Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only big bore shooting tips?

I'v estarted shooting with a friend who is into big bores and I'm reloading for him and shooting his rifles. Today we shot a 375 H&H, a 416 Rigby and a 470 NE. The 375 and 416 were no big deal, the 470 caused me some problems. The 375 and 416 are CZ550s and the 470 NE is a Merkel SxS. The 470 didn't bother my shoulder and I shot it, I think, reasonably well for my first time. I put 3 rounds into about 2 1/2" at 50 yards with the open sights with 2 of them into about 1". But it beat the piss out of my right hand. When shooting the second barrel the #1 trigger cut my trigger finger and the trigger guard bruised my middle finger. What was I doing wrong or what can I do different to avoid this? Other than that, and the $10,000 price tag, it wasn't too bad. If I hunted elk in the dark timber or was facing down something that was intent on rearrianging vital parts of my anatomy this gun would be high on my list.

Hunterbug, I used to shoot side by side shotguns a lot and both of my brothers complained of the same thing when shooting my side by sides. I never did notice a problem with either and this was back in the days when you could still shoot lead at waterfowl and I shot a lot of 3" mags with the 1 & 7/8 oz loads. I honestly believe that some guys just can't shoot them without having a problem. I have never shot a double rifle or anything that recoiled like that 470 does, so perhaps I'd have a problem myself if I did.

Funny that you should mention that. When I was 18 I decided that big game wasn't my gig and I traded my 270 in for a Stevens 311 SxS 12ga for goose hunting and a box of 3" mag 1 7/8 #2 shot. The first time I shot it I tried putting one finger on each trigger. Well, as you can guess I pulled them both and thought that I'd broken my shoulder! That's the last time I did that!

My CZ 416 used to bite my trigger finger, the bolt had a rough edge where the knob was hollowed on the underside. I do have large hands. A little polishing, and a firmer grip have solved the problem.

I have large hands and find that when practicing with big bores sometimes a pair of thin leather gloves like calfskin helps a lot. Also, unlike with lighter calibers where you can let the forend fly wherever it wants to and freehand it, with the 375 and up I get ahold of the forearm just like when I am out hunting. The BIGGEST tip or help I can give you is this..... Be sure to set up your rifle rest in such a way as to have your torso largely upright while sighting and firing. This allows for natural body movement and minimizes felt recoil better than the finest recoil pad ever made. I hope these tips help some.

Thanx for the tips. My hands, as well as the rest of me is pretty thin. I'm 5'10" and 120 pounds. We were shooting standing with a tripod so that helped in that way. I think that I do need to take a firmer grip on the fore end. Thinking back I belive that I was free handing it. I'll have to work on that.

well i'm 5'10 also but got an extra 200 pnds on you and i hate recoil from the darn shotguns and that is what i have to hunt with where i live.me also having large hands alot of time will wear thin leather gloves but have never had a problem with the large rifles yet maybe i need bigger rifles the biggest i've had opportunity to shoot is 375 h&h and the 50 bmg but he 50 is different animal

I had the opportunity to shoot 470s the other day (thinking about a purchase) and wanted to compare the recoil to my 416 ribgy. I shot two, one fitted LH and one fitted RH (I'm obviously lefty). The lefty felt very mild (less recoil that the 416 and not nearly as sharp) but the RH one smacked me in the cheek every time. I was a believer in stock fit before but had it hammered home in no uncertain terms yesterday. How well did these guns fit you? I'm good for about 10 rounds with the 416 before tiring but easily shot 15 from the 470 LH without feeling "done". BTW, I had no trouble with trigger interference on the gun that fit me, some trouble with hand slippage on the RH even though it was a smaller caliber.

I think riflemen do not pay attention enough to the design of the pistol grip. Recoil can be controlled best by a solid hold on the rifle, starting with the pistol grip.

Take a look at your own rifles and see if you have more rifles with a tight curling grip like the Weatherby, Sako or Winchester, or is it more sweeping like the Dakota, Kimber. I like the tighter curl and feel more comfortable holding a rifle with this style of grip.

I do know hunters with big hands who like the sweeping grip but it is definitely an issue in recoil control.

AGW

Agreed. My 77 lott has a sharp trigger gaurd. When I'm on the bench going for accuracy I let the bench do 90% of the holding,and every time a gash. When I hold the gun myself in any other situation no prob. If you ever get a chance to see the barrel regulating process at a big bore double factory the shooter always maintains a grip on the gun

thanx for insight i'll pay more attention in future to the pistol grip design

Standing is the only way to go when you're doing range work with a heavy. This fall I rolled a big hay bale over next to the bench and shot with my 416 rested on the bale and me standing behind it. It's also wise to get a good grip on the forend to keep the rifle where I wasted it to stay. No comparison between that episode and the time before when I tried to get through 10 different test loads in an afternoon at my sitting bench. Dumb...very dumb.

Hay Bales, now that is a good tip. Thank you.

I was going to do a standing rest using poles and plywood, but I can put the bales in place faster and cheaper.

That is great advice. And it works. Instead of just your shoulder taking up all the recoil, your entire body is at work.

I know that makers like Holland and Holland use nothing but standing rests for their regulation and testing work.

SOunds like something else working in this situation is stock fit. I never really appreciated the importance of stock fit until I started shooting double rifles. Too short, and the stock or your thumb will pound your nose or cheek. Also can cause the front trigger to bite your index finger.

There are a lot of variables at work to get a properly fitted stock, but the one most people know about is length of pull. You can get close to that measurement by taking the distance from the first knuckle on your trigger finger to the inside crook of your elbow. The only real way to determine that is to handle a few doubles in quarter inch LOP increments.

When the rifle lines up perfectly with the sights on a quick snap to the shoulder with your finger on the trigger, that is the proper LOP. With the tape, my LOP is a tad over 14.5 inches. Trying it with actual rifles, 14.75 is perfect. You can see the difference in trying a 15 inch LOP and a 14.5 inch LOP.

Drop at comb is another measurement you hear a lot about. Basically, it is the drop from the barrel line built into the stock so that your eye lines up with the barrels with your cheek on the comb. Roughly, the distance between your cheek and center of your shooting eye. In most people, about 2.5 inches. For those of us with fat heads, a bit more.

For true custom stocks, there are MANY other measurements. But the LOP and drop seem to be the most important in getting you what you need for fast handling and less punishment.

As for the trigger finger getting "bit", some rifles have an articulated front trigger. That is a trigger that moves forward versus staying static.

The middle finger getting "bit" is a function of recoil and stock design. If the trigger guard is too close to your middle finger, usually due to a high angled pistol grip, the recoil is going to put the guard in touch with your middle finger. There is a small guard you can buy that installs behind the guard that prevents this. My friend's 577 Nitro Express took a nice bite out of my middle finger on the rear trigger shot.

You will hear a lot of people say that you don't need an articulated front trigger or a rear trigger guard if you have the proper technique. That may be true, but in a hunting situation you rarely, if ever, get a shot under range conditions. If it's very cold, your grip will not be quite as firm as it would be on a 70 degree day. Likewise, if very hot, the sweat on your hands will effectively grease your grip allowing some slide during recoil. And don't forget that LOP on a double is measured from the front, not the rear trigger. So right there, you have a fit issue that makes an articulated trigger and trigger guard attractive options.

470Nitro,

Good points, all. Welcome to 24hr campfire.