Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Recoil survey

Depends on how many sandbags I have between my shoulder and the recoil pad.........

A long time ago I had the opportunity to shoot a late 70's M70 in 458 and a Mark V in 460, several shots from each rifle offhand and from the bench--in my T-shirt no less.. If anything the M70 had more felt recoil. The owner of the two rifles explained to me about the cast off stock on the Mark V. In my case I'm a believer in that Weatherby stock design........

Agree with all the comments on stock fit, stock configuration, and shooting position. With a Winchester 1892 24" 45 Colt even relatively mild (but above traditional factory level) loads, the crescent steel butt plate was brutal. Go to "Ruger only" levels and it was punishment. After raising the front rest height and adding a rear bag rest, even the heavy loads were tolerable, though still somewhat bruising from the metal crescent. Similarly with 405 Win, at max book loads for 300 grain soft points, an 1895 Winchester with metal butt plate was unpleasant but not as punishing as the maxed out 45 Colt. The same 405 load in an 1885 High Wall with a shotgun butt and factory butt plate was no problem at all, and extremely accurate to boot. The Ruger No. 1A in 35 Whelen is no problem for me with max book loads and 225 Partitions, but a 45-70 No. 3 with even low-end "lever action" loads is punishing with that metal butt plate. For me, the most comfortable rifle I own is a No. 1A in 6.5x55, a joy to carry and shoot in any situation.

I have a deep, abiding love for the 338 WM but the recoil is just too much. My big rifle these days is a 30-06 and I much prefer a 308 loaded to 300 Savage levels.

And stock design matters A LOT.


Okie John

I still shoot my 7 3/4 lbs. 300 H&H well, but part of that equation is the excellent Echol's legend stock design. In the past I've had both .338 Wm and .375 H&H and they were no fun. Now day's I hunt mostly with a 280 AI .270 or 6.5 cm, but will keep taking my 300 H&H when it comes to a dedicated elk hunt, mainly cause it's brought me a lot of luck.
Having said that I've had a separated right shoulder( shooting side) for the last 10 years as well as both my rotator cuffs are torn, and at 54 things are catching up with me.

Sometimes I'll bench a rifle and shoot just to remember what a good, clean trigger squeeze and no flinch feels like. Maybe I am weird.

The most recoiling rifle I have is a 300 Wby. I can still shoot tight groups with it but after seven or eight rounds I'm done.

Another comment about stock. Jacked my shoulder in a ski crash. Since I had my shooting shoulder fixed I pay attention to recoil and no longer shoot above 30-06. So currently I have three .30.06s. Two stanless m77s and 700. One of the m77s has the Ruger canoe paddle skeleton stock. I love to carry it and it is ergonomic and weatherproof. But I swear that thing recoils twice as hard as the other two rifles. I could shoot the other two all day but that oem skeleton stock maye a box of 20.

I use one of these: https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/cabelas-recoil-pad---right-hand

Every person I have known that has used them says that they make a huge difference when shooting magnums at the range.

Makes it a lot easier to hold still and just squeeze. Makes everything up to my .375 Wby fairly comfortable for me.

I'm a big fan of the PAST Super Mag Plus recoil shield. It's the best $32 you can spend!:

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1002531259

They make other models. But, this is the thickest. I an am admitted sissy when it comes to recoil anymore. I use it with everything anymore, even rifles with recoil pads. It makes a HUGE difference and lets me concentrate on getting better accuracy.

20 rounds of my 375 H&H is enough for me. If I stop there I can go back to lesser rounds and still shoot great groups. More than that not so much.
GreggH

Great question BCHunter.

Over the years I have found it depends on a few things. The day, if you are shooting that rifle for the first time, working up to a load... Recoil is a real mental game for me and if I lose the shot without thought then my shots are usually pretty decent.

I use a 9.3x62(T3) pretty regularly with 286's at 2300fps. Off the bench you feel it, but because I know the rifle well I am usually a decent shot with it. Unless, fatigue kicks in, which changes things somewhat... When hunting deer I rarely feel or remember the shot, and the deer fall over more than not, so I guess that combo works for me.

Comparing my old light 338WM to my current go-to Tikka 9.3 is like chalk and cheese. That 338 came back hard and fast, as did my old 340Wby. So I guess recoil does play a big part with my hunting over the years. I have also worked out that I prefer the slower style recoils, seen in my 9.3's.

I once had an old Sako L579 in 308Win. This rifle just didn't fit me at all and it use to slap me in the chops most shots, which gave me flinch. I soon sold it and moved onto 270WSM Tikka Lite when Tikka first introduced these. Recoil was certainly faster than the 308Win Sako but that Tikka stocks fitted me a hell of a lot better, so I shot it better.
I have owned 4 Kimber rifles, from Montana's to the Hunter and I feel these fit me well, which was evident when shooting them.

Regarding caliber and recoil. My old .17Rem Remmy BDL was hard to beat. I could watch the shots dropping foxes without any recoil. I never flinched with it. My old 243Win Sako 75 Stainless Timber certainly fitted me better than my L579. Recoil in a 243Win is what I would say is the perfect balance if one is recoil shy or doesn't care for recoil.

Whenever I develop a flinch(it happens) I always go back to my little Brno Model 2 .22LR shooting 40 grain power points.

The 308 Winchester in the right fitting stock, is a hard rifle to top!

As others have suggested, it's not as simple as which cartridge. Stock fit, gun weight, barrel length, recoil pads, etc. all play a role in perceived recoil. Yesterday, I shot a .243 in a 600 Mohawk with a ventilated recoil pad and it was pretty soft shooting. However, I also shot a new-to-me 6mm in a heavier 700 BDL without a recoil pad, just the plastic buttplate and felt myself getting a bit flinchy after a while. Again as others have said, I like recoil less and less as I age. I'm moving to smaller cartridges and lighter bullets in the bigger ones. I can still shoot the .280 Mountain Rifle well, but would rather not shoot the .308 Model Seven.

Shooting at game I don't notice the recoil or the noise. I do most of my shooting with rimfires a 300 WBY, a 35 Whelen. 50 ML, or 30-06s. The Whelen and WBY are not fun to shoot several times in a row at a target. The most uncomfortable rifle I remember shooting was by buddies 54 light ML the scope always hits me. And my brother had a Model 7 .308 that just hurt to shoot any. Even one shot. I could shoot better than him and he always asked me to shoot it and check his scope for zero. I hated that thing.

My answer would depend on variables such as stock design, recoil pad, and rifle weight. But honestly if I'm doing a ton of shooting I'd rather it be a 223. Better yet a 22lr. Not ashamed to say it.

Just start light and work your way up.

The older I get, the less recoil tolerant I am. I used to shoot 25-30 12 gauge slugs from a bench with no problem. Now, I get a headache and a stiff neck. I really appreciate my 350 Legend AR-15 for Ohio deer hunting now. My 243 and 6.5 Creedmoor get used a lot now. Sold my 300 Win mag and replaced it with a 30-06.

Ron

I took my Ruger #1 in 338WM out to the range today. With the original thin hard rubber pad, it was brutal. 30 Rounds and my shoulder was bruised and hurting. I put on a Limbsaver pad and today, it was actually pleasant to shoot. Still recoiled, but did not hurt at all.

I took my Savage 114 300 Win mag to the range yesterday. After 5 shots I had enough. Shoulder still sore today. I might have to rethink this whole recoil thing. I don't seem to be as good as I once was

Yes, and to this I'd add shooting position. With zeroing or testing the accuracy of rifles that boot a bit I make a point of setting myself up sitting upright behind the rest, or even kneeling behind the rest, rather than hunching down over it. That seems to make a bit of difference. You can also reduce the recoil considerably for zeroing by using a bag of shot between rifle and shooter, and I've helped a few out with this.

I've had a few rifles that really were uncomfortable to shoot though, at least at targets. I had a Mauser .30/06, with a narrow steel buttplate and narrow comb, which was quite unpleasant to shoot and left a hell of a bruise. My light little Browning .30/06 on the other hand is very easy to shoot, even firing rapid strings of shots, and I haven't found various 9.3s a problem either, including my own 9.3x74R.

Another I found a bit unpleasant was a Marlin 1895, when shot with full-house handloads. It was a pussycat with factory ammunition though. Even my Marlin 1893 could sometimes give me a wake-up, given its very narrow comb and buttplate.

On the whole I find that from about .30/06 up I prefer a recoil pad. I also would agree with those who say that you don't even notice the recoil when shooting in the field. That is my experience at least.