Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Recoil Reduction

In an effort to reduce the recoil of loads for my wife's 30-06, I stumbled across a ballistics program and found that for a given bullet weight and velocity, the lighter the powder charge was, the lower the recoil was. I have settled on 150 Nosler Partitions, and a velocity of 2800 fps. A couple older manuals have loads listed for 3031 powder that give the 150 the desired velocity with a reasonably light load -- 45 grains.

Does anyone here have any experience with IMR3031 and the 30-06. I have always used IMR4064, 4350, H4831 for myself, but was looking to help out my wife.

you really need a chronograph if you are going to work on reduced loads, or for that matter, any handloads. My experience is the manuals are off by 5-10% as compared to my loads in MY rifles. you can also try lighter bullets, like a 130 gr hornady if you are only shooting deer. the lighter bullet, running fast, is still easier on the shoulder. a good shooting vest with a PAST pad helps spread the recoil around a bit also. good luck.

The 3031 might be a tad better than the 4064 for the 150 gr bullets. IMR or H4831 shines on heavier bullet s above 180gr, in the 200-220 gr class for 06. Powders in the 4895 class are well suited to 06

Shootist�

There are many things you can do to lower the �sensed� recoil of your wife�s .30/06.

First, make sure the rifle �fits� her as perfectly as possible. �Fit� alone can make a huge difference in shooter-sensed recoil.

Three other items have a direct effect on shooter-sensed recoil. They are:
1) The rifle�s weight.
2) The amount of powder used.
3) The bullet weight used.

The greater the rifle�s weight, the LOWER the sensed recoil The LOWER the bullet weight or powder charge used, the LOWER the shooter-sensed recoil.

Conversely, the LESS the rifle�s weight and/or the GREATER the bullet weight and/or powder charge, the GREATER the shooter-sensed recoil.

Therefore, if you bought your wife a LIGHT rifle and use even �average� weight bullets and a �medium� powder charge, that rifle is pounding her shoulder pretty good.

257Bob�s advice is right on the mark, but if I were trying to lower the rifle�s �sensed� recoil, I would use a lighter bullet combined with a lighter powder charge. As example, I�d load some 125 or 130 grain bullets with a �starting load� charge of IMR3031.

I�d use the 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip .30 caliber (.308� diameter) bullet over a �starting load� of 45.0 grains of IMR3031 that should yield a muzzle velocity of approximately 2730 fps. This load should give your wife�s rifle a chamber pressure of about 33,000 C.U.P (very low) and a minimum amount of recoil. This would be a fine 250-275 yard deer load with a relatively light recoil.

You could further reduce the �sensed� recoil by adding some lead shot to the cavity in her rifle�s stock in the bolt-hole which holds the butt-stock to the action. Or� there are recoil reducers available on the market you might prefer to use, but making the rifle a half pound to a pound heavier will most certainly reduced the rifle�s recoil.

I�d suggest lowering the powder and bullet weight first (once you�ve insured the rifle �fits� her perfectly), then add weight to the rifle if the recoil is still too great.

Good Luck!!!


Strength & Honor�

Ron T.

Check out reduced loads here.

Hodgdon has recipes for reduced loads with H4895, and they state that they chose that powder because it will burn reliably at lower pressures. I'd be cautious of reducing a random powder too much.

I've used quite alot of 4895 in the 06 for reduced and full power loads. But the suggestion that you make sure the rifle fits her good is right on the mark. Women don't shoulder up a gun quite like a man does, You may want to add a higher cheek peice , or try various higth scope mounts to get her into more comfortable position on the stock. Also the correct length of pull, and put on a decelarator or limb saver recoil pad.

IMR 3031 is outstanding in the 30-06 with all bullets and even light pressure loads. Of course it will not produce high velocities with heavy bullets but it will do quite well with light ones and be very accurate.



I suggest using a 125 gr bullet. For years my late dad hunted with the 125 gr Sierra and 46 grs of 3031. That makes about 2800 fps and performs well on whitetails.



Now there are newer bullets that might carry better. Nosler has the 125 BT for instance.



In general IMR 3031 is a more flexible powder than even 4895 but both are good.



If the game is heavier than a whitetail then the 150 Partition is perfect. In fact it's just plain good anyway.

As CAS mentioned, 4895 is the ticket. Here is an example of the proper way to reduce loads. BTW the loads that follow are consensus and not specific to any one manual but are posted for illustration only.

Say your wifes rifle weighs 8lb. and you have been shooting a 180 gr factory load. (approx recoil = 22 ft lb)

Step 1...lighter bullet but stay near max velocity.

150gr/58-4350/2950/ = 22 ft lb so far, no help

Step 2...lighter bullet, lower powder charge of same powder for lower velocity.

150 gr./55-4350/2700/ = 18 ft lb. (19% reduction....gettin' somewhere)

Step 3...lighter bullet, lower charge yet of a faster powder, same vel. as previous.

150gr/45-4895/2700/ = 15 ft lb. (32% reduction....still plenty potent for hunting)

JimF

Lots of good advice givin. Does your wife's rifle have a good (decelerator ) recoil pad on it? That will make a huge difference.

Is the LOP correct for her?

A 125gr NBT or 130gr.XLC @ 2800fps would make a dandy whitetail load with minimal recoil.

Adding weight helps to lower recoil but that's usually not a good idea for a light framed woman.

Jim pretty much nailed it. 4895 and a 150 or 130 grain Hornady at 2700-2800 fps is ideal for women and young shooters. No deer will shrug them off. I have killed truck loads of deer with reduced loads of 4895 and Hornady 150 grain bullets. Make sure you have a good recoil pad on the rifle as well and it fits her. Flinch

Cut to the chase and get her a 243 that fits her well...................

I bought a .243Win for my wife about 20 years ago, she shot it very well, even enjoyed shooting it. Of course I kept borrowing it, I used it to hunt Coyotes a number of times, even took one Bull Moose with it. I took the Bull Moose with a single shot to the head @ 125 yards, right betwixt the eyes. I was calling from a central location, had freinds positioned as shooters all around the cut block. Shortly after I called the first sequence of calls the Moose stood up & approached the Beaverdam, it was already inside the perimiter set by my partners. I was packing the .243 as a joke, had no intention of shooting anything, thats what all the heavy artiliary was around the perimeter for. It was a good laugh around the hunting camp, good tasting Moose too! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Sadly my wife lost interest in shooting, she never really got into hunting, I sold the rifle in 1991. It was a Savage 99c.

I agree on the 243. If the shootist was looking to buy (HER... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />) another rifle....no doubt it's a great call. But what he's trying to do is reduce the recoil of what she (he-they) already have.

Loading down some Hornies with a fast powder is the way to get there.

Now if (HE) could convince (HER) that (SHE NEEDS) a new rifle.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

JimF

As much as I generally dislike factory loads.......

I have a son at the growing like a weed age. I didn't want to get him something that he would grow out of quickly. I have a couple 30-06's and a 270 that fit him. I was scratching my head on which one I was going to deface with a muzzlebrake for him for these early years and low and behold I saw these in the 2004 rem book.
Managed recoil

I'm gonna give them a whirl.

Interesting factory load; 30-06 with a 125gr bullet loaded down to lower velocities... If you didn't handload,they would be worth a try...

Reduced loads are alot better approach than a muzzlebreak. It's my conclusion those things cause as much flinching as they stop.

Yeah that was kinda silly wasn't it. Come to think of it I do have a box of 30 cal 110 round noses way in the back of the cabinet, 30/30 contender fodder. Probably could find something faster than I4350 thru H50BMG back there too.

Thanks for the "Duh" slap back to reality.
Shummy

Thanks for all the suggestions and questions. The first thing I did when (SHE) wanted a new rifle was give her (MY) old Tikka '06. (SHE) already had a 243 that fit her well, and for deer it is great. (SHE) is a moose hunter as well, and although she took a cow moose with the 243 at close range, (SHE) decided she needed a little more horsepower. Who was (I) to argue. She got the '06 shortened to her LOP, a great magnum decelerator pad on it, and I have loaded some 165 BTSP Hornies to about 2600 fps. I have an older (read 1970) Speer manual that lists 46 gr of 3031 as a starting load, and publishes 2835 fps . (MY) (HER) rifle spits out bullets within 5 fps of the published MV in that old manual. I tried some 4064 which is real close to the 4895, but the 3031 was a lighter charge and the same MV.

The rifle/scope/sling combo weighs 8.25 pounds. I ain't going to add any more weight to the rifle, and the muzzle brake will be a last resort. She shoots real well - three shots through the same hole off the bench at 100 last fall, but there was a lot of movement in her shoulder during recoil. She did not complain about the recoil, but I really don't like the colours purle and yellow on her, so I have been looking at the lighter bullets/lower charges method while still maintaining enough bullet weight/energy to put a 1200 pound moose to bed. I think the 3031 load is right in the area of 15 ft/lbs of recoil, and that is somewhat less than my screamers of 180's at 2840 fps were. Because (SHE) Needed a new rifle, (HE/ME) got a new Browning Eclipse in 300 magnum. It weighs 11 pounds and has a braked BOSS so I think it only produces 18 ft lbs of recoil, but it is too heavy for HER.

Shootist, have you tried the belt and suspenders approach of the recoil pad and a recoil shield? My wife's setup is similar to yours, only its in .308 instead of .30-06. She is shooting Barnes 165 XLC's at 2600. The LOP and eye relief are set up for heavy clothes and/or day pack, and she practices from the bench with a PAST recoil shield, which simulates the extra thickness of the heavy clothes. When combined with the decelerator on the rifle, it hasn't been a problem.

Sounds like everything is on the right track. May want to see if you can get her into a more upright position shooting off the bench so her shoulder and upper body will give a little more with the recoil. Ross Seyfried made a point in the last Rifle magazine that made alot of since, he reasoned that when the you should work up reduced loads that shoot to the same point or nearly so as the full power hunting loads. That way the tender shooter can practice alot without discomfort and there won't be any sight changes needed before going hunting.