Low-ish recoil loads for .30-06?

Mo,
If you didn't want .30-06 recoil, why did you buy a .30-06 rifle?
Get a GOOD pad on it & learn your gun with the ammunition it was built to shoot.
Or, sell it & drop down to a lighter caliber.
Denis
 
I should probably just pick up some ammo and shoot it. I am probably overthinking the amount of recoil.
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Yes. Even after picking some up and spending a little time at the range and feeling that recoil, remember that while hunting you are probably only going to fire a few shots at best and with the excitement of the hunt, you'll never remember the recoil from the 30-06.
 
My .308 rifle bothered me with it's excessive muzzle jump. A friend suggested sending it to MagnaPort in Michigan. The craftsmen there cut four slots near the muzzle without marring the bluing at all. Result is no more muzzle jump and reduced recoil. Lastly I installed a Limb Saver butt pad to transform this rifle into a joy to shoot.

Jack
 
My .308 rifle bothered me with it's excessive muzzle jump. A friend suggested sending it to MagnaPort in Michigan. The craftsmen there cut four slots near the muzzle without marring the bluing at all. Result is no more muzzle jump and reduced recoil. Lastly I installed a Limb Saver butt pad to transform this rifle into a joy to shoot.
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Was that your Savage 99 in your mule deer photo?
 
I didn't buy it thinking it was bad but everyone with their Ruger Americans and Remingtons in .30-06 said it was "real bad with recoil". I can shoot my Mauser with full power loads and no recoil pad comfortably so I should be fine. Sorry for the stupid post (again). Will post how it shoots.
 
Marauder,
Not a stupid post, I'm sure you aren't the only one who ever wondered about this. Let us know how it shoots it might surprise you.
 
I reload, but I bought a box of factory stuff...Hornady Whitetail 150 grain stuff. I didnlt think it was harsh at all, and Hornady brass is great stuff. Have you shot this rifle yet? You may be surprised. Despite what a lot of people say, a .30/06 is not a heavy kicking rifle...especially in a sporter weight gun like your M70 Ranger.
 
If this is an option, adding a Silencer or a Muzzle Brake can reduce your recoil half or more. Some silencers have proven to reduce recoil by 60-70%, and come with muzzle brakes that do the same. Its an option, but has multiple benefits.
 
Mosin,

This is actually not true. Where I live, my children are under my Trust. Anyone in the trust is allowed to use the silencers listed on it. So my children can shoot with these silencers legally.
 
I have several 30-06 rifles, I really enjoy the round. I do have a Ruger American in 30-06 and after about 15-20 rounds I've had enough, its accurate but not fun to shoot. Now my 1904A4 is a different story 50-60 rounds no problem.

As an owner of several Garands, Garand only ammo isn't reduced power loads, its Garand specific because of the narrow band of powders that can be used. In a Garand its all about port pressure. For ex. in the Hornady 9th manual a bolt action using a 178 grain bullet, powder 4064 at 2500 fps is 44.7 grains of powder. A Garand load using the same bullet and powder is 45.7 grains of powder. The same can be said about the other Garand powders, 4895, Varget, 4064, RL15.

I have read very good things about this muzzle break, its a clamp on design so no need to have your barrel threaded.

https://kahntrol.com/clamp-on-muzzle-brake/
 
The m44 Mosins with 180gr bullets are a bit jumpy, even the Husky Hunagarian version .....

Not bad with PPU 150's, and a load of 47gr of IMR4064 under a 150gr Sierra Game King is not bad at all ......

Still loud and flashy, though!
 
M-M,

My wife's rifle is a scoped 20" barrel 30-06 carbine weighing 8 1/4 lbs.

I reload a 150 NPT down to 2,500 fps to keep recoil manageable for her.
Her reload develops 2,000 ft-lbs muzzle energy,
But will carry over 1,500 to 150 yds and will carry over 1,000 to 350 yds.

Its not the superlight, 60% reduced load.
Its an 85% reduced load of H4895.

Its accurate and she shoots it well:
Cindy_3_030114.jpg
 
I don't think the recoil should bother you. Just don't go into it thinking the recoil is going to be bad. You've got experience shooting a Mosin and a full power Mauser (in 8mm IIRC). Shooting .30-06 long enough to sight it in, get comfortable with it, and make your few shots during hunting season shouldn't bother you a bit with that experience. Lighter bullets will generally kick less as you listed, but what bullets shoot best out of it may depend on your twist rate
 
Not sure that reduced recoil loads are the most efficient was to reduce recoil.

Adding weight to the gun, recoil pads, shooting jackets or muzzle brakes are a better long term solution imo.

But if you live up to your name and shoot Mosins, then standard .30-06 recoil should be well within your wheelhouse.
 
As an owner of several Garands, Garand only ammo isn't reduced power loads, its Garand specific because of the narrow band of powders that can be used. * * *
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As the owner of 9 M1s, the so-called "Garand-safe"/"Garand-only" ammo is a reduced power load when compared to the fps/fpe output of typical full-power hunting ammo. That's why for decades M1 owners were advised repeatedly not to shoot factory 150gn (or heavier) hunting ammo in these rifles - due to potential damage to the op rod. That changed in recent years with the advent of adjustable gas port plugs, like those from Schuster Mfg, which allow you to control how much gas is driving the reciprocation of the op rod in the gas cylinder.

You can also discern the difference in felt-recoil when shooting a few rds of 150gn PPU Garand ammo against anyone's typical 150gn hunting load.
 
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