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What make/model rifle is that? I had a .300 Win Mag in a Remington 700 SPS. I hated it. It crossed my eyes recoil-wise. I think that rifle was just too light. I hunt bears with a .300 Weatherby Mag. It's a Weatherby Vanguard II and the recoil from it doesn't bother me at all. It's pretty hard on bears though.
A lot of that is stock shape in relation to how you are shaped. They've found that certain stock shapes work better with different body styles. Maybe the straight comb of the SPS doesn't suit you like the exaggerated Weatherby monte carlo.

Oddly enough, the shape of the Mosin Nagant rifles kills me. Even though it doesn't have the recoil energy of something like the 338 Win Mag, which I do fine with.
 
What make/model rifle is that? I had a .300 Win Mag in a Remington 700 SPS. I hated it. It crossed my eyes recoil-wise. I think that rifle was just too light. I hunt bears with a .300 Weatherby Mag. It's a Weatherby Vanguard II and the recoil from it doesn't bother me at all. It's pretty hard on bears though.
It's a Browning X-Bolt Hunter. Two things helped with the recoil as I was shooting off of a bench to zero the scope the first is Browning has come up with a new recoil pad that just plain works.
The other thing is I use a rest that is tall enough so that I sit straight up not hunched over behind the rifle so the butt sits square on my shoulder.
 
You sayin' I'm fat?
No, the guy I talked to about it is a syndicated gun writer who spoke with some MD who had been studying recoil. He said it had a lot to do with the shape of your shoulders in relation to the length of your neck. For instance, someone with sloping shoulders or a long neck compared to the height of the shoulders, may put their body out of alignment on a low, straight combed stock like a Remington. The shoulder isn't as square to the gun and other parts of the body end up absorbing more recoil.
 
And yet you do in your first paragraph compare the "old" 30-06 to the "new" 6.5 creed. My big game hunting rifle is a "new" 30 cal called a 300 Win Mag, how does that compaire to the creed? And before you go off on recoil, I shot a box of 20 rounds wearing a tee shirt and the recoil didn't bother me.
And yet you do in your first paragraph compare the "old" 30-06 to the "new" 6.5 creed. My big game hunting rifle is a "new" 30 cal called a 300 Win Mag, how does that compaire to the creed? And before you go off on recoil, I shot a box of 20 rounds wearing a tee shirt and the recoil didn't bother me.
I guess I was just assuming this person didn't have much experience on a rifle so throwing a 300 win mag at him as his first rifle could be detrimental. So would only thinking he's gonna shoot a box of 20 out of it. I don't think a 300s recoil that bad either, but I'm 6'3 200 lbs and I've shot rifles for work for the last 21 years and when I go to do long range work I'm generally shooting around 200 just to work on me and stay in tune with my rifle. A box of 20 isn't a lot of any round, especially assuming he doesn't have a lot of experience. Maybe that's a bad assumption.
 
No, the guy I talked to about it is a syndicated gun writer who spoke with some MD who had been studying recoil. He said it had a lot to do with the shape of your shoulders in relation to the length of your neck. For instance, someone with sloping shoulders or a long neck compared to the height of the shoulders, may put their body out of alignment on a low, straight combed stock like a Remington. The shoulder isn't as square to the gun and other parts of the body end up absorbing more recoil.
Hmmm... I'm closer to the no-neck than the long neck. What, with the 225 pounds of solid, uh, muscle, stretched tautly over my towering 5' 10" frame.

Yeah, I hated that rifle. Traded it for a Ruger SR1911 and have been happy as a clam ever since. Only ever shot that .300 Win Mag off of a bench, but I was using one of those high dollar Lead Sled doohickeys (sold that too) and was hoping that would absorb some of the recoil. I'm usually not all that recoil sensitive, but did I mention I hated that rifle? The only other gun I own where the recoil spoiled the shooting experience, is my Ruger Super Redhawk in .480 Ruger. I tried some different grips and settled on the Pachmayr Decelerator grips. A heck of an improvement. You're likely correct. Like the grip, a different stock may have made the difference on that .300 Win Mag.
 
30-06 is a shoulder killer? Not at all. I like the bigger diameter and its all around ability to handle every thing I do really good, I have a 7mm rm if I want to get all ballistical and bun up 😆
 
I guess I was just assuming this person didn't have much experience on a rifle so throwing a 300 win mag at him as his first rifle could be detrimental. So would only thinking he's gonna shoot a box of 20 out of it. I don't think a 300s recoil that bad either, but I'm 6'3 200 lbs and I've shot rifles for work for the last 21 years and when I go to do long range work I'm generally shooting around 200 just to work on me and stay in tune with my rifle. A box of 20 isn't a lot of any round, especially assuming he doesn't have a lot of experience. Maybe that's a bad assumption.
It's an equally bad assumption on my part that people on this site are shooters (since its a firearm site) that are just trying their hand at hunting. A guy who shoots a lot of shotgun shells or shoots LR with a bigger caliber might not have an issue with a 300 as a hunting rifle. A guy who doesn't shoot or just shoots 5.56 gas guns might be in for a rude awakening.
 
So this is to the OP. What I would do if I were you is shoot a lot of different calibers that people have listed and do some research on things like terminal ballistics (what a bullet does when it hits a medium, and how muzzle velocity and sectional density effects that). Then research different types of bullets and what they are designed to do. Then shoot a lot of different rifles and calibers and see what you do or don't like. And when I say that pick something you would like to shoot more than just confirming your zero once a year. I have a Remington 700 308 and a Winchester model 70 30-06 and a range near my house I would be more than happy to go shoot with you at, I'll even provide the ammo.

The last thing I would say is be careful who you take advice from when it comes to guns. The 45 vs 9mm debate is a great example of this. People that throw around anecdotal statements or use terms like neck beard or man bun when talking about guns aren't the best folks to get advice from. If people aren't throwing around facts or terms that are valid to the discussion then they are probably going off something their brother uncles cousin told the 30 years ago.

The invite to shoot is open, hit me up.
 
30-06 is a shoulder killer? Not at all. I like the bigger diameter and its all around ability to handle every thing I do really good, I have a 7mm rm if I want to get all ballistical and bun up 😆
Good point. The 7mm Rem Mag is efficient in many of the ways as the 6.5 CM, with more capable and diverse bullet selections. But, its at the cost of recoil and components. That doesn't make it worse as a HUNTING cartridge. Consumables aren't the measure of the effectiveness of a cartridge on game. 6.5 CM guys always point to consumables and recoil and assume the external ballistics translate to it being equal as a game killer.

The 7MM Rem Mag is twisted right, and can sling a high bc 180gr bullet a long way, buck wind, and all that other crap. Yeah, the brass don't last as long, but the rest of it makes it superior AS A HUNTING CARTRIDGE.
 
Here are ballistics cards from the Berger 180gr VLD load from a 7mm Rem Mag and the 140gr VLD load from a 6.5 CM. Not quite apples to apples since the 180 VLD has a higher BC than the 140gr VLD, but those are the highest BC loads using thr same bullet in the their respective cartridges.

7mm RM
C9A48DAA-5DCB-425B-B37C-678B2A76ED46.png
6.5 CM
C05C1BFD-1CAE-4D8B-920B-10A1C7F27C33.png
 
I have hair down to my back. I think the bun comments were funny to me 😆. If you read what others say they are actually agreeing itd work. Let's not get our buns in a bunch over this. The recoil part is not a thing though on 30-06 to me except I have a savage axis that bites a little.
 
Good point. The 7mm Rem Mag is efficient in many of the ways as the 6.5 CM, with more capable and diverse bullet selections. But, its at the cost of recoil and components. That doesn't make it worse as a HUNTING cartridge. Consumables aren't the measure of the effectiveness of a cartridge on game. 6.5 CM guys always point to consumables and recoil and assume the external ballistics translate to it being equal as a game killer.

The 7MM Rem Mag is twisted right, and can sling a high bc 180gr bullet a long way, buck wind, and all that other crap. Yeah, the brass don't last as long, but the rest of it makes it superior AS A HUNTING CARTRIDGE.
On this we can agree, I do like the 7 mag. And not to start another argument but in my opinion it does everything the 30-06 does, just better in every regard.

I never got into though. I shoot a lot and the price turned me off.
 
The 7mm rm is fancy to me I shoot reloads through it and tend to want to go bun when I shoot it😆. Its the nicest and most expensive least used rifle I have though as it's a touch heavy and I don't like the long barrel at times 26 in. My brother reloads for me or choice ammunition accubond, I'm very snobby about the ammo that goes into it😆
 
The 7mm rm is fancy to me I shoot reloads through it and tend to want to go bun when I shoot it😆. Its the nicest and most expensive least used rifle I have though as it's a touch heavy and I don't like the long barrel at times 26 in. My brother reloads for me or choice ammunition accubond, I'm very snobby about the ammo that goes into it😆
I love accubonds. Loaded some 180s in my 308. Very solid performers.
 
The 7mm rm is fancy to me I shoot reloads through it and tend to want to go bun when I shoot it😆. Its the nicest and most expensive least used rifle I have though as it's a touch heavy and I don't like the long barrel at times 26 in. My brother reloads for me or choice ammunition accubond, I'm very snobby about the ammo that goes into it😆
And I guess that's what cracked me up about the man bun comments. I don't even have a 6.5, just shot a lot through a couple different friends rifles and because of where I currently work I've been to a lot of classes on how bullets actually kill and the variables behind them. I did inherit a 7 mag that my dad hunted with since I was born. My hunting and steel dinger is my 308, I don't own any other bolt guns I actually shoot. Never had a problem with my 308 not doing what I need it to on a deer or elk. That being said I actually shoot it a lot, can put a bullet where I want it to go, and don't even think twice about not taking a questionable shot. There guys on here that talk about long range quartering away shot, I personally wouldn't shoot a hard quartering animal at what I would consider "long range" I have never lost an animal and would absolutely hate to, and I also don't like ruining meat. Not knocking people that take that combo in a shot, it's their choice. It's just not worth it to me and I wouldnt do it with any caliber.
 
Too many hunters think that they are long distance shooters, and too many long range shooters think they are hunters. In my opinion, the vast majority of hunters actually suck at it, and try to compensate for their lack of skills with anything they think will improve their success, mostly with no actual improvement in the results.

I still stand behind my original comment, #2 in this thread. In addition, hunting skill (including shot placement) is the defining factor in success, with bullet selection and caliber taking only minor roles.
 
Too many hunters think that they are long distance shooters, and too many long range shooters think they are hunters. In my opinion, the vast majority of hunters actually suck at it, and try to compensate for their lack of skills with anything they think will improve their success, mostly with no actual improvement in the results.

I still stand behind my original comment, #2 in this thread. In addition, hunting skill (including shot placement) is the defining factor in success, with bullet selection and caliber taking only minor roles.
Putting the bullet into the kill zone the first shot is the primary task. A hunter needs to go out into the field and test their equipment and skill to determine what the maximum range is to hit a kill zone target every time.
Long range target shooters only lose points when they miss. Getting 9 out of 10 shots in the zone at 600 yards is not a problem. However, if it was an animal, 1 out of 10 shots would wound but not kill. Therefore, the maximum distance needs to be reduced to 10 out of 10 shots when shooting from hunting positions in field conditions. That is a greatly reduced distance than many shooters think.

For three years I have practiced with my kid on testing hunting distance limitations. While they are a 95% shooter at 600 yards, a regular duplex reticle limited hunting shots to 300 yards last year. There was no way to compensate drop reliably past that even though their groups were 6". This year with a drop reticle scope they put 3 rounds in the center at 360 yards and two rounds 4" apart and 9" left at 460 yards. They overcompensated for the left wind. They decided about 350 yards will be the limit in good conditions.
These distance tests are part of the fun of prepping and building confidence for hunting season. The last two years they killed their animals at less than 40 yards.
 

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