I've been shooting shotguns since I started shooting. I haven't had much experience with rifles though. I have shot .223's, .243's, .270, .308, .338, and a .303. Most of those were just one or two shots just to shoot them, so I don't even remember the recoil they had. I was wondering if somebody would put some well-know calibers in order from wimpiest (.22, .223, etc) up to the big kickers so I have an idea of what they do. Throw a 12ga 3" slug or a 3 1/2" turkey load in there since I'm familiar with those so I know where they rate. Thank you!

rw

In my experience the turkey loads and slugs kick harder than any practical hunting rifle.

PodunK is right on.

If you shoot 12 gauge 3 1/2" turkey loads it's more than the recoil of most big bores.


http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm


http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_recoil_table.htm


If you use both ear plugs and ear muffs and you'll be fine.


Man up !!!

I'm not a recoil expert by any means but I'm very recoil sensitive. I have hunted with a 12 ga 3 1/2" shotgun for years. I have also owned and shot a lot of heavy recoil rifles. My comments may not coincide with recoil charts but my comments are my true feelings from my experiences. The hardest recoil rifle I have ever owned was a Remington 300 Ultra Mag. I put a muzzle brake on it and it tamed it down. It made it very comfortable to shoot. The shotguns seem to be more of a push or a shove compared to the sharp recoil of the magnum rifles that I have shot. My 300 RUM was a beast until I put the muzzle brake on it. In my opinion, the recoil of the magnum shotguns and the recoil of the magnum rifles are not the same. They are to different beast. The rifles being the meaner of the two.

You can find a recoil calculator online...if you know the weight of the rifle, bullet weight, bullet velocity etc...you can estimate how much recoil it'll have.

When I was 15 I remember a .270win kicking me like a mule!

lately 12ga's seem to be kicking harder, my .340wby seems to kick less than my .300win mag. though both are fast and hard kicks, I kinda think bigger slower rounds are more like a big shove than a fast punch.

The most brutal kick I've heard of was the .378wby, big and fast!
I also hear the .338RUM is quite bad. but my .340wby is manageable without a brake on it.

Chuck Hawks has tables on his site...Guns and Shooting Online.

Recoil tables give you a decent idea about how to compare rifles to each other. But the reality of how recoil effects each of us is very personal. It depends on the load, the weight of the rifle, but most importantly shooting form, stock construction and design, recoil pads, etc. A small lightweight person with good shooting form can experience a great deal less recoil than a big burley person with very poor form.

My father has hunted with a Rem 600 in .308 for probably 40 years. The recoil in that little carbine will make most men think that they are shooting a mag caliber. I have a Rem 700 in .308 and it kicks half as much as his.

He's now closing in on 80 and we're talking about getting him a .243, .25-06 or 7mm-08 because he recently had a defibrilator put in and the Dr said that anything with major recoil could mess up the defib.

my little brother is 14( only 120lbs) and can handle a 12 gauge fine,although recoil don't bother him at all. I,however,am very recoil sensitive and my biggest gun is a 7mm mag...

~~RW

Recoil does not bother me too much but of the guns I have owned a shot frequently (least to most recoil)
1. Ruger 22/10 rifle in .22 LR
2. Ruger mini-14 in .223 Remington
3. 12 guage Remington 1100 semi-auto shotgun 2 3/4 inch skeet loads.
4. 12 guage Weatherby SAS semi-auto shotgun 2 3/4 trap loads.
5. 12 guage Remington 1100 2 3/4 inch pheasant loads
6. Savage Model 1899 rifle in .303 Savage
7. Watherby 12 guage SAS shotgun 3 inch water fowl loads.
8. Remington SP-10 Magnum 10 guage shotgun 3 1/2 inch 1 7/8 oz. water fowl loads.
9. Remington SP-10 Magnum 10 guage semi-auto shotgun, 3 1/2 inch mag. 2 1/4 ounce turkey loads.
10. Remington BDL rifle in 7mm Rem Mag.
11. Remington SP-10 Magnum 10 guage 3 1/2 inch mag. 1 3/4 oz. rifled slug
12. Weatherby Vanguard rifle in .300 Weatherby Magnum.


Special Mention;
1. A Brazilian made single shot 12 guage shotgun that I bought on sale for $30, any load.
2. S&W 12 guage pump action shotgun in 3 inch magnum.

These two guns were real cripplers and I do not mean of game animals. I attribute their murderous recoil to poor design and got rid of both of them many years ago.