Recoil limit

[expresshunt]

Very interesting topic.. You could line up 10 guys and 10 different 375 rifles and have some shooting... Afterwards some would pick rifles that others would dislike. We are all a bit different. Same with a few 458 Lotts.. some will be happy, some will limp away. My lightest 375 at hunt camp is a Kimber Caprivi yet its generally the one clients choose after firing others..
Personally I love big rifles, but I can't stand sharp hard recoil. I am not a solid build, scrawny muscles and my collar bone has been broken twice. So my journey has been fun, and sometimes painful. My 22 year old favorite CZ 416 Rigby with custom stocked, magna ported barrel ( I wouldnt do again for noise), and pet load is a pleasure for all to shoot, carry weight is good.. The Righy Big Game also nice to shoot.
Some clients only own 300mags, so they find our 375s are ok, and a 458 or 416Rigbys too much. I have found some other 416 Rigby caliber rifles and ammo can kick me like hell. Yet generally a 458 can be nice, and a 500 can be nice, to hunt with that is. Personally I don't seam to get along well with 458Lotts or 470s for some reason... but I know to hunt with, both are fantastic performers on Buffalo etc.
I fit a limbsaver or kickeze pad immediately on all our rifles over 375 cal.. makes a huge difference in removing that sharpness of recoil.
My technique when benching is try have body sitting upright (not leaning forward)..
My body, and arms must be relaxed not tensed, as the rifle WILL come back fast and hard (no matter what) and I want to be able to roll back a bit. I then ensure left hand grip is firm, and my pistol grip hand is firm, and my cheek is medium, and butt is medium onto my shoulder. Then I imagine the trigger is very heavy as I squeeze off the shot.
Some 22 or 243 practice in between helps.
I have owned 3x 500jeffery over the years.. one was light and booted me like hell. To check my load and sights initially I made a angled sandbagged rest on a range post, so I can be standing. My forearm rested along that sandbag, and body could rock back easy. At camp to test it was fired over a 3 leg BogPod standing, and was fine that way. This is a good way to test fire big kickers.
The 404 and 450 NE have rightfully both seen a comeback, and great cartridges for big game.

 

[MS 9x56]

My brother won't shoot my .338. Says an 06 with 180gr is his top limit. I like a good thump every now and then.

A mans gotta know his limitations. Heard that in a Clint Eastwood movie. Sounded like good advice.

 

[colorado]

470 punched on nose by professional boxer.. 450,400 punched on shoulder by wife..!!

500 Jeffery hit in the shoulder by a sledgehammer lol (I got over it and it's now my favorite rifle to shoot).

 

[expresshunt]

25 years ago I went from a 375 to a 458 to start my guiding. I wanted to still use a scope on the Brno 602 custom chambered to 458Lott (no factory ones back then) with Leupold 1.5-5x scope, but it cut me once on every session and blood everywhere. To try stop this I located a one piece Hillver bridge mount with rings mounted on, and the rear ring was about 1" more forward than most scope rings which are over the rear action. But for me even with 4.5" of eye relief it cut me occassionally still. So I dumped the scopes and learnt to shoot open sighted... was amazed how good I could shoot. Also just after this I switched to the 416 Rigby cartridge, still as my favorite on Buffalo.
I remember trying to figure out this recoil thing, my mate Joe was fine, I was not, he drank beer and was heavier than me, and he held my rifle tighter (after seeing blood). Anyway I set up a Video camera on a tripod side on, and recorded us both firing the 458 Lott... We used safety glasses in these tests, and I'm not sure if sunglasses are a good protector if they were to smash glass there.
It was interesting to see frame by frame... 1/ immediately.!!... and I mean instantly.!!, the rifle scope eyepiece comes "straight" back about 3.5" on Joe, and 4.5" on me.... before the head moved at all..... 2/ then (frame by frame) could see the head whipped back as the body rocked back... as the remaining 20 or 30% of recoil transferred. 3/ Interestingly the scope came back a total of about 6" on Joe and 8" on me... so luckily the head and body rocks back from that stock driving into the shoulder.
Hence I recommend that more upright shooting position (not leaning forward) on the bigger rifles, and ALWAYS holding both fore-end and grip firm, when hunting or sighting. Some people forget to hold the fore-end tight, not good.

 

[colorado]

I have a Leupold 1.5-5x on my 500 Jeffery. It's never cut me, I was kinda careful at first but now it just comes up naturally and I don't worry about it. It took about a year for me to learn to respect and enjoy the rifle. But I sure do now