I would hold off on the trigger work for now. The dry firing will help break in the trigger. If the rifle is new the metal parts in the trigger can have rough spots and remnants from being made that are still there. Use will smooth things out. I have also use a Dremmel tool and polished the surfaces. However, if you are jerking or pulling the trigger none of this will help you. Get your technique under control first. Then start the fine tuning.

 

How'd ya like to try a full blown competition Contender with a 6 oz SSK trigger and hammer spring? Add the custom grips and I can have you shooting half inch groups from bags at 100 yds if the 30-30 cartridge doesn't scare ya. I'm shooting 130 SPs out of it or if I have some jerk next to me, I get out the 110HPs loaded with H335 powder. The fireball usually is about 10-12 feet around and rolls out about 30 feet. The muzzle blast is painful but a hoot to shoot. It can clear a shooting line pretty fast. But the 130s aren't that bad and are deadly on hogs.

Come on Wookie, a 375 H&H? I got one of them in a pre-64 Winchester that I shoot turtles in stock tanks with. The 250 gr pills are not that bad. Ya oughta try a 458 Win Mag at turtles with 350 gr HPs. Ya don't have to hit 'em, just get close! What's even more fun is to shoot low and blow them about 20 feet out of the water into the air and have somebody pick 'em off with a shotgun. Yeah, it sometimes gets boring out in the brush.

 

I'm using the 300gr bullets for the time being. Once I empty out enough cases I will start loading some other varieties up. I know there are plenty of other rifles out there that pack more of a punch but most of the folks I know don't even want to tangle with it.

 

When setting up, take your deep breath, and let half out and hold as others have suggested. But if you take more than 10 seconds, start over again.
When you squeeze the trigger, apply opposite and equal pressure with your thumb. I think it will help you some. That way pulling the trigger is in the gripping of your hand, and not the tension of pulling with your shoulder.

 

Sweet, the biggest contender I shot was a .375 JDJ. When you touched off a round the barrel came at least a foot and half off the bag. Even with all that recoil. Shot MOA at 100 yards (It wasn't my gun)

PS I have a Marlin 1894 in .44 mag on the way. Gonna set it up with a tang sight, so I can still use the buckhorns for fast snap shots close in. Will see how that works. Some say the peeps are faster, if that's the case will mount a receiver peep and call it a day. I"m thinking this will be a good "PC" (Politically Correct) Zombie Killer. 10+1 and reloads on the fly (don't have to drop a mag)

 

Did you ever overcome the 9mm recoil in Basic? (The 9mm shoots like a .22 IMO) If so how did you do that? If you didn't, well then your problems are much deeper than trying to sight in the '06

 

Many people have already touched on this.

1. Lighten up your trigger, it will help you tremendously. I am use to shooting long range precision rifles. The other day I was sighting in my dad's .30-30 marlin for him and I was all over the place because the trigger was so hard and heavy.

2. Practice dry firing. Get a very small object to aim at and act as if you are shooting it, stay calm, slowly breath out and squeeze with the tip of your finger.

3. What grain ammo are you shooting? some 150gr bullets will be a lighter kick than 165's, 180's, 200's...

4. Tuck the butt of the rifle in tight to your shoulder, don't let it be just touching or slightly resting... this will help with the thump and increase accuracy

5. If you have a sling on the rifle and something to rest the rifle on. Put your resting hand between the sling and the butt stock with an open palm face down. Press the web between your index finger and thumb around the rear swivel and push the stock onto your shoulder. Watch this guy,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RUdsOk-Ma4 You don't have that notch in the stock like he does but use the rear swivel for your point.

 

If your sholder is starting to hurt you need to stop shooting for the day.

A tender shoulder will just make you want to pull more while anticipating recoil.

On your first shot of the day, just tell yourself you won't move. Only move your finger. Keep that in your head and keep repeating that in your head till your done shooting.

And, I'm saying this just to try to help you. Don't be such a "female lady part". Almost anyone can shoot a 30-06, just man up and get it out of your head.

And don't take that the wrong way. I have to tell myself that everynow and then when shooting my 300 win mag.

 

Yea, now that I think of it, the range instructor did the dry fire techniques with me. I qualified, but took 2 times. I think part of the reason it took so long was they made you hold the 9 kinda funny, and it didn't feel secure in your hands. We had lots of long time shooters barely qualify bc of that.
Funny thing is I shot expert with the M16 first try. Those things don't kick for nothing, plus the triggers weren't stiff at all.

I shot a lot of rounds yesterday, and didn't know about the barrel getting too hot, so that probably played a major part in it as well. I was shooting 10+ rounds, with slight stops for reload only until the guy next to me told me I better slow down.

 

You get to a point and if you are getting "jumpy" before the shot more shooting practice isnt the answer. Sometimes you need to take a break for a few days so you can unlearn the bad habit and start over. Several have already given you good advice. Dry fire, practice with a .22 rifle if possible and using a good rest will all help. In fact I would do it exactly in that order if possible. If your worried about sighting in a gun correctly the Caldwell lead sled is the way to go. I've used a 35 whelen and a 444 marlin on a lead sled and never felt a thing. It is also an extremely steady shooting rest. Good luck!

 

you could buy a pad or make something to absorb the recoil so it wont hurt after a few rounds... a new limbsaver recoil reducing pad would help also

 

Lots of good advice there, two more things you can try. First make sure you are balanced, if you are sitting or standing too far back it's alot easier to jump into the shot. You should be foward enough to absorb the recoil (kinda like a spring) but not so for you feel like you are gonna tip over, but you gotta lean into the gun. Second try squeezing the trigger with only your thumb and fore finger, let the other ones relax. Believe it or not you only need the thumb and trigger fingers, the other ones just get in the way and grip the gun too hard in anticipation. It's the front hand that holds the gun. Try a couple of dry fires or even live ones with only thumb and trigger fingers, you'll be suprised. Stay loose and relax and go get um!

 

Kinda long update with a little rant mixed in there.
Did alot better today at the range. Got a couple nice groups, still think the lighter trigger would hlep me alot. I was holding that gun tight as could be to my shoulder, and that helped as well. Got about 8 shots out , 6 good ones and 2 wild ones, then realized my ring nut was loose. Go to tighten it with my hand, and looks like it was stripped out. GREAT!!! No biggie, figured they are just cheap rings that came on the gun, so I figured I'd just pick up a new set at the store on the range. So I went into the store, asked about rings, and they call their "rifle guy" over. The guy was a complete *** about the whole thing, not just his response, but his whole demeanor. Here I am trying to buy a new set of rings and he said it would be $45 just for him to touch the rifle to put the rings on. Then more to boresight it. ( I know nothing is free, but come on.) But he wasn't even gonna touch it today. I told him I had to get it done tonight, since I was leaving tomorow morning for KY. He said he sell me the rings, but I was screwed since it wouldn't be boresighted and it would take me $100 in ammo just to hit paper. So I just told him I'd go to Bass Pro Shop. They have rings, and will put them on and boresight it, (for free). He laughs and says they don't know crap there. And list guns that he had to re-boresight b/c guys weren't hitting paper with BPS boresight. That's funny, both times they did it for me, I was only a couple inches off. So I just took my rifle and kinda left. Paid $20 to fire off 8 rounds at their range. Funny thing is, after this guy went on about his skills and presented himself like the bee knees, he goes on to saying how his rifle is really messed up, and he can't even hunt with it. He can't even take it off safety without it firing. Bringing this whole story to an end... I went to Bass Pro and the guys there hooked me up with new steel rings, and a boresight that has proved itself twice already. So off to KY tomorrow for me to try and nail a nice whitetail.

Cliff notes: Shot better today thanks to all the advice. Scope rings ate the dust, and had to deal with a know it all jacko at the gun store before getting the hook up at Bass Pro.

 

Wow, to me doesn't sound like you or the gun is ready to "Responsibly" take any game animal.

I guess this time of year your not alone with the amount of jacked up hunters in the woods. Hence the reason I don't hunt anymore.

Buddy of mine used to sight in guns for folks for a fee. The I would ask what AMMO he used or if the owners shot the same ammo he used. He said he didn't know or care.

How many folks went out to the wood, and tried to shoot a deer and either completely missed or wounded the deer so it would die a slow angonizing death. Responsibility folks. hmmmm

 

Woah, ease up there, RELAX.

I sighted it in in KY when I got there. What else do you want me to do? If I shoot 3 rounds and they are all in a group where I aimed, I'm pretty sure that it's sighted in pretty good. Not really sure how I am a, "jacked up hunter".