stevens 200 range report..nice

well, I finally got my bought way too long ago Stevens 200 in 30-06 with Burris fullfield 2 to the range yesterday, and at 50 yards shot a 10 shot group that could be hidden by a dollar bill.... since it was my first time shooting a center fire in like 15 years I was stoked....I was at 50 to sight in and I had my 8 year old daughter with me shooting too, so I just stayed on the short range...

I don't know how you all shoot dozens of rounds in a day, even with a limbsaver it kicked!

all in all, I was really stoked... I need to fine tune the scope in the rings for eye relief and focus a bit.... but seemed like a good smooth shooter..

I like everything about this post. Welcome to the club. I find my stock .30-06 has a bit of sting to it, too. It helps somewhat to use lighter weight bullets, but there are reduced recoil rounds available, too. I do NOT shoot dozens of my moose loads in a day. That's just asking for a flinch.

hell, I am flinching already.... ::)

it was fun though....

I seldom shoot a .30-06 or a .270 due to the sharp recoil. there are bigger and smaller calibers that have slower recoil. not less, just not as sharp and fast.

Two things will help on the recoil: 1. get rid of the plastic stock and install heavier wood laminate stock. 2. Install a Kick-Eez recoil pad. I personally wouldn't take a truck load of limbsavers if given to me. There junk!! That's what I did to my 325 WSM and its a pleasure to shoot. Before it rattled you back teeth and after half dozen shots had a headache.

Hilarious. This is why I love gun stuff. So many different opinions!!! A TON of threads take about limbsaver being awesome!!! And a ton of others hate it. I am definately going to get a new stock... I need something a bit bigger to fit me I think. I am 6'5" and have to really contort to get a good sight picture. Going to watch for sales at boyds...

Don't bother with waiting for Boyd's all the ready made stocks have a standard lop.You will either need to add to one or have a custom one made for you.
You never said what this rifle is for but I certainly hope it wasn't for target practice or just for paper shooting. As you found out a 30/06 isn't a paper puncher for an afternoon of fun, drop down to a 22 caliber or better yet a 22lr for 50-100 yard shooting and save your shoulder.

The best way to get rid of a flinch is to use good hearing protection and a .22 rimfire. Too many people flinch and don't even know it because they think it is part of the recoil. Years ago I suspected that my brother had developed a flinch, so while we were sighting in our deer rifles I decided to run a test. While he was putting up a new target I loaded his rifle for him, but left the chamber empty. When he pulled the trigger, his head left the stock and turned away from the recoil. There was nothing but a click. With a sheepish grin he said, "I must be flinching". After that he started shooting a rimfire a lot during the months before deer season started.

It is for hopefully a pig hunt in the fall. I shoot my .22 and my new 17 hmr mostly. Cheaper too!!! Lop doest bug me as much as comb height. From my shotgunning I am used to too short a lop. But craning my head around trying to get a snug rest on the cheek sux.

Range officering on sight in day I noticed something with a lot of shooters. They drop thier right arm (right handed or same for lefties) and it causes them to bend thier neck to get thier cheek on the stock. Its worse for offhand shooting. I suggest they lift thier arm up so it is parallel to the ground which brings the rifle up to thier cheek instead of having to drop thier head down to the stock.
May not be your problem but check it anyway to see if it is.

El Lobo

Hmm I will try that! Thanks

Too short a length of pull will definitely increase the hammer you get in recoil. At least add a spacer to your existing stock to help until you can sort out the stock you want. I have a Stevens in 223, and it's great. I don't think I would care to shoot one in 30-06, too light of weight rifle. My own 30-06 is a Win mdl 70 with a wood stock and a Kick-Eeze pad on it. The rig weighs in around 8-8.5 pounds, scope and all. That makes a big difference in felt recoil. I was shooting my -06 last weekend at the bench, and it was no problem to send 50 rounds down range at one sitting. These were 165 partitions for my "big deer" load.

Get your scope set further forward in the rings. I have several Burris FF2 scopes on my rifles. They have very good eye relief. You should be able to set it forward far enough in the rings to slide the whole width of your hand between the eye piece of the scope and your shooting glasses (around 4" or more).

If you think the recoil will make you "flinch", it's nothing compared to the flinch you'll have after you "scope-eye" yourself with that short eye relief.