All other factors being equal, which gun tends to have more felt recoil - a .308 AR with an 18” barrel or a .308 bolt rifle?

Just trying to get an idea on which would be more comfortable on the shoulder to shoot. I’d like to get another rifle in .308 for the range. Thanks.

Assuming neither rifle has a good muzzle brake, I'd think the AR-10. Gas operated guns are usually a little softer on the shoulder - to me it feels like the recoil pulse is less abrupt. An AR with the appropriate spring and buffer, gas block tuned, and a good muzzle brake will definitely be softer shooting than a traditional bolt gun.

Gas operated Autos soak up a bit of the recoil and a lot of autos tend to be heavier than Bolt guns which adds up to softer shooting. But nowadays it’s easy enough to find a threaded barrel bolt gun that’s easy to put a recoil reducing brake on so really you can configure either to be a pretty soft on the shoulder rifle to shoot.

I suggest you make you choice based on the rifles primary purpose. If it’s just for hunting buy a bolt gun. Some states don’t allow autos for hunting and you can get lighter handier bolt guns. Bolt guns tend to be a lot less expensive too. You can buy a very good bolt gun with very good glass for what a SCAR 17, LMT MWS or similar would cost by themselves.

If it’s just for target shooting bolt guns tend to be more accurate though there are some very accurate (and very expensive) autos out there too.

If you want primarily a self defense weapon of course the auto would be superior but I might suggest there are better SD choices than 308 - and I’ve been a huge 308 fan.

What are planning do do with your 308?

Weight also plays a factor.

Many AR-10s are 8-10+ pounds, whereas there are some svelte bolt action .308s in the 6 pound range.

First, let's assume you're trying to compare rifles of roughly equal total weights. But understand that a lightweight pencil-barrel hunting bolt action may weigh less than the lightest AR-10, and that a true match bolt action can weigh more than the most portly AR-10.

Barrel profile will likely affect recoil more than barrel length, all other things being equal. A straight profile barrel will weigh a lot more than a pencil profile barrel, and the heavier barrel will help to reduce perceived recoil.

The semi-auto action of the AR reduces perceived recoil a bit. It bleeds some of the energy to cycling the action, ejecting the spent case, and venting excess gas somewhere. An AR's recoil pulse is longer than that of a bolt action, partly due to that large hunk of BCG sliding back and forth. The combination of the movement of the BCG and the AR's trigger mechanics means that it's much harder to shoot an AR with great accuracy.

A bolt action's recoil pulse is shorter and sharper than that of an AR. Its recoil pulse is more predictable, and it allows a little more slop in technique.

The most effective way to reduce recoil is with a good muzzle brake. Whether bolt action or AR, the best brakes reduce recoil in the 50-75% ballpark. But with an increase in muzzle blast and noise, affecting both the shooter and those nearby.

The next most effective way to reduce recoil is with a good suppressor. Whether bolt action or AR, the best suppressors reduce recoil in the 40-60% ballpark. And with a significant decrease in muzzle blast and noise. Comparing brake to can, the brake's recoil pulse is slightly shorter and sharper.

Increasing the weight of the rifle will reduce perceived recoil, both for bolt action and AR.

Reducing the bore size of the cartridge will reduce recoil, both for bolt action and AR. If a 308 chamber isn't an absolute-gotta-have-at-all-costs requirement, consider a 6.5mm or 6mm bore. For range use, a 308's ballistic performance is inferior in every way to the similar case capacity 6.5mm and 6mm cartridges. For range use, the primary advantage of a 308 is longer barrel life. But considering that most people will never put more than 1,000 to 2,000 rounds down any rifle they own, barrel life generally isn't an issue. We can still buy 308 match ammo for less than 6.5mm and 6mm ammo, but the cost difference is steadily decreasing.

I have Rotator Cuff problems and my shoulder is pretty sensitive.

The first outing with my SR-762 my shoulder was a little sore but not to bad after 100 rnds.

I swapped out the flash hider for a Precision Armament EFAB hybrid device. Decent muzzle control and it's not obnoxious.

I swapped out the carbine action and stock for a Luth-AR MBA-1 stock with A2 tube and .308 rifle buffer and spring.

That seemed to make the recoil much smoother and with the stock fitting my shoulder better and not having just the corner of the butt pad in the shoulder pocket made my shoulder much happier.

A can or a good brake will gentile either one down. I would think the auto will be a bit softer on the shoulder as stated above.

My intended use for either gun is to punch holes in paper targets at the range. I have other guns for home defense and my hunting these days is limited to the meat dept at the supermarket

I’m considering a .308 because I am well stocked with it for the FAL.

Thanks for your input guys.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 2Adefender,

In my experience, your average bolt gun in any caliber is going to kick a little harder than most semi-autos, excluding something roller-locked. Haven't shot an AR10, but with all the various springs and buffers and adjustable gas blocks, etc., it should be easy enough to make one pretty comfortable to shoot.

I’m sure I will be using some type of muzzle brake or other device. Much to the dismay of the guys shooting next to me.

I'm somewhat sensitive. But in the scheme of things for me the type of action is pretty low on the list of what matters. As fritz says weight and muzzle device probably top the list. Sure there are differences for example I don't mind a SCAR but hate my HK91. But nothing beats weight. My Sako TRG weighs in at almost 14lb ready to go. I can shoot that all day, every day. A SCAR is 25% less and the fact that its a semi doesn't overcome that. Go heavy, get a good muzzle brake and be happy. or change caliber.

Gas only makes a small difference in the 308. Weight makes a big difference. I have an old Remington 700 308 with a 26" HB, with the large scope it weighs at least 11 LBS perhaps more. Been a long time since I weighed it.

The bolt gun is more pleasant to shoot than my 7 3/4 LBS Windham Weaponry AR SRC 308. Despite achieving bullet velocity that will match a 22" 30-06 using factory loads.

Well. If you've never shot one, the SIG AMT is the softest shooting .308 rifle out there. Here is a picture of Dolf Goldsmith taken last August. He is at the ignition point of firing a cartridge. You can actually see the spent shell casing in the air at the 5 o'clock position. As you can see, Dolf's right shoulder has not moved. Dolf is 90 years old.

quote:

the SIG AMT is the softest shooting .308 rifle out there

Of course that's not true, it doesn't work that way. but OK I've never shot one but the listed weights seem pretty good for having a mild recoil. Of course finding one is a bit on an issue....

There are certainly softer shooting calibers than .308, but that's what I have on hand. I would like to use up a decent chunk of it in the coming years.

The FAL is fun, it's rugged, but isn't the kind of rifle known to shoot small groups.

I do have a nice 18" .223 Wylde AR that I shoot at the range. It's very pleasant and doesn't kick much at all

I have a Remington 700 Tactical with a 20" heavy barrel and 6-24x42 scope that weighs roughly 11 lb. I can shoot it for a long time with no issues and it is very accurate for target shooting.

Jim

I've shot a little bit of .308 Win.

My F-TR rifles are in .308 Win and my current one (bolt-action) weighs 17.5 pounds, all up with bipod and scope and a heavy 34 inch barrel. When I switched from shooting 180gr bullets to 210gr bullets, it got my attention. We shoot prone so my shoulder doesn't move back when I shoot; it takes the brunt of the recoil.

I also have an ArmaLite AR-10 that weighs a little over 15 pounds with its bipod and scope. I've been shooting this one at a bench but I'm fixin' to go prone with it. If I take off the bipod and Accu-shot, it's right at 13 pounds. I shoot 175gr out of that one.

Bullet weight will have some effect on you and if you shoot 147gr 7.62 NATO ammo, it will be reduced compared to the heavy loads.

The AR-10 is more like a sharp shove, whereas the bolt is a definite hard jab. At the end of a day of competition (about 70 rounds prone,) my shoulder has a dark spot and I know I've been shooting something.

The AR-10 has a 20 inch barrel and it is loud, but much less punishing to shoot. I added a CWS with the heavy insert and the action spring is chrome-silicon to help retard the bolt opening.

If you shoot prone, you will feel a difference between bolt and semi, if you shoot at a bench, the difference will be less, but it will still be there.

Thank you all for the helpful comments!

https://www.cdnnsports.com/rug...mb.html#.W_1Qn4pMGhA

For a range/target rifle a Ruger RPR for $799 might be hard to beat in cost/performance ratio. My RPR 308 is VERY acccurate and soft shooting with its effective muzzle brake.............dj

Thanks, djp. That is a good deal.