Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Recoil survey

I thought recoil did not bother me... until I loaded up a .54 caliber Hawken rifle with some Triple 7 and a Maxi Ball and shot it off the bench. No ,375 or 3 1/2 inch 12 gauge turkey load ever kicked me so hard that I couldn't breathe or speak for a few moments. The Hawken did.

It depends on the stock design and rifle weight.
Ruger boat paddle stocks are torture devices.

That's exactly it. Guys that dont wear hearing protection while shooting are damaging their hearing, period.

I've been noticing lately, shoulder surgeries being mentioned on recoil threads. What is the cause of most shoulder surgery in senior people? I'm 75 and also able to still shoot, but often wake up with a sore shoulder from sleeping on my side. Is this a preview for surgery?

I enjoy shooting large caliber rifles and regularly take to the range a Ruger African 9.3 x 62, Marlin 444, and a Ruger No 1 45-70. I don't load any of them to the max, wear a Past shield, and generally pair them with a 22 Hornet, 221 Fireball, 223, 327 Federal or a .22 rimfire. Twenty rounds of one of the big ones is enough for one session, but 50 to 75 of the smaller rounds is the norm.

For many years my go to deer hunting rifle where I could use bottle necked rounds was a Ruger No 1 A in 30-06. I found that I didn't really need a 165 grain Hornady Interlock bullet at 2950 fps in the woods and few open fields where I hunt. The past few years I've migrated to a Savage 99 in 300 Savage; Barnes 130 grain Tipped TSX at 2950 shoots plenty flat and is easy on the shoulder.

At least ten.

I can shoot 40 rounds of .270 at a sitting without flinching. I don't own any rifles heavier than than.

My kid got a great deal on a close out Weatherby Vanguard .300 Weatherby Magnum and I still remember the stricken look on his face the first time he touched that thing off. He uses a .270 now. There might be a lesson in there for some of you.

I got soured on 7mm Mag when someone gave me a Mossberg in that caliber. I sold it half way through the first box, and have had distaste for 7 Mags since.

Yeah, I know- that just ain't logical....

There was this one 7 Mag Husquavarna that came through the shop. Sweet shooter for recoil, and made one ragged 5 shot hole at 100. Bastard wouldn't sell it to me.....

It's all about stock fit for me. Tikka T3 rifles even in 243 jump up and hit me in the cheek every time and are difficult to shoot well. On the other hand, a Ruger M77 boat paddle stock 30-06 with 180 grain handloads does not seem to bother me at all, and some find that stock configuration painful to shoot.

While I realize there is no one-size-fits-all in rifle stocks, the Weatherby style stocks with the cast off seem to work for me mitigating felt recoil. Even so, the 6.5-300, 7mm, and .300 Weatherby’s are the upper end of recoil for me. My 35 Whelen with BDL stock is not too bad unless I over do it at the range. When those become an issue for me, I’ll just keep on with one of my 7x57s and .257 Roberts and maybe some lighter .30-06 loads.

Worst recoiling rifle for me was a boat-paddle Rugger M77 in .30-06. The wood stocked M77 in 7 Mag felt like less of a kicker. I loathe boat-paddle stocks from a recoil perspective and got rid of the '06.

That is a complicated question. The rifle, stock and load make a lot of difference. My larger chamberings all have Decelerator pads and that helps.

I would say I have no problem with my .308, .30-06's and below with the exception of my 84L Montana. It can sting a bit if you are careless. My 7x61 S&H is rather heavy and is no problem.

My .300 Magnums are where it is a problem for me. The .308 Normas both kick way more than I would have expected. It is quick and sharp. My .300 Weatherby is reasonably hard kicking but no more so than my .338.

My .338 Win is fine up to and including 225 grain loads. The recoil seems much worse with 250 grain loads. In no case does it seem as hard to managre as the .300 Mags.

My .35 Whelen has a relatively strong recoil similar to my 84L Montana with 250's. With 225's and 200's it is more of a push.

Moving up the line My .375 H&H Talkeetna is easy to control. I have only used it wiit 250-260 grain loads however.

i also have an 1885 in .45-70. with factory level loads it is a pussycat. With other loads, not so much.

I turned 60 last July ....... Everything you said, I could have wrote myself.

My "big" gun now is a Remington 721 in 300H&H and it pretty heavy. If I tire of that, I will fall back to something in 7mm, either a 275Rigby or 280Remington or both. I considered selling the 280 and having a 7x57 done in a synthetic stock to go with the wood & walnut 275Rigby.

Fit is everything when it comes to mitigation of perceived recoil.

The Rigby sez so.

I've never had a issue shooting big guns,biggest being 340 wtby mag. But now an old friend wants me to sight in his ruger #1 in 458 win mag. I think that will get my attention and might not get it sighted in. He's 74 and will never shoot it and never has but wants it zeroed.

I bought a Ruger #1 in 458 Lott because the deal was right. I never could bring myself to shoot it. And I do have a 340 Weatherby and I like that.

One thing I’ll add is that not only stock design makes a difference but so does shooting positions. At over six foot tall if I have to shoot off a low picnic table that causes me to creep up on the scope and have the stock up on my collar bone rather than in the shoulder pocket, things can get uncomfortable quickly.

I don't get all worked up about what a guy can do off a bench with a hunting rifle. Sure, nice groups but that is off a rest, no? Show me what you can do from field positions. Once the rifle is sighted in who the hell cares? Seems pointless.

I had my 12 yo son with me at the range last weekend. He asked if he could shoot the 30-06 that I’d just mounted a new scope on. This kid is 5 ft and 95 lbs soaking wet so I was a little concerned but relented. We were still at the 50 for initial sight in and he put the first two shots fired into a jagged single hole! We moved to 100 and he put 3 into a .8” group. At least for now recoil doesn’t seem to be an issue for him. He just rolled with it.