Ammo Recoil And You...Where Are You On This Recoil Table?

I'd say that any of the WW2 war time cartridges, 8mm Mauser, .303 Br, 7.62x 54r, 30-06, (I'll throw .308 in here) etc., calibers are about the high end of any type of sustained shooting and they will beat up the largest of us when shot through bolt guns.

Likewise, 2 and 3/4" 12 gauge slugs are in the same category through pump guns. Fun, but you're going to bruise and be sore the next day.

Larger calibers or longer/magnum slugs just aren't "fun" past a handful of rounds. Actually, they're kind of abusive.
 
Painkillers said:
Likewise, 2 and 3/4" 12 gauge slugs are in the same category through pump guns. Fun, but you're going to bruise and be sore the next day.

Larger calibers or longer/magnum slugs just aren't "fun" past a handful of rounds. Actually, they're kind of abusive.
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It's funny, given the accustomization I have had in shooting 12ga slugs (as that is what my club allows), I thought I had become somewhat impervious to the effects of slugs and have become used to several techniques to help mitigate the effects of the felt recoil. I have been shooting them through my semi auto with little ill effects. I recently (like Saturday) picked up a new-to-me pump 12ga and took it to the club Sunday afternoon thinking I would have an enjoyable time of putting holes in the paper target. I ran through the usual regular slugs but also had maybe 15 or so of the "magnum" high velocity slugs. Overall, about 83 slugs. It definitely became slightly uncomfortable after maybe 45 rounds, but being a glutton of punishment and not wanting to bring home full or empty boxes, I went through the rest of them.

Today's Tuesday and the shoulder is definitely tender and sore. Serves me right...heh heh...
 
Painkillers said:
I'd say that any of the WW2 war time cartridges, 8mm Mauser, .303 Br, 7.62x 54r, 30-06, (I'll throw .308 in here) etc., calibers are about the high end of any type of sustained shooting and they will beat up the largest of us when shot through bolt guns.

Likewise, 2 and 3/4" 12 gauge slugs are in the same category through pump guns. Fun, but you're going to bruise and be sore the next day.

Larger calibers or longer/magnum slugs just aren't "fun" past a handful of rounds. Actually, they're kind of abusive.
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It's been my experience that "the larger the shooter the more sensetive they are to recoil"

This is mostly due to shooting rifles with stocks that don't fit the shooter properly and are to short as often as not, as well as poor shooting stances.

I always cringe when I watch a shooter with a rifle that obviously doesn't fit and doesn't know how to hold the rifle shoot from prone or sitting behind a bench and off a bag rest.

In both of the above positions, there isn't anywhere for the recoil be be absorbed other than the body of the shooter, so discretionary items such as recoil pads are warranted.

When you're standing or kneeling or leaning against a tree while shooting, the body will "move" with the recoil and deflect a lot of the felt energy. That doesn't happen when shooting prone or sitting at the bench and this is where a nasty flinch often develops.
 
bearhunter said:
When you're standing or kneeling or leaning against a tree while shooting, the body will "move" with the recoil and deflect a lot of the felt energy. That doesn't happen when shooting prone or sitting at the bench and this is where a nasty flinch often develops.
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Interesting observation - I find this to be very true. A month or so ago I remember taking my bolt action 308 to the club and I went to a longer distance and sat down at the bench on a stool. Previously I would stand shouldering the rifle and target shooting that way. For whatever reason when sitting down, that 308 really hurt my shoulder. I tried different ways to shoulder it differently but I felt the sharp punch. I stood up back up and took the next few shots standing back in my default position and it was much more manageable. I am sure it was a combination of bench height, stool height and me trying to get decent eye relief, so was squirming everywhere to get into a good position. Whereas my eye relief was set more for a standing leaning position, or it was just to what I was accustomed.
 
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