Mar
10
What is the difference in recoil between a 30-30, 30-06, 308 compared to the M-16′s 5.56 round.?
ByFor the past few years, the only weapon I have fired is an issued M-16. I’d like to buy a general hunting rifle so that also means a lot of target practice. I do want a weapon I can comfortably shoot for long periods of time without beating up my shoulder. Thanks!
10 Comments
March 11th, 2010 at 12:04 am
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March 11th, 2010 at 12:30 am
A 5.56 has almost no felt recoil…as you know from using the M-16 system this is due in part to the design of the weapon but also the fact that the round is very small caliber. A 30-30 will have much more felt recoil that the 5.56, but not that much. A 30-30 is a medium caliber but on the small side of the mediums. The 30-06 will have the most recoil…most 30-06 guns kick like a mule! Really which one you select has a lot to due with what you want to shoot, whether target practice alone of some kind of hunting. The 30 caliber or .308 should be pretty easy to shoot for hours at a time without much problem. The 30-06 wont give you any trouble as I am sure you are experienced with firearms and training, but you probably wont like shooting 30-06 for long periods of time at a range, and there is no need for that kind of firepower if you are just target shooting. 30-06 makes a good hunting rifle for large deer or black bears, etc…and it makes a good sniper rifle for law enforcement. Its also good if you want to target practice super long distances, but again probably not something you want to sit at the range with for two hours shooting.
March 11th, 2010 at 12:47 am
im 15 years old, 5’7 and a little over 100 pounds and i can shoot my 6 pound 30-06 all day long with no problems. (the lighter the gun, the more felt recoil…6 pounds is light for a 30-06)
same with my 30-30. never shot a .308 so im not sure about that.
im sure you can handle a 30-30. but it really depends on what your hunting too, and how far of shots your going to be taking. i would rather have a brused shoulder then a wounded elk running..so a 30-30 might be to small, or just right for what you plan on hunting.
March 11th, 2010 at 1:15 am
30-30 from a Marlin or Winchester carbine doesnt recoil much more than a 20 gauge shotgun. 308 or 06 is a bit stouter.
M16′s dont recoil hard with that straight line stock and gas action system… any of the 3 you mentioned will probably punch a bit harder.
All are tolerable and not bad to shoot in extended sessions.
March 11th, 2010 at 1:55 am
You should get the 30-06. You’ll get used to the recoil. .308′s are crap.
March 11th, 2010 at 2:07 am
Well, the 30-30 is the nicest of the three with regards to recoil, then the .308, then the 30-06. None of them are really that bad. I’d rather spend all day shooting a 30-06 than shooting my 12 gauge with 300 grain Hornady Sabot Slugs.
March 11th, 2010 at 2:49 am
You could get an AR-10 in.308 caliber, and the recoil will feel almost like the M-16, maybe a little more noticeable. Anyone who tells you that .308′s are no good is trying to sell you a sack of dog dung.
March 11th, 2010 at 3:08 am
just get a 30-06
March 11th, 2010 at 3:43 am
My suggestion is to try out the 30-30, 308, and 30-06 at the range first before you buy one.
The 30-06 has a big kick to it.
The 308 has a less harsh kick than the 30-06.
The 30-30 has a very comfortable moderate kick to it.
You really can’t compare any of these to the M16 because it has almost none.
Once you try them out, you’ll figure out what you want. Some people can fire the 30-06 all day long, as I did yesterday myself. My shoulder can take the beating just fine, some people can’t.
But all around, the 30-06 is the most flexible hunting rifle on the planet. You have an excellent selection of grains to choose from, and the rounds are very common and easy to come by.
March 11th, 2010 at 3:58 am
Considering that an M-16 has almost no recoil, the .30-06 will have quite a bit of recoil. The .308 slightly less, and the .30-30 even less, but more than the M-16 if the rifles are about the same weight. My son started shooting deer with my .30-06 when he was 12 and weighed about 100 lbs. I could not get my .30-06 back from him for deer hunting after he used the .30-06. He had used my .243 (which is probably about the same recoil as the .30-30) since he was 10 along with a 12 ga shotgun. This fall he put the butt of the .30-06 against his upper arm instead of his shoulder to shoot a deer because of the angle to the deer. The scope hit him right between the eyes and made a bloody crescent shape between his eyes. He said he knew it was going to happen before he pulled the trigger so he was ok with it. Unless a person is recoil sensitive, you shouldn’t have a problem with any of them.