r/canadaguns • u/Western_Wish4280 • Aug 14 '26
Shooting First day at the range
Hi all, it was my first day at the range and first time ever firing a firearm. I didnt expect it to be like this honestly.
So i sign up for the membership, old man there is the president of the club, he does the boresighting for me chuckles a little as he hands me back the firearm and wishes me luck.
I load three bullets in my mag and set my stuff up ready to go. Seen a few videos on how to fire a firearm before. I lock in and pull the trigger.
It was a NUKE.
I had never imagined the kick to be soooo harsh and trust me when i say it, it SHOOK ME TO THE BONE.
I was absolutely terrified and i could fathom at that moment that those who shoot on youtube (my fav is hicko45) are actually on a league wayyyyy beyond what i had placed them on.
Fired 10 rounds and packed up, cleaned my stuff and am starting towards home.
Ive trily never felt such mixed emotions before. On hand i was terrified and on the other hand, FUCK YEAHHHHHHHH.
Setup is- Tikka t3x chambered in win308, ammo used is federal 150grain soft point, scope is vortex crossfire 3-9x40mm. Recoil pad is limbsaver airtech for tikka.
Sorry for the long post. Tips are highly appreciated.
TLDR: got rekt on first time ever shooting a firearm.
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u/Altruistic_Split9447 Aug 14 '26
Try out a 22lr for less recoil. Or get a muzzle brake for your currrent tika if the muzzle is threaded. But guns recoil! For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction
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u/Taxpayer416 Aug 14 '26
This...
I love going to the range and switching between the 22lr (wayyyyy cheaper ammo) and my creedmoor. It's a nice contrast.
Also good call on the muzzle break. I'd recommend too.
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u/Objective-Reveal-980 Aug 15 '26
I shoot 100 rounds from my TM22 to get it out of my system, and then move to the big guns.
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u/ozril Aug 15 '26
Make sure it's properly seating into your shoulder, that you have a proper cheekweld, and a proper stance. Those 3 things help mitigate felt recoil. It's the difference between being pushed by the gun, and being punched by it.
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u/millercanadian Aug 15 '26
Definitely worth making sure OP is aware of the importance of holding the rifle snug to his shoulder.
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u/Scary-Detail-3206 Aug 15 '26
I’ve seen way too many newbs not seat the rifle properly against their shoulder. OP: you want to absorb that recoil force with your whole upper body mass. Press the buttstock firmly against your shoulder to eat up the recoil
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u/Taxpayer416 Aug 14 '26
Don't be discouraged at all. You went to the range with a bull and it kicks. Few more trips and you'll be more worried about the cost of ammo vs the recoil.
Welcome to the sport!
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u/Berns35703 Aug 15 '26
At this point I’ll leave my 6.5CM ruger at home cuz my .223 Bergara is cheaper on ammo. I’ve also put 3” 1 3/4oz turkey loads through a 14” 12ga so anything less is much easier
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u/coniferslav Aug 14 '26
Bro had an existential experience over a 308 lmao
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u/Western_Wish4280 Aug 15 '26
Absolutely correct. I still cant believe my self
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u/srgtpookie Aug 15 '26
I understand you, i felt a bit in awe of the power of a common cartridge like the 308 the first time i shot one. Lucky for me i started on a 22lr for about 50 rounds before jumping to the 308.
Train on a good 22lr or some other small caliber to really take your time and breathe. After a while once you get on your 308 you'll just ride the lightning and find yourself enjoying the heck out of it, especially when you start having some good grouping downrange.
If you prefer small calibers its okay too, some of us just have a bigger ooga booga side that says "big bullet go big bang, me like big bang"
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u/Embarrassed-Egg-9671 Aug 15 '26 edited Aug 15 '26
If you didn't grow up around firearms, ever shoot a firearm or watch a bunch of shooting videos, you would be just as surprised as he was if your first shot was with a 308, bro.
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u/coniferslav Aug 15 '26
My first gun was a 12 gauge Ithaca when I was 10. It wasn't that bad considering I've seen my dad shoot it plenty if times and I just copied him.
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u/Western_Wish4280 Aug 15 '26
Absolutely true. I had not grown up with firearms, and dad doesn't play around when it comes to his guns, so how hard can it be? Well i found out today xD. Big time
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u/coniferslav Aug 15 '26
Then again my first experience shooting 7.62x39 was something. And it became my favourite calibre since.
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u/Aggressive-Many997 Aug 15 '26
7.62x39 is a pleasure to shoot, not enough recoil to be uncomfortably jarring for long sessions, just enough to know you are shooting something with some ass behind it.
Perfection
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u/Western_Wish4280 Aug 15 '26
Dont ask me if i was aiming for the center
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u/Enlinze Aug 15 '26
Not sure of the range but after bore sighting it, start the target closer, 100m, Fire a couple adjust your scope from center to your new holes and do it again, with that ammo it drops 4" at 200 and 14.7" at 300. and so I would split the difference probably looking to be about 2" high at 100m then youre in a +/- 2" range from 0-200.
Congrats I also just sighted in a Tikka Yesterday. Due to the lightness of the rifle It did feel like it kicked a bit harder than my others and I have some bigger calibers but alot more weight on those rifles.
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u/mikeoxlong1699 Aug 15 '26
That’s actually a pretty good tip for zeroing, if you have a sled. I don’t have a sled so bringing my bullets to my cross hair works better, but once I get a sled, I’m stealing that
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u/Enlinze Aug 17 '26
I 3d printed 2 little V grips ontop of an ammo can, 50 cents worth of TPU and its opens enough to grip every rifle I own.
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u/ChooseExactUsername Aug 15 '26
A typical T3x is a. Light rifle, great for carrying through the woods while hunting.
The drawback of a light rifle at a range is the "kick"...Newton something somebody...equal energy, something.
A light rifle surprises new people. Congrats on 10 rounds, that's a great start.
I would suggest a mentor(are you holding the rifle correctly?) or a small caliber such as.22LR to practice with.
Where in Canada are you? If you're near Edmonton there are many ranges and many people to help out. I'm happy so see new people try stuff and I'm glad to help.
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u/Western_Wish4280 Aug 15 '26
Thanks alot for the insight. Im in NB, and around my parts the ranges are prettty dead. Will still look out for a mentor and see if i can get stuff worked on
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u/ozril Aug 15 '26
I'll tell ya basically everyone at the range would be happy to help a newbie out! Just be friendly and tell anyone you see you're new to the hobby and would love some tips on how to hold the rifle. Most people would be thrilled to help.
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u/Acc4Wtf Aug 15 '26
30hate!!! Welcome to the club buddy. Tikka T3X lite is a quality (hunting) choice, but honestly pretty awful if you're only target shooting; yes, she kicks very sharply. That's not all 308s though, it's because it's so light.
. I hope Reddit didn't misguide you and you bought it because you actually intend to hunt. Thanks for the candid post, honestly refreshing to read. Don't be discouraged, you'll get the hang of it.
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u/NorthwindX7 Aug 15 '26
Sounds like you didn't pull the gun tight to your shoulder when firing. There's a form to it when shooting, it gets way easier quickly.
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u/AssignmentPutrid3197 Aug 15 '26
Are you planning on hunting?
If not, I'd try to trade that Tikka for one in 223. It will feel about 1/5th of the recoil you had on the 308 and it will be much cheaper to shoot.
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u/Western_Wish4280 Aug 15 '26
Yes sole purpose being "hunting" i initially wanted a 6.5 creedmoor or a 275win, but later the primal mind kicked in and told me to get a gun that can take care of deer, moose and bear. So went with 308win and the rest is history
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u/AssignmentPutrid3197 Aug 15 '26
308 is a good choice for that but honestly sucks for being a range toy.
Good luck on the future hunts!
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u/Western_Wish4280 Aug 15 '26
Now everytime someone wishes me luck, i picture the old gun club president smirking and wishing me luck xD
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u/looloopklopm Aug 15 '26
There are great 308 range options. I just bought one.
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u/AssignmentPutrid3197 Aug 15 '26
I just mean in the strict terms of - 223 being much less recoil - 223 being much cheaper - 223 being straighter
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u/yummybunnybear Aug 15 '26
Many newbies expect guns to be like a laser gun that goes pew pew. Come with the expectation that a gun is like a rod that shoots out loud, concentrated exploding fireworks in one direction. You're holding an explosion rod.
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u/Hoth-Wampa Aug 15 '26
Nice! Get a CZ 457 and a 5-25x50 scope, you'll enjoy shooting for cheap. 15 cents vs $2 a round.
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u/Conscious_Bid_8762 Aug 15 '26
Have the same rifle it’s a beauty welcome to the sport keep practicing and enjoy
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u/Few_Lynx2224 Aug 15 '26
I would an sks and shoot it a lot, it's has the most amount of recoil that doesn't feel "harsh" for a beginner, shooting standing also has less recoil
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u/Western_Wish4280 Aug 15 '26
The very second firearm thats already on its way is a chinese type 56 sks from gundealerca.
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u/Prudent-Homework6245 Aug 15 '26
It’s awesome you have the cash to burn on a nice .308, but I think you’ll find .22lr a lot cheaper and a much better caliber to learn on. Additionally, you can make some stupid nice builds on a .22, but please don’t as I’ll be jealous
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u/NorthwindX7 Aug 15 '26
After seeing this thread and thinking it over for a day, I'll add a few things that are probably your next steps. You'll start seeing that the Tikka is a sub 1 moa gun and wanting to tighten up those groups.
Tikkas shoot a lot of bullets well, most around .5-2 moa(.5-2" groups at 100yards). Cartridges from different brands are all a little different and shoot different. Same with your T3X, there's slight tiny differences with your rifle that will be different from my T3X from the factory, there will be a good combination of a specific cartridge, and bullet weight that will group the best. I personally found nosler ballistic tip 150 grain grouped the best out of mine, compared to 10ish different brands and weights of bullets.
In comparison my BAR .308 when finding it's favorite shot that ammunition closer to 3 moa on average, Hornady cx 150 grain was 5moa (yikes) and Hornady eld x 178grains 1 moa(phew).
So when you start chasing groups, this is a factor to explore, on the deep end of this matching ammunition to a rifle is handloading which is tuning all the parameters of a cartridge- powder burn rate, amount of powder, bullet seating depth, bullet and brass selection. It's beyond my interests but just goes to show that different brands make a difference and finding a particular box of ammunition your rifle likes is a sweet spot of effort vs reward accuracy wise.
Before all that though, you will want to make sure you the shooter is minimally influencing trajectory. This takes practice, I recommend shooting cheaper PMC bronze ammunition and find it's better to buy bulk. Or switch to a cheaper lower recoiling plinker to get the basics down, but I think .308 is great to learn on. When shooting off a bench, everyone knows about front support, but many skip rear support. Get a rear bag, or roll up a hoodie and shove it under the rear of the stock. You can get your rifle resting on two supports, the heartbeat sway of your crosshairs will disappear, and the crosshairs will stay steady on your point of aim. At this point pull the rifle tighter into your shoulder and readjust rear support if sway comes back. Then shoot, try to minimize any cross hair movement while pulling the trigger and practice this repeatedly.
You have to be aware that you may have a flinch when shooting and work towards overcoming it. Factory tikkas have some of the best triggers, you can adjust them down slightly to help limit anticipation before pulling the trigger, upgrading the recoil pad is another thing that helps.
T3X's have few flaws, mainly the recoil pad, non freefloated barrel and plastic trigger guard/action screw area flimsiness. This is all corrected with mdt's field stock (400ish$) that I am happy with. Riser cheek rest helps too for a good cheek weld. After that it's pretty much a perfect rifle for under 1500$, no weak points in the build. The factory stock is perfectly fine for starting out but the recoil pad is definitely worth upgrading if you are sticking with the factory stock.
Enjoy the rifle and good luck eh
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u/Zen_Bonsai Aug 15 '26
Just got my first rifle, t3x hunter in 308. I was surprised on the kick too, it's.mire than my 12 gauge.
It unknowningly gave me a little trigger scare where my first round was a bull's-eye, and letter rounds went up and to the left as I was apparently pre flinching.
I was able to get over it by more or less letting go of expectations, slowly squeezing the trigger, and having an underlying desire to hit home over anything else.
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u/Western_Wish4280 Aug 15 '26
I initially brought out 10 rounds, after 3 i quit and started packing. Then after 9 i said fuck this im selling it off but one last bullet, had to fire that one last bullet. Did it and you couldnt have been more spot on. Ive never imagined the kick, sound and boom to be this much. Felt like a literal cannon. Seems like lightweight rifles arent fun range guns in 30cal
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u/Miserable-Quiet9660 Aug 17 '26
Got a mdt oryx and a muzzle brake or raise you weight to 220lb. They are good for reducing recoil. I like heavy recoil gun... like driving at 200 km/hr in the high way. 308 is too light for me.
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u/Aggressive-Many997 Aug 15 '26
If your recoil sensitive, try a muzzle break. It will cut down the recoil but suggest wearing double ear pro if so.
You may develop a flinch from the increased noise and or "back blast" from the muzzle break not to mention the looks you may get at the range from others.
Having owned a surplus 30 cal full caliber battle rifle with a metal butt plate, that starts to get real uncomfortable around the end of the second box off ammo.
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u/mikeoxlong1699 Aug 15 '26
I feel ya there, been shorting short action rifles & then some 30-30
Zeroed in my remington 7mm rem mag & I’ll tell ya, I forgot how hard that gun kicks. Thankfully I grabbed my 160 grains rather than the 175’s I bought just to give my friends a hard time shooting the thing.
Tuck it into your shoulder well & let the gun push you rather than punch you
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u/BrotherLefthand 29d ago
Where the rifle sits on your shoulder makes all the difference on how hard the kick feels. Find your sweet spot.
Don't let the rifle recoil back into your shoulder. You and your rifle should be one unit moving together.
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u/DropMeAnOrangeBeam Aug 14 '26
Just wait till you fire some 3 inch slugs from a 12 gauge.
My first gun was a Winchester in 30-06 and honestly I didn't think it was that bad but everyone handles it differently.