recoil and new shooters

[vance]

My son wants to start deer hunting this year. He is a competent shot with rimfires on gophers and has some trigger time on clays with 12ga and lots of SKS range time.
Bought a M96 sporter in 6.5x55 swede with the intent of him using it.
He shot it at the range first time today and felt there was too much recoil.
I don't want him to start flinching, but hope he can grow accustomed to the recoil.
The recoil pad on the rifle seems old and stiff. Can replace with a limbsaver, but any other opinions and suggestions?

If I need to get him a 243, I will, but hope to stick with the Swede
Thanks
Vance

[Dweb]

New butt pad will likely solve it .

A limbsaver will be a great start.

[Flight01]

Stick with the 6.5 Swede
Limbsavers are great for just such a thing. A dull push vs a sharp snap in recoil.
If you reload then lighter loads. Either way don’t let him keep pounding himself at a young age. It will develope the flinch we all want to avoid.
Classic round. Have fun

[Dick284]

Shorten the butt stock, and fit it with a good recoil pad.

A poorly fitted rifle will make the recoil seem much more than it actually is.

[vance]

Thanks guys.
I am in Sherwood Park. Any one recommended in this area who can shorten the stock and fit a new pad? I think it may be slightly to long for him as is and the limbsaver will add another bit of length.
Vance

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by vance

My son wants to start deer hunting this year. He is a competent shot with rimfires on gophers and has some trigger time on clays with 12ga and lots of SKS range time.
Bought a M96 sporter in 6.5x55 swede with the intent of him using it.
He shot it at the range first time today and felt there was too much recoil.
I don't want him to start flinching, but hope he can grow accustomed to the recoil.
The recoil pad on the rifle seems old and stiff. Can replace with a limbsaver, but any other opinions and suggestions?

If I need to get him a 243, I will, but hope to stick with the Swede
Thanks
Vance

Sometimes people get recoil and noise confused. I used to think I was recoil sensitive, but I'm not, I am very noise sensitive though. Get him ear plugs and muffs and see if that helps.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

Sometimes people get recoil and noise confused. I used to think I was recoil sensitive, but I'm not, I am very noise sensitive though. Get him ear plugs and muffs and see if that helps.

Excellent advice.

As to stock fit, if he is shooting of a bench stock length won't have near as much effect on perceived recoil. Have you checked, is the stock in fact too long for him? You can usually order Limbsavers that are a direct replacement, no fitting necessary.

if he can handle the recoil on a 12 gauge shooting clays I am really surprised the recoil on a 6.5 would bother him at all. Do you reload. Reduced loads will make the 6.5 virtually recoil free. Can use either Trail Boss or 4895.

[fps plus]

The difference between shooting a firearm without a recoil pad is like walking on gravel with no shoes.

[1899b]

Originally Posted by fps plus

The difference between shooting a firearm without a recoil pad is like walking on gravel with no shoes.

Yup my other half used my .300 Win Mag that is outfitted with a Limbsaver after she dumped her rifle and buggered her scope. Managed to punch her tag with no probs...

There is lots of reference on the net on how to determine proper length of pull. Be sure of your sons arm reach and what the current length of pull is on that rifle before you chop...

[Justfishin73]

Yeah, recoil no good for little shooters. My 11 yr old shooting an SXP, bought him a Benelli Nova. Says too much recoil, having a helluva time finding a decent pad for it, wish limbsaver made one.

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by Justfishin73

Yeah, recoil no good for little shooters. My 11 yr old shooting an SXP, bought him a Benelli Nova. Says too much recoil, having a helluva time finding a decent pad for it, wish limbsaver made one.

HAve you checked Pachmeyer Decelerators?

[Stinky Coyote]

Originally Posted by vance

My son wants to start deer hunting this year. He is a competent shot with rimfires on gophers and has some trigger time on clays with 12ga and lots of SKS range time.
Bought a M96 sporter in 6.5x55 swede with the intent of him using it.
He shot it at the range first time today and felt there was too much recoil.
I don't want him to start flinching, but hope he can grow accustomed to the recoil.
The recoil pad on the rifle seems old and stiff. Can replace with a limbsaver, but any other opinions and suggestions?

If I need to get him a 243, I will, but hope to stick with the Swede
Thanks
Vance

recoil energy of 7.62x39 around 8 ft/lbs, recoil energy of 6.5x55 about 12 ft/lbs, nearly double, a .243 would be around 9 ft/lbs

my 9 year old just shot a 6.5 Grendel (same as a 7.62x39) and it surprised him a bit but think it will be fine, my 11 yr old shot a .243 and no issues at all with that

they'll both be hammering away with 6.5 Grendels soon, that's the route i took, with adjustable lop stocks so the rifles will grow with them, and if they never wanted another rifle they would never need one...

but you'll likely want to do something to tame that swede or grab lighter hitter for a few years?

[DiabeticKripple]

When I first bought my Tikka T3 Lite in 7mm Rem Mag, I could only shoot maybe 5 rounds before I started to flinch.

I bought a prefit limbsaver and now I can shoot it all day.

I just did load development with it with 27 rounds over a few hours.

[leo]

Originally Posted by vance

Thanks guys.
I am in Sherwood Park. Any one recommended in this area who can shorten the stock and fit a new pad? I think it may be slightly to long for him as is and the limbsaver will add another bit of length.
Vance

I'll help you out if you like. PM me your phone number and we can set up a time to do it.

[Justfishin73]

Originally Posted by Dean2

HAve you checked Pachmeyer Decelerators?

Yeah, the limbsaver seemed like the way to go

[Sundog57]

Another thought if shooting off a bench at range.
I found that raising the bags so that I had to sit up straighter made recoil much more tolerable, if you hunch down into the rifle you eat it all, if you sit up your shoulder has much more capacity to move.
+ a limbsaver or a Kick-EEZ (I like better than a Pachmyr)
and plugs + muffs together work much better at reducing flinch than one or the other

[jason crozier]

Had my 13 year old daughter shoot about 1500 rounds over two summers from my 223 to get used to the noise and learn accuracy without any recoil. She can out shoot me now. Picked up a 7-08 from a fella on this site and only let her shoot it when it was harvest time I was Afraid the recoil would be too much and scare her away. Told her adrenaline would kick in and she wouldn’t feel a thing when she shoots her first moose. She harvested her first moose, a beauty 43” moose at 100 yards like a pro. Now She’s confident she can that she can do it. Worked for us

[6.5 shooter]

FIT, Fit, and more fit...if the rifle does not fit, you will have recoil problems.

Recoil pads are great and hearing protection is a MUST.

The 6.5x55 is a milder cartridge (recoil wise) in MHO the some of the sharper shouldered cases like .308 for example. The Swede will do everything from mice to moose and not even break a sweat.

PLEASE, please do not fall into the "recoil will just toughen him up to be a man" crowd. Recoil is a Bit#$ and once she has you, she will never let you go.

[vance]

Thanks everyone. Dean2 has offered to help me. Will post our progress
Vance

[sns2]

Dean2 is an exceptional fellow and a credit to the forum. He will set you in the right direction.

[JD848]

Originally Posted by sns2

Dean2 is an exceptional fellow and a credit to the forum. He will set you in the right direction.

x2 on that .

[coyoteman]

Best go with a 243, with fitted stock,100grainers on deer, 58gr for yotes.This with a good amount of range time, get use to shooting sticks.This with the young eyes, and wont be long before you will be promoted to camp cook. PS Make sure to get a good rifle with good glass--this not the place to cut corners.

[pjb274181]

I suggest using a Lead Sled when at the range. With sand or lead on the sled to help absorb the recoil, he can shoot quite a lot with the gun and avoid the flinching. For field practice, stick with the small caliber. When hunting season comes and he has the higher caliber rifle, he likely won't be thinking about the recoil when the opportunity to fire it presents itself.

[roger]

name one time when your shooting at a big whitetail and you remember the recoil...never, because your focus is as downrange.
I suggest avoid shooting off a table at a range, the shooter focuses on the recoil and not the downrange target, especially when its just plain old paper.
instead have variety of targets at various ranges. milk jugs full of water. balloons, golf balls, tin cans on a string, steel plates, old TV's whatever.
IMO, doing things to avoid the flinch, directly leads to flinching.
i just took a lady-friend out shooting gophers with a 17 and 22, she had never ever touched a gun, much less killed anything in her 4 decades.
basic safety gear, simple safety instructions, reactive running furry targets, equalled a semi-auto grass rat assassin in 15 minutes.
smiles all around.

[58thecat]

As said before rifle must fit the shooter, recoil pad included,don't over gun the shooter....let them determine how much they are willing to get pounded on thier own time....most go through stages as I did and then realize a punch in the face/shoulder/lost of target in the scope due to recoil was not where I needed to be and settled on milder recoil cartridges that gets the job done very effectively.

Make the shooting outing fun...bench the rifle to ensure point of impact is where you want it and then practice various positions on various fun to shoot targets.

[vance]

Thanks to all, most especially Dean. My son and I spent the afternoon with him on Thursday and he determined the LOP he needed. Rifle of choice ended up happening via stock swap. I had 2 Voere M98 sporters, one in 6.5x55 original length stock and a 308 with a shortened stock. I had tried to swap stocks unsuccessfully, but Dean figured it out by leaving the bottom metal with its original stock and swapping the barrelled actions. Pulled the old dried recoil pad off and determined that with a 1/2" slip on limbsaver that the fit was good for him.
Then he taught us how to bed a rifle and got both of them done.

Will start Jack out later today with a 223 and then move up to a cz527 7.62x39 with PAST shoulder pad.
Will double up the hearing protection.
Will increase the fun of the targets
Will get him shooting off a caldwell fieldpod rather than sitting at a bench


Haven't found a slip on limbsaver yet but I will.

Thanks again to Dean

Vance