# .300 Winchester Mag. Recoil



## theredneck195 (Apr 23, 2013)

Hey guys, I need some advice. I'm 18 years old and I broke my collarbone last year. I've been wanting to buy a .300 win mag for quite some time now and I'm not sure how my collarbone will hold up. Recoil does not affect me in any way in fact I love when a gun knocks me back. But back on topic i shoot 3 inch turkey loads with ease out of my 12 gauge and i was wondering how much worse a .300 kicks. I want one for hunting and target shooting and to have something to knock me around when the turkey loads aren't enough. Any advice would be appreciated on how well you think my collarbone would hold up to the recoil, thanks.


----------



## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

If you manage the 3 inch 12 gauge I can't see you having a problem with the 300 Win Mag. I had a very light 300 Win Mag a few years ago. I would say start with the 150 gr and if they don't bother then you can go into the 165 and 180 gr loads. I still have a 6 1/4 pound 300 WSM. It does boot a little, and if I don't pay attention it will mess up my neck so I need to go to the chiropractor. The problem is recoil doesn't both me to much either, and I sometimes shoot that rifle to relaxed, and that's when it gets me.

I made the mistake of enjoying my current 300 Win Mag to much. I shot prairie dogs with it. The rifling is still good, but I was going to have to set the barrel back and recut the chamber because the throat was getting long. So instead I bought a new barrel and had a gunsmith blueprint my rife. If your interested look in the rifle form under custom 300 mag.

My best recommendation would be start reloading. You can start a 300 Mag at 308 velocities and work up. Many people who don't have magnums knock magnums. I like everything. Currently I am having a blast with a 6.5 Creedmoor. However, the 300 Win Mag I think is one of the most versatile cartridges out there. You can reload from 308 past factory 300 Weatherby with hunting bullets from the 110 gr X bullet which I think is made again, to the 230 gr Berger VLD. Not many calibers have the selection in bullets that a 30 caliber has.


----------



## theredneck195 (Apr 23, 2013)

Thanks for the advice bud. I guess all that's left is to start saving money.


----------



## jtillman (Oct 31, 2005)

I gathered this information from Chuck Hawks website...may help you. Although, I do think shooting a rifle vs a shotgun isn't quite apples to apples. I can shoot a 12ga all day long and not worry about recoil or flinching....but on the bench I am very recoil sensitive and it's difficult for me to shoot a lot of Mag loads comfortably. And I am man enough to admit that 

Cartridge ([email protected]) Rifle Weight	Recoil energy	
.300 Win. Mag. (150 at 3320) 8.5 23.5
.300 Win. Mag. (165 at 3110) 8.0 26.2
.300 Win. Mag. (180 at 2960) 8.5 25.9

Gauge, length (oz. [email protected])	Gun weight Recoil energy (ft. lbs.)

12 gauge, 3" (1 5/8 at 1280) 7.5 52.0
12 gauge, 3" (1 7/8 at 1210) 8.75 54.0


----------



## theredneck195 (Apr 23, 2013)

Thanks man I have shot a 30-06 and didn't even feel it but it was more of a push than a kick. As I said the recoil doesn't bother me the only thing I worry about is my collarbone but from what I've seen once you break a bone it heals back stronger so I'm not too worried about it.


----------



## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Jtillman I don't understand your numbers. I wish I still had my old Crony program. You could enter rifle weight, bullet weight, bullet velocity etc and it would give you recoil in impulse time and ft/lb of energy. For example a 243 with 100 gr factory was about 11 ft/lb, a 30-06 about 19 ftl/lb and a 300 Win Mag was about 36 ft/lb of felt recoil. That was with an 8.5 pound rifle and scope combo for all of them. I liked it but I didn't if you know what I mean. I liked being able to compare, but darn the big kickers felt like they kicked more after I knew.


----------



## jtillman (Oct 31, 2005)

Plainsman,

The formatting didn't come through very well....so here are the two links I was getting my numbers from. I like this website,but have no verification if the numbers are accurate or not. But I think the general idea of the site and your old Crony program are the same.

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

http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_recoil_table.htm


----------



## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

A key to recoil is rifle weight (including scope). That is one thing to think about if you are worried about recoil.

Buy a wood stock instead of synthetic (basic synthetic). Or look into custom stocks if you can afford one.

Also if you are worried about recoil.....but a sims butt pad for the stock. It really does work.

Just a couple of things to keep in mind when buying your rifle or an extra thing to buy.


----------



## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

jtillman said:


> Plainsman,
> 
> The formatting didn't come through very well....so here are the two links I was getting my numbers from. I like this website,but have no verification if the numbers are accurate or not. But I think the general idea of the site and your old Crony program are the same.
> 
> ...


Thanks. Yes, my old program doesn't work with windows, and I didn't want to keep my old computer where you had to type in C: name your file etc. 
The numbers were the same, but my memory wasn't good. I got the 243 right, the 30-06 right, but the 36 ft/lb was my 45/70 pushing a 405 gr hard. I wish I still had that program, but I'm to cheap to buy it again simply to get it updated to windows. I hate paying for something twice.

I have never looked at the data on shotgun recoil. I was surprised that a 2 3/4 inch magnum had more than double the recoil of a 30-06. I'm still trying to believe that. Wow I guess that's why some of the guys whine when we have to qualify with a shotgun and slugs.

Has anyone ever noticed that the bigger the antlers are the less your rifle recoils????


----------



## theredneck195 (Apr 23, 2013)

I forgot to mention that my shotgun has no recoil pad it only has a plastic recoil plate so it hat more of a kick than push of the shotguns with recoil pads. So I was wondering if it was similar at all shooting 3" mags from my shotgunsas shooting 180 grains out of a 300 win mag.


----------



## People (Jan 17, 2005)

If you are shooting it like that you will be fine.

"Brokeback Mountain" is not just a movie. It's also what Chuck Norris calls the pile of dead ninjas in his front yard.


----------



## theredneck195 (Apr 23, 2013)

Thanks man!


----------



## lesserhunter (May 9, 2008)

Depending on how long it has been you will be fine. I was told by the doctors I should never shoot again or I'd risk more problems after I got in my snowmobile accident, and I'm back to shooting my 338 lapua without any issues.


----------



## theredneck195 (Apr 23, 2013)

Its been since march of last year I just don't want to rebreak it because then it may not heal back right and I may not be able to shoot again. :/


----------



## 383novamike (Apr 30, 2013)

As others have said depends a lot upon weight of the rifle and the type of ammo u use.One t of the greatest things since sliced bread is the sims recoil pad.And u could ad a muzzle brake also.I have an ultra light ruger in 30/06 i use for white tail.I use 150 grain partition soft points and it feels like a pea shooter hardly any recoil at all.I had a custom made remington rolling block schuetzen rifle made for me about ten years ago in 45/70.I had to buy a rubber attachment to go over the brass crescent buttplate.That was the most pain i had ever felt firing a rifle,it hurt lol.


----------



## E5tmily (May 12, 2013)

lapua without any issues.


----------



## As56hley (Jun 14, 2013)

. So I was wondering if it was similar at all shooting 3" mags from my shotgunsas shooting 180 grains out of a 300 win mag.


----------



## Arm67ando (Jun 17, 2013)

The formatting didn't come through very well.


----------



## wv working dog (Jun 26, 2013)

When i was a young man of 13 my uncle and i went to shoot his winchester 300 [email protected] never for get it .I now have the gun as he passed 4 yrs ago .I really enjoy shooting it .Not so much then as now .Watch that scope and you will be fine.Have fun.


----------

