Managed recoil ammo

[jsteplee]

Hey, I was wondering if anyone on the site has any experience with Remington Managed Recoil ammunition.  My daughter is going to be hunting deer for the first time this year.  She's most likely going to be using my old .30-30, and it's just not in the budget for a rifle this year (I bought a new elk rifle for last season).  She's pretty intimidated by the recoil of the .30-30 (she's 13, but she's got a slight build).  According to the marketing info, the cartridges are good up to about 200 yards, after which they don't keep their punch/expansion properties.  Ballistics are supposed to be good, and of course, they're supposed to reduce the recoil by about half.  I doubt she'd be up for shooting anything farther than 100 yards, so I don't see the range restriction as an issue (besides, the 30-30 isn't a long range shooter anyway).  Anyone got any personal experience?

[Rob]

No input on the ammo, but some input on the 30/30.

In the hunters Ed team I teach with, the gun that gets "accidentally" dry fired the most is the lever action 30/30.  You mention that your daughter has a slight build and I have noticed that the kids with small hands have a really tough time pulling the trigger while slowly releasing the hammer.

You are probably already doing this, make sure she has the hand strength/size to decock the gun.  Would also be a good idea to have her spend a lot of time practicing that before hitting the field.

Unsolicited advice I know, and you are probably already on top of it, but just something to consider if you have not already done so.

Know anyone with a 243? 

[jsteplee]

She started shooting with a .22 lever action, and we've worked pretty hard to make sure she does it the same way, the right way, and every time.  I'm actually pretty comfortable with that aspect.  Recoil is the primary issue here.

I don't know anyone with a .243 to beg/borrow.  Thanks for the advice.

[JackOfAllTrades]

I'm guessing that you don't hand load?

Find some 125gn Remingtons for your lever gun. They'll have a bit less recoil than the 150/170's. Also, either install a recoil pad in place of that metal/plastic butt plate on your lever gun or maybe a slip on pad. Those two things make a world of difference to a young shooter. Also get her plenty of trigger time with a rimfire gun.

Previous advice is good.

As for the controlled recoil stuff.. There's minimal difference if at all. Different powder and lighter load..  Fact is, if you want a bullet traveling X fps.. the only significant way to reduce recoil is to add weight to the gun. You don't want to do that, so masking recoil with padding will be the next best thing. Also.. The .243 has about the same recoil as the 30-30. Smaller cartridge/lighter bullet, but the bullet is pushed out the barrel quicker.  Difference between 12 pounds and 14 pounds of recoil is not discernable in my book....

I did start my smallish boys out on .243 single shots, but they didn't have issue shooting my 30-30 lever guns either.

-Steve

[couesbitten]

The Remington managed recoil stuff is all my son used for the first two years he hunted. He shoots a 30-06, and when we started, he was 10 years old and weighed about 75 lbs. Shot his first buck with it at about 135 yds, one shot kill.

[jsteplee]

Anybody else with info?  Does it live up to the 50% less recoil claim they make?

[JackOfAllTrades]

http://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/guns/rifles/2007/09/calculate-recoil-energy

Note that the 125gn load from Remington is only available in Managed Recoil now. Note that even the lighter bullet starts out the muzzle at less velocity than the heavier 150/170. (Oposite of what other cartridges do. Lighter bullet is always faster, -thus proving that this is just a light load/charge, not some high tech powder that reduces reciol. The formula listed above cannot be fooled.)
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics/results/default.aspx?type=centerfire&cal=27

Federal and Winchester web sites don't allow a good view of velocities of the loads on one page that I can like to like the Remington site does. But the information is there.

What you won't find is the weight of the powder charge, (for use in the formula), but you can use a static number for all calculations. That would still give you valid comparison.

That 125gn managed recoil ammo for a 30-30 should be fine for your young'n on Whitetail inside 100yds.

-Steve

[JackOfAllTrades]

Does it live up to the 50% less recoil claim they make?

Doing the math.. I don't see how that's possible. 20%.. Maybe. But that's a stretch.  And.. That's if they're comparing the 125gn bullet/managed load, to the heavier 170 load.

-Steve

[jsteplee]

Thanks for the input.  I went ahead and ordered a couple boxes to give it a try.  I'll post an update with results.  If it's not enough in the recoil reduction department maybe I'll just have to find another species to hunt.  My wife will love that.  As if deer and elk weren't enough.  Any suggestions?  Seems with the reduced bullet weight it might work on coyotes...