ORIGINAL: savage221
Ok, now that the regular season is over here in New York State I have a question for more experienced rifle shooters than myself. Last year I bought a Ruger M77 mark II bolt action in 7mm magnum. It kicks like a government mule (worse than my 10ga BPS) and I’ve been hit in the forehead so many times by the scope that I’m flinching like crazy whenever I pull the trigger. The flinching cost me two doe this season that were both gimmy shots
(70 yards standing still in open cut fields, I just thank god that they were clean misses).
I like the gun a lot; it shoots flat, its light and comes up nice but I can’t keep it if I can’t get over the recoil issue. So, the question is what do I do? Do I toss it and get something chambered in a smaller caliber say 30-06? Do I invest in a better recoil pad? Will moving the scope forward help at all? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Please just don’t get too technical; I do a lot of bird hunting (upland and waterfowl) and know more about shotguns than rifles. Thanks in advance.
Get a scope with eye relief long enough to mount it far eough forward to escape getting hit by it! Then practice until you get t where you can shoot it.
A .30/'06 kicks about the same as the 7 Mag., and BOTH kick a LOTless than that 10-Ga. shotgun you mentioned! Rifle recoil may be sharper and faster, but it is alot less in foot-pounds than a 10 Ga. shotgun!
If you think the 7 Mag, kicks, try a .416 Rigby or even a hot-loaded .45/70 some day!