RECOIL. heavy gun-VS -light gun with muzzle break

riley · Nov 4, 2018

im in the market for a new hunting rifle. recoil is on my mind. do i get a light mountain rifle with a muzzle break , or get a heavier gun?

i have a savage .308 with a 20" heavy barrel . i like it ,its on the heavier end (no scope 7.5#) recoil isn't bad at all .

i have never shot a super light .308 mountain rifle

i want to stick with a 30 cal.

i need someone with some experience in this field.

woodsman · Nov 4, 2018

I have a Browning X-Bolt Western Hunter (very light w/break) in .300 Win Mag that my wife shoots on occasion. She says it no different than shooting her .308 Micro Hunter.

std7mag · Nov 4, 2018

Well, i just shot my son in laws Kimber 84M in 338 Federal today.
Gotta say, for such a light rifle, recoil wasn't bad for me at all.
My daughter shot my Stevens 200 re-barreled in 250 Savage. She didn't like it at all!!
She much prefered my Ruger 77 MkKII in 257 Roberts. Larger cartridge, but heavier rifle.

Sawtooth · Nov 4, 2018

I have a Tikka T3 ultralite in .308 and the recoil is not bad at all. It is all the rifle you will need unless you are hunting for grizzly. Someone on here was selling a new Howa Mountain rifle in 308 win. You should see if that deal is still available.

shaffe48 · Nov 4, 2018

Mine is heavy and has a brake I might remove when i actually go hunting. Mine is also a savage. 308 with a 24 inch heavy barrel.

Probably depends on what for and how much you want to carry. The brake makes the gun a little loud without ear protection.

7.5 lbs actually sounds pretty good weight. Maybe keep with what you have.

EastTNHunter · Nov 4, 2018

Brakes are very loud. Some people like them, but I despise them. I prefer “standard weight” rifles, which don’t dole out as much recoil and are easier to hold steady from practical field positions

Redman · Nov 4, 2018

I a Kimber Montana in .300 WSM very light rifle. It has a muzzle break but I removed it. For me it is a very comfortable to shoot rifle. I also have a Browning Hells Canyon Speed rifle in. 308 and it came with a muzzle break again I dont use the break. Breaks are loud and I don't wear hearing protection when hunting. I have hunted for years with a .308 in a handgun so recoil is not noticed in a rifle to me.

CForest · Nov 4, 2018

I have never owned a gun with a break on it, only because I have been around people with them on and cannot tolerate the noise. In regards to your question, if you're looking for strictly a hunting rifle I vote light with no break. Not necessarily ultra light/expensive but just a non heavy gun. For me I pack the rifle for hours/days/weeks and shoot at the critters just a few times a season. I'd rather tolerate a little recoil instead of lugging around a heavy gun or listen to a muzzle break, but that's me.

Schaaf · Nov 4, 2018

I’ve tried both. 7-8 pounds feels right.

Hummer · Nov 5, 2018

I suggest you take a fresh approach. It doesn't have to be a choice between very heavy or very loud. A lightweight rifle combined with a suppressor is remarkably soft shooting with substantially reduced report, recoil and muzzle rise.

This fall I was ready to get a lighter weight big game rifle. I'm 67, and while I'm not particularly recoil sensitive I expect recoil will become more of an issue as I get older. I already had a suppressor for my ARs that could be used on a .30 cal. rifle. I liked the Kimber Adirondak for it's 18" barrel which fits my close range hunting style and with the suppressor it keeps the rifle length the same as my old Winchester. I was going to go with the .308 for so many reasons but I took a second look at the 7mm-08 because of it's reduced recoil and ballistics advantage. Not to mention that our esteemed host, Mr. Newberg, and other writers like Ron Spomer advocate for the caliber. I'm glad I went with the 7mm-08. A few weeks ago I took a bull moose with 120 gr. Barnes TTSX. The shots were so quiet and soft shooting that the cow and calf lying with the bull didn't even get up.

Btw, I have SilencerCo muzzle brakes on several rifles which allows me to move the Omega 300 suppressor between them in a few seconds.

Don Fischer · Nov 5, 2018

I'm not a fan of really light rifle's and hate brakes! If a 7 to 8# rifle is to heavy I'd suggest conditioning for yourself! Make's no sense to me that people want a really light rifle and a big magnum cartridge! My 30-06 weight's right at 8# and doesn't bother me to carry it, I'm 72 yrs old! I only shoot 180gr handloads in it and it's really all the recoil I want. Loaded a guy's 7mm Rem Mag this year, with a brake and hated shooting it, Remington 700 ADL. What the recoil didn't do to me the brake did! I know a lot of people don't seem to think you could kill a tit mouse with anything less than a 300 mag of some kind.They couldn't be more wrong. This is America and most people here believe more is better but just isn't so! My Mod 70 in 6.5x55 weight's 7# and is very nice to shoot. I carry it along as back up on elk hunting to my 30-06. Two of the last three elk I killed were one shot kills with a 6.5x06 and a 140gr bullet. People have the habit of over thinking thing's.

Ridge Ghost · Nov 6, 2018

A Limbsaver recoil pad will go a long way in reducing recoil. I have one on my Tikka T3x 7mm, and it sucks up a lot of the felt recoil.

Melman · Nov 6, 2018

you are in luck sir, I happen to have the perfect rifle for you for sale on this very site!

https://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?285386-Howa-Alpine-Mt-rifle-for-sale

but for real, I have a light rifle in .308. its not crazy Kimber mountain ascent light but its light. 7lbs with scope and the metal floorplate installed. add a full magazine of ammo and its even heavier. so its light and handy to carry but its not hard to shoot accurately because its too light. I will say prolonged sessions at the bench can get a little recoil heavy but once you are zeroed and practicing in real life shooting situations the recoils isn't bad. and its not really bad on the bench either. the recoil pad does a good job. I switched from 180g to 165g bullets because they grouped better and I think I noticed a difference or maybe its just in my head in recoil. I would never put a break on it to hunt.

grandejuan · Nov 6, 2018

If you must have a brake, investigate "Magnaporting" the barrel. Much quieter and it reduces muzzle rise significantly. GJ

AvidIndoorsman · Nov 6, 2018

Hummer said:
I suggest you take a fresh approach.

That is a slick set up, all in how much to get the suppressor, and have you had issues going out of state with it?

Hummer · Nov 6, 2018

wllm1313 said:
That is a slick set up, all in how much to get the suppressor, and have you had issues going out of state with it?

A suppressor is a sound investment in hearing protection and accuracy. It's also a heck of a lot of fun to shoot suppressed, especially subsonic .300 Blackout. A single 7.62 suppressor can be used with a wide range of calibers in one's safe. It is legal to transport across state lines except in a very few unfree states.

Fwiw, the rifle as shown above is 7 lbs. 15 oz. and 45" with Zeiss 3-15x scope, Quake sling, Omega suppressor, the ASR brake/mount, Anchor Brake, and a full 4 round magazine. I can reduce that about 7 oz. by using the fine thread screw on mount, and replacing the Anchor Brake at the end with a simple end cap. All are included with the Omega 300. It would also reduce length about 1.7 inches. The Adirondak is 37.25" without the suppressor. The suppressor adds 1 lb. 2 oz. complete.

I think you'll find that most hunting rifles are 9 to 11 lbs. complete with scope, sling and full magazine.

rugbyryanb · Jan 27, 2021

woodsman said:
I have a Browning X-Bolt Western Hunter (very light w/break) in .300 Win Mag that my wife shoots on occasion. She says it no different than shooting her .308 Micro Hunter.

I'm looking at the same rifle, want to mount it with the Leupold VX3i with a 40mm objective (Part # 177280) ... did you mount your scope on a rail? Or just bases with rings? Curious what your setup is. Thank you!

belshawelk · Jan 28, 2021

For me its a lightweight gun and NEVER EVER a muzzle break. If the recoil is too much then its the wrong gun for you. Like buying a Dodge Hellcat Charger and using the baby key it comes with. But at least using the baby key wont cause deafness to any of your hunting buddies when they are around you like a muzzle break.

Bambistew · Jan 28, 2021

Stock design and a good recoil pad make a world of difference. I have a Kimber 308 that is very easy to shoot and it weighs 2 pounds less than a remington I have in the same caliber. I really can't tell much difference in recoil between the two, but I like to warm up with a much larger rifle before shooting the smaller ones. Have a couple 270 "ultralight" Rugers and a couple Rem mountain rifles in 280 that are easy enough to shoot even with stock hard rubber recoil pads. While not super light by todays standard, they are in the 7-7.5lb range all up. The Kimber is about 6.

Don Fischer · Jan 28, 2021

If someone want's a 4# 505 Gibbs for a mountain rifle go for it. Want the same thing but the recoil is a bit hard, a brake will change it. I shot a 7mm short mag with a brake on it one time, one shot only. I'm already hard of hearing and don't shoot with ear plugs of any kind. Shot that thing one time and darn near went totally deaf! Something I believe about using a brake. If you need a break your using to much rifle! In the real world what will a 7mm short mag actually gain you over say a 7mm-08? Well simple answer, hearing aids much sooner! Who hunts with ear plugs in?

Seem's to me many people look for every aid they can get to shoot something they cant handle in the first place! Will a 25-06 with the bullet of your choice drop say an elk at 500yds. Depends on you. OK, will a 300 mag with the bullet of your choice drop an elk at say 500 yds. Yea, now we're talking and the answer is, depends on you!

RECOIL. heavy gun-VS -light gun with muzzle break

Active member

Member

Well-known member

Well-known member

New member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Active member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Active member

Member

Active member

Well-known member

Well-known member

New member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Similar threads

Forum statistics

Share this page