What's the best way to shoot a high power rifle?

Question

The recoil in mine its big.

Answer 1

If it's .30cal you're talking about, that's not very high power.

If it's a .50cal, welcome to the armed forces...

you NEVER fire something large-caliber in a standing position. Crouch or lay down, and position the stock firmly into the "pocket" of your shoulder. I've shot several weapons including:

FN FAL
AR15 (5.56mm, almost no recoil at all)
AK74
SL9
M324
M14
M99 (.50cal, bolt-action, lots of recoil)

and can safely say that having it propped up on a short pile of sandbags near the foregrip will help slightly. Getting a butt pad (for the rifle) can't hurt either, and they're dirt cheap- couldn't be more than $10 or so.

I've never gotten the opportunity to do so, but shooting an M82 is a big deal- though the M99 is supposed to be comparable, and I HAVE shot that one.

Answer 2

Without having more information, it is difficult to give you specific information.

Handling recoil is much about proper technique. To a point, proper shooting form and technique will do wonders when trying to handle recoil. However, as a rule of thumb, teh bigger a person is, the more recoil they can handle. The magnum rifles that I was scared of when I was 15 and 140 pounds are now enjoyable for me to shoot 17 years and 90 pounds later. If a 60 pound person shoots a 375 H&H Magnum, technique isn't going to help much...chances are it is just too much gun and it is going to hurt regardless.

So what do you do?

1. Proper technique. Make sure you hold the butt of the rifle tight into the "pocket" of your shoulder. Hold the forearm tight to help eliminate muzzle jump and to absorb some of the recoil with your other arm. Don't jerk the trigger and try not to flinch as both can ruin your form.

2. Start out using lighter weight bullets. If the recoil bothers you, use the lightest weight bullets you can find to start out with. As a rule of thumb, the heavier the bullet, the more recoil you will feel.

3. Use recoil pads. There are a number of recoil pads that permanently attach to the rifle, slip over the rifle butt, or are worn on the shoulder. I don't use them personally, so I can't give good first hand advise on which are best. I would recommend checking Midway shooting supply (http://www.midwayusa.com) and look at the pads they have and read the reviews to see which ones their customers like.

4. Use recoil dampening devices. Most of these work ont eh premise that if the rifle is heavier, there is less felt recoil. There are a number of shooting rests that kind of clamp onto the rifle to essentially make the rifle heavier. There is another rifle rest called the Lead Sled that lets you add bags of lead shot to the bottom of the rest to make it even heavier. While the brand name escapes me, I recall a shooting rest that utilized a bowling ball type contraption to take inertia away from the rifle to reduce recoil. Another device still that never got popular was essentially two suade sandbags connected by a piece of leather. The leather would wrap around the butt of the rifle and the bags would help weight the rifle down.

5. Shoot standing up: Unless you are shooting the real big guns, try to shoot standing up. Your body's ability to sway and flex will help absorb and disipate recoil energy

6. Wear good ear protection: Some people who think their rifle recoils fix the problem with better ear protection. The muzzle blast and noise can make a rifle seem like it has a bad recoil. I always wear foam ear plugs then good ear muffs when I shoot.

This should help you get started. If you are shooting too much gun, you may have to back down to a more manageable cartridge/rifle setup.

Good Luck to you. Happy Shooting!

Answer 3

Shooting from a standing position, make sure to lean into it. Shooting really high powered stuff from a bench should only be done with a weighted rest or vice. Every bit that the rifle travels to get to your shoulder will increase the the amount of bruising it does, so be sure to leave no extra room between your shoulder and the buttstock of your rifle. Don't have the buttstock right against the 'ball' of your shoulder, place it down in the pocket of your shoulder, it should find it's way there pretty easily. Also, if it has a synthetic stock, filling it with lead shot is an easy and inexpensive way to reduce how much of the recoil gets back to you, but may not be a good idea if you're shooting offhand or carrying the rifle a long distance.

Answer 4

Hi Carlos. The best way to shoot a high powered rifle is to brace yourself. If you can, use hearing protection. Place the rifle stock firmly against your shoulder and aim. If your rifle has a scope, make sure the scope won't hit your face. If it is mounted correctly and the stock is not too short you should be okay. Just don't put your eye right up to the scope trying to look through it. You should get a good sight-picture by holding your face comfortably away from the scope. If this is your first time shooting this rifle then it is better to shoot from a kneeling position. Okay, now you are ready... Slowly squeeze the trigger and KABOOM! That's all there is to it.

Best.

H

Answer 5

Buy a heavier stock. Trading recoil for the convenience of a lightweight rifle is hard, but you can carry with 2 arms. You can't shoot with a bruised shoulder.

Answer 6

You need a firm weld with your shoulder and cheek, and with larger calibers a firm grip with your off hand on the forearm. That way it won't slap you, and you'll roll with the recoil better. With the medium-large and large bores, you'll also want to lean into the shot much like the form you use with a shotgun when wingshooting.

Answer 7

Pull the rifle into your shoulder and hold it tight, exhale and squeeze the trigger.... your body will absorb the recoil, but as long as the weapon dosent bounce against you, your shoulder will not get sore

Answer 8

If it bothers you that much, put a recoil pad on it.* This will make it more comfortable for you when you are shooting it.*

Answer 9

tuck in shoulder and hold it tight

Answer 10

keep it firm against your shoulder and you should be fine.