Different rifle shooting experience and look for improvement advise

[thexman]

Not sure if this is the right place or it should go to the bolt action Forum.

I am wondering which part of the rifle causes significant difference in recoil. In this case, let's use 308win as an example.

I recently shot behind 2 different 308win rifles:
1. Tikka T3X Tac A1 with 24inch PVA MTU barrel with no muzzle brake support by Accu-Shot PSR bipod and handhold rear bag.
2. AI AT308 with 26inch Krieger M24 barrel with mini muzzle brake from Cadex support by Accu-Tac WB-5 Bipod and rabbit ear style rear bag

With similar handload ammo, the recoil feeling shootinging from the bench is significantly different. Every time, I need to hold the Tikka and pull backwards towarding my shoulder to guide the recoil and minimize the muzzle jump/Point of aim shift; but with AI, I just need to press the trigger and the rifle is almost like sticking to the bench without really minimal movement.

I know the AI has a good muzzle brake, I did try to put a APA Little Bastard Gen 3 muzzle brake on the Tikka, it did help some on the muzzle jump and point of aim shift, also less force required to pull the rifle backwards. But it is not even close to the level of recoil behind the AT. Also the Krieger barrel would be heavier than the PVA one as Tikka has a smaller action, so the diameter of the PVA barrel would be smaller and overall it will be lighter. But the AT chassis seems lighter than the Tikka.

I am wondering apart from muzzle brake and barrel weight what else could cause such a significant difference when shot behind each rifle?

Any way to improve the Tikka? What I have in mind are getting longer and heavier barrel(I know it probably won't make that much difference due to the size of the action), add some MDT weights on the side of the chassis and use Accu-Shot CAL style bipod.

Thank you.

 

[Newbie2020]

Mmmyeah the muzzle brake makes a huge difference: 30-40% reduction in felt recoil pulse.

But also: a $4,000 rifle vs a $1,400 rifle…AI is the shiznizzle.

 

[Lowlight]

Recoil Management is technique and it has become a fundamental.

How you manage the recoil tells us a couple of different things, most importantly it tells the bullet were the barrel is upon release. That in turn guides our zeroing and shooting, in a word, our consistency.

The two rifles should not be so different in recoil that you are gauging one over the other based on the recoil properties. that just tells me how you managed one rifle was superior to the other rifle.

Weight is stability, and stability is accuracy, so again, how you perceived and managed the rifle will dictate the end results.

You have to manage them correctly and recognize any quirks in the system

 

[Carlos Danger]

Advice

 

[thexman]

Recoil Management is technique and it has become a fundamental.

How you manage the recoil tells us a couple of different things, most importantly it tells the bullet were the barrel is upon release. That in turn guides our zeroing and shooting, in a word, our consistency.

The two rifles should not be so different in recoil that you are gauging one over the other based on the recoil properties. that just tells me how you managed one rifle was superior to the other rifle.

Weight is stability, and stability is accuracy, so again, how you perceived and managed the rifle will dictate the end results.

You have to manage them correctly and recognize any quirks in the system

Thank you sir.

I know I have a long way to learn and practice recoil management even it has been a while since my post regarding my shooting position.

Should I say adding some way would help to increase Tikka's stability, thus accuracy? But handling recoil management correctly is still the key part for every rifle, correct?

 

[thexman]

Mmmyeah the muzzle brake makes a huge difference: 30-40% reduction in felt recoil pulse.

But also: a $4,000 rifle vs a $1,400 rifle…AI is the shiznizzle.

I am not sure how much, but it feels like 70-80% difference in terms of rifle handling. Even I had a quite effective brake on Tikka, it is still not even close to what you feel after you press AI's trigger.

I know AI is like a 3x expensive than Tikka, still, I am trying to minimize the performance difference. Maybe I should build a new one from scratch using those modern chassis and add some weight.

 

[Newbie2020]

I love the extra chassis weights on my 6 Creedmoor XLR chassis. But I took them all off after Marc Taylor @Enough Said weight-shamed me! Haha!

 

[mick243]

minor differences in stock design/fit can have significant effect on perceived recoil

 

[NGCSUGrad09]

Receiver design and how it attaches to the stock also have something to do with it. You can weigh some guns down, but how it all bolts together and integrates is also part of how it transfers the recoil energy.

A great example is a similar weight .300 WM R700 in an AI chassis is far harsher than a full AX of similar configuration. A heavier action and bonded together, with a bigger barrel tenon are all helping to make the gun handle things better.

 

[SanPatHogger]

I see this is an older thread, but I had a huge experience with recoil reduction in my rifle.
80's remington 78 Sportsman, Basically a 700 in 243. Slightly heavy profile sporter barrel and a plastic butt plate. Shooting prone 5 shots would bite me pretty hard. I shot with bot eyes open and refused to flinch, left a red welt in my shoulder pocket.
After installing a 26inch MTU barrel and a kick ease butt pad/plate it kicks like a fuzzy little bunny and I could shoot it all day.

 

[Near miss]

It might be about ergonomics.

Check and compare your length of pull, cheekweld and eye relief. You might have one of these set better with the AI.
I believe weight distribution also effects how recoil is felt, so do pay attention where you put the weights.

Also compare the buttpad, the one in AI might fit your shoulder better. It can make a huge difference.