Would I Be Able to handle the Recoil of a 30-06?

Question

I am a male at 5'0 and weigh just around 90lbs. I was thinking about getting a .243 for deer hunting because of the lower recoil. But I also wanted something with more take down power so I was going to opt for the 30-06. The reason I don't want a 30-06 is because of the recoil. Anyways if I were going to get a 30-06 it would be a Ruger m77 Mkii Sporter version. If I got the .243 it would be a Ruger M77 Compact rifle.

I've already got a .30/30 so I guess that would be alright to use. I have been in need of a revolver and have also been deciding on one. The ones I have been looking at have been the ruger Blackhawk in .44 mag with either a 10.5 or 7.5 inch barrel. Or a Ruger Super Redhawk in .44 Mag with 7.5 inch barrel. OR a Smith and Wesson 629

Answer 1

I had a Husquavarna Model 1950 in .30/06 that was brutal in the recoil field. Primary issue was the stock cheek piece climbing into my face. 10 rounds and I was bruised for a week. By the way, I was 6'02" @ 185lbs.
Solution; purchased a replacement stock, 0 degrees angle on pistol grip and the recoil pad was almost at center of bore, slightly lower. the recoil was almost straight back, no climb. also the stock was almost 1/2 again as heavy as the original. The stock was a varmiter-thumb hole design.
Probably not the best design for hunting, but I wanted to describe it to make the point of recoil direction verses felt recoil. As another answerer stated weight is a factor, but so is perceived recoil. In my case it was in the face painful recoil. Make changes in the weight and the direction of the recoil will help.

Answer 2

Thru my years of experience, 30-06 is no too bad in terms of recoil. Stay away from the 308. It has much more recoil than 30-06 (at least the ones I have shot). 243 is a good choice. I've taken many deer as a youth with my 243.

I would tend to say the 243 because the recoil will always be in the back of your mind..

Answer 3

You are making a common mistake. Recoil can be tamed two ways. By what you shoot and what you shoot it from.

M1V1 = M2V2.

Mass times velocity of the bullet equals mass times velocity of the gun.

You are planning on down grading on what comes out of the end of your gun. You will be shooting less M1V1 in order to reduce M2V2.

Instead you need to work it the other direction.

INCREASE the weight of the gun and it will have less recoil. You can do this by adding more accessories to the gun. For example, scope, front mounted bipod, sling, lead weights inside the stock, muzzle brake, etc.

DECREASE backwards velocity. Add a muzzle brake to the front of the gun. It will vent gas to counter the recoil.

You can also work on how the recoil is delivered and felt. Put on a bigger softer recoil pad. Wear a hunting jacket with a built in recoil pad at the shoulder. Stand when you shoot instead of sitting, making sure the butt is tight against your shoulder before you fire. Use a military style sling and wrap it around your arm. It will take some of the recoil going to your shoulder and pass it to the arm.

And even with all of that if you think the recoil is too much, you can always hand load your rounds and tone them down.

I would stick with the 30-06. (Some states by the way require at least a 30 caliber to hunt deer.)

You can find 30-06 ammo all over the place at really good prices, as well as military ammo at surplus sites. With a 30-06 you can hunt pretty much any game in the USA if you are a good shot.

By the way, I use a 222 Rem for small game like coyotes, a 270 for deer and a 375 H+H for big bear, elk and moose. If you think a 30-06 has a kick, try the 375 H+H. After that, a 30-06 will seem like a piece of cake. (They all have the same bullet trajectories so I do not have to keep switching impact heights as I go from one gun to another.)

Answer 4

It's odd that you mention a caliber that's on the marginal/small side for deer and another that's more than you need. The real deer calibers are all in between. You really should think of 7x57 Mauser/7mm08 Remington as the quintessential deer calibers, and work from the middle to the extremes, rather than the other way around. That being said, there's no reason you can't handle 30-06, if the rifle's stock fits well. That's where the really important part is, though it's routinely overlooked. Taking a half inch or so off the length of pull of a standard stock can cut way back on the felt recoil.
And in terms of revolvers, you shouldn't overlook the 41 Magnum. It's more than adequate for deer and hogs, and the recoil will be somewhat less than the 44. Also, single-actions like the Blackhawk will work out better for hunting than double actions, though the differences are small.

Answer 5

No need to go all the way to an 06.
With todays loadings, 30-06 is an elk cartridge.
Think about a 308 or 7mm -08.
Just a bit more recoil than your 30/30,
and a bit more range and hitting power.
The .243 is a bit light for deer unless you're
using a premium bullet.

Answer 6

Stampy is a carpenter because he hit the nail on the head! The only thing i would add would be to look into a .308 as well. Typically the 308 has less felt recoil than a 30-06 in similar length barrels. The 243 is a top notch round, good for everything from small game to white tail deer. You also might want to look into 25-06 caliber, slightly less recoil than 30-06, but ammo choices are limited, and more expensive. Stampy really gave you a great suggestion with the 30-30 caliber. More game has been taken with the 30-30 than any other modern cartridge rifle.

Answer 7

Well, I am 14 years old, 5'10'', and about 160 pounds. I have a Savage Model 111 30-06, and the recoil can get vicious even with 150 grain bullets. Although, the gun only weighs about 7 pounds. The 30-06 does have recoil, but still kind of manageable. Someone of your size may want to stick to the 30-30. The first time I shot a 30-06 was in 3rd grade, and I still remember the wallop it gave me. Best of luck.

Answer 8

I am involved with a youth hunting and fishing club that a lot of the young men that we take on our First hunts are 7-8 years old. These are what we use for them and they seem to be able to handle the recoil just fine. On larger game (250 lbs rams) we use a 25-06, with a 15 or 16 ounce mercury cylinder, and it drops the rams just fine, and the boys that shoot it don't complain about the recoil. Other then that we use a lot of .243 and 22-250 (check local laws about using 22-250 on deer).

Answer 9

The best choice for your purpose is the 30-06 or 30-30.* These two (2)* calibers have harvested more Deer than any others.* I recommend you seriously consider getting a 357 Magnum in a revolver, because you can shoot 38 caliber ammo in it also.* You get two (2)* handguns for the price of one.* It is a proven effective man stopper.*

Answer 10

I would go with the .243 if I were you or a 30-30, the 30-06 is very powerful..... the .243 has the muzzle velocity of the bigger bores and can kill deer just the same but with less recoil. :)