Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Recoil question

Your physics is bad. Newton's equal and opposite reaction is about conservation of momentum, not energy.

You guys ever hear the term "every action has an equal and opposite reaction"?

If a bullet leaves the barrel at the same velocity, the rifle will recoil the same no matter what powder is used

Not true.

Gases from burnt powder also count in the momentum of the ejecta, and if it took more of one powder than another to produce the same bullet speed, the recoil will increase due to the powder mass increase.

No, it's not. Every object in motion has BOTH energy AND momentum; an object's energy is its mass X velocity squared and its momentum is mass X velocity.

Yes, they both have energy and momentum.

But in the recoil reaction, momentum is conserved. It is not a balance of kinetic energy between ejecta and rifle.

Bottom line is Lott is correct that slower powders often produce a noticeable increase in felt recoil when compared to quicker burners making the same projectile speeds.

k=1/2mv^2?

Recoil is momentum period. You feel an impulse not energy.
Felt recoil is partly the change in momentum as momentum
is force x time. Newton did not address energy. conservation
of energy came after newton.

Good thread. This old dog learned something new today.

Agreed, to a point, lots of guys use RL-15 and backer rod filler in their big double rifle cases, I use 140 gr H-4831 in my 577 Nitro under 750 gr bullets, I believe a much lighter charge of RL-15 and a filler would indeed give less felt recoil.

My rifle regulates perfectly so loaded, and so it will remain, having those big slugs consistently hit the mark is very satisfying, albeit a massive recoil shove.

Youz aint a dog, youz a fish.

Klikitarik;
Top of the morning to you sir, I hope this finds you and your fine family doing well.

I'd like to send a sincere thanks to the respondents of this thread as it's confirmed some "hunches" that I've had for years but could not for the life of me begin to rationally explain.

In addition to what 458Lott wrote about rifles that generate a fair bit of recoil - that is to say "larger" cartridges - I'd add that on a comparatively light .308 Norma was where I first thought I perceived a difference.

If memory serves I was shooting 168gr bullets and was fooling with H4895 in a few different rifles. I recall questioning the chronograph results at it indicated the bullet speed was on par with some slower powders - N160/RL19 - but it didn't "feel" like it for lack of a better way to articulate it.

Anyway as others have said, I've learned something today and I do appreciate the input from everyone again.

All the best to you all in your hunts this fall.

Dwayne

Dogfish.

i can get away with that because FH is a chum.