.308 recoil?

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wbw

New member
I am considering getting a bolt action .308, but I'm concerned about the amount of recoil. I don't know anyone who has one so I haven't been able to try one. I currently have a .22lr, a .17hmr and a .223. Almost forgot about the 20 gauge. I had a 12 gauge for a little while and let it go. It was no fun at all. I'm not a little guy, but I'm not a large man either. So for comparison sake, is the .308 recoil similar to a 12 gauge? More like a 20? Or just a little greater than a .223?

I don't need a .308, just considering something that I don't already have.

Thanks for any input.
 
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Madball6

New member
Alot of it will depend on the weight of the rifle, but it is significantly more then your other rifles. and probably a bit more than the 20 gauge. My advice would be to go with a heavier rifle and put a good butt pad on it, should be manageable.

-Madball
 
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jmr40

New member
The exact load and rifle weight can make a huge difference. From the same weight guns 308 is closest to 20 ga field loads in recoil. About 20% less than 12 ga or 30-06, but about 3X more recoil than 223 from typical AR's.

Unless you plan on hunting game larger than deer a 243 would have considerably less recoil. Ammo is still readily available and cheap. They are somewhat popular for long range target shooting. With todays bullets and loads a 243 covers a lot more bases than it used to. Just about perfect for deer, and borderline acceptable for elk size game if bullets are chosen carefully.

If you hand load or don't mind having to search a bit for ammo a 260 or 6.5 Creedmore is an excellent choice that bridges the gap between 243 and 308.
 
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Mystro

New member
Great advise. If your recoil sensitive and your hunting deer under 400 yards then the 243 is what you want. That said, I think the 308 is the best 30 caliber for performance to limited recoil you can get. I am not recoil sensitive at all yet I still love the 308 for its performance. If I only could have one rifle for hunting, it would be a 308.
 
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MJFlores

New member
Is there a range nearby that you could rent one? As others say, rifle weight and cartridge make a difference, but if you do a lot of shooting with your .223, and if it's not an AR...a .308 (I'm assuming bolt action) wont be too much more. Your 20 gauge will be comparable. Most adults would have no problems with a .308, the recoil really isn't much to be concerned with.
 
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Rmart30

New member
Whats the purpose for the rifle? Hunting or range gun?

For hunting I would go with a 7mm-08. They offer reduced recoil loads for it that bring it down to 243 levels if you find the regular loads too sharp.

For a 99% range gun id go with a 243.

I have both and when hunting I dont notice any difference in them.

Maybe this recoil chart will help you.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm
 
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Ghost22

New member
I've always used this online recoil calculator just to get a idea of recoil comparisons.

http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

I typically look up reloading manual for comparisons. If your comparing shotgun loads, don't forget to add wad weight (for a 20 gauge, its about 25 grains per other folks at TheFiringLine). Just for convenience, a 7/8 ounce load with wad is about 408 grains. You will have to look load velocity and gun weights, but most ammunition and gun makers have this online.

Numbers aside, I would compare a .30-06 (i.e. really hot .308) in a sporter weight Savage with scope and sling to a magnum 12 gauge. It was shootable in small range sessions, but not something you do all day or for fun. If you worried about recoil in a hunting rifle, I would get a .260, .243, or 7mm-08. If you're looking at heavy weight target rifle, the extra weight will mitigate alot of the recoil and a .308 wouldn't be as punishing.
 
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Kosh75287

New member
Recoil can be subjective.

I have a friend who owns a Steyr Scout in .308. That's about the lightest .308 I know of. With 150gr. projectiles, it kicks about like a heavy 20 gauge load, fired from a non-automatic. When using 173 gr. (military match) projectiles, it feels to me heavier than a heavy 20 gauge load, but not as bad as a 12 gauge shotshell, fired from a non-automatic.

If you purchase a .308 and find the recoil distracting, all is not lost. Considerable effort has been put into developing very effective recoil pads for the rifle's buttstock, as well as for the shooter's shoulder (often sewn into the owner's shooting or hunting jacket). Between the two, you should find the .308 in any but the heaviest bullet weights pretty tolerable in a bolt-action rifle. I suggest that you shoot one, if it's possible, to be sure.

If you re uncertain about tolerating the recoil of a .308, you might consider purchasing a rifle chambered for 7mm-08. Somewhat less recoil, and probably 85% the capacity to down heavy game. The ammunition for the 7mm-08 isn't as ubiquitous nor reasonably priced as it is for the .308, but forward planning can somewhat mitigate these disadvantages.
 
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Guv

New member
The weight of the rifle is very important, I have a Winchester M70 Lightweight and it kicks pretty sharply. More than my 270 M70 Sporter.
 
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Mystro

New member
I have a flyweight Kimber Montana 308 with VX6 that weighs a 6.2 lbs total. It's recoil isn't that bad at all. Like a light kicking 270 win at best. A good recoil pad makes a big difference.
Keep your rifle's weight around 7.5lbs and you will be fine by the time you add a scope.



 
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SC4006

New member
Recoil is definitely subjective. Some people say that 7.62x54R (very similar to .308) in a mosin nagant kicks like a mule. Me, I think the recoil of a mosin nagant is on the light side; it is very pleasant to shoot. I don't own a .308, but have shot a friend's mossberg 100 ATR in .308. The rifle weights 7.75 pounds, and shooting 150 grain loads I didn't think it was bad in the least bit.
 
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Pathfinder45

New member
What's the rifle for? If it's a hunting rifle, what game and what regions will you expect to hunt with it? Are you wanting a one-rifle-does-all-game situation; or do you want to have a different rifle for each game? How well a rifle fits you has a huge effect on perceived recoil. The 308 works great for Deer. But if it's a Deer-only rifle the 243 is better if only because of less recoil. Moving up to Elk, a reasonable increase in recoil is likely worth it. In the 308's class, I would rather have a 270 Winchester or a 30-'06, but a 308 would certainly do. Lighter weight rifles kick more than their full size counterparts and for shooting many shots at targets will become unpleasant sooner. For the very few shots taken when actually hunting, it won't matter and if you carry the rifle far afield, the lighter weight rifle will soon be appreciated. Again, what's the rifle for?
 
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DAVID NANCARROW

New member
As the others say, rifle weight plays a big part. I have heavy barrel 308 you could shoot until the bolt melted and your shoulder wouldn't feel it. Its a 10 pound rifle.

Unless you confine yourself to bench shooting, its probably not a good choice for carry, unless you want Popeye arms.

A good recoil pad does wonders. Also, the straighter the stock, the more inline the recoil will be, rather than dealing with the rifle kicking up as well as back.
The hardest kicking 308 I ever shot was a buddy's Savage 99 lever action with a brass butt plate.

Something else to consider is a good muzzle brake. A good one will reduce the recoil quite a bit but the trade off is muzzle blast.

Unless it has to be a bolt action, you might also consider an AR style 308. One of my sons has a DPMS and the kick is very gentle.
 
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g.willikers

New member
The amount of felt recoil can very much depend on the fit of the stock, too.
Especially the cheek against the stock and the shape and angle of the stock against the shoulder pocket.
And the weight of the gun and type of ammo, of course.
And whether it's being shot from a bench, standing or sitting.
There's plenty of ways to deal with recoil, if you like a particular rifle and caliber.
 
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hartcreek

Moderator
If you can not handle a 12 gage shotgun with wimpy factory loads then you are not going to be able to handle a .308.
 
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ncrypt

New member
If you've shot a 30.06 or have one to borrow, it's about the same. Like others have said though, it depends on the rifle.

The 30.06 and 308 are very close in powder charge with any given bullet weight and almost the exact same velocities.

In my opinion, it's significantly more recoil than a 223, which has half the powder charge under a bullet that weighs 1/3 less (a typical target load).

just me two cents :)
 
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stagpanther

New member
I have a slightly different perspective. The 308 is probably the top all-around versatile cartridge for a rifle in the USA. This means lots of ammo guys are making a huge assortment of cartridges for it--including lots of reduced recoil but still effective ammo.
 
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