Thread: Good caliber to start hunting with?

Originally Posted by MattyP

I'd always thought the 308 had relatively mild recoil from all the recoil tables I looked at when deciding what my first centerfire was going to be. I had a 22lr and had shot maybe 2-3 rounds of 223 before I got my 308. It's a lot more than a 223 of course...but my wife (all of 55kg's) can shoot it. She was shit scared at first just from watching it being shot, but after shooting it was like..."oh." Same went for my sister.

Everyone's different obviously. I guess the best thing is just to try a calibre before you buy it if you're worried you might flinch or develop one.

The flinch you talk of maybe developed from hearing or seeing "dads big 308" for years from a young age? You may have just built it up mentally to be more than it is. Logically you know all you will feel is a firm tap to the shoulder.

Yep my 52 kg girlfriend can shoot an unsupressed t3 lite in 308 well enough, so most should manage. That being said she did shoot my 6.5x55 better than she did the lighter, heavier recoiling gun.

Not a big difference between 7-08 and 308 although having shot both back to back in a tikka there is a little more oomph to the shove in the 308. Its no sharper though. 270 shoots similar bullet weights but has a much 'sharper' recoil.

Was sighting in the new bushpig at the range this weekend and a newbie managed to give himself a scope eye with a 243. So goes to show proper technique is still nessesary even with lighter calibres

Shooting paper the recoil and noise a quite noticeable.
When shooting an animal in the bush I can't say I have really noticed either

You can't run with the dogs if you piss like a pup

I have said many times on here and been berated for it many times I cant really tell any difference between any of the non magnum cals,yes 223 is a bit less but not that much.

One of my pet hates is "advice" given to get a 7mm08 over a 308 for the lower recoil, really!??? are you just fucking with the dude or what? they both have the same case and shoot similar weight bullets at similar speeds,guess what recoil is similar!!!

Here are my thoughts. And I warn you that I am yet to really fire a rifle and this is an opinion formed from like 6 months of reading the shit out of everything on the internet. Pretty much exactly what not to do in regard to starting out...

7mm-08 Browning A-Bolt, but hard to find so probably Remington 700 SPS (Cos heaps of aftermarket shit to change if any feature is crap/annoying).

Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36 or VX2 3-9x33.

I'm looking at spending under $2k cos my Mrs said so...

Originally Posted by Ricochet

Here are my thoughts. And I warn you that I am yet to really fire a rifle and this is an opinion formed from like 6 months of reading the shit out of everything on the internet. Pretty much exactly what not to do in regard to starting out...

7mm-08 Browning A-Bolt, but hard to find so probably Remington 700 SPS (Cos heaps of aftermarket shit to change if any feature is crap/annoying).

Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36 or VX2 3-9x33.

I'm looking at spending under $2k cos my Mrs said so...

.308 would give you the option of cheaper ammo from the likes of barnaul for bombing up goats if thats on your horizon.

Originally Posted by JRW87

.308 would give you the option of cheaper ammo from the likes of barnaul for bombing up goats if thats on your horizon.

And a 22 lr would give you a cheap couple of hundred thousand rounds of practice too.

Chuck Hawks says the recoil's too much for my delicate shoulder.

Originally Posted by Ricochet

Chuck Hawks says the recoil's too much for my delicate shoulder.

You better get a .222 then.

Yup chuck don't lie, as you can see all the non magmum have virtually identical recoil.
When you grow up and fire a rifle you will either wee your pants and run home to mummy then lobby for all those nasty firearms to be banned, or realise there is really no difference in the non Magnum calibers and rifle weight combined with stock shape have more to do with felt recoil than what's stamped on the bottom of the case.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Yup chuck don't lie, as you can see all the non magmum have virtually identical recoil.
When you grow up and fire a rifle you will either wee your pants and run home to mummy then lobby for all those nasty firearms to be banned, or realise there is really no difference in the non Magnum calibers and rifle weight combined with stock shape have more to do with felt recoil than what's stamped on the bottom of the case.

I wee'ed but it was OK, was on concrete and it was a .50

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Yup chuck don't lie, as you can see all the non magmum have virtually identical recoil.
When you grow up and fire a rifle you will either wee your pants and run home to mummy then lobby for all those nasty firearms to be banned, or realise there is really no difference in the non Magnum calibers and rifle weight combined with stock shape have more to do with felt recoil than what's stamped on the bottom of the case.

That was harsh, Chuck would have said it with more finesse.

How to harden up to recoil from girly calibres:

Step 1. Find someone with a proper rife ie .375 H&H or preferably bigger as I don't think the .375 has much recoil.
Step 2. Fire 10 or so rounds through it from the bench or prone if you are brave.
Step 3. Pick up your teeth if you were brave and went prone.
Step 4. Never worry about the recoil from a piddly little .308 again as belted mugnums will now seem like puppies.

It would be interesting to do a blind fold test into a clay bank one day, guess the calibre.

Or start hunting with a sporter 303 lightened so much it barely has any wood left to hold the brass " recoil pad" before you are old enough to have even started thinking about how you are going to get your first root.
Best start out shooting rabbits with it. This will get you used to shooting offhand and after a few hundred rounds of that you will barely be aware of any push at all.

unless the A7 is old "stock" Not unusual for gunshops to have 2~3 year old model guns on the shelves re-priced as the MRRP goes up.

btw Is there a way to tell?