My worst is a SS, Ruger 1 in 45/90. It's been ported, and has recoil reducing pad on it. On the bench when shooting, it rotates up and to the right, off of the rest after every shot. Current loading is 65 gr. 3031 with 405 gr. Remington. I could be traded out of that one, easily.
Recoil...the worst?
- Thread starter 300WSM
- Start date
The worst I can remember was a super lightweight mountain rifle in 270 that my dad had for awhile. Don't remember the model and I was fairly young, but I remember I shot it twice thinking I was going to use it for a deer hunt and handed it back and said thanks, but no thanks....I'll use my 300H&H!
Don't laugh, but a Winchester M94 carbine. :shock: Way back when, when I was about 6 years old we were on a family gathering and they'd been shooting that M94 and then switched to what I guess was a malin lever action .22. being a wise 6 year old I couldn't tell the difference and I wanted to shoot the gun. The handed me that damn 30-30 and it not only kicked the snot out of me but reared up and smacked me on the nose giving me a healthy nose bleed. They thought it was funny as hell. I was raised by my grandparents and they didn't much like guns. 
FWIW, I killed my first deer with that same 30-30 when I reached the ripe old age of 11. 8) These days, probably the hardest kickes I have are my Ruger #1's in .404 Jeffery and .416 Rigby. Ruger in their infinite wisdom puts an awfully skimpy piece of rubber for a butt pad. However, the two most uncomfortable rifles I have regarding painful recoil are Winchester M70s in .338 Win. mag. One was made around 1969 and the other an USRAC stainless Classic. When I shoot those, I hear what sounds like a click inside my head. Makes me think my brain is bouncing around inside my head. The .404 and .416 don't do that to me. The stainless classic is the worst of the two but neither one is fun to shoot. When I shoot the Rigby my wife says I have no sense & no feeling. :lol: Probably a stock fit problem I'm thinking.
Paul B.
FWIW, I killed my first deer with that same 30-30 when I reached the ripe old age of 11. 8) These days, probably the hardest kickes I have are my Ruger #1's in .404 Jeffery and .416 Rigby. Ruger in their infinite wisdom puts an awfully skimpy piece of rubber for a butt pad. However, the two most uncomfortable rifles I have regarding painful recoil are Winchester M70s in .338 Win. mag. One was made around 1969 and the other an USRAC stainless Classic. When I shoot those, I hear what sounds like a click inside my head. Makes me think my brain is bouncing around inside my head. The .404 and .416 don't do that to me. The stainless classic is the worst of the two but neither one is fun to shoot. When I shoot the Rigby my wife says I have no sense & no feeling. :lol: Probably a stock fit problem I'm thinking. Paul B.
- Nov 4, 2004
- 25,029
- 8,036
The worst recoil I have felt is a M870 Super Mag 12 ga 3.5" magnum loaded up with Winchester 2 1/4 oz Turkey loads. Not sure which was worse, the tap on the shoulder or the upper cut to the face.
The recoil was much worse than the 338 RUM shooting 250 gr bullets at 3000 fps.
The other hard kicker for me was the 338 RUM with 300 gr AB's at 2700 fps.It was border line unpleasant off the bench and that is why I put a brake on the rifle. She is a pussy cat now for 800 yd shooting.
JD338
The recoil was much worse than the 338 RUM shooting 250 gr bullets at 3000 fps.
The other hard kicker for me was the 338 RUM with 300 gr AB's at 2700 fps.It was border line unpleasant off the bench and that is why I put a brake on the rifle. She is a pussy cat now for 800 yd shooting.
JD338
G
Guest
Guest
Worst recoil I have ever experienced is similar to Jim's. I was maybe 15-yrs old, shot a single shot 12 ga. with a slug load, bout took my shoulder off. My 300 RUM doesn't compare, even shooting 200 AB loads!
Don
Don
nosler06
Handloader
- Nov 13, 2012
- 250
- 23
I would have to say being a cocky 15yr old and not very big around 120lbs decided that my dads buddies 375 H&H Mag with a 275gr boattail looked like a pussy cat. It was not fit with any fancy recoil pad either. Well they thought it was funny to let me shoot a round prone. Needless to say it was a long time before I shot that thing again. I think my shoulder still might sit low on the right side. Lol
cloverleaf
Handloader
- Sep 10, 2006
- 4,367
- 983
Havent shot a lot of heavy hitters, but my Dad says he would rather shoot his circa 1964 7mm Mag than shoot my 12 ga w/ a Buck hammer 11/4 oz slug. I agree. I sold that stevens 7mm-08 because I made the mistake of shooting it while it was strapped down to the bencch. All the recoil came straight back on the point of my shoulder. Though I had dislocated it for a minute. hurt for 2 weeks. Single shots kick to for some reason. CL
- Nov 4, 2004
- 25,029
- 8,036
Stock design and fit play a big role in felt recoil.
JD338
JD338
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
- 17,698
- 5,574
Well there was the time when I was 14 or 15 and duck hunting with Dad...
And both barrels of my 20 gauge double went off at once with 3" magnums...
The shotgun landed a few feet away!
And both barrels of my 20 gauge double went off at once with 3" magnums...
The shotgun landed a few feet away!
gerry
Ammo Smith
- Mar 1, 2007
- 6,794
- 1,491
The worst for me was the Marlin Guide gun, one in 450 Marlin shooting the factory 350 gr bullets and the other was a 45-70 that the owner hot loaded some 400 gr Speer's at over 2000 fps. Those didn't feel good to shoot off the bench, but they were accurate. Working up a bunch of loads in a couple of days after getting my 375 Ruger wasn't fun either with the original "hockey puck" recoil pad it came with. It now has a Limbsaver on it I still don't like to shoot it more than about 9-12 times of the bench in one range session though.
I still don't like to shoot it more than about 9-12 times of the bench in one range session though.
Ridge_Runner
Handloader
- Sep 29, 2006
- 1,374
- 696
worst for me without a doubt was a custom NEF 10 gua. I bought it new and was gonna make the ultimat gobbler gun, fist cut the barrel off at 25", had custom choke tubes made, removed the counterweight from the buttstock, added rifle sights (peep on the rear) kept the factory pad (huge mistake)
went to sight in, first shot the gun raised me off the bench, muzzle done a figure 8 spanning 3 feet or so, after the third shot, I was in misery my head absolutely throbbed, all my teeth in my left jaw were bleeding and it was 1 round a week till the sight-in was complete. total kills with that gun was 1 groundhog, shot him with a load of # 4 buckshot at 80 yards, he just fuzzed up all over, found a guy who wanted it worse than me.
RR
went to sight in, first shot the gun raised me off the bench, muzzle done a figure 8 spanning 3 feet or so, after the third shot, I was in misery my head absolutely throbbed, all my teeth in my left jaw were bleeding and it was 1 round a week till the sight-in was complete. total kills with that gun was 1 groundhog, shot him with a load of # 4 buckshot at 80 yards, he just fuzzed up all over, found a guy who wanted it worse than me.
RR
wisconsinteacher
Handloader
- Dec 2, 2010
- 1,976
- 290
Mossberg 835 turkey gun with 3.5" mags. My dad and his buddy got matching guns. The first shot from my dad's buddy was okay but the second shot he flinched so bad he missed a oven box at 25 yards. He missed 3 feet high. That gun is gone.
pre6422hornet
Handloader
- Jan 24, 2012
- 974
- 9
I have to agree any 3.5 turkey load has gotten my attention and respect even when fired out of the Super Black Eagle. Another one was an 870 20 gauge with a youth stock and short slug barrel on it. That thing was torture to shoot slugs out of.
As Jim said, stock design has a lot to do with it. If you would have told me a steel butt plate on a .348 would be fine to shoot in a light shirt I would have said you were crazy... till I did it. Those Winchester engineers did a fabulous job on that stock.
As Jim said, stock design has a lot to do with it. If you would have told me a steel butt plate on a .348 would be fine to shoot in a light shirt I would have said you were crazy... till I did it. Those Winchester engineers did a fabulous job on that stock.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,228
- 5,734
SJB358":2if8ntw6 said:
I can see the wheels turning already. :mrgreen:
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 5
The worst recoil that I remember was as a kid in Maine. I was probably 10 years old and my friend's father handed me a double 10 gauge with no pad and said "pull both triggers". The father was an alcoholic and was mean to boot. He liked to torture kids, especially his own. The 10 gauge nearly knocked me down but I was not going to give this kid's father the victory of a reaction and I just handed the gun back to him after firing and said nothing.
Shot a friends 308 Norma mag built on a Mauser action and a light stock. It had a 2 lb trigger and I was used to my model 700 with a 62 lb trigger. It touched off before I was ready for it. Scoped me and felt like I was hit by a Mack truck. Never shot it again and Sold my 30.06 shortly thereafter and bought a 243!
1960s vintage 10 gauge single shot, break action goose gun. It was extremely light, the barrel had been cut down a bit, and it had an all metal butt stock.
Pretty sure I fractured something when I touched it off. Probably didn't help that at the time, I was probably 110 pounds.
Pretty sure I fractured something when I touched it off. Probably didn't help that at the time, I was probably 110 pounds.
Worst poke I ever took was from a 12 ga. 3" heavy 1 7/8 oz. lead goose load (during the lead years). Lying on the ground I rolled to the right a little & the butt slid off my shoulder & came to rest on my bicep muscle. In the heat of the moment, I pulled the trigger; godd, what pain! Never did it again.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,228
- 5,734
bobbyrum":2lqq0586 said:Worst poke I ever took was from a 12 ga. 3" heavy 1 7/8 oz. lead goose load (during the lead years). Lying on the ground I rolled to the right a little & the butt slid off my shoulder & came to rest on my bicep muscle. In the heat of the moment, I pulled the trigger; godd, what pain! Never did it again.
I can see how that would get your attention! :shock:
