I am thinking of getting a new rifle I want it to be a "all around" rifle. From what I understand the .30-06 would be perfect for me it is strong and shoots pretty flat. I don't think that I will ever go after bear but hopefully I can go after mule deer and possibly elk and moose later. Right now I only hunt whitetails. I have never shot a .30-06 before. I currently have a inline muzzle loader that I shoot pretty often with 150 gr. powder and 240 gr.sabots. I also have a .30-30 winchester 94 and a winchester 1300 12 guage that I shoot upland loads in. Will the recoil compare to any of these? I think that the recoil will be between the 12 guage and the muzzleloader. The muzzleloader is a 7 pound rifle with no scope and the .30-06 that I am looking at is a weatherby vanguard that weighs 7 3/4 pounds with no scope. Thanks for your help.

I have no experience with a Weatherby but I do with the 30-06 in a sporterized Springfield and with a .50 muzzleloader. I would have to say that the 06 out kicks the .50, but it not extreme or unbearable. The stock on the 30-06 I shoot is not of the greatest design and the Weatherby should be better, My roommates Savage 06 kicks less than mine but that could just be mental on my part, either way if you can handle shooting an extended session of 12 gauge then you can handle the 30-06. Hope that helps you out, take it easy.

If you are shooting 150gr of powder in your .50cal muzzle loader the 30.06 probably wont bother you. Good luck.

the only time you will notice the recoil of a 30.06 is if you go to the range and shoot 3 or more boxes of ammo. I just got one after shooting a 12 gauge for deer hunting for years. It's manageable. I like to shoot mine at the range so i got a recoil pad installed on my M70. It works quite well. In fact its more pleasurable to shoot now then my 7mm-08 without the pad.

Don't worry, you'll be fine. Like the others said, if you can handle the muzzleloader and shotgun, the .30-06 won't be a big deal. Not to mention that the 7¾ lbs. plus scope will help a lot with recoil anyway.

I too have a sporterized springfield 03-A3 and my 50 cal muzzle loader with a 150 grains pyrodex and a 240 grain XTP sabot kicks twice as hard as that old 30-06 does. My .308 kicks harder then that heavy springfield action. Every 30-06 I have ever shot I would say the average recoil is most easily comparible to a 12 ga pheasant load. you wont be dissatisfied with a 30-06. good luck

I have a really bad shoulder. My left arm has gone down hill to the point that its half the size of my right arm. I have to shoot left handed because I lost my right eye. (one of those living on the edge things) Anyway the 30-06 which I use is the Remington 7600. With a scope on it the recoil does not bother me much. I do use an extra pad at the range to protect the shoulder but even with just a medium jacket on, the recoil is not pleasant but not severe. You should have no trouble if you shoot a 12 Ga.

I think the .50cal and the '06 probably kick about the same. Only thing I notice is that the muzzleloader has more of a strong push where the '06 is a sharp kick. I wear a shoulder pad at the range for the '06, but it has never bothered me in the field.

I find that if I shoot a 50 round set at the range, the .30-06 and similar sized calibers cause considerable next day pain and suffering (a shot or two hunting is nothing.) I have used a PAST recoil pad, which straps on the shoulder, for several years now and this makes all the difference. If you shoot regularly enough with this size caliber and without recoil protection you may well cause damage to your rotator cuff which requires surgery.[:@]

The PAST pads are $20 to $30 and come in a variety of thicknesses. I use the thinnest one, the Field Grade, and I find it sufficient. It works great when shooting clays also, doesn't seem to change the fit much of the stock to shoulder.

Recoil management is not about being "tough," it's about being smart enough to avoid cumulative trauma type injuries to your body.

Like I said, I never bother with this when I am hunting, but at the range I won't be without it.

I'm a pretty big guy, and I take recoil fairly well I think, but I prefer a recoil pad on a .30-06. More than about ten rounds without one and I'd have a bruised shoulder.