Some of y’all will call me a sissy but I’m thick skinned so come at me …

I’ve shot a bolt action .308 for a few years. I really love the gun but I’m flinchy on recoil and it causes me to be less accurate. I’ve shot the gun from a sled so I know it’s capable of extreme accuracy, just not with me shooting it. I’ve tried muzzle brakes, low power rounds and I still flinch.

I’ve got an AR that I’m very comfortable with. I’m pretty sure I’m going to choose accuracy and confidence over the size of the hole.

Bash me if you so choose …

My 260 with 100 gr Nosler BTs has a rather soft recoil. Maybe you could just go with that or a 6.5CM or a 257 Roberts.

The neighbor (who dropped his rifle) and a buddy were over here this morning to check/adjust scopes. The neighbor’s bud had an AR10 in 308, and it was boat anchor heavy and had almost no recoil. Maybe get yourself an AR10 or an AR15 in a caliber a bit stouter than 223. The 6.8SPC looks useful.

Have you got enough hair left to put it in a man-bun? Could switch to a 6.5 CM with a brake!!!

Haha nope, not enough hair . Not even close. The thing is the recoil doesn’t hurt , or scare me , I just can’t keep,from flinching

For the flinch, you need to run a few hundred rounds through an AR15, or start with a 22 rifle. And switch trigger fingers to your “traffic signal displeasure” finger, so you won’t be able to anticipate the rifle firing.

Brain problem.

Not a body problem.
Not a rifle problem.
Not a cartridge problem.

This can be fixed. What you can do on your own is get set, get a steady rifle with a sight picture and dry fire. Then do it again, then do it again. Exhale, slow squeeze, click, follow through. Five dry fires, then put a live round in and squeeze the trigger. If you're wanting to shoot a group, after the one live round, go back to dry fire for three clicks, then drop a live round in for shot #2. Repeat as necessary.

It's all in your head. I have to shoot anything that comes through the shop. Some are lightweight magnums, with big bullets, and significant recoil. It doesn't matter, I have to shoot them. Dry fire several times, learn the trigger, then live round. I do this on a weekly basis. You can overcome this.

The recoil with a braked .308 should be almost zero.

And you might try doubling up on the ear protection, with foam plugs and ear muff type. Lack of sound, or at least significantly reducing it, will help with the flinch

Others have recommended milder rounds but it you can't handle low power 308 rounds with a brake, a Creedmoor will not be better.

Don't be limited with just a 5.56. Worst case, buy a bolt action 6.5 Grendel.

All good points , it sounds like I need a trip to see the Fireman

Troll thread. I don’t believe a grown man can’t keep from flinching while shooting a 308. If you’re serious place a maxi pad between your shoulder and the rifle, add one pad each shot until it doesn’t hurt you anymore.

I hear ya sir, it sure is easy to talk that way behind your keyboard. I’d turn your comment around and say I don’t believe a grown man would doubt another grown man, basically calling someone a liar , knowing good and well if you saw me in person you wouldnt be able to say a word from your lip quivering so much.

But thanks for the maxi pad advice , I would have never thought of something so clever on my own.

I believe you. I live off off of Cement mountain road between Graham and Bryson. I’m the place with all of the dog kennels. If you think you can make my lip quiver over anything drop by anytime. My name is Phillip Elder ask around. Thought it was a joke.

Well, let's get back to some humor. Biscut, you can always borrow Brother In-Law's special recoil pad design. He needs it for a 22.



Humor aside, anyone can develop a flinch. Some good advice listed above. For me, a 22lr target rifle helps me get my trigger motion tuned in.

I would guess it’s a case of aversion to noise or straight up target panic.

I see archers get it all the time and bows don’t kick nor are loud.

My advice, get a good bolt action .22 and work thru it

Recoil is only one element of flinch... though a pretty big one. But some other big elements are, a good trigger, proper scope height, proper cheek weld, proper stock length. I sum it up as making the gun very easy and comfortable to shoot. The fewer things that are correct for me the bigger the flinch issue.

A lot of good advice has been given, I hope you overcome your “yips” Biscuit.

Drop some money on a can and try shooting your 308 again. You can buy a really good can for less money than you probably spent on the scope.

A shorter length of pull can help if the issue really is recoil and making sure you have a stock that basically go straight back instead of Monte Carlo Style stock always helps

The maxi-pad suggestion might work but I can think of other more effective recoil pads that are considerably more durable.

No 'bash' here. The cause(s) of 'flinch' can be many, recoil being one them. On that subject....recoil sensitivity varies widely and has nothing to do with how big you are, old you are, etc....

IF you are recoil sensitive, so be it, it can worked around. I.E. (less powerful cartridge, recoil pads, heavier rifle, action type, etc).

Muzzle blast is another thing that contributes to flinch. Muzzle Brakes only serve to make this worse (more noise directed at the shooter). GOOD ear protection is a must.

Anticipating the recoil (read as 'fearful of it') is often cited as a reason for flinch and many nonsensical remedies offered (dry firing, mixing of live and dummy rounds).

IF there is any benefit to them....it is found in the repeated practice of correctly applying the mechanics of a good shot in hopes of developing muscle memory or creating a new Neural Pathway in the brain for it. Hope you have a lot of time for that. And in the end you HAVE to shoot a live round and you KNOW there is going to be recoil.So just attend to the recoil to begin with.

1. Shoot a cartridge reasonable for the activity you are engaged in.

2. Your rifle should have a good recoil pad and reasonable weight (both of these things help attenuate recoil).

3. Proper fit of the rifle is important. It should have a comfortable length of pull for you. You should be able to get (and maintain) a proper cheek weld. If your scope is mounted too high you will NOT get a good cheek weld. The scope should be mounted such that you immediately get a good sight picture without 'hunting' for the eyebox (moving up or back on the stock). The rifle needs to have crisp trigger (not gritty or long) it doesn't need to 'surprise you', you SHOULD know when it is going to break the shot, but shouldn't impede you from doing so. The rifle should be reasonably accurate...so you aren't guessing whether poor groups are YOU or the RIFLE.

4. Relax. Move up to 50 yards. Use a rock solid rest. IF the cross-hairs are constantly moving around on the target...you will develop target panic and try to break the shot as the reticle passes over the bullseye.

5. Consciously coach yourself to have confidence that the rifle is NOT hurting you (or if it....fix it). Breath, keep your head down and FOLLOW THROUGH after the shot. IF you blinked or closed your eyes (you may need to have someone watch for this) then you are still afraid of your rifle. Some folks can actually feel it about to happen. Blurred vision right before the shot, eye twitching in anticipation. This is ruinous to accuracy.

Flinching is an easy thing to acquire and can be a difficult thing to get rid of. Identifying all the possible reasons for it is your challenge. But don't in any manner feel ashamed by it or let it define your 'manhood' (sissy, etc) it has nothing to do with that. Good solid practice with a lesser cartridge, to build fundamentals and confidence is usually the best course of action. You'll beat it....I have no doubt.

Biscuit mentioned switching to the AR, and I think that’s a good idea. AR’s kick like a dead bunny rabbit, so the flinch should ease up. Still loud though, so use extra hearing protection. Home Depot and Lowe’s sell a red and black ear muff type that has the highest NRR that I could find. Made by 3M and sold/marketed by Peltor. I think the NRR is 34. Put ear plugs under that and you should be totally deaf (artificially anyway).

As for use on deer and hogs, if I was going to use a 223, I have 63 and 65 gr Sierra bullets and 64 gr Nosler BSB bullets. Any of those should work just fine. I’m sure Biscuit is well supplied with something equally good.

Just add weight to the 308

I had the same issue when I was growing up. I started concentrating on my breathing and trigger pull. Pretty soon, I forgot about the recoil. Also, my Pop would sand bag the gun on the target and he would cover my eyes with a bandana. Then he would load or not load a bullet in the rifle. I was blind folded so I didn't know. He would talk me through the breathing and trigger pull. Sometimes the gun went bang, but most times it didn't. I would do what Fireman suggested and focus on breathing/trigger pull. Good luck!

As a few others have mentioned, a suppressor would fix your flinch. I could let you shoot my suppressed 308 bolt and I’m pretty sure there would be no flinch after the first round. Just a smile.

For me, I can handle the recoil but I’m sensitive to muzzle blast. It’s why I despise muzzle brakes. I’d rather take the full recoil than increase the blast.

The best suggestion I have seen so far, along with what flintknapper posted.