Do you feel the recoil ?
 

The question was asked at deer camp today. How can you stand the recoil on those big bore gun that you shoot ? Then one of the other members said. ( Hurt's my shoulder to even think about pulling the trigger on any gun that says mag on the side )
Well I paused for just second and said. I have never noticed that my 338 WIN mag or 300 ultra mag have any more recoil than my 243 . When I line up a good clean shot on the animal that I"m about to take.
Adrenalen, heart rate, breathing all kind of blend together. Cross hair is in it's place. The presure builds on the trigger. Then Bang, it's done. Just like that. No recoil , Just a little blood from the eye lid from time to time. But when I go to the bench to shoot those big a** guns, they kind of roll my eyes around. Sight in time is short !


So would anyone like to comment on hunting recoil ?
Do you notice heavy recoil when hunting or just at the bench ? Most of your responses will be the talk of saturday night dinner.

Don't even feel my .300 Win mag when I'm shooting at a deer. Just like you say. No flinches or anything. Just aim and squeeze.

Nice thing about a magnum, no one else puts a tag on your deer. In 15 years I've shot numerous whitetail bucks (and does), a mule deer buck, two elk and a black bear and not one has gone over 10 yards from where I hit them.

Kind of mess to field dress sometimes though.... :jaw:

usually after a box at the range, im feelin it with the 300wsm...but never on a kill, even if i go through a box on hogs, never bothers me.

i don't think many people feel recoil when shooting at game. I think its more of a at the range thing. I myself like to practice with my rifles so i feel comfy taking a long shot etc.... i really don't like high recoil at the range thus my biggest gun is a 30.06.

I can only put four or five deer slugs through my 5 1/4 lb single shot 12 ga at the range before having to quit. The next day, my shoulder, upper arm, and chest area show heavy bruising and my neck bothers me quite a bit too. But when I take a shot at a deer, I don't feel a single thing. Methinks that the brain is so laser focused on the shot that it blocks out all other stimuli.

Not to hijack the thread, but what about the noise from the shot? If you shoot a deer rifle at the range w/o earplugs your ears will ring. Yet you shoot at a deer and hardly notice the noise. I can understand being so focused, excited, etc, that you don't notice the sound, but it still seems your ears would ring after the shot. So why don't they?

Oh, except the time I had a muzzle break on my Browning BAR. That rang my ears good after shooting a deer. I switched to a solid piece for the BOSS system after that.

I've never shot a mag rifle load, but I've shot plenty of 12 ga magnum slug loads. I don't imagine that a 300 Win Mag generates a whole lot more recoil than that, but y'all will have to comment on that since I don't know.

I definitely feel the recoil when shooting at the range. It doesn't cause me to flinch, though, but after about 15 slugs, my shoulder definitely starts to hurt. Even the first one smarts a bit. But for every shot, I find myself concentrating on a smooth, consistent trigger pull, and being surprised when the gun goes "bang."

It is definitely an interesting phenomenon in the field. Your brain and muscle memory go into full auto mode, and you just don't think about it; it just happens. I never, ever feel the recoil in the field, and I never concentrate on my trigger pull, etc. The only thing I think about (after checking the background) is the front sight or crosshairs, and the small gap in the trees that's allowing me to make a clean shot.

I think that is why practice, practice, practice is SO important. You cannot afford to be thinking about your shooting technique in the field. Even if you can't make it to the range a lot (which I, for one, cannot), you can still do a whole heck of a lot of practice with trigger control and target acquisition in your living room. I like to use the window to acquire outside targets. :)

Muzzle blast? Yeah, I definitely notice it with a centerfire rifle after taking a shot at deer. One shot from a shotgun or muzzleloader? Not so much (they dont' generate near the blast, IMO). Muzzle breaks are killers on the ears. I cannot for the life of me see why there are "hunting rifles" (like the Mossbergs that came out last year) with MUZZLE BRAKES. It's just ridiculous and unnecessary, and murder on the ears.

For me, recoil from basically any rifle "during" the shot on game is non-existent. I don't hear it or feel it. Never have.

Now that being said, imo magnums are way overrated for your typical whitetail hunting. Yes, there are situations where you need to shoot longer etc where a case can be made for having one, but 90% of the folks that use magnums most likely don't need to. The last thing I want to do is sight in a .300 ultra, etc. Most mags will wear you out to shoot from a bench, and not to mention the ammo is very expensive. Personally, I'd take a .243 over a .300 ultra any day. Its all about shot placement anyhow. If I was shooting deer at 300-400yds regularly, it might be different....but most folks shoot them at less than 100yds. Most of the time, its overkill.

I feel the recoil from my Savage .308 when I'm on the bench rest, practicing my shots. But it's not that bad.

When I got my 5 pointer up in New York on my sister's farm, I never felt the recoil at all. I just remember myself trying to stay calm, focusing hard and keeping the crosshairs steady on the buck. I gently pulled the trigger and BAM! I dropped the buck in his tracks.

its called adrenaline. youll be so pumped and focused on that deer that everything else isnt on your mind. Now im a bird hunter and this is my first year deer hunting. i wear ear plugs when bird hunting because my ears will ring, but when i shot my buck this year shootin a 2 3/4 inch sabot movin 2000fps, i dont even remember the kick or the bang. i was much more excited deer hunting then i ever am with birds thats for sure

I hate recoil period!

When shooting at game I never feel or notice it but at the range I hate shooting anything over a .270 and don't care to shoot that very many times.

It isn't that it hurts it just I start to jerk and at times pull the gun up skywerd on the shot which make the acuracy terrible and causes me to have less confidence in my shooting skills do to poor shooting at the range. But like I said in the feild I never have had a problem hitting my target not matter the cal.

What works best for me is to get the feel for the gun and not worry about if the shots are perfectly zeroed in and have my dad or my son do the fine tuning of the scope or iron sights. Then I take the gun and if it is really close as it is usually with in an inch of the bulleye at 100yrds I don't shoot it anymore until I go hunting. And I repeat this every year.

I will flinch with any gun .22 or what ever, if i shoot it very much. I am not a small guy either 6'3" 245lbs. I don't understand why I have this problem at the range other than maybe the fear of missing. In the feild put me a deer out to 250yrds or so with my .270 and it is a done deal. I don't miss where i aim but do that at the range and I will be lucky to hit anywhere on the target at that distance after a few shots.


Guess I am a wuss!!! but at least i know my limitations and what works best for me.

I agree that the difference in perceived recoil between game and paper is a mainly a mind game. You have to train yourself not to flinch when you're at the range, especially after long sessions. In terms of rifles, I haven't shot anything larger than my .308 and generally I can tolerate the recoil after about 2 boxes but anything past that I tend to get a flinch (my shoulder injury doesn't help either).

I haven't use this rifle on game yet, but before I was using that I had my slug gun and I use 3 1/2 inch turkey loads. The slug gun at the range was pretty rough, recoil-wise, and I even nailed the top of my eyebrow when I decided to experiment with 3" lightfields (my conclusion: they're unnecessary and I can't even imagine how bad those 3 1/2" Brenneke black magics kick). But when I shot a doe last year I barely noticed the recoil of the 2 3/4" slugs and I didn't notice the recoil while shooting two toms I got last spring. What I have learned, however, is that whether you're punching multiple shots through paper or one shot on an animal you have to keep your focus on where the bullet should hit the target, not where the butt of the gun is going to hit you.

I bought a lead sled this year for use at the range. Money well spend in my opinion for several reasons. I am not a very big dude, weighing in at 160lbs, but I am not afraid to shoot a big bore weapon at an animal because I believe that a little overkill is better than wounding an animal and letting it suffer. That's just my opinion though, and do not judge anybody by what they hunt with. I have found that I can spend a lot more time shooting now without getting spider web bruising in my shoulder. I also know that the gun is hitting true and I am not flinching when pulling the trigger. I have been having a lot of fun shooting several different kinds of ammo out of .22-250 and my 7mm. I do know that my 12ga slug gun kicks pretty good, and that 3 1/2 in. magnum turkey load through and extra full choke will kick like a mule, but I don't notice the recoil when I shoot at an animal.

Never when shooting at something!

Same here. I have a .338 Magnum with grizzly bear loads that make me whince just to think about shooting it. Never felt the recoil in the field.

I absolutely hate recoil! I am thinking of getting a rifle in one of the AR platforms. The M-16's I shot in the army didn't kick at all so maybe a .308 in the AR configuration won't kick too much either. The fact that you can change out the upper receiver with different calibers for the same rifle is appealing as well. :fighting0007:
+

with proper shooting tecniques recoil is never that bad,lots of ppl tend to hold a big gun much too tight expecting it to kick them on their butts,if they didnt do this it wouldnt be as noticeable.as far as scope eye,iv never experianced that.

Gotta 7mm Savage. Its a mule at the range but don't feel a thing when on stand

I don't feel recoil when I'm shooting at an animal and don't feel much when I'm shooting on the range. I shoot a 300 WBY on occasion and after ten rounds I start to feel it though. I'm not a small guy either.

Shoot more and you'll feel less. That being said I never have really felt recoil or had my ears start ringing when shooting deer, even when I was new to guns. If you just sight in and hunt every year, yeah, it's gonna hurt at the range. I shoot hundreds of rounds of centerfire (mostly 7mmRM) a year and don't really pay much attention to recoil anymore...

my .338 mag doesn't kick that much to me. i'm 16 years old and im not a big built kid but im good sized but when my buddy who is 18 stands 6'5 286lbs says it kills his shoulder. i dont notice the recoil whether im hunting or even at the range.

For me,even taking a shot at a nice buck the sound bothers me more than the recoil.

nicely said,aint it funny how ppl can complain about a sore butt while they sit on a pot of gold.ill leave it up to the weekend worriors to complain about the small things,maybe the heaters in thier trucks arent warm enough also.

Recoil
 

Out of curiosity, what slugs do you use in your Tracker II. I use Hornady 12ga. They have less recoil than some of the others, and still have long range and accuracy.

I broke my right clavicle and dislocated my left shoulder (which for some reason still hurts 6 months later) and when i shoot my savage 7 mag at a deer i never feel it. last year i was very worried about dislocating my shoulder while sitting in a stand and not being able to get down... but when the deer finally showed it's self i took the shot and iddnt think twice about my shoulder.

Most people misinterpret percussion for recoil………………………

If you use BOTH ear plugs AND ear muffs, you’ll be hard pressed to discern between a .243 Win and a .338 WM.

You never feel it or hear it in a hunt situation. Think about it.

I read the beginning of this thread the other day, and didn't give it another thought until this morning. I shot a deer with my 12ga Mossberg 535 20" barreled turkey gun. When I was listening for it to go down (which it did) I realized that my ears were ringing :) I don't think I would have noticed it except that this thread was fresh in my mind.

Go backstraps!!!

rw

Frankly I do not "feel" the recoil ... until maybe some time after! I've shot everything from a 243 Win. to a 416 Rem. Mag., and a bunch of 300 "Mags" in between .... and I chase Tom's with a 3 1/2" turkey load ..... now there is a stomper! I guess it is the focus, concentration and adrenalin.

I was on a massive anti-recoil kick before the season.
Brought a .243 bolt action. acceptable recoil

Then I brought a 7mm-08 BAR, figuring the semi auto would negate some of the recoil. WRONG. so now I'm playing with the managed recoil ammo. We'll see what happens. although it's not too bad with full strength ammo.

the .30-06 sits in the safe.

I do carry ear plugs in the field.

Went to the range last weekend with a friend, 25 years ago we both bought Rem. Model 78 in 30.06. I sold my gun years ago because I wasn't doing any gun hunting at the time, bowhunting only. Anyway i took a couple of shots with his rifle using 180gr. winchesters, I noticed the recoil !!!!!!! When I did shoot that gun on a regular bases it didn't seem as bad. I'm now shooting a Rem 700 in .243 that is very comfortable to shoot. I really don't miss the 30.06.

You could go on Chuck Hawks recoil table and compare the difference in calibers.

I kinda "trained" myself at the range to not let the recoil bother me during a shot, though...even during the heat of summer, I'll wear a flanel shirt with a towel folded up inside (just pull the trigger and let it pound me). That taught me to not flinch from the anticipation of a 300 or 7mm mag recoil.
So, "on the stand" I never notice the recoil at all...allthough a few scope scars on my nose and eyebrow from awkward holds make me remember it soon enough!

Honestly, I don't notice recoil when I shoot at animals.I have not shot a caliber that will separate my shoulder on the first shot, shooting it either.I have a .311 Canadian Imperial mag which is pretty equivalent to the recoil the 300 Ultras,Lazz produce. It's a 404 Jeffrey necked to a .311 cal bullet.But I do notice felt recoil more after practicing for an overly extended period at the range.I can certainly see the bruise the next day and my shoulder is quite stiff but it is what it is. Its practice,if you want good results in the field, you need to do it. But in the field I would never use something that would "separate my shoulder" on the first shot it's just not worth it to me.
So I choose calibers I know I can tolerate and I am actually able to hunt with them. I'm not gonna go buying calibers like the .577 Tyrannosaur for elephants.It just isn't worth it. I know I'd be putting bullets all over the place and I'd get gun shy quickly with that cal.

There's alot of reduced recoil ammo now, and fancy soft recoil pads.

This is what's so nice about the .270 and the 30-30, mild recoil and they both knock deer down with ease, assuming a decent hit.

yeah man, i agree. i hunt with a 45-70 govt. and it's a really light gun. it kicks the hell out of me when i shoot targets, but not when i shoot deer.

In years past i use to shoot a lot of guns and to be honest the hardest kicking was always 12 slugs .Short of auto loaders I think a 12 gauge has more recoil than most center fire rifles up to the 375 h and h.Let me specify .... solid 12 gauge slugs .. one ounce or better not sabots.I can be honest and say I have shot an 870 till i hurt trying to sight a gun in for a bud that was flinching all over .Damn scope mounts were loose . Worst recoil i ever felt was an H&R topper 12 with slugs .I have shot a 10 gauge with slugs that was no picnic .Never have i ever felt recoil on a hunting shot.

By far the worst I've been rocked is by my little synthetic 20" Mossy 535 with 3 1/2" turkey loads. You'd think with a punch like that you were trying to kill a water buffalo, not a stupid bird :)

rw

I think for me the hardest I've been kicked at the range was by a 12 ga. (1187) shooting 3" Winchester partition Golds! They will defiantly knock the cob webs out! In the field no where as much, but I bet if you had to unload more than one round such as a follow up shot I bet you'd start to feel the kick.