Reducing recoil on Tikka T3 300wsm

[Junmity]

Picking up a Tikka T3 300 for my Bison draw but I hear so much good stuff about it that I may like to use it as my go to gun but I'd like to get rid of some of that recoil that results from its light weight....

I hate the boom more than the kick so I'm not that interested in muzzel breaks.

Anyone have experience with those mercury cylinders that you bore into you stock?

and recoil pads? anyone ever try those hydrolic pads made by gracoil?

they look great but I'm curious to know if a standard limbsaver for under $50 would work as well for 4 times less.

anywho, appreciate your thoughts!

[835]

start with a decelerator pad....By Pachmyre...

[835]

if you need a mercury cylendar or a hydraulic pad to handle the recoil the rifle is too big for you.
on top of this is will throw the balance of the rifle out the door.

[Junmity]

The pachmyr doesnt have one for the tikka t3. How about the limbsaver? is that the same concept?

[Paulyman]

Have you shot the Tikka T 3 lite in 300 WSM? It is a lot of gun for being so light.
if you need a mercury cylendar or a hydraulic pad to handle the recoil the rifle is too big for you.
on top of this is will throw the balance of the rifle out the door.

[srupp]

Hmm stick to quality muzzie brake..Corlanes installed one on my .338 bedt investment. .Pachmyer decellerator pad..
I would have loaned the .338 Sako 85 but I found out at 230 this am I drew a Alberta bull elk Jan 25...26..27..
Srupp

[835]

First,,,, yes limbsaver does the same thing... exactly,,, lots of people love them... i just like decelerator better.

No i have never shot one. But i have read they hurt.... lol.... but that dos not change the fact that i think,, especially since you bought a light to be light.... that throwing in a bunch of stuff is good at all...
now, i dont mean any of this to sound pointed.... but... firstly to me to buy a rifle built to be light in a big Cartridge you are asking for this... secondly to add all the gizmos you refered to will spoil everything nice about the rifle and totally destroy "The feel " of it... I knwo the mercury tubes throw the balance off a shot gun, i can only surmise they do the same for a rifle... And a hydraulic pad will do the same,, and can cause a pinch point for your neck...

with the T3 light all i would do would be install a recoil pad... take it to the range and if its still too much for you sell the gun... you will be able to sell it easy with a pad...... but i bet you'll have trouble recouping your money with all the other stuff...

[mcmullmar]

Shoot it first, see if the recoil is as bad as you thing it is. I felt the same way about my 300WM. I was scared to shoot it. Once I did, the recoil wasn't bad, it's now my favorite gun.

[Paulyman]

First,,,, yes limbsaver does the same thing... exactly,,, lots of people love them... i just like decelerator better.

No i have never shot one. But i have read they hurt.... lol.... but that dos not change the fact that i think,, especially since you bought a light to be light.... that throwing in a bunch of stuff is good at all...
now, i dont mean any of this to sound pointed.... but... firstly to me to buy a rifle built to be light in a big Cartridge you are asking for this... secondly to add all the gizmos you refered to will spoil everything nice about the rifle and totally destroy "The feel " of it... I knwo the mercury tubes throw the balance off a shot gun, i can only surmise they do the same for a rifle... And a hydraulic pad will do the same,, and can cause a pinch point for your neck...

with the T3 light all i would do would be install a recoil pad... take it to the range and if its still too much for you sell the gun... you will be able to sell it easy with a pad...... but i bet you'll have trouble recouping your money with all the other stuff...

Agree with your take on this rifle, the limbsaver I put on mine drastically reduced recoil. My tikka 300wsm went from being a mule to pony :-)

[russm86]

I have a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless Synthetic in .25-06. With the kick it produces you'd think it was a much larger rifle. I personally think it may have worse felt/perceived recoil and muzzle flip than my Winchester Model 70 Featherweight (wood stock) in .300WSM, definitely more so than other non-magnums I own anyways. I have a browning X-bolt stainless stalker with synthetic stock in .280 rem and it isn't a whole lot better than the .25-06. I'm not a huge fan of the "light" rifles but it's kind of what you get when you want a low maintenance and nearly indestructible rifle as that is kind of the definition of stainless/synthetic as opposed to a nice solid wood stock.

[835]

The only reason i did not suggest a brake is because Junmity said he didnt want one.....
but that is by far the fastest most efficent way to reduce recoil.... but ya,,, loud too

[russm86]

On another point, unless you also want to put tons of rounds through it at the range, most people don't notice the recoil when they are hunting, especially for the 1 or 2 shots most end up taking. So, other than a nicer recoil pad than the hockey puck Tikka puts on, it may not be worthwhile to do much more with it for a couple shots a year then just use a lighter calibre for the extended shooting times at the range for practice.

[Paulyman]

Agreed, I have the 25-06 as well and even that little guy will make your shoulder sore after 20 or so, the lites kick harder than their counterparts, no question about it.
I have a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless Synthetic in .25-06. With the kick it produces you'd think it was a much larger rifle. I personally think it may have worse felt/perceived recoil and muzzle flip than my Winchester Model 70 Featherweight (wood stock) in .300WSM, definitely more so than other non-magnums I own anyways. I have a browning X-bolt stainless stalker with synthetic stock in .280 rem and it isn't a whole lot better than the .25-06. I'm not a huge fan of the "light" rifles but it's kind of what you get when you want a low maintenance and nearly indestructible rifle as that is kind of the definition of stainless/synthetic as opposed to a nice solid wood stock.

[Junmity]

What do you think of the muzzel breaks that can twist on and off? I like the idea of using a break for sighting and practice but i'd love to take it off when I'm in the bush.

I had one shot close to me and I was ringing for an hour.......

[835]

i have heard there is no real effect on accuracy, though i dont know how that could be..... i know a buddy has one that screwes off and that is what he does..... but before you do that, just put on the recoil pad and give it a whirl.. you might find your all good at that...

[Junmity]

I find the adrenalin in the bush numbs the kick, so I'm only really worried about getting off a bunch of rounds to feel confident with the gun before the season starts. And in that case, I'll have the ear protection....

[Junmity]

will do the pad for sure!

Thanks,

[Daka]

Get LimbSaver and spend some time on range.
No matter it hurts at beggining but you will get better in precision and get used to it ,recoil wise.
whatever else you get,mercury and whatnot,you will still be recoil sensitive.
this way any gun you pick up you wont worry about nothing other than how good your groups are.

[Daka]

Muzzle break will have different group when on and off,not always but most of the time anyway.
if you sight it in on range with muzzle break you will still have to try without it. In case your groups are much worse without it,then you are back to square one or have to get used to the MB blast...

[BRvalley]

No matter it hurts at beggining but you will get better in precision and get used to it ,recoil wise.
whatever else you get,mercury and whatnot,you will still be recoil sensitive.


this x2

my first rifle was recommended to go with 300wsm "good for anything in BC" ...I don't think magnums are wise choices for new shooters....I would add just the recoil pad for now and get comfortable with the recoil, focus on good shooting techniques first before

not sure what stock the OP has, but tikkas Tupperware stocks ain't that great, you could slap on a bell and Carlson stock and that would likely help with felt recoil also

[604redneck]

Have you shot the Tikka T 3 lite in 300 WSM? It is a lot of gun for being so light.

Not to some it isnt.....some people are more sensitive. I personally never had a problem with the recoil in my tikkas

[barry1974w]

Or 30-06....

[SRM]

will do the pad for sure!

Thanks,

As mentioned, the methods of taming the beast are limited, either brake on the front and or after market recoil pad on the back. I recently welcomed a .325 wsm in a Browning BLR configuration into my harem.....replacing the recoil pad definitely made a difference. At the range you can lead sled it or protect your shoulder if your shooting a lot, last thing you want is to develop bad habits or a flinch.

[tuffteddyb]

I have a t3 in 338 win mag and I put a limbsaver on it and it not bad at all too shoot now.

[2tins]

Picking up a Tikka T3 300 for my Bison draw but I hear so much good stuff about it that I may like to use it as my go to gun but I'd like to get rid of some of that recoil that results from its light weight....

I hate the boom more than the kick so I'm not that interested in muzzel breaks.

Anyone have experience with those mercury cylinders that you bore into you stock?

and recoil pads? anyone ever try those hydrolic pads made by gracoil?

they look great but I'm curious to know if a standard limbsaver for under $50 would work as well for 4 times less.

anywho, appreciate your thoughts!
I have a limb saver and a break on my T3 300 WSM and for me its the only way to go.

[Paulyman]

Well it sounds to me those guys are bonified tough guys, for the rest like myself the Tikka 300wsm although manageable with a recoil pad is a tad ridiculous comparitivly to other rifles of the same calibre.


Not to some it isnt.....some people are more sensitive. I personally never had a problem with the recoil in my tikkas

[Harv]

I've got a tikka 300 win with a limb saver and a mercury reducer, it added weight and changed things a bit but u get used to it, i shoot the thing ALOT for long range target with hopped up hand loads and the recoil isn't that bad, if you aren't shooting a lot with it, id say the mercury reducer isn't worth the extra weight

[elch jager]

Embrace the recoil and absorb it into into your being. The power you receive is added to your own young padawan. Be glad you are not on the other end of that energy.
seriously... I used to fear the magnum but long ago just flipped my perspective and now really enjoy the jolt. It's like learning to take a hard body check playing hockey. I like getting rocked as much as i like dishing it out.

Another thing to do is look carefully at your body position there is much you can do optimize your stance and hold in order to lessen the felt recoil.

[monasheemountainman]

Limbsaver then done

[RDM]

leave it,its not bad at all

[RBH]

At the risk (100%) of getting dissed by all the gnarly readers out there, I suggest you get a heavier gun or a lighter calibre (or both!) You can save yourself a lot of grief if you bite the bullet now instead of suffering through a few years of misery, developing a flinch, wondering why you can't group, spending money on the gun to reduce recoil, etc. Just sayin.

[835]

that or man up...... your choice...... lol

[325]

Buy a lead sled for sighting-in. Practice shooting with a 22. When your bison hunt is over, sell it and buy a milder recoiling rifle.

BTW, one of my patients is a competitive shooter, and has won national contests in the USA. He said he's almost never seen someone shoot a magnum well. His definition of "well" is probably different than most. I know that doesn't apply to anyone on HBC, but some food for thought

[Corona1986]

I have a Sako Finnlight 7mm rem mag and the recoil is fine, I did 3 hours of shooting at the range and shot 20 shots and I started being done at shot 19 I had enough but one more to finish the box. I was told about Limbsaver Airtech and the classic recoil pads. im going to put an airtech on and then see the difference. Didn't really bother me to begin with but hope it adds more comfort when I shoot.

[Mikey Rafiki]

My 325wsm X-Bolt took some getting used to, same barrel length and a couple ounces heavier. Biggest pain in the ass for me was the muzzle jump which made me feel out of control of the gun so I got a little flinchy. Great recoil pad so the shoulder never got sore.

Took many hours of range time plus working on my grip and shooting positions to start getting really comfortable with it, and that time has paid off very well.

If it's just the sound of the boom, all you can do it protect your ears...

[horse280]

limbsaver on my t-3 lite and it reduced the felt recoil by a lot look man my ex wife was 105lbs and took a white tail a moose and 2 muleys with that very rifle with 180 gr federal premiums and she never felt any thing when looking at the groceries for the winter! when sighting and practicing we used a past strap on shoulder pad at the range so ya don't even get sore from all day shooting with all the bigguns,another friend on the island shoots 165 gr bullets which have also dropped recoil significantly,and then so his 12 year old daughter could shoot it he added a VAIS muzzle break and now she's a tame kitten,all things considered if yer still not happy i'll trade ya for a cooey .22 and a box of black label which is missing two cans! Horsee....

[835]

and a box of black label which is missing two cans! Horsee....

first one tasted like crap and the second was to make sure? lol

[scallywag]

Find a friend with a 375 rugger or bigger and shoot it at the range a bunch. Beat the shit out of your shoulder then
the 300wsm feels like a kitten.

[Dougielightning]

Hey there personally I have the 300 wsm in the laminated stainless with a aftermarket pad. It has become my go to gun for all hunting because it shoot so well. Extra weight of the laminated stock might cut down recoil a bit. Great gun!!

[horse280]

yep right on the money -dawg-and the remainder has been sitting in the sun just waiting for the right irritating drunk moocher at the hunting camp-can hardly wait!

[decker9]

I had to muzzle break my 300wm t3, I plain old couldent shoot it. Other then the range where I wear ear protection anyway, iv never notice the bang.

I put on a b&c stock about a year ago, it certainly helped vs the original stock.

[j270wsm]

Your concerned about the recoil from a rifle you haven't even bought yet.......????? Have you fired one of them....???? Personally if I was that concerned.....I wouldn't buy it, I'd be looking for a rifle with less recoil. 30/06 with 180/200grs will work on bison.

When I had my bison draw, I bought a 300rum and knew it was going to kick like a mule. I had a muzzle brake installed before I even fired it. Now I need to develop a load with out the brake so I don't go completely deaf during hunting season.

[Pioneerman]

I have the T3 stainless laminated 300 wm, and my buddy has the synthetic stock. Mine does weigh more, but far nicer to shoot, might be the weight and little nicer recoil pad both help

[hardkorh]

I have a t3 hunter in a 300wsm, shot it twice without a limbsaver. put it on and unless your shooting more then a box in a day its a dream. i use it for everything i hunt from deer to moose, handloaded 175g lrx's.

[Tikka260]

For maybe 2x the cost of the limb saver consider the B and C stock as previou mentioned
Better grip, a decent recoil pad, overall shape of the stock is better, no hollow sound

[brutus]

i have 2 tikka in laminated stainless 300wsm,30-06 that my wife shoots and i dont think recoil is that bad

[coach]

Agree with your take on this rifle, the limbsaver I put on mine drastically reduced recoil. My tikka 300wsm went from being a mule to pony :-)

Exactly the same experience here as well.

[CraigOC]

For what it's worth I just picked up a BLR Lightweight .300WSM and it's recoil is very moderate, very similar to a 30-06. It came with a stock pad, works just fine.

[Gateholio]

Buy a 30-06 instead of the 300WM. It will do 90% of what a .300 will in 90% of the hunting situations you may encounter.

Or....Buy better rifle that has a stock that will handle recoil better, like a M70 Extreme Weather

[204rug.ftw]

boydes hardwood laminated stocks they make nice stocks with good recoil pads for 100$ out of the states will ship straight to your door. little heavier than synthetic stock but the look awesome and you will notice a difference in shootability and comfort. have nothing bad to say about boydes. had one for my 25-06 savage worked great. I shoot my browning a bolt 300wsm with original synthetic stock shoots real nice, less kick than my 25-06's with wood stocks. IMO get the gun you want, shoot it, and see if you like it then do some mods if you have too

[chappy]

buy a past recoil pad for your shoulder and wear it the range. all of a sudden no more bruising. the muzzel jump get used to.i have t3's in 7 mag, 300 mag and did have one in 338. even the 338 when hunting wasn't an issue.