Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I read about how the avg guy pain threshold seems to be somewhere around a .30-06, anything larger and the chicken fairy seems to creep in. Personally a .30-06 / .270 feels likea slight tap on the shooulder. Biggest I've shot so far was a .300 win mag, and a .340 wby, no scope, I'd have to say the .300 kicks harder! I hear the .338 RUM is a kicker, really my .340 wby isn't much ofa hassle to shoot, it kicks, but no worries.

So at what caliber does shooting become a pain/hassle to you? Then at what point do you now even want to shoot the caliber? I hear that .378 wby is a nightmare! worst kick by far.....anyone ever shoot it?Personally though I have no experience with the big boys....375 H&H, I can't see kciking much harder than a .300 win mag or .340, but maybe? and for some reason I really don't sense that .458 Lott I want will do much punishment either. What's your experience?

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

The most gun I have shot was a Ruger No.1 in 416 Rigby, another hard kicker was a 10ga shotgun with slugs. Just don't shoot either from a bench!
The largest rifle I own is a 308 and also a 270 depending on how you look at it.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

http://www.youtube.com/v/OAwg-FaINkc&rel=1

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

The worst ive shot was a Ruger No.1 in 300 Weathery. I dont mind shooting the big guns but the biggest gun ive shot was a 300 Ultra Mag in a custom lightweight rifle. Now my dad on the other hand wont shoot my Tikka T3 in 300 WSM. He said it hurt too much to shoot it. I shot 2 boxes of ammo from it and it never botherd me. He only shot 2 rounds and wont ever shoot it again.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I've read that somewhere before too. I guess it was one of those 'gun writing experts' saying it. Personally I shot '06 that smacked you pretty good and others that were just love taps with the same load. A lot has to do with the stock design. I despised pattering my 870 Super mag with 3 1/2" turkey loads from the bench. That gave me one heck of a headache - literally.
The largest rifle I've ever fired was a 460WM. I shot that one off hand and it seemed like it turned my upper body 90 degrees with the recoil. Right now the hardest kicking rifles I have are my Browning Micro hunter in 325WSM and my Marlin Guide gun 45-70. The 2 rifles are light and let you know when they went off but the recoil is by no means intolerable.
What I would REALLY love to shoot would be a nice double rifle in 500NE.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I haven't shot any really large rifles, 30-06 is about the biggest I think in a centerfire. And a lot of it really depends on the rifle. I had a savage 110E in 30-06 when I was younger and it didn't bother me at all. And I was only like 5'3" and weighed about 85-90 lbs at the time. My step dad had a Remington pump in 30-06 as well and that thing was BRUTAL to shoot. I hated shooting it.

I have shot a lot of magnum muzzle loaders and larger shotguns with no real problems though. Like H&R ultras with three inch magnum loads and 600 grn slugs, 870's and 500's with winchester platinums and the likes and various turkey guns like 3.5 inch pumps with full turkey loads.

I even shot a 3 inch high velocity turkey shell with 2 OZ of #4 shot out of a standard H&R tracker single shot. That is one I probably won't forget soon:D[:@].

My thresh hold is probably 3 inch turkey loads out of a standard pump gun like a 870 or 500. I can shoot a 3.5 inch gun, but it's not something I care to do often.

I bet I could probably shoot a 300 win mag without many problems. I wouldn't be afraid to try it I know that.

Paul

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

Biggest/hardest kick I experienced was shooting my brother-in-law's .50 cal BMG. Then again, the actual "kick" wasn't as bad as I expected. It was like shooting a 12GA with a slug. But the concussion is what gets you. The sonic blast goes right through your body! [&:]

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I have a 300 RUM, and I did not like the recoil. I put a muzzle brake and a limbsaver recoil pad and now it's easy to shoot. I have a CZ 375 H&H on layaway. I would be very interested in hearing opinons on the recoil of that gun also. I'm hoping the 10 pounds it weighs will help reduce the recoil. I hope I can handle the recoil with just a pad, but I will put a mercury recoil reducer on it if I have to. If I still can't handle the recoil I'll add a muzzle brake as a last resort.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I have a very strong .45/70 single shot that weighs seven ppounds. With a 400-grain bullet at the maximum velocity attainable in this rifle, the recoil is 58 foot-pounds. I would NOT care to shoot anything that kicks more than this one! My .416 Rigby is easier on the shoulder than this .45/70, but it is heavier (10.5 pounds) & has a muzzle brake, which helps tame it some.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

My 10 gauge NEF single shot with turkey loads and the weight removed from the stock. Hurts at both ends. My grandpa had a 12 gauges Savage ultralight auto, weighed about 5lbs, I got a bloody lip shooting at a squirel one day.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

.450 Marlin Guide Gun definitely wakes you up. But other than that I'm really not recoil shy.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

16 gauge LC Smith side by side. Pulled both triggers at the same time by accident. Needless to say bloody nose and sore shoulder...

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

Like most of these posts, it ain't black and white, it depends....
-- on the bench?
-- practicing field positions?
-- hunting?

I haven't found my upper limit yet and whether I pursue it depends on time, money, and direction; I would consider one step further up to like a 500A2, 500Jeffrey, or 505Gibbs, but will likely work on a super 308 or super 338 for long range work before going further up the scale, asI really feel I have all I need at the moment.

I'm still in great shape physically, so there is no need to start disowning my pastin order to feel good about my present (the old "I used to have magnumitis, but now I know better" crap)....
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Have the 50 BMG and as mentioned before, it is not the recoil but the shock wave that isthe potential distractor.... it pays to blow your nose before shooting as it can literally "slap" the"nose moisture"right out of you.

Have shot the 500 Nitro Express.... not bad at all, big straight sided case and 2100 fps with a heavy double rifle.... it is a puppy dog.

The .400+ safari bolt rifles: 458 Lott, 416 Rigby, et al, are definitely not gallery guns and you'll never burn the barrell out on them and I would not shoot them prone. Barring "muzzlebrakes & weight added to stock & leadsleds on the bench;" you definitely need to be on top of your "recoil management game" when using these rifles.Only a fool uses the "school of hard knocks" training school with these rifles. There is nothing casual about them. Go for a "quality" experience, but notfor "quantity." That said, if you have the mental control, thenyou can put your shots right on the mark.

The 375 H&H is warm and cuddly and a lot of fun to shoot, and even more fun to kill with.... a hand full, yes, but very managable.... one sweet thumper. In some countries, though, the 375 H&H is not legal for dangerous game, the requirement in some places being .400 or betterplus other energy requirements.

338WinMag, 300WinMag, 7mmRemMag.... while quite easy recoil-wise by comparison (unless you put yourself in the ultralight-no-muzzlebrake situation) --- they are great tools for the right jobs though.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

My .340 has a pachmyar recoil pad, which is really nice, never used a limbsaver etc...pad, sure they're prob similar, my browning .300 just has their standard pad, which I think may be why it feels like it kicks more. If i hever replace a pad I'm going to get a pachmyar.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

PS- though I think their maybe be somethign to do with kick, depending how how far down the cartridge steps.....ie....how oversized the cartridge is compared to the caliber. So a .300 RUM should kick more than a .338 or .375 RUM not sure how much truth this holds, but I know they say the .378 wby kicks more than the .416/.460wby because of this?

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

The worst i have to say would be when i was sitting up against a tree in my yard and pulled the trigger of my Mossberg 835 with 3 1/2 in turkey mag in it.My shoulder was right up against the tree.Needless to say,my whole shoulder was bruised.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I agree it is worse than our .375 H&H. Though if you shoot it standing up it is not bad.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

My 10 gauge with slugs is a thumper.

My worst iwas a 338 out of my ruger with sinthetic stocks.
For some reason it's one gun I don't like to shoot for fun. lol

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

Since I'm still looking for the load it loves, I have shot my Model 70 XTR in .338 Win. Mag a good bit lately off the bench. 5-shot groups. It can be a bit to handle with full-power loads, but you've gotta concentrate on the sight picture, breathing, and trigger squeeze. Yeah, it whaps me pretty good. I use the "free recoil" style.
The worst beating I ever took was with my buddy's .375 H&H in an Encore. Like was said before, that thing actually gave me a headache!! Of course the 'scope eye" I got after the first shot probably didn't help either....

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I have owned two rifles chambered in 375 H&H, and I will absolutely never own one again. They were punishment. On the other hand, I have a Ruger M77 Ultralite 270 that kicks more than the 300 Win Mags that I have owned. My current favorite caliber is 9.3x62, and it is comparable to a 375 H&H in power but more like a 30-06 in recoil. It is all I want in the way of recoil.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

My 7mm. mag is just about right for me, I have shot the 300 and the 338 RUM's, more kick butwasn't as bad as a 3 1/2" turkey load in a Mossy.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I've heard lots of folks complain about recoil and synthetic stock Rugers in the same breath, even with the modest 7mmRemMag.

Add to that what I feel are some of the poorest triggers in the business and that can make for a rifle that is hard to like.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I'm sure the 300 or the 30/06 doesn't hurt you. There are not too many rifles that are readily available to the average consumer (money constraint wise) that will acctually HURT you.

But my question is, and I probably know the answer already, is can you shoot that 300 WELL? If I were to load the gun for you, and occasionally hand it to you dry.. would I catch you smacking the trigger and flinching....bet I would!

That is the definition of being able to "handle" recoil. When I was a catcher in college our coach used to make us stop pitches in the dirt with no glove on, requiring us to lock our hands behind our backs. We had a couple of guys throwing in the high 80s and one in the 90s. After 10 or 15 of those... real pain sets in. You get used to it, and in a game you don't hesistate to drop down to your knees and block the ball... great training.

I'll stand up to anything... but I can acctually handle a .375. I know this, because I do it on a regular basis. I've shot everything from .460s without muzzlebrakes (which is something that CAN hurt you), to 470 Nitros, which in the right rifle which will be heavy, is just a fairly big push and a very loud report. I think personally that some of the American built, light weight .458s and of course the .460 Weatherby are the worst of the rifles. There are certain 300's in light guns, with high Monte Carlo stocks that pound worse than most 375s will. All depends on the build of the gun.

Honestly, the most kickin' guns I've shot day in and day out are super light turkey guns with 3.5" shells... ehhhh.

I personally do not care for more recoil than I need to do what I need to do. For whitetails and medium game.. that would be a 7mm-08.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

shot my granddads double barreled 12 gauge when i was 12 and let both barrels fly at the same time. never did that again. as far as rifles go i just shot a 460 wby today.............bazooka.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I have a Weatherby Vanguard synthetic that I put a Kick-Eez pad on. It shoots 300 Wby Mags off the bench pretty well. I had a 45-70 level gun with a solid butt plate. Still not that bad. A 338 Win was easy. A light, single-shot Stevens 12ga with a platic butt plate might be the worst. With slugs, it's bad. I've never shot anything over .340 with a rifle, though.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

The largest centerfire rifle I've shot (I own) is the .300 WSM. While it definately kicks more than my .30-06, its not bad. Shooting my first box of ammo, I flinched quite a bit. After some practice, I've mastered the tigger pull. I'm shooting a milk jugat .300 yards with no problem

As stated previously, my Mossberg 835 with 3.5 inch OO Buckshot or Turkey loads is very painful. No matter how I held it, it would jump up and hit my cheek bone. I've tamed it with a limb saver recoil pad. No worries now.

I wonder what the kick of a 835 3.5 inch shell compares to in rifle caliber?

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

444 Marlin in my Handi is the harderst kicker I got.. Next to the 12 Ga 3.5 O/U Browning..

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

most recoil I have felt is a Mossberg 500 12 guage with 3.5" turkey Heavy shot with a brick recoil pad.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

The worst rifle for recoil I ever shot was my wood stocked Ruger Mark II 30-06. That thing was just brutal in the recoil department. The stock didn't fit me right, and I dreaded shooting targets with that gun. I didn't ever miss a critter with that rifle, but finally sold it.

My Browning A-Bolt Stalker in 7mm Rem Mag is a ***** cat. It has muzzle flip and thats about it.

I've shot a 300 RUM, 300H&H, 338 Winchester, 45/70, 50BMG, 50cal Muzzleloader, 375H&H, and none of them really bothered me. THe worse one I shot was probably the 300 RUM, its more a real quick jolt when you squeeze the trigger, the rest are more of a hard push. The RUM I shot prone, and after a few rounds of that I could see taking a break.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

The Hardest Kicking Gun I ever shot that was just plain down painful was a 375 H&H magnum in a T/C Encore. I death gripped that thing and that scope still tapped me in the nose while shooting it from a bench. I won't shot it again till I have a muzzlebrake installed on it!! haha
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RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I have a 300 WBY and don't mind the recoil unless I shoot over ten rounds in a session. I truly haven't had the need or opportunity to shoot anything larger.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I draw the line at 3.5" magnum 12ga turkey loads out of my light Remington 870 SPS-T 21" turkey gun.[:-][:-][:-]

Still searching forthe detached retina.:eek:I think 7 rounds took years off my life.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

I have a 24" .405 Winchester barrel for my Encore. At just over 7 pounds, it's a fairly light compact gun perfect for bear out of a stand. I load it with 300gr Barnes solid copper bullets pushing 2250fps at the muzzle. Thank goodness for the Simms recoil pad. That thing has a fairly harsh kick and a mean muzzle jump. You really have to be holding onto it when you touch it off. I have been concidering a muzzle brake to eliminate the muzzle jump, which I feel is the worst part of shooting it.

RE: Most Gun / Kick you care to handle?
 

Worst kicker I have ever shot was a 10 ga 3 1/2" magnum single shot with a 32" barrel and full choke.It would slap the snot right out of you. Wasn't any fun at all!