Hello, I am not sure if this belongs here but I can’t find anywhere else. I am considering buying a rifle in 300 WSM. I’ve never shot this caliber before and I’m not sure if I should buy it considering people say that it kicks hard. I am used to 30.06  which is fine with me. Can anyone tell me if the 300 is significantly harder than the 30?  If I purchased the 300, I would be using 180 grain bullets just like I do with the 30

These guys think it not that much:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/recoil-30-06-vs-300-wsm.625388/

I might go with 10%-ish.

Having had both the 300 wsm has noticeable more recoil than an 06 but not that bad in the big scheme of things.

Thanks for the opinions.  The rifle is a Browning BLR which is about 7 lbs.  very light.   My 30.06 rifles are about 8 or 9 lbs. I’d hate to buy it then cringe shooting it but, hey, YOLO. Lol

I had a TC venture 300WSM. It didn't kick much at all. I think it depends on the rifle, recoil pad, and the round. My Remington 700 30-06 kicked the same if not more

Ok, thanks.  If, worst case scenario, it kicks 10% more than 30-06, I’ll be ok.

With a 7lb rifle you're definitely going to feel it more than your 06.

It's a stomper. I found the 300 and 325WSM's to be right at the upper limit of my ability to absorb recoil. They're brutal in a hunting gun. You won't notice it when shooting meat but when getting your zero you sure will. It'll kick a LOT harder than an ought-6, that's from direct experience.

I fired about 10 rounds from a lightweight 300wsm off a bench. Can't say I was a fan of the experience

I much prefer the recoil of my 7mm mag.

I have a Winchester Model 70 Featherweight in 30-06 and a Browning X-Bolt Hells Canyon Speed with muzzle brake in .300 WSM. Both rifles weight in at 7lbs but I have 30 oz optics on both. The 30-06 has a sharp recoil and the WSM has a push recoil. On the range I run them in a lead sled with 50 lbs of shot added to avoid developing a flinch. To this day, I cannot remember the kick when taking an animal. I think you'll find that most hunters will tell you the same. The important thing is to not develop the flinch so I highly recommend using a lead sled on the range.

The WSM will shoot flatter with better terminal energy than the 30-06 but if you're hunting out past 250 yards I would recommend using a soft point bullet instead of a partitioned bullet. Using a partitioned bullet past 250 yards could result in a through and through wound with less than adequate bullet fragmentation or deformation to cause an ethical kill. It depends a lot on the size and type of animal being taken but in general the WSM, like the 30-06 is a great hunting round. The bonus is that, just like the 30-06, it's pretty easy to find on the shelf.

My next rifle is on order and is a Weatherby Laser Mark V in .270 Weatherby Mag and my close in brush gun is a Winchester Model 94 30-30. Just my opinion but with these four rifles, I believe I can hunt most anything in North America. I'd probably shy away from a big Alaskan Brown Bear though.