iron butt plate then commence shooting 1 box of 3" magnums through it. If you still feel like continuing to shoot your a tougher shooter than I am. Oh I forgot to tell you that I was shooting those super tuff Doves so I was following the rule that to much gun is better than the alternative. I think it was around 1962 and my shoulder was black and blue from my chin to my elbow and was extremly painfull for weeks.

 

[Big Z]

Shooting a 10x10" steel plate, the regular *ping* at 600 yards in stiff wind is satisfying... whilst my friend gunning a 243 just can't hang with my 7mmRM.

Though holdover just doesn't quite cut it at that distance, that the magnum can hold its way through gusts speaks for itself...

 

[jodum]

I used to enjoy the thump of a big gun. I even owned a Ruger #3 single shot in 45-70 and used to shoot full house 500 grain loads from it. But as some others on this forum, my age has caused me to lower my recoil standard to match my wore out joints.

 

[slim 60]

264 is right.. you want to see just how much recoil you can handle..
put 3 inch magnum shells in a light mossberg 12 ga.. no limb saver just butt plate against your shoulder..if you gotta have more recoil than that..
well in my opinion you just like to hurt you self..
thats my experience..also jmo slim
ps dang that hurt ..
edit.. come to think of it.. it was in fact 3 1/2 inch magnum shells..
i put a personal made limbsaver on it ,,to make it bearable..but finally just decided it wasn t worth
the dread of shooting the thing..went to standard 3 inch shells.. thats my recollection anyway..slim

 

[recoil junky]

Shawn, I'd love to take a couple shots with your .458 Lott. The only thing I can compare it to might be 500 grainers out of my 1895 Marlin. They HURT!!! That's why I'm sticking to the original 405 grain cast bullet load in it. Even at only 1800 fps they are pretty stiff.

I still love the recoil of big boomers.

Probably the worst I was ever belted by recoil was when I was 12 (5' 10", 100#'s) from my old Stevens single shot 20 gauge shooting 3 inch magnums. NOW THAT HURT!!!

RJ

 

[Tang]

We all know my stand on this

 

[magnumitis]

.. you want to see just how much recoil you can handle..
put 3 inch magnum shells in a light mossberg 12 ga.. no limb saver just butt plate against your shoulder..if you gotta have more recoil than that..
well in my opinion you just like to hurt you self..
thats my experience..also jmo slim
ps dang that hurt ..

No doubt, some shotguns kick.

I am primarily a turkey hunter. I bench more shotguns in a year than the average guy will in his lifetime. Although the 3 1/2" Mossberg 835 has never really raised my eyebrow much........I do have a BPS 10 ga. that will give you brain damage from the bench. Still, it's just not the same as snugging up to a powerful rifle to me.

 

[gunchamp]

I love the big bores! My practice sessions normally dont consist of anything smaller than my 300 wby. I enjoy shooting my 454 and my 500. My 338 win mag, 450 marlin, 375 ruger, 458 lott, ect, really put a smile on my face.

 

[Davers]

Want to see just how much recoil you can handle..
put 3 inch magnum shells in a light mossberg 12 ga.. no limb saver just butt plate against your shoulder..if you gotta have more recoil than that..
well in my opinion you just like to hurt you self..
thats my experience..also jmo slim
ps dang that hurt ..

......OR a 3 1/2" 12 gauge load fired in a light Mossberg with a Turkey Choke!! The recoil level is real B-A-D!!!!!! I've fired the big .460 Weatherby Magnum and it wasn't as bad as the 3 1/2" 12 gauge with it's 2 oz. load of #5 shot!!

 

[Savage99]

I never liked heavy recoil. I started long ago and from the begining I shot in small bore matches year round that required fine shooting. Thus I felt heavy recoil would make me flinch. Even in big bore I went with a reduced 6mm load as soon as they came out.

While I have .375 HH's for that big bear or africa dream I don't shoot them anylonger as I am afraid of damage to my old body.

To each his own. I understand the feeling of being strong and taking it.

 

[magnumitis]

I love the big bores! My practice sessions normally dont consist of anything smaller than my 300 wby. I enjoy shooting my 454 and my 500. My 338 win mag, 450 marlin, 375 ruger, 458 lott, ect, really put a smile on my face.

Ah-ha!!

Another like-minded individual!!

Atta boy!!

 

[Rugerfan0374]

I hope you know my stance on the this questions. There is nothing like shooting a magnum, and having the ability to shoot it, and shoot is darn well.

 

[Perferator]

I love a stout recoil to a certain extent....everybody has their limit. My 45-70 isnt magnum by any stretch but can be loaded wayyyyy up there in the pain zone if needbe.

I do have a smaller magnum that I love to shoot though it's easy on the shoulder....the beloved .257weatherby.