what is the upper limit for all-day shooting?

G

gringojosh

New member
Suppose you were going to take a rifle to the range and wanted to be able to shoot it throughout the day without getting a sore shoulder. Assuming you're not using a recoil reduction system, what is the upper limit for caliber?
 
Probably .30-06, but then I'm not very recoil adverse and I don't get in a hurry when I'm shooting. I could probably spend all day shooting 100 rounds of -06 and have a fine time.

For sheer volume of fire, though, it's hard to beat .223, or .22LR.
 
probly depends alot on the individual... ill shoot almost anything all day long without bein bothered. my freind wont shoot more than 10 rounds out of his .270 before he quits for the day. it all depends on what ur comfortable with
 
A lot depends on the shooter and the rifle. I have taken my 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser out and run 200 rounds in a day (back before I had a bigger selection of rifles). There are also differences between something like the M1 Garand (gas operated) .30-06 and the M-17 Enfield (bolt action) or '03 Springfield (bolt action) .30-06, too. Since I don't have anything stouter than the .30-06 in centerfire rifles I can't comment on larger or more powerful chamberings like the 7mm or .30 cal magnums. I will say that to me a 12 ga. shotgun with 1 oz. slugs kicks a lot harder than any .30-06 I've ever shot.
 
It depends on the shooter. I'm not recoil shy, but a .308, a 7mm Rem Mag and a 45-70 Government all have their limits with bench time. I can drop 40 to 60 down range with all of those but beyond that point, my shoulder gets pretty sore. I could still shoot mind you, but why waste expensive ammo if I'm not shooting my best.

For all day shooting, it's hard to beat a 22lr. It won't beat your shoulder up and you can actually afford to shoot it all day long.
 
As others have said it depends. When I was a kid I'd shoot anything all day long. Now 50 rounds of .30-06 is about it for me.

That's why god invented the .22lr.
 
Probably 243 in a typical rifle. I've never tried "all day" but I have fired upwards of 40 rounds in short periods with no discomfort at all. I can shoot my Encore Pro Hunter handgun chambered in 7mm-08 for a long time too, at least 40 plus rounds, but not a 7-08 in rifle form... that gets old.

Anything less than 243 (again, in typical weight rifles) is an all day gun, I'd say.
 
Lot of variables. How I am dressed. How much shooting I have been doing.

50 rounds of 8x57 is about all I want.

350 rounds of 5.56 and I am sick of loading mags.

100 low brass shells on the sporting clays range is just about right.
 
If you plan on shooting all day on a regular basis I hope you're handloading, otherwise it's going to get pretty expensive. As others have said, .223 is an all day gun, but again it's going to get pretty expensive. I'd lean towards the .22lr as my all day gun and bring a few other guns along to break it up. That way you get a lot of practice with a bunch of guns and it'll be cheaper than just banging away with a centerfire all day. No one ever said you had to stick to one gun all day long right?

Stu
 
My 30 06 kicks like a mule :D Or at least to me it does, so about 30 rounds and I'm done ; ) PS Like othes have stated the 22 is a all day rifel ;)
Y/D
 
On an average range trip to the desert with my M1A/M14 in .308, I shoot at about 100 rounds and depending if I am in the prone or on the bench will show in my shoulder, Like this past weekend I went out and shot 90 rounds at the prone, I got a nice bruise on Saturday, and went back out on Sunday and shot 60 rounds, that was it for me.
 
When i plan on all day shooting I usually take out my marlin .44 or .308. I always have a .22 for breaks in between to let my shoulder rest. I am a small person though so even though im not very recoil shy after 20 or so .308 i start feeling it.
 
I can shoot my .270 Win all day. With the new Boyd's stock on my Ruger .300 WM I can now last 1-1/2 boxes without feeling it. With the old skeleton stock one box had me bruised up and sore. And that was after installing a decelerator pad on it. :p
 
I've got a .270WIN that beats the hell outta my shoulder right now. About 20-25 rounds is all I can handle. I am in the process of getting a new stock for it that will hopefully help with recoil absorption. I have a buddy with a HBAR .308 Browning A-Bolt in a thumbhole stock that I can shoot all day easy.
 
I don't worry about the caliber as much as rate of fire and shooting position. Even a 9mm will make my arms sore after 200 rounds in under an hour. But I can shoot 30-06 from a bench all day long with no problems.
 
One thing to take into account is the weight of the rifle. My little .308 Remington Model Seven kicks like a mule, because it only weighs about six pounds. Then again, it gets so hot that volume has to stay way down, or accuracy goes away.

Also, keep in mind that if you hand load, you can make mild range loads. My brother worked up light loads for his 7mm Rem Mag that don't kick much at all, and yet they still print 1/2" or so groups at a hundred, on a good day. In fact, with the light loads, the 7mm Mag is more comfortable to shoot than my .308!

All that said, my current tolerances are such:

.308-about 50 or so, depending on the day.
7mm w/ light loads-I haven't found a limit.
.338 Win Mag w/ full power loads-10 of those, in two groups is plenty.
8mm Mauser-about twenty, or until I decide the rifle isn't worth wasting bench time with. :)

Just my $.02.
 
That's why god invented the .22lr
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Bingo!

I have had a lot of people tell me they can shoot their 243 or 7-08, or 30-06 all day long, but I have seen them by the end of a box: flinching, trigger jerking, and recoil anticipation is not a pretty sight. It may not hurt as much as shooting a 300 Win Mag, but it sure teaches you a lot of bad habits. That's the main reason I shoot my 22LR more than anything else, my 223 runs a close second.
 
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