9412765 -
My thoughts/impressions, for what they are worth (maybe not much)
1. You have shared nothing about your shooting/hunting experience. If the first rifle you work to develop loads is with the .458 Lott, then it would be nearly certain that you will be overwhelmed with the recoil. What is your prior recoil experience? Tough to coach a player you don't know.
2. When I walk friends or Clients along the recoil road, I always have them shoot first in the standing position to allow their entire body - not just their shoulder - to absorb the recoil of a .30-06, .35WAI or .375 Ruger. For them, this is a huge step up from 5.56 or .30-06, but because their entire body absorbs and flexes with the recoil impulse, they are surprised to still be alive after the shot, and figure out in about 15 seconds that they can handle this level of recoil. Shoot off of sticks, or build a standing bench.
3. Are you wearing a shoulder pad? 95% of men are recoil shy, but loathe to admit it for fear of appearing to be a sissy. Screw that! The mission is to accurately place rounds into the target - if a pad helps me accomplish that mission, I am wearing the sucker! I have a .416 Ruger that is stout for recoil, so I wear the pad. It bothers me more than a .495 A-Square that I had in the past. With the pad, I shot MOA with the rifle at 100 yards. I could not have lasted 5 shots and turned in the MOA group without the pad.
4. Gregor Woods' book rifles for Africa discusses ways to learn to cope with recoil.
5. Boddington and Woods both indicate that you will get more shots, and place them better, with a scope. If you simply want to hunt with irons sights that is perfectly fine, but you will lose 50% or more of your shooting opportunities. If you mount a scope on the rifle, it adds weight, which spreads out the recoil impulse.
6. Weight ameliorates the recoil impulse (the same force is there, just spread out as it shoves more weight back). The trade-off is that while hunting, you carry the rifle 99% of the time and shoot it 1% while charged up with adrenaline so you won't notice the recoil anyway. Each hunter must determine how much suck factor he is willing to accept through lugging a 10/12/14 pound rifle through the woods/veld all day. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch (TANSTAAFL). Heavier is somewhat easier to hold steady and less responsive to swinging on a moving critter. 14 pounds of rifle will tone down the perceived recoil, but may wear your ass out and make the day of stalking marked drudgery. You have to determine where your Goldilocks ratio is. Probably this will only be discovered by taking the rifle out and actually hunting with it.
7. How fit are you? Can you lug a 10 pound rifle? is 13 pounds too much?
8. I have several "scout" rifles - .308WIN & .35WAI. I hunted with them for several deer seasons - stands and still hunting. I learned that I like lighter and shorter rifles as they carry easier and don't get snagged into briar limbs/vines as easily as the more common length rifles. However, I have failed to find a way to reliably attach the optic in a manner that withstands recoil. The Scout Rifle Study indicates that this is a hidden, but documented malady with the platform as well. AR-10s with 16" barrels are actually quite handy, if a bit portly at times. The point for both platforms is that I learned their shortcomings by USING them in the field. I recommend you do so as well.
9. A synthetic stock will absorb some of the recoil impulse as it flexes. Trade-off is it isn't pretty walnut. It is impervious to atmospheric changes. TANSTAAFL.
10. Perfect trigger control can be practiced on a lesser caliber rifle (hopefully identical to your dangerous game rifle so you learn one manual of arms) so you don't train yourself to fear the dangerous game rifle. 5-10 may be all you can tolerate at a shooting session, so fill in the practice with a .30-06.
11. Stock fit can make a HUGE difference. My Ruger Alaskan has the Hogue overmolded stock. It fits me perfectly - high & straight comb, length of pull on the money, the swell in the fore end helps me hold the front end down in recoil, the rubber overmold is grippy and makes it easier to hold on. The straight/target pistol grip facilitates pulling the rifle into the shoulder. Try some different stocks.
12. Get a HUGE recoil pad.
13. GET OFF THE BENCH! There are no benches in the veld/woods. After zeroing don't shoot off the bench!
14. The A-Square Coil Check stock is some times derided as "chunky", but it tamps down perceived recoil like a champ.
Have to get out to the shop. Hope these get you started.
