@ 07:31 pm (GMT) |
VinceHi Scott,Interesting question, I was reading something the other day about curved gun stock butts in the early american days to aid shooting from horseback. I find rubber recoil pads useful, largely becasue they don't slide around. I guess the compression must help in at least a minor way to reduce recoil but from what I understand stock design and shape is far more important. A mate of mine has a 7mm Rem Mag in a Tikka Hunter Wood and Stainless model, theoretically along with the 30.06 on the borderline of recoil an average person can take without flinching. My experience is that it is a very uncomfortable rifle to shoot on the range (no issues with 1 shot in the field). I have shot other 7rm's that are far more pleasant with the same loads. In terms of muzzle breaks and I guess silencers fit into this category too, I have both and use one. My 7mm08 has a silencer which does reduce recoil, no idea by how much though. This is my main deer rifle, largely used for bush stalking and the silencer is there not for reduced rifle length, weight or recoil reduction but simply to protect my ears. As Nathan says don't just screw them on and go, treat them as a potential hazard and act accordingly. My longer range rifle is a Kimber Montana in 280 AI and comes factory threaded for a muzzle break which you can buy at the same time from Kimber. I chose to get it, not because the rifle has an unpleasent recoil (it's pretty tame considering the weight) but because during load development I was firing up to 33 shots in a session and wanted to ensure I wasn't causing any errors. The break definitely significantly reduces recoil but you need good hearing protection because wow it makes a noise. Once load development was completed, I sighted in and subsequently hunt without the break, it's just not necessary for field use, and in the kimbers case, I am worried the barrel is just to thin to put a silencer on for noise reduction. That is my 2 cents anyway Cheers Vince |