Is it just in my head?

Do some powders produce snappier recoil and crack", and others produce more a big push with a boom? Out of the same gun with the same weight bullet?
Definitely YES!
H4350 has way more snappier recoil than 760 in quite a few different cartridges of mine.
It had the sharpest nastiest recoil in my 505 Gibbs that I stopped using it.
There are 2 others that come to mind, H50BMG has sharper recoil than US869 in my custom 338-416 Rigby Improved.
Retumbo boots more than Supreme 780.
There is a trend here….hint hint.

Cheers.
 
You can see it in the powder charges. If 2 powders produce essentially the same speed, but there's a sizeable difference in the amount of powder used...you'll feel a difference. The faster powder is snappier vs a shove for the slower powder. Example would be a 300wm using H4831 vs retumbo with a 200 gr accubond. Almost feels like a different gun IME.
 
Do some powders produce snappier recoil and crack", and others produce more a big push with a boom? Out of the same gun with the same weight bullet?
I've ran H1000, RL26 and N165 to the same velocity with the same bullet in the same cartridge and I noticed differences in recoil. I think that it is relative to burn rate along with how much pressure there is left in the bore when the bullet exits the muzzle.
 
For example, the 375 Weatherby switches what it likes between H4350 and Win 760, in any bullet weight, we are talking a difference in charge weight of between 1g and max of 3g.
Velocities are also very similar, BUT the snappier recoil comes from H4350 every single time, not once has it been the opposite.
The exact same phenomenon occurs with these same powders in 257 Bob and 257 AI, 25-06 and 338-06, so it is not a single occurrence, it is EVERY TIME. My buddies 30-06 experiences the same and he switched to Varget to reduce the felt recoil from H4350….the difference is night and day and it feels like a different gun.
Have had people comment about it when shooting my different loads in the 375 Weatherby, they notice the harsher recoil from H4350 and are often surprised.

Cheers.
 
I think recoil velocity vs. recoil can be calculated. The weight of the propellant charge added to the weight of the bullet is part of the equation. Velocity and PSI of the load also are factors. I've become more recoil sensitive as I get older and anything that reduces the recoil velocity I'm in favor of. I just loaded up some loads for my 6 mm Remington. I used a 95 grain bullet with H100V, IMR4351, and H4350. They all are near each other in burn rate, charges, velocity and pressure. I'll take note if any feel different in their snappiness.
 
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