What is your recoil threshold poll?

What is your recoil threshold?

  • <15 ft lbs - please don't hurt me

    Votes: 12 4.0%
  • >15 <20 ft lbs - man bun worthy

    Votes: 27 8.9%
  • >20 <25 ft lbs - medium rare

    Votes: 73 24.2%
  • >25 <30 ft lbs - flexing in mirror

    Votes: 50 16.6%
  • >30 ft lbs - rare and slightly moving OK

    Votes: 140 46.4%

  • Total voters
    302
I'm 5' 6", 190+lbs, and getting real close to 60yrs on this rock. I enjoy shooting my 28N with a brake, but 10-12 rnds and it starts hurting. Shot a 6lb .375H&H once. One 3 shot group and I was done. That gun recoiled so hard thatit actually bent the side rail of my dad's f-250 bad enough that the tailgate wouldn't close.

Note to self…….self, do not use aluminum for my next shooting bench! 😂 memtb
 
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Browning A-Bolt Stalker in 30-06, about 8# with the scope, is the worst recoiling rifle I own. I have to put a foam earplug in my mouth shooting 180s or it will snap my jaw shut and make my teeth hurt. I blame the stock material and design for the perceived recoil issue with that rifle, it's hard tupperware and a really low monte carlo style cheek rest. Same 180gn loads out of a Bergara B-14 and I can shoot 50 in a row and be fine.

Meanwhile 338 Lapua sending 300gn bulelts at 2700 FPS is no big deal. Better stock design, better stock fit, better materials. Even with only a TBAC "brake" that rated very poorly in the PRB test I can shoot it repeatedly without issue. Went through all 20 last range session with it, then switched over to the 300 RUM and ran a ladder test of 30 rounds. I bring my 22LR with me to plink with at the range, that'll reveal a flinch in a big hurry if you start getting shy shooting a boomer.

Stock FIT, not just weight, will make a big difference in perception.
 
Some guns/ calibers hurt a bit, some hurt a bunch, some don't move you at all...it's how you mitigate the recoil and where it affects you. Lots of 30 + lb recoil cartridges have little FELT recoil and lots of 20 pounders can kick like a Mule.....Design is the key...( just added this to get your page count up Muddy)
Design is key. Most straight comb stocks
with proper bedding, recoil lug, action and weight, makes a big difference. I have a
16 lb. 300RUM, 30" barrel. McMillian stock and bedded from 3" out past the action to the trigger area. I can shoot this
thing all day. But even small bores in lite weight, these new 6lb guns, they will kick
the snot out of you. 👍 How many pages are we?
 
I've wanted a Win. Model 70 in a Lott for many years……absolutely zero justification to have one though. Especially since I'm a "one gun" hunter…..just another that will never be used! ☹️ memtb
Here's my 458 Lott. Build for an African PH who died before it was built. M70 LH
Turkish Walnut hand picked in Turkey, Titanium firing Pin, Leupold 2-7, 3 leaf rear sight
 

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Browning A-Bolt Stalker in 30-06, about 8# with the scope, is the worst recoiling rifle I own. I have to put a foam earplug in my mouth shooting 180s or it will snap my jaw shut and make my teeth hurt. I blame the stock material and design for the perceived recoil issue with that rifle, it's hard tupperware and a really low monte carlo style cheek rest. Same 180gn loads out of a Bergara B-14 and I can shoot 50 in a row and be fine.

Meanwhile 338 Lapua sending 300gn bulelts at 2700 FPS is no big deal. Better stock design, better stock fit, better materials. Even with only a TBAC "brake" that rated very poorly in the PRB test I can shoot it repeatedly without issue. Went through all 20 last range session with it, then switched over to the 300 RUM and ran a ladder test of 30 rounds. I bring my 22LR with me to plink with at the range, that'll reveal a flinch in a big hurry if you start getting shy shooting a boomer.

Stock FIT, not just weight, will make a big difference in perception.
Wow, I have 4 stainless stalkers, 270, 06',300WM, 375 H&H, first 3 have Boss
Recoil is no problem
 
Here's my 458 Lott. Build for an African PH who died before it was built. M70 LH
Turkish Walnut hand picked in Turkey, Titanium firing Pin, Leupold 2-7, 3 leaf rear sight

It's beautiful…..but, not "my cup of tea"!

I'm into "pure utility"…..synthetic stock, all metal stainless, quick release base/rings, ect. That said…..some of the features you stated are an absolute must! 😉 memtb
 
I have read a couple posts about turkey loads in 12ga shotguns.

In Alberta we have to get drawn to hunt turkeys. When my brother and I got drawn we used it as an excuse to get new guns.

My brother got an SX3 and I got a super nova.

The first shots out of these guns were Federal 3" Turkey loads. I was standing on the ejection side of that SX3 about 4 meters away and the hull hit me in the face hard enough to give me a little cut.

The recoil from my patterning shot drove my thumb into my nose hard enough I checked for a nose bleed.

My brother and I got our Merriam's and didn't feel the kick at all.

I continue to use 3's and 3 1/2's when hunting geese and don't feel the recoil that bad when hunting.
 
So all I read is how much recoil affects a lot of shooters so wondering what is your threshold? Is the recoil from poor shooter form? Lightweight rifles? Heavy bullet? Big bore cartridges? Or even smaller stature of shooter? Don't like needles?

I am hoping to beat the hate the cartridge thread number of pages...,,,
There is a large difference between threshold and what I enjoy shooting I've shot everything from a rimfire up to a 50bng but truthfully the hardest kicking sucker I've ever had to my shoulder was a cheap 30 06 that belonged to a buddy he said he couldn't zero it so I took and when I got through with it I told him that I didn't ever want to see that thing again it absolutely wore me out we've got 3 300rums around here and they don't hold a light to that dog gone 30 06. The next was a 3.5" 12ga turkey gun that I had it was a pump gun and I gladly traded it for a 3" gun that 3.5 was just punishment to pattern every year before turkey season
 
You know guys, when we speak of recoil many times it's really not the caliber as much as perhaps the stock fit and of course rifle weight vs caliber. I bought a Mod 70 .270 Win in late 1965 post-64 which had back then Winchester radical free-floating barrel where they also provided a stock/barrel wedge for storing the rifle in between hunting seasons, I don't think they kept that model for more than a couple of years if that long, I think most hunters just threw the wedge away, I digress; My point is, that rifle was one of the hardest kicking rifles I owned due to it's overall fit and high comb. I kinda had the same problem with a Sako .375 H&H the trigger guard would nearly break my right middle finger every time I fired it, which translated into recoil shyness for me. Later I bought an Interarms Whitworth Mark X Alaskan 375 H&H and it felt like was shooting my .308 Win... loved that .375 H&H rifle it was deadly accurate with everything I put in it. So I think recoil takes many forms as we think about it.
Just my 0.2 Cheers.

I should have added this Winchester add when I was talking about the Post 64 which was actually a late Pre 64 Mod 70 with the wedge and the radical floated barre, but... not a true Pre 64 it was the beginning of the change over to the Post 64 with the new action and stock. Does anyone else remember this model 70? Well, you old timers I mean. 🤭 😉

Mod 70.jpg
 
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A recoil story…..from my archives! 😁

The only time my rifle (yes, my only hunting rifle) hurt me was my fault …..not that of the rifle/ cartridge. Merely, a really bad decision….."gross operator error"! 🫢

About 30 years ago, I was hunting with my BIL……we didn't know each other well, and was our first time hunting together!

I made a late evening shot on an elk, badly misjudging the distance. But, I had to make certain that it was a miss! I left BIL, and went to perform forensics work at the scene of the intended victim! I spent a good deal of time making sure, the sun had set….and was getting darker.

My BIL got concerned, and decided to shoot 3 times to give his location. I decided to give a single shot into the air, to let him know I was OK!

The really bad decision: I extended my right arm to near vertica, pulled the trigger…..59 ft/lbs of thrust rapidly accelerating the rifle downward, driving the trigger guard "very" hard into my "bird" finger! 🫢 The rifle's rapid, downward movement only being arrested…..when the recoil pad encountered "terra firma"!

To suggest that the damage done to my hand and my pride was minor…..would be a bit of an "understatement"!

I hope that this little story may prevent someone from doing something as "retarded" as this"! Let my "pain be your gain"! 😉 memtb
 
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