Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Your worst recoil experience?

I am showing my age a tad with this one, but a friend had a Ruger #3 in 45-70 that was not factory drilled or tapped. He was shooting a handload behind 405 gr. SP's (lightest bullet then available) that was so heavy (can't remember the powder type), but it was necessary to throw half the charge, tamp it a bit with a wooden dowel, then throw the other half, in order to get the bullet's to properly seat, and as you can imagine, you could not shake the cartridge and hear the powder moving! we went out behind the load house, and I took the first shot. It was like getting hit with 2-2x4's, one on the cheek, the other in the shoulder! My bud was standing behind and to my left (I am right handed). I cracked the action open and handed it to him while looking at the ground. he dropped one in, and did not have his face on the stock properly when he touched it off, and bit off a tad of the side of his tongue!

2 shots and the day was thru - he was off to the doc, a towel pressed to his ought for the blood, and I nursed my shoulder as it turned pruple, whilst cleaning blood and tongue bits off the gun!