Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Whazzup with Recoil?

As a side note… when I was 11 I saved up chore money for several months to buy a REM 700 ADL 270. Had a wood stock and plastic buttplate. I probably weighed 85 pounds. That is where I developed a flinch. When I was maybe 13 I had my mom take an old dish rag and sew it up into a type of recoil pad. My dad called it a wuss rag. Then around 14 or 15 I swapped out the buttplate for a pad. That would have been helpful when I was 11.

I did make several nice shots on deer with that rifle though. I’m not experienced with the truly big kickers, but the 270 was mind over matter, even when I was 11. It gave me my first flinch, and I also learned how to beat the flinch with that rifle.

Dad has always been a loving and caring father. His wuss rag comments were in a joking manner, but they helped toughen me up nonetheless.

You'll get over it.

Probably. But I won’t know until I try. My next rifle will be either a 338WM, 9.3x62, or 375H&H.

Lately the 338 has been what I’ve daydreamed about most.

I agree that the way you hold your rifle makes a difference to whether it knocks you about. I've always found that holding it fairly firmly in both hands helps - holding the forend in particular tends to control the jump, which not only keeps the comb from smacking you put also helps your accuracy. You don't want to be holding it so tightly that you induce muscle tremors, but a good firm grip and pressure against the shoulder.

What I also find helpful is adopting a position which allows you to rock back with the recoil sitting up straight rather than hunched down behind a bench, for example, or even kneeling or standing behind the rest. This allows me to "roll with the punch".

I suspect that there are a couple of factors which also come into play. Some have been mentioned. Stock fit is a big one: I had a Mauser .30/06 for example, which had too much drop and a sharp comb, and knocked me about as a result, while with the same loads a Browning Stainless, despite being lighter, is a pussycat, and even a Rem 700 Ti, lighter still, was not at all unpleasant even with 220 gn loads.

I think that your state of mind also comes into play. If you are focused on dropping a critter you tend not even to notice recoil, nor the bang, whereas if you have time to think about it when slowly taking up the slack on the trigger at a target you notice it more. You can also put it out of your mind too, I've found, by reminding yourself that the impact is actually not going to hurt you - you get bumped a hell of a lot harder in a any number of other sports.

It took me years to figure out how to lick the the flinch. It's easy, just shoot til your arm feels like its falling off, then shoot some more, LOL! Sort of joking but the more I shoot and the more often I shoot the less it bother's me. Shooting from a bench is my worse case. Hunting I hardly notice it. Shooting at the bench for groups I just relax and control my breathing and squeeze the shot off. The more I relax the less it hurts and the better I shoot.

OK. I beginning to see that folks are just not experiencing this the same way I am.

Most days, I'm just fine shooting a 30-06, my 8X57 or even my 35 Whelen. However, some days the recoil feels noticeably worse--same gun, same layers of clothing, same bench, same ammo. I started experiencing this maybe a decade ago (around age 50+). I chalked it up to aging.

I don't think it's the way I'm holding the rifle. At least it does not feel this way. I'm doing everything I can to minimize change from one session to the next.

Milk? I drink about 16 oz every morning at minimum.

I was just wondering if anyone else noticed this, and if anyone had figured out what caused it.

I guess not. Thanks anyways.

I shoot my .35 Whelen quite a bit off the bench during the off season, since having both shoulder's rotator cuff repaired I have done two things to help with felt recoil. First I installed a Pachmyer Decelerator recoil pad and second I developed a load with a lighter bullet. Previously I was shooting a 225 gr. bullet over IMR 4064 and recoil was moderate, now I shoot a Ken Waters Pet Load that features a Hornady Inter-lok 200 gr. RN bullet over IMR 3031. Not only is this load outstandingly accurate in my rifle it also is very effective on whitetails. The last bullet that I recovered on a raking shot @ 100 yds. was perfectly mushroomed and retained 66% of its original weight. Hope these suggestion are useful, they certainly helped me.

Now that's interesting: I had a buddy of mine get back to me. He's not on the 'Fire, but I asked him pretty much the same question. His answer was that his sensitivity to recoil started after he got Diabetes. He finds that when his Glucose is in a good range, he has a much better tolerance for recoil. This would make sense for me as well. I'm diabetic, but normally keep it well managed. However, there are times I stray out of the zone either at the end of the day or while my meals are settling. I'd not made the connection.

That would explain a lot as well. It isn't just recoil that sometimes throws me for a loop. Sometimes a jumping down from the porch (all of a foot or so) can really rattle me. I've learned to step down slowly.

Anyone else seeing this?

If one of these hurts ya, try the next one on the left.



Or have a couple shots of whiskey.

It’s called degenerative disc disease. Normally occurs as we “age”. 😁

I have been shooting a Tikka T3 Lite .270 WSM a lot lately. Not a hard kicking rifle, but with 140 grain bullets at 3200 fps it is snappy. The factory recoil pad on a Tikka does next to nothing to tame recoil. I replaced it with a Limbsaver pad, and the difference is dramatic. I can shoot 20 rounds off the bench with no ill effects on my shoulder.

You got what you paid for. Trick is to find some useful bargains out there. None are 3" long.

Gas operated shotguns take out a LOT of felt recoil, add a Limbsaver Air Tec recoil pad. Beretta 391 with the shock absorber in the butt is an awesome addition, all you feel is a push.

I do that as well and it helps a lot.

I find that as I get older, I just don't want to deal with heavier recoil as much as when I was younger. I can do it, I just don't want to.

The only "magnum/big gun" I own now is a 9lb 300H&H and it's not bad at all. Nothing over 30cal.

LOL, truth here. My 9 pound suppressed 6.5x47 shooting 140 grain bullets around 2650 seems to kick quite lightly. Its some kind of miracle.

Amazing that many never catch on to this.

Any of this have to do with summertime bench shooting in a T-shirt versus cold weather coat or jacket?

Im 6' and 190 lbs.
Used to be 175 and no fat.
Shot everything like a varmint gun and took the swat.

Pushing 60, less muscle ( weigh 185 ).... and arthritis.

I can shoot the big stuff, w just a T shirt.
But I feel it next day, at half the round count.

Always shoot from the bench pretty upright.

Get a little tender these days, but hell I wake up sore when I havent shot anything.

The gas operation and the shock absorber in the stock are "slowing down" the recoil event and the gun itself before you start to feel the recoil. A recoil pad does the same to some degree. The thicker and squishier the pad, the longer time it spreads out the recoil and the more it slows the gun before you start to feel it.

Ft/Lb of recoil doesn't tell the whole story. Recoil velocity needs to be accounted for as well.

If 12ga 1 1/4oz shotshells produced 3K FPS instead of 1250-1300fps NOBODY would shoot them.

It just might be that somehow age has something to do with it. I usually kind of stretch the rifle between my hands when I shoot 30-06 or bigger rifles, I notice my left hand stays in place better and the weight of my arm helps slow the recoil down. On the old age thing, some days I just don't shoot well.