Question on shooting a model 94 **reducing

[antilley]

So the last time (a few years back) i shot a 30 30 i was a little bit in shock to the amount of perceived recoil from a Glenfield with a 170gr Remington Express round.. We were shooting off a bench and the guy next too us was shooting what seemed to be a 'cannon' ...and he was squeezing off a round every 10 seconds. ( we were paired together and and had cinder walls on either side of us) Now I am not a tough guy by any means, but as a kid i would shoot both barrels off in a 12 gauge for kicks and had really never really been afraid of recoil.....but, I could never get comfortable on the Glenfield and was in hurry to shoot before the cannon went off beside me and I left there thinking that the old Glenfield kicked like a mule and i would never want to shoot anything bigger without recoil reduction of some kind.

So fast forward ... i did pick up a 94 and i really don't want to put a recoil pad on it, but i have a couple of questions .... do you guys cheek the gun? Do you have any of the butt above the top of your shoulder? When shooting off a bench do you want to lean into the gun? ....I am to the point in my life i would rather shoot a few big rounds vs. plinking all day, but before i go bigger on a lever gun I want to know what is on the other side.

dan

[J Miller]

So the last time (a few years back) i shot a 30 30 i was a little bit in shock to the amount of perceived recoil from a Glenfield with a 170gr Remington Express round.. We were shooting off a bench and the guy next too us was shooting what seemed to be a 'cannon' ...and he was squeezing off a round every 10 seconds. ( we were paired together and and had cinder walls on either side of us) Now I am not a tough guy by any means, but as a kid i would shoot both barrels off in a 12 gauge for kicks and had really never really been afraid of recoil.....but, I could never get comfortable on the Glenfield and was in hurry to shoot before the cannon went off beside me and I left there thinking that the old Glenfield kicked like a mule and i would never want to shoot anything bigger without recoil reduction of some kind.

So fast forward ... i did pick up a 94 and i really don't want to put a recoil pad on it, but i have a couple of questions .... do you guys cheek the gun? Do you have any of the butt above the top of your shoulder? When shooting off a bench do you want to lean into the gun? ....I am to the point in my life i would rather shoot a few big rounds vs. plinking all day, but before i go bigger on a lever gun I want to know what is on the other side.

dan

Dan,

The Marlin pistol gripped stock is a brutal cheek buster to me. I cannot shoot one more than a couple times with out starting to flinch. The Win 94s straight gripped stock is shaped TOTALLY different in the cheek area. I can shoot them all day long without any discomfort at all.
The straight stocks as found on Marlins 1894s are in the same comfort catagory as the Win 94 stocks.

Before putting a recoil pad on that 94 go shoot it.

Do I cheek it? Yes.
Do I put any of the stock above my shoulder? No, I want full contact so the recoil is transmitted over the largest area.
Here is a pic of me shooting my Win 94 a few years ago. It shows how I do it:

Me and my Winnie web.JPG

Joe

[EdinCT]

I also want full contact with a stock on my shoulder half on half off isn't a good thing. Also the bench is never a fun place to shoot any rifle with recoil. Shoot from the bench in as upright a position has possible. Sight it in at a bench and shoot from other positions I've never had a bench in the field.
A few years ago I was shooting my 45/70 alot working up loads for an Alaska trip. I put a Sims slip on on it for that work and it was great.
Finally if you reload make up some reduced recoil loads shooting should be fun and targets die easy.

Ed

[Pisgah]

>i was a little bit in shock to the amount of perceived recoil from a Glenfield

I think "perceived" is the key word, here. We all perceive recoil differently, and our perceptions can change oveer time. I used to find the recoil of any .30-30 carbine to be brutal. With experience of other hard-kickers, my perception now is that they are pussycats in the recoil department -- even the Marlin I remodeled with an old-style, pistol-gripped buttstock and curved steel buttplate. I'll admit, though, that there was a learning curve on that one in finding out how to position that butt on my shoulder!

[Nath]

Stuff a thin news paper down ya' coat (if benching it) and keep some part of your face on the stock.

You gotta move with the guns rearward movement, if not it will want to slam into you.

Protect your ears, the odd hunting shot won't be a problem but repeated range fire will fatigue you fast.

Good luck.

Nath.

[antilley]

Thanks for the responses.... i will give it a shot this weekend and let you know how it turns out.

[gak]

+1 cheek yes, and full shoulder contact, nothing above. Btw, try a Trapper on for size--especially bench--if you think the 20 inchers kick hard (Nice flame too)

This is also an area I've always felt the charts--and some fellow shooters--had it all wrong: I've had 45 or so years of shooting the .30-30, --mostly standard 20" carbines--and while I've always thought the round was perfectly manageable (and a pussycat as someone said, especially compared to their standard action bolt brethren etc), I've always felt it was much more the thumper compared to a similar (92 or 94) .44 mag--using "standard" (respective) loads with both,...though the recoil charts always give it to the .44 by a pound or so. Perception again? I shoot my .44 92s "all day long"--with the carbine butt no less--compared to much more abbreviated .30 WCF sessions, ammo cost aside.

[L_Kilkenny]

When I got my first .30-30, a Win 16 trapper, I was also suprized by the recoil and it's amazing what an extra 4" of barrel will do to help tame it a little. But ya got to keep in mind, you're still tossing a 150-170 gr hunk of lead at a good clip outta 6 lbs gun. Something has to give. I figured it's recoil would be closer to that of a .243 but IMO it's closer to that of a .30-06 in a bolt rifle.

But if I can handle sighting in a 12 ga slug gun I figure a .30-30 can't be that bad. Tried a 3" shell for one shot and swore them off for eternity. 2 3/4" is bad enough.

LK

[C. Cash]

You'll cut your percieved recoil by about half if you sit up or stand up straight. It sounds too simple I know but try it, and you'll be shocked. Shooting sticks or a rest that brings the gun up will help. Get out of the enclosed areas. They increase the concussion of each shot considerably. That plus getting whacked by being hunched over your gun will ruin your shooting experience.

[bmtshooter]

+1 on Nath's comments

One of the main ways that I found shooters can help avoid flinching is with double hearing protection (plugs and muffs at the same time). The concussion and the assault on the ears can be quite intimidating, even if the firearm isn't beating you up. The relative quiet when firing lets you concentrate more on absorbing and rolling with the recoil efficiently rather than anticipating getting whacked. And as was mentioned before ..... try to keep in an upright position rather than being hunched over the bench (possibly a shorter stool?). Good luck.

[antilley]

Well we had a chance to shoot 20 factory Remington loads down range this weekend. My boy (Freshman in high school) shot it half the time and left with a big smile on his face. I have to say the recoil is very manageable and more in line with what i thought a 30 30 would be. He asked me to find another '30 30' and fast.

We shot at a 12 inch square box at 110 yards and between us hit the box 6 out of 10 times ...... I will take that for now, but expect to get better next outing.

We shot about 20 .357 rounds and 80 .38 S rounds in the Puma 92 and had a blast. What a neat gun.

it kills me with the optics / AR's dressed to the hilt shooting about 1/2 as good as the ole' iron sighted Winchester..... (i know in the right hands the AR would be much better.... but, not today brother ... the Winchester was the top dawg.)

I did let a guy with a AK shoot a 3 inch slug out of my mossberg pistol grip .... hah ... he didn't want to shoot it again.