Why you don't start anyone on large calibers

[ghbucky]

A 30-06 is a powerful cartridge (and expensive)

I would contend that it is a moderate cartridge, but there is real recoil happening.

As far as expensive, I think that right now, 30-06 is actually cheaper than .22 or .223.

There is another thread where .22LR is going for close to $150 for a brick.

30-06 is one of the few calibers still on store shelves at normal prices right now.

 

[44 AMP]

30-06 is one of the few calibers still on store shelves at normal prices right now.

Because its been essentially a "sporting rifle" round for the past half century plus.

So, despite the fact that its still pretty popular among folks who know guns, its long past its day as the military round, its too long for current or even the previous generation of semi auto military look alikes (ARs AKs, FAL, HKs, etc)

SO not nearly as many people are stockpiling / panic buying it.

Have you noticed no one is doing much "flipping" of .30-30 ammo, either??

Look at what people are gobbling up (by choice) its the military calibers (ours and former Combloc) that get snagged first (and of course .22LR)

Recoil of a 9.5lb Garand isn't too bad, even with its steel buttplate. Go down to a 7lb bolt gun and it gets much more noticeable.

It seems the OP's friend has an ego that won't take instruction, in a field with which he is almost totally unfamiliar. My bet would be that, until he masters himself, he's going to shoot like crap.

 

[reynolds357]

A 30-06 is a powerful cartridge (and expensive) to learn on. I shot .22LR as a small boy for years. When I was 18 I bought a 22-250 and had no problem accurately shooting it, unless I was using some of my really crappy re-loads. I was a decent shooter, but an idiot of a reloader at 18. At 18, I had one rule which applied to everything - MORE IS BETTER (yes, even with powder dispensing).

Its hard to say if I could have picked up a more powerful rifle and learn to quickly shoot it well without having shot .22lr for years. I recon, probably not.

I was taught as a young boy to control flinching through practice and proper breathing. I went to a boy's camp for 8 summers, and twice a week all summer long we had "riflery" with .22 bolt action rifles. The counselor in charge was an ass, but he would let you know when your form was bad or when you were flinching.

I have the training too. Lot of experience too. I still flinch when I pull the trigger on a 460 Wby with no brake.

 

[50 shooter]

He needs to take a class at an Appleseed or similar school setting. Your a friend and he's going to use that and his ego against you.

It sounds like he's more interested in looking cool or being a bada$$ in other people's eyes! If it was a friend of mine and he didn't want to listen to me, I would pass or step away from helping him out.

I'm always willing to help family and friends out when it comes to firearms. But if they fight me on it, I'm gone! I have better things to do with my time than argue about an issue that they know nothing about!

 

[ejfalvo]

IMHO, here's why. My wife FINALLY decided to learn shooting. We were at an outdoor range and she was easily shooting a Buckmark. No recoil, hitting paper, little noise - all was good. My mistake was turning my back and leaving my SA 1911 on the bench. She picked it up, aimed, pulled the trigger and was shocked with the recoil. Never again went to the range. I know it was my fault. No amount of discussing (me, my son, daughter) would get her to change her mind. My error cost me a shooting partner.

 

[44 AMP]

A lot depends on individual attitudes and how they get introduced to things.

Some people think its ok to throw a beginner into the deep end of the pool. And, while that "learn to swim or drown" pressure does teach some people to swim, it teaches a lot of them to never get in a pool again. (and, it often gives them a strong desire to kick the butt of the person who threw them in..)

When I got my first .45 auto, my wife still classified pistols in two groups.
"Cowboy guns" (all revolvers) and "James Bond guns (all semi autos). Shown how the slide moved, her response was "I'm never shooting that!"

Watching me shoot the first magazine helped her understand better and before I finished that first mag, she askes "can I try that?"

She did ok, it wasn't really her thing, but she wasn't scared of it any more.

 

[natman]

Ego is definitely at work here. He wants to raise the scope with rings so its more comfortable for him, despite me telling him it will have an effect on accuracy. The bolt clears the scope just fine, but its not enough for his liking. Instead of working around what works, he wants to rifle to work around him in that regard.

Bench shooting he insisted on cradling the gun itself instead of letting the bags do the work. There was initial fear the gun would rise up off the bag and knock him in the head. Though his first shot he was too close to the scope and got a bit of a shiner from that.

My daughter at 16 was exponentially easier to teach firearms to than my friend. He's a great guy, but testosterone and ego aren't helping the process.

Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.
Benjamin Franklin

 

[jimbob86]

Even if you hold onto the rifle like you are supposed to.

eyeroll here.

 

[BJung]

My advice will be to have him shoot the rifle and watch his groups. He'll know you shoot a tighter group. Then, offer to load the rifle and pass it to him to shoot. Tell him that one is a dummy round ( like the red ones ). When he flinches with the dummy round, he'll realize it's him pulling the barrel down. If he insists on shooting the 30-06, have him load his magazine with dummy rounds and one or two live (factory) rounds.

Shooting .22lr is the best way but apparently he doesn't want to listen right now.

 

[raddadmike]

I love plinking with my Ruger Charger... He may not want to now, but once he get's bitten by the 22lr bug....Watch him start yapping about needing a can. I know I did.

 

[buck460XVR]

It would take a 'ell of a flinch to make for a 5" spread at 25 yards with a scoped rifle, that has been proven to be accurate otherwise. My boys both shot lightwight 30-06 bolt guns when they were 12 years old and didn't have those kind of spreads @ 100yards. Again, if the scope is fuzzy to the OP, that may be the issue with the owner too. My 9 year old grand-daughter has been practicing with my 77/44 for the upcoming youth deer season. She has been shooting hunting loads that in comparison, probably recoil as much relatively to her, as the ought six does to the owner in the OP. She is doing 2-3 inches @ 100 yards with the lil' Ruger(about all it's really capable of). I'm gonna guess the OP's friend can't shoot a ,22 any better than his ought-six.

 

[jimbob86]

Recoil of a 9.5lb Garand isn't too bad, even with its steel buttplate. Go down to a 7lb bolt gun and it gets much more noticeable.

If the loads are the same, it won't be drastic. The thing is, most modern hunting ammo would bend the op rod if fired in a Garand ........ The GI M2 ball loading is pretty mild compared to premium hunting ammo loadings ......

 

[44 AMP]

If the loads are the same, it won't be drastic.

I suppose "drastic" is in the eye of the beholder/shoulder of the shooter. For me, changing the weight of the rifle by about 20%, up or down makes a noticeable difference.

As to the op rod on a Garand, if you put jet fuel in your deuce and a half, you're going to wreck the engine. its not the fault of the truck, its the fault of the guy who fills the tank....

 

[jimbob86]

Pretty sure a Duece and a Half would run just fine on jet fuel, turpentine, coal oil, concentrated woodsmoke, or the breath of the average troopie in the motor pool during a 0300 Sunday Alert......