Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Recoil - Does It Bother You?

Have any of you ever had a gun, that hurt you so bad upon firing, that you didn't like to shoot it?

When I was about 14, I bought a Stevens 20-gauge with a cracked stock. I used that gun for squirrel hunting, and it was painful to shoot. I eventually bought a new stock and had it installed by a gunsmith. Within just a few shots, that stock cracked as well.

Since then, I have shot a lot of guns up to and including a .416 Rem Mag, and have never had a problem with recoil (although I generally limit myself to about 10 shots with the .416 RM when shooting from a bench at the range).

What gun do you have or remember that "hurt like h-ll" to shoot?

BH63

I shot a 375 one time and a 460 twice. Never again! I also love it when people say recoil doesn't bother them. Go to the range with them and have them shoot that canon a couple times, then load it for them with an empty chamber and watch how much recoil doesn't bother them...

I'm a lefty and I shot a friends right handed 378 Weatherby
once. The combination of the speed of the recoil impulse and the comb of the stock combined to make that the worst recoil event of my life. I didn't want to shoot it again.

I'm with Shrapnel. Big Bores loaded to their potential need to be treated with respect.

an 8 bore loaded with a round ball and 250 gr of black powder was fairly rough. Though I think I could eventually get used to shooting it. Now the .577 Nitro - one shot made my teeth hurt. No!

I have a Ruger #1 in .475 Turnbull, which is a fairly light rifle, given its C barrel contour. with scope it's only a hair over 9 lbs, and can be loaded close to a .470 Nitro.

So I think my recoil limit is probably somewhere north of a .470 Nitro, and south of a .577

I had a "Coach Gun" 12 gauge. 20" barrels, exposed hammers, double triggers.
One time I called in some crows and when it was all over the trigger guard was filling up with blood. (Mine)

Wwhelennut

My Encore with the 12 gauge slug barrel. I use a 3" Breneke Magnum Crush. The slug is 1 1/2 oz. and shoots 1600fps. When I first bought this barrel, not knowing any better, I put a regular riffle scope on it with a 3" eye relief. The first time I shot at a deer with it, I had blood running down my face. The second deer I shot with it, I had blood running down my face. I took a buddy of mine to the range to shoot it and it broke his glasses in half and he had blood running down his face.

Needless to say, I did a little research, and figured out that they make slug scopes. Now I have a Nikon Slug Hunter with a 5" eye relief. It'll still ding you if you don't watch out.

A couple of weeks ago I took it to the range to make sure it's OK and 5 rounds was enough for me. If I'm using it while hunting, I get so jacked up, I don't even feel it though. Of course I'm only running one round at a time.

Several years ago, a friend bought a Ruger #1 in 416 Remington. I shot that rifle on several occasions and found the recoil was too much after a few rounds. It was a beautiful rifle, just more recoil than I care to handle.

A Ruger #1 is a horrible rifle for heavy cartridges. A Number 1 in .458 I shot was murder compared to a .460 but stock shape is not generic and suited to everyone. You really need to find the stock design that suits your build.

For me, it is Monte Carlo for heavy magnums and for the little stuff, it matters less as I also like Winchester Featherweights even with their classic stocks.

For Medium Magnums, again, Monte Carlo in Model 70 or Weatherby.
John

I've owned two .458WM rifles, one custom, one Ruger 77, neither bothered me. Crossfireoops' 8Bore with 240gr of Fg was a handful and so was RIO7's .460 Howell, but they aren't obnoxious.

I shot tex_n_cal's #1 .458WM and I don't want to do that again.

Another friend of mine had a Remington 700 in .30-06 in a 1st Generation Bell & Carlson stock and that thing flat out hurt to shoot.

Stock design, proper gun mount, knowing how to roll with the recoil make all the difference in the world.

Ed

Had a single shot Stevens 20 gauge like the original poster said. It hurt. A lot. And a 308 Remington 798. And a tc omega. I am starting to think it's all in the stock design.

I can shoot my dad's 270wsm with no issues and I am sure it kicks harder than the 308 did. No problems with that one.

I can take the kick. It isn't my shoulder that hurts it's my head. I get nasty recoil headaches that last all day if I go much above 243 or 257 bob

Same here. The proviso is that the rifle weight is appropriate for the cartridge. I've fired a light 458WM and it hurt my head and shoulder.

Yes it bothers me; I have to really focus to shoot well. I can shoot my 375 ok but not as well as my Classic 30-06. I don't know if it is me or the rifle, maybe both. My pre-64 featherweight is down right uncomfortable for me, though the recoil isn't particularly stout. That relatively sharp comb hammers my cheekbone every time and that metal but plate does the same thing to my bony shoulder. If I pad up, no problem.

I have a 20 gauge Francotte that is just over 5 lbs, sharp of comb and way too short for me. Unless I do everthing just right, my thumb comes back and gives me a fat lip.

The most unpleasant recoil ever for me, however, was a 454 Casull with stout loads in a relatively short barreled revolver. Lots of blast, lots of flash and my bony hand hurt for an hour. (Anybody sensing a pattern about bones and recoil?)

It really does come down to stock fit. It is different for everyone.

Shooting the .460 WBY Mag gave me a flinch.

If the gun doesn't fit you, or if the stock isn't shaped for the recoil generated by the cartridge/caliber involved, it will be unpleasant. Recoil bothers everybody, but smaller caliber rounds and limiting shots taken with larger ones help reduce it. A plastic stocked 7mm STW, .375 H&H model 70 and shooting .416 Rigby without a PAST pad hurt me. (I found out long ago I flinch for noise, so I double protect.)

Yes. Recoil bothers me. I can, and have become accustomed to it, but a .375 seems to be my upper limit. Never shot anything above that that I enjoyed. Also discovered if I don't shoot the big stuff very regularly, "becoming accustomed " to it goes away.
I no longer hunt game large enough to require large calibers and even a moderate cartridge seems excessive, recoil wise.

Recoil damn sure bugs me, and an ill fitting rifle will amplify it many times. My worst was a Rem 700 Classic in .338 Win Mag. Horrible kicker(for me). Used it one season, on a black bear and a couple deer, and sold it. The other was a Rem 700 Safari KS .375 H&H with a 20" tube. Way too light for a .375. Viscous best describes the recoil! Unlike some, I find the Ruger No.1 fits me great, and have no problems with my 450 #2, or 450/400.

No matter the cartridge, stock fit is numero uno! IMO.

Jeff

The heaviest recoiling long gun that I have shot is my Ruger#1 in 458WinMag. I tapped out after firing 3 rounds of 350gr @ 2400fps, and 3 rounds of 400gr @ 2350fps. That 30yr old, solid rubber recoil "pad" on the Ruger isn't very effective when shooting on a concrete bench in a T-shirt. It was painful enough that I probably won't be taking it to the range again.

I notice you didn't mention your handloads in your Marlin 1895.

Recoil induced memory loss, maybe?

Ed

Ya think? I have a bad right shoulder and am prone to headaches. I reckon the hardest hitting gun I ever fired was a ported Guide Gun 45-70 shoving a 405 grain bullet at max speeds. Then perhaps a Remington 7600 35 Whelen and a 225 gr bullet. We had to qualify with a Winchester Model 70 375 H&H hen I was on the MP force in Kodiak. It didn't seem too offensive. These days my 30-06 Ruger Ultralight with light for caliber bullets is all I am willing to endure.

That 460 is like getting hit in the shoulder by a tractor trailer truck I imagine.

Gonna change your user name to add retired?

Recoil bothers everyone. Just some a little more than others..

460 Weatherby Off the Bench

If I remember correctly, I put 18 rounds through it on that session. I wouldn't want to go much higher on recoil.

Good point on the factory Ruger "recoil pads" Phil. The original red pad I removed from my .458(converted to 450#2) had a Goodyear logo on the underside, I [bleep] you not! It was about as soft as a tire! I fitted quality pads to all of mine.

Jeff

Your memory is pretty dang good for an old guy Ed!

That little Marlin carbine with full tilt 400 grainers was a nasty sucker!

Hope all is well, and Merry Christmas to you & B.

No doubt as I started, first, playing with the 475 and 500 Linebaugh's in Ruger Bisley platforms did I learn that one needs to start easy, work up at it and keep at it. I am lacking in the latter these days given my number of years living abroad but there is no greater satisfaction learning to shoot the boomers well that is the tack now retired.

The .460 is not the end of the road in recoil.
The lighter profiled .378 Weatherby Magnum is the hardest kicker in the Weatherby line.
John

Hear hear!

I have one as well. Something akin to being swatted in the shoulder with a baseball bat. I have a friend who didn't like the recoil of his .375 H&H and said he was going to get himself a .388 WM instead. I tried to dissuade him and told him it was worse than the .375, but failed. He later brought his Kimber out to shoot. I was ready for a beating but found that light rifle not as bad as most '06's. I'm thinking of getting a different stock for mine.

I shot a lot of big bore rifles before I learned how to shoot big bores. I don't find any of my rifles starting with a 4 to be obnoxious. I have, however, found some starting with a 5 to be unfun, and all of those starting with a 6 downright unpleasant.

Yes, and it seems to bother me more the farther I get on the other side of 50.

I have had the pleasure of the 378 Weatherby and after a half a box of 300 gr. FMJ's from sitting , offhand and from a standing rest I knew that I didn't want that fast, nasty hard kicking bitch no mater how pretty the wood and how good of a deal it was.

I owned an 8.25 lb. all up 358 STA for a brief time that was hard on scopes and me.

An original Model 1895 with the curved metal butt plate with Kynoch 300 gr. bullets was a bit unpleasant to shoot. And that same afternoon the old 470 double pegged out my fun meter for the day.

My old ported Guide Gun w/ 400 gr. Speer on top of 56.5 gr. of H335 got my attention.

I've owned several 458 Win., two 458 Lott's, two 416 Rigby's that all found other homes. I kept a 404 Jeffery for a while and it finally went to a friend who has pestered me for years.
I still have an 1886 in 45-70, an 1895 in 405 WCF and my 375 H&H that I enjoy.

StarchedCover

I have a 378 Weatherby that's fairly light with no brake and it's not quite as bad as the 460 Weatherby with the Pendelton brake.

I did a little You Tube surfing. That 460 looks punishing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEIC8lIn1uY

When I'm looking at my finger,it's bleeding. When I wipe the bolt,that's the skin and scab being wiped off. The checkering on the bottom of the bolt is hitting my trigger finger. Shot the .460 ten times the week before that video was taken.

Going to load the .460 down to about the 2400-2500 fps range.

[img]http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/gg546/elkhunterinnm/th_IMG_2782.mp4[/img]

Separate opinions make neither party wrong.
Recoil is perception and more often tainted with muzzle blast.
John

I just saw the same rifle in .458 Lott at a Cabelas. Beautiful but deadly (on both ends) IMO.

BH63

I've got a cheap ML (Traditions) that kicks like the devil with 350 gr bullets loaded to max.

BH63

Recoil doesn't bother me as I shoot a lot.



Anyone who tells you that is lying about either one or the other.

Retired from the #1 maybe. I have other 45cal rifles to shoot. MinMag refers to the 458x1.8's that I made for Southern Michigan Deer hunting.



Goodyear, eh? That's funny. Maybe a new recoil pad is in that gun's future.


OK, back to the original question. I shot a buddies Encore pistol in 50 Alaskan ... once. I didn't care to pull the trigger a second time. My hand was a little too small for his custom grip and I was worried that I would lose hold of it. It was a boomer, for sure.

At least you're not this guy.

^
Lucky it got his earmuffs and not his noggin. I bet he never shoots that combo again.

I have a really light .44 mag (Taurus Tracker 44) and with full out loads its all I can handle. The first 4 times I shot it, was pretty bad, but the second time I went out and shot it, my body at learned to compensate for the kick somewhat and it wasn't too bad. I got 2" groups at 25 yards.

BH63

My Winchester Safari Express .458 firing my reloads consisting of 500gn Woodleigh @2200 is my absolute limit.
It's horrible to shoot of the bench and when shooting offhand if one's not careful it can/ will scope you..

I've not shot a rifle that hurt me yet but I've not fired any of the REALLY big boys. 416 Weatherby is as high up the food chain as I've gone and that never from a bench. Kinda fun actually.

With pistols I've shot plenty of .500 S&W but two consecutive cylinders of the heavy/full power loads is about all I'm good for before accuracy starts dropping off.

Check this one out where they fire one with and without the muzzle brake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1KGzXaanEI

What he said.

I shot a friend's 8 ga double rifle off a bench at Pachmayrs years ago. It was more of a big shove than any kind of pain. Kind of like being suddenly shoved by a train.
I sighted in some of the big Weatherby rifles for people, and I definitely remember the pain. A Westley Richards 425 with a stock that was excellently designed to transfer energy directly to your shoulder felt about the same. Those were what I would imagine getting hit on the shoulder by a ball pein hammer would feel like.
No need to go through that again.

That's pretty harsh.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. ;-{>8

I have been shooting my 7 3/4# Win M70 375 H&H a fair bit in anticipation of a brown bear hunt coming spring. I am good for a couple boxes of 270 gr TSX handloads with something else in between barrel heatings. Any more and I start getting "tight".

I shot a 460 Weatherby once. I thought the whole exercise was ridiculous and vowed never to repeat it.I have sort of suffered through a couple of range sessions with a 470 NE double and found it a lot more agreeable than the 460.

I guess the 375 is the upper limit for me,and then in frequent, but small doses if I intend to use one on a hunt.. That goes for anything in the class of magnum cases from 300 and up.But in truth I don't bother shooting any of those very much any more.The 300's and 338's are long gone but once in awhile I shot friends rifles chambered for those cases.

Most 7 mags, 270's 280's,7/08's etc are a piece of cake. You don't fight to control them and they are easy to hit with in rifles of reasonable weight.

I just bought another 257 Roberts; and have two Creedmoors on the way. With good bullets you don't have to beat yourself senseless to get good terminal results.

Recoil bothers me. It bothers me when it gets tobe enough I can't watch the bullet hit. It bothers me when it rearranges my clothing.

I've had a few old shotguns with so much drop that even target loads rocked them back up into my cheek and that hurts after a while. The stock design can make a gun much more tiring to shoot a lot. Really heavy recoil is much more tiring than light recoil for me

I've only gotten a scope rash from one gun, and then it was a situation in which I was so cold I had to will myself to relax and concentrate solely on getting the shot done so I could go warm my hands in the guts. Forgot to hang onto the rifle and got my first and only scope rash.

My crossbow is very tiring to shoot even from a bench because it isn't well designed and balanced like a decent rifle, and the pattern of getting sloppy shows up exactly like when I shoot a rifle that comes back hard.

Recoil tolerance is analogous to draw weight in traditional archery.

Most people have more gun than they can shoot making accuracy a problem and most archers are over bowed causing the same.

A long time ago I decided o goose hunt with a nice 6 1/4# Italian made 12 ga O/U w/ 3" chambers. The forcing cones were european as well as the bore diameters(more like 0.715"). 5 shots w/ 1 7/8oz 3" loads left me w/ a bone bruised shoulder. Couldnt shoot anything bigger than a 22rf for 5 months. Now the biggest thing I shoot is a 375 Ruger on a Rubbermaid/Tupperware stock. I dont shoot more a half dozen or so rounds from a bench at a sitting. The biggest problem i have w/ bench shooting is my rt hand knuckles and bolt handles or the pistol grip biting my left hand. In the past I had some primer problems so I know I dont flinch when focused on shooting, at least not all the time.. BUT, I have found myself flinching and blinking when trying to shoot a crow w/ a Ruger 204. Your mind definitely controls your reactions.

Recoil bothers me a lot. I got some guns through my grandfather when I was about 13. Among them were a low number Winchester 70 in .375 and a Win 95 in .405. Both were old enough the recoil pads (not bad for their time) had fossilized. Another was a fairly light drilling, 12x12 with a .35 Win barrel under which had a steel butt plate. Between the three I did a lot of nerve damage to my shoulder.

I've spent almost 40 years with a flinch. It doesn't matter, boomer to .22 rimfire, when a stock hits my shoulder, even with the gun empty, stuff starts to flutter.

It doesn't seem a hindrance, I guess because I don't remember NOT having it, it's just another factor to manage when I shoot.

It was made worse somewhat recently (5 years?) when I had a Ruger #1H stainless in .375 H&H. At the range one day I let the lower point of the stock get too low and it crunched a tendon at the point of my collar bone.

When you talk about recoil problems, though, probably the two that come to mind were a Remington 700 XCR in .338 RUM and a Winchester 70 .458. The recoil on the shoulder was substantial but not specifically differently problematic than other things, the particular problem with them was being clocked in the head with the scope about 20-25% of the time. I've learned to manage impact on the shoulder over the years. I still have not gotten used to being smacked HARD in the head.

Tom

Not for everyone that is for sure. I know a few fellas with scope ring brows and they don't want to shoot my 378 anymore. Problem is they never were shown how to shoot a heavy hitter. Most fellas let the shoulder go back and get contact from the scope, but if you lock your body solid with your shoulder then your whole body including your head moves back with recoil. You can't fight it you have to roll with it. I've been shooting my 378, 338 Lapua, for many years, love it. Many a moose or bear would have not been knocked down in heavy brush after going through a few trees.

378Canuck - "...have to roll with it." - Agree with your statement. Have seen BIG guys do as you've described and real get a jolt, especially when sighting in from a bench. Ouch! Bet that hurts. Thinner folks seem to have less of a problem, more so if their ego doesn't get in the way. Face it, 50# plus of recoil will take a toll on you if you soak it up the wrong way.
Homesteader

I have always been abit confused about the "logic" that claims small people get kicked less than big folks.
If that were true it wouldn't it be safe to assume that smaller guys would win the heavy weight weight boxing division ?

I'm not a big man and I've learned to shoot heavy recoiling rifles from the bench by locking my upper body onto the rifle and allowing my body to shift the energy by letting my waist flex backwards and not trying to stop it.
If you watch the video posted above on shooting the .460, you can see this technique used quite well by a couple of the skinny guys.

And no, I am not going into the ring with even a middle-weight boxer again. Once around with the ND/SD Golden Gloves Champ was enough for me.

Ed

Ed, I thought for just a second that you were gonna say something bad about your drooler 458, in which case I was gonna come and slap you.

When I was in my early teen years the neighbor boys and I had a "Kickin shotgun" contest going. We found one single shot 12ga that was particularly vicious. We "doctored" the magnum loads and recoil was spectacular. We found that we could add powder by reducing other component space. We would then leave those loads in the kitchen stove warming oven for a week because we thought drying them out added some extra pop. Touching off one of those doctored loads in that kickin 12g split Ronnie's lip, loosened two teeth, and broke his nose. Bloody mess! That was the end of the kickin contest. That shot also broke the stock of our champion kicker. I had previously shot it with the doctored loads that day and firmly confirmed that though I could grin and say, "naw, it ain't bad," heavy recoil definitely is not a favored event in my life.

I have a lightweight 12ga Ithaca 37 and when it's loaded with magnum turkey loads it'll satisfy recoil cravings I might develop.

Jim

Phil, you still hope to find logic and recoil in the same discussion? Way too much Y chromosome vested in that conversation most of the time.

Not in this life! That's the easiest shooting .458WM I've ever shot. Has to have something to do with the stock that was laid out by Elmer Keith.

Ed

For those of you who get recoil induced headaches, try one of the mouth guards that football players use. The kind that you heat in water then bite to fit it to your teeth/mouth.

I used to work for D'Arcy Echols and had to shoot the rifles from the bench. The mouth guard helps.

Ralphie - besides the mouth guard how about sprin/advil for the recoil induced headaches? Homesteader

It has to do with the laws of physics (although the weight of the individual is only one variable among many when discussing the physics of something as subjective as felt recoil).

Basically a heavier person has less "give" to him and absorbs more of the force initially, prior to being "moved" backward by the recoil. A lighter person is moved backwards more easily, allowing the force of the recoil to be somewhat dispersed by the "opposite reaction of the rearward movement. Of course, like anything there is a point of diminishing returns. A small-boned person who weighs 80 lbs would probably suffer more from the effects of heavy recoil than someone who weighs 280 lbs. The larger person's ability to absorb the punishment due to larger bones and more tissue to cushion the blow would offset the fact that they are actually absorbing more force than the lighter person.

Next time you shoot your big bore, brace yourself by leaning against a wall and let loose. Then you will get the "full effect' of the recoil.

I believe having a heavy bone structure (otherwise known as big boned) and being in good physical condition, along with mental toughness, is the key to being able to shoot beg bore rifles without being impacted too much by heavy recoil.

I also believe that every time you shoot a big bore, your body is learning to adapt to the heavy recoil.

As for boxing, if a lighter person could punch as hard as the heavyweights, then he/she would probably be a good match for the heavier fighters.


If you want I can look up the formulas that explain this (I still have my university physic's book).

BH63

Huh, the mouth guard is for during the shooting.

"It has to do with the laws of physics"

Yep. That sounds about right.
Just before I lay my hands onto one of those heavy kickers I tend to feel as if I'd earlier taken a "physic."

Jim

What I find interesting is how physics notwithstanding, recoil seems to disappear entirely when shooting an elephant at 30 yards.

BH63

I've never felt recoil in the field, only on the bench.

WHAT!?!?!? Recoil did that?

Excellent job!

Ed

Nice job

Shortly after shooting Gunner's .577, I commented that if an elephant was charging me, and that rifle was lying in front of me, I would have to think about it...

^
Sometimes you do have to chose the lessor of two evils.

And yes the recoil did that. Perhaps that's why I didn't feel any recoil, it was diverted to the elephant and gave him a stroke? I think we discovered a new law of physics. The formula is:

recoil (in ft.lbs) X puckerfactor(squared) + 400 gr solids = dead elephant

Wow, I need to contact Popular Science.

BH63

Recoil is a detriment to rifle shooting.
Find your limit and stay with that cartridge to sway the concern towards repeatable and controlled bullet placement.

You can never count on "one shot" to get it done.
John

^
I agree that you have to be able to shoot your gun accurately no matter how impressive the ballistics, but I also believe you have to "Use Enough Gun" for what your shooting.

I suppose that is why many PHs tell stories of clients who refuse to shoot an elephant and asks the PH to kill the animal for them.

If you can't handle the recoil, stick to deer and small game IMO.

BH63

Yes

I have had a 7 Rem mag that I really prefer not to shoot from a bench and the same may be said for a 30-06 and 270 winchester.

On the other hand shoot any of the mentioned rifles from a prone position and the concerns either go away or are greatly diminished.

To tell the truth anymore the 243 or 6mm Remington along with the 6.5 Grendel bolt action rifles are at the upper end of my really comfortable firearms to shoot.

If you're rifle is comfortable to shoot you are likely to practice more and become a better shot without flinching.

Too much recoil along with lack of hearing protection will inadvertently teach a person to flinch more than most people will admit.

The most painful one I ever shot was a Savage M24, .22 LR over a 20 gauge shotgun. The stock was designed with a monte carlo stock to accommodate the use of a scope on the rifle barrel. Every shot with the shotgun hammered the cheek piece into my cheek and caused extreme pain. I never tried a slug in it a 7/8 oz. shot load was the most I could handle. As others have said, stock fit is everything.

Jim

^
Like the girl said, "it's not the size that matters but how it performs".

BH63

Only if I pull the trigger and do not feel recoil. Aside from that,mathematically I've only experienced approx. 60 to 62 ft/lbs of felt recoil.Though,it is experienced pretty regularly,it comes from my go-to and only hunting rifle. More than 20 or 30 rounds from the bench are plenty. It doesn't seem to affect that day's shooting, but the next day my groups often will nearly double in size. memtb

My buddies #1H 375 H&H kicks harder than his 458Win (BRNO), or CZ 416 Rigby, or my 300 WBY Vanguard. But the hardest kicker I have experienced has been a Mossberg 12g with 3 1/2 Turkey loads. That plastic stocked sumbitch hurt!

After owning multiple 45-70s, 444, 7STW, 340 & 270 WEATHERBY and 375hh and 376 Steyr... The worst in recoil was the 340 Weatherby. Intolerable ...brutal!

Yet we continue to crave and buy those hardkicking, hardshooting big bore beauties.

I guess there is just something about being a relatively frail human being caught between a hardkicking rifle and some of the world's most dangerous animals that appeals to our primitive nature.

BH63

This^^^^^ is a very true statement IME.

Update: I figured recoil on my rifle around 25 years ago and come up my earlier posted number.Using the link posted,my rifle only produces 49ft/lbs recoil.I guess that I'm a bigger "puss" than I thought.Even with the reduced recoil,I'm still a little sore in the shoulder on day two of extensive shooting/testing! memtb

I'll admit that a .338 Win Mag is about the limit of what I can shoot properly and even that isn't something I enjoy.

The harshest gun I've ever fired was a Ruger #3 in .45-70 that was loaded with 500g Hornady bullets to about 1800 fps. I have no interest in shooting that again.

I have a lightweight MZ that I load to max and shoot with 350 gr bullets. That tiny little buttstock hurts a lot more than my M70 Win in .416 Rem Mag.

BH63

Sighting in My Ruger #1 in 416 Rigby off a Bench was not a Pleasant experience. Memoriable, but not Pleasant.

You may be making the common error of assuming it's the caliber/cartridge that's unpleasant, which is rarely the case. Rather, it's the fit of the gun to the shooter that is most important!

My 338 Mag Sako kicks the bejesus out of me, and my Kimber 375 H&H shoots like a lamb in comparison. Why should a 225 gr bullet @ 2900 fps muzzle velocity hurt me more than a 300 gr bullet @ 2600 fps? Primarily, it's the fit of the rifle to the shooter.

BTW, Ruger No. 1's are notorious for kicking the schit out of taller/longer-necked guys. All the guys I know who love Ruger No. 1's are shorter/stockier guys.

Your "limit" is probably not as low as you think it is.

Agreed.

^
What is interesting is that some people still shoot big bores fairly accurately even though they might "flinch" on an empty chamber.

I wonder if perhaps flinching is not necessarily bad, as long as you do it consistently and sight in the rifle to take in consideration of the flinch. In other words, it just one more individual variable that comes into play.

The few times I've inadvertently clicked on an empty chamber produced little or no movement, but it did produce a "mental" anticipation of the recoil.

BH63

I know damn will I'd 'flinch' while shooting a heavy kicker. this rifle does ~60 ft/lbs and is about the most I can shoot and keep the scope off my noggin.

From what I've read, all of them RUMs are real beasts when it comes to recoil.

Nice shooting!

BH63

Recoil bothers me off the bench, even my 264WM gets me every now and then when I can't help 'crawling' the stock.
I cannot, and will not, shoot my 458 Lott or 505 Gibbs off the bench, no way, no how!
Both have had ONE shot fired of a bench, both were full power loads, and both made me cry. My 416 Rigby does not have this level of recoil, I can quite comfortably shoot it off a bench. As well as my 404 Jeffrey. All of these rifles are CZ 550's, go figure.
The only rifle I have ever shot off-hand that I would not shoot again was a Mark V Weatherby in 378 Weatherby un-braked. Not only did it hurt my shoulder, but my cheek, and forehead where the scope got me, luckily, I wasn't cut due to my beanie on my head.
Never AGAIN.

Cheers.

Biggest hitters I ever shot were a .458 WM 77 tang safety, a ,416 Rigby in an Encore, a #1 .416 Rem and my 8.5 lb. all up .375 Bee. Not a one of those I would hesitate to bench 10 or 15 from.

But there's this BPS 10 gauge in my safe........... I shoot it well and shoot it often. But I'd just about as soon have an axe swung into my forehead and a 16 lb sledge into my shoulder simultaneously.

A '95 Win in four hunnert five can suck pretty bad too.

I've been mildly flamed for my thoughts before, but get a compensator. If you're hunting lions in Africa, take it off. My Leupold scope could care less and it reduces the punch of my Ruger 375 dramatically. Without it, I change shoulders every shot, with it, the 375 kicks like a WW2 M1.
And yes, a scope cut seems to bleed a lot, for whatever reason.

Like DocR stated, poor stock fit can make even some of the lower recoil rifles/shotguns painful to shoot.

BH63