The fifty caliber guns don't kick much more than a 20gauge shotgun,although for me the Hawken style tends to slap me in the cheek. I prefer a straighter stock with no cheek piece. As for the Traditions Trapper 50 caliber pistol,I took a deer with mine last year at about 20 yards. I would not recommend shooting a deer much beyond 35 yards with the gun. With a load of 40 grains of 3f and a 490 patched round ball, the energy level is not there for clean kills beyond 35 yards in my opinion. Now I had a T/C scout pistol once that I loaded with 60 grains of 3f and a 240 grain ballet that took deer out to 50 yards, but It kicked like a 500 S&W.