A buddy of mine called me the other day with a common problem. It had to do with his girlfriend. Before he went any further I stopped him and told him I’m not Dr. Phil. Fortunately the problem had to do with firearms. His girlfriend is flinching at the shooting range from the recoil of her new .30-06. When I say it is common, I mean it is common with larger caliber firearms, especially those in the .30 caliber range.
Dang! I flinched again. I guess it's time to call Dr. Phil.
As I said in an earlier blog I am a proponent of “carry enough gun.” That said, if you can’t handle the recoil and it affects your shot placement; do something about it.
Here’s one answer. Look into the “managed recoil” ammunition. That’s actually the name of Remington’s version and Federal offers the Power-Shok Low Recoil. Both claim a reduction of 50 percent in recoil yet accuracy out to 200 yards. By using a combination of lighter bullets and less powder, less recoil is achieved. I’m sure other companies have options as well.
If you want to check to see if you are flinching have someone load your rifle at the range. Don’t peek. Every few shots skip putting a cartridge in the chamber and watch the reaction. You’ll see flinching firsthand if it is present.
If you are flinching at the range, stop shooting right away and come back another day. Another remedy is to start at the bottom and shoot with an air rifle and work your way up to a .22LR. Work on accuracy and forget about the “bang.”
Flinching is a real problem, but don’t call Dr. Phil. Work out the kinks yourself.
Mark Kayser
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