Recoil yes or no!!!

[brcfo_outdoors]

I think stock design plays a big role as well, with more target stock features being integrated into hunting stocks. I personally find designs with vertical grips (ie Manners PH and LRH) to be much easier to shoot. The same .300WSM rifle in a PH I thought was rather pleasant I found to be unpleasant in a Grayboe Eagle II. I remember feeling like the 783 I had in .270 punched my shoulder excessively in the factory tupperware stock when I was still new to bolt guns. Thought it was just me, but now it seems like I am not the only one.

 

[marksman1941]

It is mindset IMO. I have always been a fairly light weight guy. I weighed 160 lbs. in 9th grade and weigh 165 lbs. today. I had a good friend that was 6'8" and over 300 lbs in his later years. I could handle recoil better than he could. One of my most punishing guns is a 4.5" SW 500 revolver. He had a 416 Rigby rifle. He could handle the rifle, but only shot the SW500 one shot and said never again. It is always interesting to watch accomplished shooters shoot the revolver and watch the flinch. This happens primarily after watching someone shoot it before they try.

View attachment 587204

My dad noticed that as he got heavier he was less able to handle recoil. He has a lightweight .300 weatherby that he used to shoot fairly comfortably when he weighed 170, but at 230 it hurts. His theory is that as a lighter man he moved with the recoil more and didn't take the impact, since he rolled with it. As he gained weight, he moved less which means he absorbed more

 

[Dooner]

Like many have said, recoil tolerance is a very individual thing. For me a big part of it is a mind game. When I used to shoot 44mag revolvers, I'd put a round in every other chamber and spin the drum. While shooting, I'd tell myself to stop thinking of the boom & recoil as something to dread; I'd think of it as my friend, nothing to fear; it made everything that I enjoy about shooting possible. Again it can be a mind game. Shooting those 44s, I got so I could squeeze the trigger on an empty chamber and not move at all. That was decades ago, while I don't shoot handguns much anymore, I think that experience has helped me shooting rifles now. I think a good exercise for us all would be to have a friend load, or not load, a rifle and hand it to us to shoot. Along with well designed rifles, muzzle brakes, and ear protection, getting your mind right helps with handling recoil.

 

[Pointman]

My experience with "hard thumpers" is my 338 Lapua. In my old age, 80, I only shoot from a bench at a range. The muzzle brake that came with the rifle mitigates the recoil, and I shoot from a sled, so my only gripe is muzzle flip. I only saw impact when a fellow at the range asked me if he could try it. It does move a bit of real estate. With the brake and the sled, I can typically go through 100 to 125 rounds before fatigue gets me. My brother-in-law is a native American and he refers to it as the rifle you shoot today and see impact tomorrow.

 

[Groundhogtommy]

In the recent article on what's wrong with hunting, many people write about rifle recoil. I think if you write one way or another regarding recoil you must state whether this is from a bench or while hunting in the field (offhand or off of sticks). I've really never heard from someone that they got hit hard by recoil when taking game, they more typically talk about the great shot they made and other details of the kill (yardage, windage, meat loss etc.). I'm not a tough young guy and I shoot big bores in Africa each year (and never from a truck) using a thoroughly worn/beat-up body. As I have noted before I never feel the recoil when taking game but a 30-06 and above from the bench with only a recoil pad definitely limits my shooting.
duckklr

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a

Well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways,

Totally worn out, shouting, 'Holy ****... What a Ride!!' "!

I have to pay attention to recoil. I have a aneurysm of 4.4 cm and mandatory surgery when/if it gets to 5.0 cm, if it splits I am gone in seconds. I now use 20 gauge for squirrels, cannot use my 12 gauge "wisely" due to the kick, unless others advise me differently. I bet many have an aneurysm. I am a healthy 71 year old, who loves loves hunting since BB gun and 410 days as youngster. Groundhogs I use 22 mag. Life is good, I have a huge blessing list, blessings to all! "Die with your boots on"

 

[ARlife4me]

I think stock design plays a big role as well, with more target stock features being integrated into hunting stocks. I personally find designs with vertical grips (ie Manners PH and LRH) to be much easier to shoot. The same .300WSM rifle in a PH I thought was rather pleasant I found to be unpleasant in a Grayboe Eagle II. I remember feeling like the 783 I had in .270 punched my shoulder excessively in the factory tupperware stock when I was still new to bolt guns. Thought it was just me, but now it seems like I am not the only one.

with the ar grip style it seems to take away some of the felt recoil due to you having an extra brace/forward push in a way. stock type does seem to be important

 

[Calvin45]

Recoil doesn't bother me at all. It's the muzzle blast that is what I don't like.

This is under appreciated. I can mentally anticipate hard recoil and just kind of tune it out to be honest, I have a heck of a time not getting "flinchy" after shooting an aggressively braked rifle in a magnum cartridge if I've forgot ear protection or only have those lousy little foam earplugs. The pain of how sharp the report is combined with actually feeling the pressure wave hit you in the face is WAAAAAY harder to continue to tolerate and shoot accurately with compared to a hard slam to the shoulder. At least for me.

 

[Calvin45]

My dad noticed that as he got heavier he was less able to handle recoil. He has a lightweight .300 weatherby that he used to shoot fairly comfortably when he weighed 170, but at 230 it hurts. His theory is that as a lighter man he moved with the recoil more and didn't take the impact, since he rolled with it. As he gained weight, he moved less which means he absorbed more

That's an interesting theory, but I've seen enough guys and gals big and small that I don't believe it personally. Maybe it has a grain of truth to it, for sure if you can just roll with the recoil it helps, that's why shooting a mule from prone on the ground sucks so much haha.

But it hasn't been my experience that somehow big guns kicked less when I was smaller haha. I was a slow grower, I only fully finished growing taller in my late 20s. At 28 I was a full two inches taller than I was when I was 18 and honestly I don't think I finished "filling out" till about 30. Now I could stand to lose 10-15 pounds of "dad weight" but am also a fairly thick framed person, decently strong. When I graduated high school I was 5 foot 9 and 150 pounds. At 32 I'm 5 foot 11 and 230 ish. I do notice I can definitely shrug off harder recoil now that I could then. Maybe it has nothing to do with being bigger than I was then, but suffice to say I don't feel somehow more sensitive to it anyway.

 

[Taylorbok]

This is under appreciated. I can mentally anticipate hard recoil and just kind of tune it out to be honest, I have a heck of a time not getting "flinchy" after shooting an aggressively braked rifle in a magnum cartridge if I've forgot ear protection or only have those lousy little foam earplugs. The pain of how sharp the report is combined with actually feeling the pressure wave hit you in the face is WAAAAAY harder to continue to tolerate and shoot accurately with compared to a hard slam to the shoulder. At least for me.

Some brakes are terrible. I really like the MBM brakes.
One buddy has a Cadex in 375 Enabelr and that brake shoots so much **** in your face it's down right rude.
I have no problem shooting braked rifles with foam plugs but if you forget to put them in and shoot it's painful

 

[6.5x300 WBY]

This is under appreciated. I can mentally anticipate hard recoil and just kind of tune it out to be honest, I have a heck of a time not getting "flinchy" after shooting an aggressively braked rifle in a magnum cartridge if I've forgot ear protection or only have those lousy little foam earplugs. The pain of how sharp the report is combined with actually feeling the pressure wave hit you in the face is WAAAAAY harder to continue to tolerate and shoot accurately with compared to a hard slam to the shoulder. At least for me.

That's the exact opposite for me. First I never felt the so call blast to my face ever which I think is related to the great quality and design. Of the muzzle brake I use. SRS TiPro5 & 4. And LRC on my muzzleloader. I literally don't feel blast.

I also use as of last year NOISEBARRIER ear pieces regardless of rifle they work amazing

 

[RichCoyle]

It is mindset IMO. I have always been a fairly light weight guy. I weighed 160 lbs. in 9th grade and weigh 165 lbs. today. I had a good friend that was 6'8" and over 300 lbs in his later years. I could handle recoil better than he could. One of my most punishing guns is a 4.5" SW 500 revolver. He had a 416 Rigby rifle. He could handle the rifle, but only shot the SW500 one shot and said never again. It is always interesting to watch accomplished shooters shoot the revolver and watch the flinch. This happens primarily after watching someone shoot it before they try.

View attachment 587204

Interesting. Both my son-in-law and I thought the .460 and the .454 were more severe.

 

[RichCoyle]

Looks like that 338 Edge brass might be ready for a case head separation, I'd look inside with a bore scope or use a pic to feel down in there

I have a 7-.338RUM that requires trimming after EVERY shot. I have to constantly do what you suggested.

 

[DMP25-06]

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a

Well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways,

Totally worn out, shouting, 'Holy ****... What a Ride!!' "!

I really like your quote !!!
Are you the author , or did you borrow it from another source ?

 

[Roughrice]

With enough eye relief... I never think of or consider the recoil of the big recoiling rifles when hunting.
However...Constant shooting from a bench gets annoying without a good brake or suppressor.