Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles WHAT IS THE HARDEST KICKER YOU EVER SHOT

Yeah, hardest kicking and most recoil are two different things. Recoil energy on paper can be very high, but in the right gun, not feel too bad.

I have shot a 500 NE double, a converted #1 in 470, and a converted #1 in 45-120 loaded to 458 Lott levels. All three of those were hard pushers, but not painful.

Had my shoulder turn red, yellow, and blue from a stupid Savage Fox double shotgun with buttplate, and many shotguns I have shot have felt worse than rifles.

Ithaca deerslayer lightweight 12 gauge slugs. By far the worst thing on the planet!!!!!

8mm rem mag with a 250 gr kinda makes the nose run.

Browning BPS 12 gauge shooting 3 1/2" #5 shot turkey loads. It kicked harder than the BPS 10 gauge shooting 3 1/2" turkey loads because it was a lighter gun. Also, a CVA Wolf loaded w/150 grains Triple Seven pellets and 338 gr Powerbelt Platinum Aerotips. The 12 gauge was by far the worst though. Talk about rattling your molars.

2nd the 8RM.

About a 1,600 lb draft horse.

Minigun.

Model 870 12ga shooting slugs. Would get your attention.

Oh, I forgot my first wife's attorney....

A Weatherby 340 I bought it used and it came with a scope mounted on it. The first range trip nearly brought me to tears part recoil partly because I couldn't keep rounds on a 14" target at 100 yards then I noticed the crosshairs were moving with each shot, it had recoiled the crosshairs loose. Put a muzzle brake and a VX-II on it, that scopes reticule failed after about 4 boxes of ammo. While changing that scope out I found that the red field jr scope base had sheared the rear screw off. Probably also due to recoil.

A friend's .378 Wby. Mag., which he admitted afterward was loaded "a tad hot."

It was so hot, in fact, that it froze the action after my first shot. Had my shoulder actually worked at that moment, I would have punched him...

I'd have to say it was the 505 Gibbs I worked up loads for...

Winchester 670 in .30-06.

Remington 7600 carbine in 30-06

Anzio 20/50 throughout the brake design process.

Gunner

BAR 300WM. Kicked much worse than the Rem700 BDL that I traded for it. Guess it just didn't fit me right.

I've also learned that any sporter weight Ruger M77 in anything .280 and above gets a Limbsaver before I pull the trigger.

Yeah, never expected THAT one to get your attention, did ya?

Yep.

I've shot some "hard recoilers" according to the paper numbers, but the flat nastiest recoil I ever dealt with was an 8mm Rem Mag in a M700 Classic configuration.

I finally gave up even trying to enjoy that one, and down the road it went.

.577 nitro express. I shot that once 20 years ago. Put me on my a$$. I would shoot it again but haven't had the chance. Still hurt less than a 3" 12 gauge mag quickly, and incorrectly seated on my shoulder.

A 6 pound 378 Weatherby with open sights- fiberglas stock with a hard recoil pad. . I was at the range working up loads in my 416 Remington, and there was this Samoan looking guy about 300 lbs that was shooting round after round in this Weatherby from the bench. That thing was barking. During a break to change targets he asked if i wanted to shoot it. I did - one and done. Felt recoil seemed like twice my 416.

Jeff