Re: 338 lapua without a brake?
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mtscott</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> It can't be much worse than shooting slugs from a 12 gauge.
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Yes it can.
12 gauge, 3" magnum slugs suck, but a 300smk @ 2800fps is considerably worse.
Consider a one ounce slug is 440gr. Conservation of momentum says the recoil will equal the momentum of the projectile... momentum is mass*velocity
12 gage: 440gr x 1500fps = 660,000gr*fps
338LM: 300gr x 2800fps = 840,000gr*fps
So the 338 has almost half again as much recoil...
...but...
Thats not counting the "jet propulsion" component of recoil, of which the shotgun has none of, and the rifle has a bunch of. A suppressor counters recoil by diffusing gas, and removing the jet-propulsion component of recoil.
Having shot 3" one ounce slugs and unbraked/unsupprressed 338, I can tell you there is significantly more recoil. It hammers you pretty good.
Now, if you're just taking one shot at game, particularly NOT from the prone, it's manageable. Prone is worse, but doable. I think the key hurdle would be NOT flinching/anticipating the recoil at the moment of truth.
It will rattle your brain.