to be fair, being overscoped is just as big a problem as excessive recoil with regard to being ready for a follow up, spotting a hit or miss, or just being able to see where an animal disappeared to. Compared to a scope with a limited field of view, it’s WAY easier with irons to get the gun back on target, stay on the animal, etc.… Besides, ever wonder how great grandpa fudd killed game regularly with iron sights?
Lou
personally, I will usually advocate for a smaller cartridge because it makes all the above easier, not because it makes those things possible. To me thats an important distinction, although I also see that sometimes that is blurred by some folks here.
ime its the rare person that can back up their claims of being as proficient with a harder recoiling rifle as they can be with the same rifle but having less recoil, even for first-round hits. Im sure some can do it, Ive just never seen it—gun movement in recoil seems very real to me. Whether its enough to matter, hard to say at 300 yards and less which id estimate is the range 99% of shots at game are taken.