What is your recoil threshold poll?

[Mark37082]

Recoil can be intimidating especially on hand guns like the SW500. Many times I have witnessed big burly guys try to one hand my 4" 500 shooting 500 gr. pills and almost lose the gun in one shot. They were warned, but thought they could handle it. I still believe the most brutal shooting is a light weight 12 gauge shooting 3 1/2" heavy loads in a duck/goose blind. After a couple of boxes some serious bruising will show up in the evening. 3 days of good duck and goose hunting usually requires heavy doses of Ibuprofen and bourbon to recover.

 

[jessej]

Recoil can be intimidating especially on hand guns like the SW500. Many times I have witnessed big burly guys try to one hand my 4" 500 shooting 500 gr. pills and almost lose the gun in one shot. They were warned, but thought they could handle it. I still believe the most brutal shooting is a light weight 12 gauge shooting 3 1/2" heavy loads in a duck/goose blind. After a couple of boxes some serious bruising will show up in the evening. 3 days of good duck and goose hunting usually requires heavy doses of Ibuprofen and bourbon to recover.

2500 doves in a day turns a shoulder into hamburger meat. That's with low brass 20 guage.

 

[memtb]

There is a vast "gray area" in this poll.

Example: My wife's rifle produces approximately 39 ft/lbs recoil. She does not like to shoot it from the bench, but will do so to verify zero. Yet, she doesn't hesitate to go to prone to shoot an animal. She's very accurate with the rifle….deadly on game, as she blocks out the recoil when making shots on game! I'm not certain what her recoil limit would be before it started affecting her shots on game! memtb

 

[Raudy707]

I shot my 338 win mag 30 times yesterday off the bench. My groups actually improved in the last two 5-shot groups. Not sure if I was getting more comfortable or just completely shell shocked.

 

[idcwby]

I own a variety of big magnums, light and heavy. One of them is an 8 lb rifle propelling 300 grain SMKS at 3000. Unbreaked.
I tolerate it fine in small doses.

But the last time a shot my 870 turkey gun with a 3-1/2" tss shell, it took a month to recover.

I agree with you on the 3 1/2" turkey loads, when you shove them through the tightest choke possible, it definitely gets attention. Have yet to meet a rifle that rattles me like those.

 

[memtb]

I shot my 338 win mag 30 times yesterday off the bench. My groups actually improved in the last two 5-shot groups. Not sure if I was getting more comfortable or just completely shell shocked.

I see many talking about the recoil of the 375 H&H, as being their limit.

Many years ago, when building a load for my old, now retired Model 70 Win, I shot 40 rounds in one evening…..only giving time to cool between 5 shot strings. By the way….it threw the 5 shot every time as the barrel heated.

The best group of the day was the last 5 shot group, just as the sun was falling below the horizon! The first 4 shots were just under 1/2" with shot #5 opening the group to around 1 to 1 1/8"!

But, that was a heavy rifle with a good recoil pad. I wish I could put 40 rounds through my present rifle……and have the final group be as good or better than the first few groups! I haven't tried it, and probably won't! I've got nothing to prove and can't afford to waste components! memtb

 

[mtshtr]

30 years ago I shot one round offhand from a ruger number 1 in 460 Weatherby magnum. It was not fun. It is etched in my memory.


Not fun.

 

[memtb]

30 years ago I shot one round offhand from a ruger number 1 in 460 Weatherby magnum. It was not fun. It is etched in my memory.


Not fun.

I suspect that…..it may have jumped a bit! I shot a 416 Rigby in a #1, it was a "puddy cat"……but, that's a far cry from a 460 Weatherby! memtb

 

[Raudy707]

I hear ya! That's how I was shooting too. Clean barrel, shoot one to foul, one through the magneto hanging off the barrel, and then 3-shot group. Walk down with a sharpie mark my shot order, walk back, clean barrel and repeat. Using that slow methodical routine it didn't seem like 30 rounds. I had two groups around 1" with the 230 eldx and 250 Sierra Spitzer BT. The Accubonds, Berger and Speer were all 1.5 to 2". So now I have to tinker with the Sierra or Hornady. Not a real fan of the eld-x though. Decisions, decisions

 

[memtb]

I hear ya! That's how I was shooting too. Clean barrel, shoot one to foul, one through the magneto hanging off the barrel, and then 3-shot group. Walk down with a sharpie mark my shot order, walk back, clean barrel and repeat. Using that slow methodical routine it didn't seem like 30 rounds. I had two groups around 1" with the 230 eldx and 250 Sierra Spitzer BT. The Accubonds, Berger and Speer were all 1.5 to 2". So now I have to tinker with the Sierra or Hornady. Not a real fan of the eld-x though. Decisions, decisions

Unless it's a dedicated "long range" rifle…..give the Barnes 225 TTSX's a try. The wife's taken most everything from deer/antelope through moose using that bullet only! She has a self-imposed limit of 500 yards (in great shooting conditions) …..it has adequate velocity for good expansion beyond 800 (1895 fps) yards! memtb

 

[Raudy707]

I'll have to find some. I got 185's here but just can't shoot a bullet weight lighter than my 300 mag. Just doesn't seem right. 225 or bigger pill for sure.

 

[mtshtr]

Dbl post

 

[memtb]

I'll have to find some. I got 185's here but just can't shoot a bullet weight lighter than my 300 mag. Just doesn't seem right. 225 or bigger pill for sure.

Yep……that seems mighty light for a .338! The 225's retain velocity and energy (If energy means any to you) better than the lighter bullets…..and should penetrate better on bigger game, especially nice if a "raking shot" is taken! memtb

 

[mtshtr]

I suspect that…..it may have jumped a bit! I shot a 416 Rigby in a #1, it was a "puddy cat"……but, that's a far cry from a 460 Weatherby! memtb

I nearly dropped it. It flew out of one of my hands and somehow I barely held on with the other.

I could not and do not understand how anyone could even use that effectively in the field against a dangerous animal.