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Too skinny to shoot!

Q

Quicksilver

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 3, 2013
156
1
37
College Station, TX
I have a small problem (literally).

I bought the woman a rifle this christmas (used 30-06 Rossi single shot "backpacker" style rifle, breakover) and the rifle weighs next to nothing just like her.

She tips the scales at 105lbs, and her gun is 5 more. Well you know where im going with this now don't you?

The gun is so light, that the recoil is absurd. After 10 rounds to sight in the scope, I completely bruised my sholder. Thats just ridiculous. She shot it once and the scope kissed her right in the eye, despite my warnings of severe recoil. She didn't shoot it again until today.

We bought a limbsaver, and that reduced the recoil considerably- we can now shoot it all day, but she will occasionally get a kiss from the scope. Its starting to develop real bad habits for her, as she starts "climbing" before she pulls the trigger in anticipation of the recoil, but its the only rifle she likes to carry around because its so light... but the recoil is too much.

My idea now is to thread the end of it and buy the most ridiculous muzzle brake out there, so.... Who makes a GREAT muzzle brake for reducing recoil for a .30 caliber, with a 5/8-24 thread? The barrel has not been threaded yet, but it cannot accept a larger thread than that. Barrel OD is .630 (barely larger than the .625 max thread pitch height) so I could go smaller, but NOT larger.

Thoughts?
 
Get her a little bastard brake (or Micro bastard). Who cares if it looks a little funny. Function over looks.

BTW a 30-06 for a girl that small? Personally I would have been looking for something more in the 243, but who knows, maybe it fell into the OP's lap/he got a hell of a deal.
 
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My mom is similar size and she shoots a Rem700 in .270 that she loves and her second rifle is a Mohawk 600 in 6MM. The 6MM is a heavier rifle but that not much of an issue for her. Both have sporter barrels and both work very well with her. She then uses bullet type/brand to match the weapon to the game of the day.
 
A muzzle brake is the answer for staying with the'06, otherwise find her a more suitable caliber or she will be ruined . My little brother has the same problem with his rifle. The answer is going to be a brake.
 
.243 is a good bet, or a 6.5 Creedmoor, .260, or some such thing. I'd avoid a .270 or anything more stout unless she's hunting something big enough to justify it. If you're set on keeping the 30-06 you could always try to add a few pounds to it somehow (stock, scope, etc.), but I still think you're better off buying her a rifle reasonably appropriate to her size.
 
Just roll some reduced loads or shoot Remmy managed recoil ammo and get closer to the animal.

Cant you switch barrels on the Rossi? Just get a 243 barrel.
 
DFOOSKING said:
"The gun is so light, that the recoil is absurd."


And yet you saw fit to make her shoot it.

What is she hunting in Texas that demands a 30/06?

If you can't place a round where it needs to go cuz your to scared your gonna be mamed...that's not the right rifle for you.

Get her a .243 with brake on it.
Click to expand...


good way to scare off a woman to enjoying shooting.get her a 243
 
You could get a scope with longer eye relief.Or if you reload load it down a bit.
 
Quicksilver said:
I have a small problem (literally).

I bought the woman a rifle this christmas (used 30-06 Rossi single shot "backpacker" style rifle, breakover) and the rifle weighs next to nothing just like her.

She tips the scales at 105lbs, and her gun is 5 more. Well you know where im going with this now don't you?

The gun is so light, that the recoil is absurd. After 10 rounds to sight in the scope, I completely bruised my sholder. Thats just ridiculous. She shot it once and the scope kissed her right in the eye, despite my warnings of severe recoil. She didn't shoot it again until today.

We bought a limbsaver, and that reduced the recoil considerably- we can now shoot it all day, but she will occasionally get a kiss from the scope. Its starting to develop real bad habits for her, as she starts "climbing" before she pulls the trigger in anticipation of the recoil, but its the only rifle she likes to carry around because its so light... but the recoil is too much.

My idea now is to thread the end of it and buy the most ridiculous muzzle brake out there, so.... Who makes a GREAT muzzle brake for reducing recoil for a .30 caliber, with a 5/8-24 thread? The barrel has not been threaded yet, but it cannot accept a larger thread than that. Barrel OD is .630 (barely larger than the .625 max thread pitch height) so I could go smaller, but NOT larger.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
If my wife was that small, and wanted a center fire rifle, I would have gotten her one in 7mm-08 or .243 Winchester. The .30-06 is a little hefty for someone who is 105 pounds.
 
5/8-24 threads are fine. I'll second an APA Little Bastard or Micro Bastard brake. My chickie is also 105 lbs, and I got her a Past recoil shield she wears on her shoulder. Great for practice, unnecessary for hunting where she'll likely only take one or two shots. If you handload, Hodgdon has data for reduced loads using H4895. I loaded some 270 for my 13 year-old nephew that recoiled in a lightweight sporter like my 15 lb 260 match rifle, and still has plenty of energy to hunt with.

Here's Hodgdon's data:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...Kb6X9qrvrUMeKfA&bvm=bv.42768644,d.eWU&cad=rja

Let us know what you figure out.
 
coldboremiracle said:
Agree, get her a .257R or .243 or something, thatll be way better than braking an '06.
Click to expand...


^^^^ This.

.257 Roberts is one of my favorite cartridges.

The .243 is also outstanding.

If you can find one, Remington made the Model 7 and Ruger made a short/light Model 77. Both perfect for women shooters. If she likes a lever gun better, Browning made a really nice BLR and I think it came in .243 for a while.

If she still wants to shoot after the .06... good on her. She'll find the new choices far more to her liking.

Finally, don't be shy about fitting something to her. At least get stock length right or even consider a custom stock if it is in the budget. A proper fitting gun doesn't exhibit nearly the felt recoil of an ill-fitting or too large rifle.

Cheers,

Sirhr
 
You are on the verge of forever ruining her from shooting. One thing a man should never do is set up anyone for pain and fear while teaching them basic shooting fundimentals. Several things wrong here. The gun is not suited size wise for her, or caliber and probably the length of pull on the stock. If she is getting tagged by the scope, either the eye relief is too short and or the stock is too short. Either way, women don't try things many times if it hurts. You can apply this to other areas of life as well. Unless you'er hunting elk or something of that size get a milder kicking caliber with lighter bullit. Someone mentioned a .257 roberts. Perfect for deer sized game!! She may have already acquired a flinch that will hard to cure!!
 
Add some weight to it, then add a brake...though it will likely still be too much for her. Your best bet is to keep the gun for yourself or sell it, then purchase here something like a .243...I'd suggest a .223.

Plenty of brakes available...any of the ones mentioned here will work.
 
She still shoots my other rifles- just not that one.

Will a brake reduce the recoil enough to make shooting it "enjoyable" (not kick her ass).

She loves to hunt deer, hates making follow up shots, hates heavy rifles and hates bolt action/single shot rifles, thinks a .243 is stupid and a .223 is too wimpy over 100 yards. I can't make her happy...

What about a 260 remington?? Does anyone make a semi-auto lighweight version of that? Also, 270 might be more up her alley- even the 700 series rifles don't kick that much.
 
Sounds like a great idea, see if you can find a few buddys with different rifles for her to shoot, .260 or 7-08 would be good. Let her tell you what she likes and go from there.
 
A 6mm or 6.5mm will probably be the best option. May I ask her reasoning behind why she thinks a .243 is stupid? It's a fantastic cartridge for a situation like this. And a .223 is also a good option (especially with heavy bullets) but not ideal for deer sized game.

It seems like she wants a "big gun" (cartridge) in a light, easy to carry package. She won't be able to have both unless she wants to continue to get beat up. a smaller cartridge would be the best bet since you can still keep the weight down and that would be nice when she's carrying it. She'll have to try out different rifles and choose which pros she wants and which cons she can tolerate.
 
I've killed 2 large caribou, 2 roosevelt elk, 2 black bears, more deer than russia has tanks all with a 270. Not one animal ran off, not one animal went anywhere. Longest shot was 450 yards. It is a great caliber, and does not get the respect it deserves, remotely.
 
Um yeah, why did you buy her a 3-06, 243 or something like that would be better, no more than a 708.
 
I haven't seen any mention of what loads you're shooting. If you reload, 52gr of W760 (or H414) with a 175smk (or 165SST) makes for a much lower recoil than *I assume* most factory loads, since I saw a NOTABLE difference from the 52gr W760+175smk going to a Remington corelokt 150gr factory round. The handloads are, from my limited testing, very accurate (minute of deer for sure :) )
 
She's just stubborn, and I believe her hatred of the 243 is the WSSM (she thinks its stupid looking- I tried to explain short/long actions... but that was a waste of time) and girls being girls...

regardless- I already tried the AR route- "too heavy". Thats the problem with almost every gun out there- "its too heavy" is what I get every time. She thinks she can "tame" that 30-06 like a wild horse- Im just gonna get rid of it before she starts developing a bad habit. I can see her tense up too much in anticipation of the recoil and jerking the trigger. I guarantee I will catch shit for selling it, but whatever. I think a 270 with a Limbsaver pad would be almost harmless in recoil for her, and she can just "deal" with the weight.

edit: she's been shooting 180gr Winchester power-point game loads
 
Quicksilver
As it was mentioned in a couple of prior posts, what about asking her what she would like to shoot and she is still not sure, let her try as many rifles, in smaller caliber, as possible. She will develop a "feel" for it; obviously, you are not married with the 30.06, keep it for you, or sell it.
Good shooting.
Ombre noire
 
My daughter uses a non braked 22" 243 and recoil is a non issue. She got this rifle when she was 8 and now she barely breaks 90 lbs. it is an 800m rifle
 
My ex was right there weight wise and I had gotten her a Browns Precision with mohawk 600 action, 7mm08, so loved it, and for being a light rifle, no kick. I still have the gun and shoot the heck out of it.
 
Quicksilver said:
I believe her hatred of the 243 is the WSSM (she thinks its stupid looking- I tried to explain short/long actions... but that was a waste of time) ..... I can see her tense up too much in anticipation of the recoil and jerking the trigger
Click to expand...

Fat is the skinny in rifle cartridges. Short fat cartridges with long bullets offer superior ballistics and reload more times. I think long skinny things like the 30-06 are such a turn off. You got to get some ass in that thing, otherwise it just gets all droopy when it has to go the distance.

As for the flinch, the best shooters I know did not spend a good deal of time in their formative years with high powered cartridges. Actually, even now, most spend most of their time with the .22. The little groups I shoot with a high powered rifle have nothing to do with how many rounds I send down range of center fire because I send laughably few. My opinion, flinch is why most shooters do not shoot well. I know quite a few folks who don't even one a .22 and none of them shoot for shit no matter what you give them.

Bottom line, my never to be humble opinion is that a light weight 30-06 is to much for a svelte (lucky dog) woman and not particularly good for anybody's shooting habits.

On a humorous note, all your ever going to get is the evil eye from her if that scope takes out the good one.
 
I agree with everyone in choosing a lesser caliber, but if you are still looking for a brake. I like the R&D mrad brake.
 
If you want to keep the caliber and give a brake a try, I´ll recommend British RPA. Most effective brake I´ve ever seen. On 308 with a poly stock, set in bags, no shoulder, the gun does not move upon firing. Serious blast as a giveaway indeed, the rifle case put between two shooters on the range gets even knocked down.
 
REMINGTON REDUCED 30-06 LOADS. At least try them. For $25.00 it might solve problem
 
dont waste your time with a .270... quit trying to skirt the edges of what she might be able to handle and get the .243 and put a break on that, then you'll have no issiues. damn its not rocket science.......
 
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1 -> get a brake
2 -> get a kickstop
3 -> either 243, but if you want to use it for some more hunting go for 270

nasty trick i saw once: use a normal wooden stock, remove barrel/system, deepen the trench underneath the barrel. put lead in. put the system back in. weapon is notably heavier now, but also the recoil is alot less

now she should be able to shoot without any notable recoil.
 
If she doesn't like the 06 what in the world would make you think she would like a 270 it's the same case. Something off the 308 case would be the way to go though.
 
I agree with the others, get her a .243. I'm wanting to get my wife an AIAE in a .243 with a muzzle brake so she doesn't develop bad habits.
 
I have a Remington model 4 in .270 it is mag fed and its a auto loader. She might like that.
 
Quicksilver said:
She still shoots my other rifles- just not that one.

Will a brake reduce the recoil enough to make shooting it "enjoyable" (not kick her ass).

She loves to hunt deer, hates making follow up shots, hates heavy rifles and hates bolt action/single shot rifles, thinks a .243 is stupid and a .223 is too wimpy over 100 yards. I can't make her happy...

What about a 260 remington?? Does anyone make a semi-auto lighweight version of that? Also, 270 might be more up her alley- even the 700 series rifles don't kick that much.
Click to expand...

Yes, you can make her happy. While I have bulked up to 116lbs, I spent many years shooting at 105lbs. IMHO while brakes help some, being suppressed solves all recoil problem, and since it is now legal to hunt all game, including deer, suppressed in Texas, the only prohibtion is cost. I have to honestly wonder though, is she positioning the rifle correctly? Even at 105, up to a .308 rifle without suppressor or brake I didn't consider the recoil to be painful per se - unless shooting > 50 rounds a day. My biggest issue with unsuppressed/unbraked recoil from a lighter rifle is my head wouldn't stay on the cheekpiece for me to follow where my shots landed. I found the answer to that recoil issue not so much in the caliber, but actually in the stock weight, with a heavier-stocked rifle being much easier to shoot and noticeably less recoil. Again, I don't know how much she is wishing to invest, if this is her "life" hunting rifle, but look at some stocks were you can add weight - a great example is the Manners stock which is superlight but can filled with material to add weight. Just my .02 and experience.
 
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DFOOSKING said:
"The gun is so light, that the recoil is absurd."


And yet you saw fit to make her shoot it.

What is she hunting in Texas that demands a 30/06?

If you can't place a round where it needs to go cuz your to scared your gonna be mamed...that's not the right rifle for you.

Get her a .243 with brake on it.
Click to expand...
+1 my thoughts exactly. if i was trying to discourage her from shooting Id buy her an extra light, too long, more powerful than she needed rifle
she needs a model 7 or ruger compact in 243-260 . id stick with short action
 
Saw this comment about a gun being "too heavy" - as I just posted the recoil is much less with heavier guns - I don't know how to say this is a non-offensive tone - but if she ever wants to be a mother learning to deal with a 20lb rifle might be a practical start...
 
I'm with DOCTAYLOR on this. Keep in mind that cartridges such as .270-.280. .25/06 are still based on the '06 case and hold a lot of powder, although they have varying weights of projectiles. Unless you handload you are going to have to find a cartridge that is both medium in case capacity as well as medium weight bullet. If she is not accomplished enough to take long hunting shots then most any medium range deer cartridge will work. Someone mentioned the 6.8, or something in that neighborhood. Bottom line is the gun she was using was way too light for cartridge. She can't have it both ways, ( light gun but with a kickbutt bullet). Just saying!
 
What about a JP recoil eliminator for a break? I often wonder if lighter people actually suffer more from recoil or less. I tend to think less, as a lighter person can move with the recoil whereas a big boy ends up absorbing all the recoil with his shoulder. The girlfriend in question may just need to work with reduced loads to improve her technique, but I agree a scope kiss is a great way to develop a flinch
 
Keep in mind that a brake is likely to greatly increase the noise. A lot of shooters don't respond well to that.
 
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