Felt Recoil - what has been your experience

[Northern Shooter]

Powder charge and case capacity may be the one contributing factor between your 416 and 458 WinMag.

I own both as well and feel like my 416 Rigby recoils just as hard as full load 458 WM despite the rifle setup being 1.5lbs heavier than my 458.

A 416 Rigby case can hold 30gr+ more than the 458 WinMag.

I have the opportunity to shoot a 500 Jeffery this weekend for the first time in a very light-for-caliber rifle (Sako, 8.8lbs). This should be interesting.

 

[BryceM]

Well, everyone has made good points. I’ll just add that there is a world of difference between recoil energy, recoil velocity, and perceived recoil. It’s that last one that makes you flinch. So many factors come into play. Stock design, the way you shoulder it, the way you hold it into your shoulder, trigger technique, hand placement, standing straight up vs leaning in, etc. I think heavy recoiling guns sometimes “hurt” solid, big guys more than little flexible dudes that simply bend.

My CZ550 in .416 Rigby with 400gr bullets at 2400 fps demands attention and proper technique, but it isn’t all that bad off the sticks. I’m not ashamed to admit I used a Limbsaver pad during my last hunt. I shoot it better with it. Prone? Only if there’s a good reason.

210 gr bullets out of a .340 MkV Weatherby is unpleasant. I’d rather shoot the .416 Rigby. I would only shoot a .460 Wby if there was a really, really good reason.

The .375 H&H in a decently weighted rifle isn’t bad at all.

I have a youth model Weatherby Vanguard in 7mm-08 that kicks like a raging demon. I hate the thing. Likewise, a .350 Rem Mag in a relatively light Rem 660 kicks hard enough that it isn’t pleasant. A 7mm once scope cut me so badly I gave up hunting altogether, for a week or two.

Muzzle blast contributes to flinching too. The concussive blast wave from high velocity rounds will eventually give me a headache. Suppressors make all of this sooooo much nicer. A .375 with a good suppressor isn’t the least bit unpleasant, even prone.

 

[steve white]

I shoot a 9.3x62 in a CZ 550 FS rifle whose felt recoil is substantially less than my 30-06 shot from a ruger American rifle. And it doesn't matter the bullet weight or load. I also believe that proper form and a stiff grip on a rifle mitigates felt recoil to an extent. I have shot rifles up to 470 NE with less felt recoil than a pump shotgun shooting 3 1/2" magnum turkey loads. Just one hunters experiences.

Which is a way of saying that if you CAN shoot turkey loads you shouldn't sweat shooting a 470 at all.

 

[Frederik]

Fitment of the rifle is the no.1 for me that makes it easy or not.
I hate it when a rifke kicks me in the cheek Blaser S3 doubles has the habit to hit my cheek.
I have also seen vast difference in recoil with same rifle with different powders being used even when the bullet weight and velocity stays the same.

 

[grand veneur]

...

I have the opportunity to shoot a 500 Jeffery this weekend for the first time in a very light-for-caliber rifle (Sako, 8.8lbs). This should be interesting.

Approximately the weight of my rifle without the scope. With the standard load of a 535gr bullet at 2400 fps muzzle velocity, the recoil is somewhat stronger but still manageable.

 

[Altitude sickness]

Very good points made in previous posts but as usual, I will try to complicate the obvious…

There is calculated recoil and then there is how each shooter perceives recoil.
Along with stock design and gun fit of similar weight rifles, these and perhaps other factors may contribute to shooters’ felt/perceived recoil.

Shooters' form can make recoil easy or hard to deal with. Is the shooter's body stiff or does their body bend like a willow from recoil?

Factors of perceived / felt recoil include but may not be limited to;

• Recoil energy
• Recoil velocity
• Recoil acceleration (slow/fast powders and rate of acceleration of chamber pressure (curve))
• Increase in atmospheric pressure level as measured in decibels of sound and the total duration of the overpressure. The total units of overpressure (decibels X duration) can wear out the best of shooters. This isn't part of any recoil formula but overpressure takes it toll on a shooter!
  • If you don’t believe me, try a round of sporting clays with an 8 gauge shotgun firing 1.5 ounce loads. Great fun and the clay targets will disappear! If you are like me, one round per day will be your limit!
  • The US military limits the number of times per day one may fire a rocket launcher due to the accumulative effects of overpressure on the brain.

Finally, for all of the above and perhaps more there is how you and how I perceive the effects on our bodys in an instant in time. For some, the recoil of a 10 lb 375 H&H may seem high while others’ recoil tolerance may allow them to enjoy shooting a "properly weighted" 505 Gibbs! We are all different...

Mark, I don’t know much about over pressure. Only what you have explained to me. But I know I have experienced its effects. I shot my 50 BMG with a large break too many times and the recoil is negligible because of its weight. But after too many rounds I felt sick. How in the heck do the Arty guys take that much concussion?

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

In order to give the subject the respect it deserves, here is a thread on Recoil itself. Here is a link to probably 1 of a 1000 similar links on the recoil of various rifles. https://chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm

Off course there are so many variables that effect recoil, such as specific rifle build, weight, specific bullet load etc.

However, some have noted on the 458 WM vs Lott thread (p9 onwards), that they, and I am one of them, feel that certain rifles in certain cartridges which are normally smaller than others, have more recoil than the bigger ones. Case in point, my subjective opinion is that my 416 Rigby has more felt recoil, than my 458 Express. Yes it could actually be due all of the reasons above.

For me, I have long thought about why out of my 3 big game rifles, the other being a 375H&H, the 416Rigby has the most felt recoil, which I noted some other have experienced the same thing. The reason I believe, well for me personally is as follows: I am proficient with a 375H&H, shot it for years and comfortable with it. 458 is open sight. 416 Rigby is scoped. As can been seen in some table's, the 416Rigby is very close to recoil energy and velocity to that of say a 458 Lott. I have no issue with recoil, but here comes the "kicker", I believe, subconsciously (for me) the fact that the higher than one expects recoiling 416 Rigby has a scope, which may cause me to join the half moon club, does make it feel like a heavier kicking recoil firearm.

Look forward to hearing what the rest say - let's not make it about facts - the charts gives those, What were your experiences with recoil.

I remember one rifle specifically that had more recoil than I expected an liked, it was a friends pre64 Mod 70 Winchester in 30-06, it still had a steel recoil pad - that thing recoiled like a mule

@Hunter-Habib
Recoil is a subjective thing to me.
I have shot a 378 Weatherby that I found pleasant to shoot. @Badboymelvin has a 425 express that he finds the recoil a bit excessive for him yet I find it very comfortable to shoot. My Whelen is a pussy cat to use. A friend owns a 30-378 that he can't use a muzzle brake on at the range. That thing while the recoil is snappy it is still not to bad off the bench
On the other hand my Whelen AI gives me a recoil headache after around 10 shots off the bench. My mates little Marlin 44 mag beat me unmercifully yet my 444 Marlin was a pleasure to shoot. My mate @peter who owns a German 9.3x62 that one shot cured me of ever wanting to fire another shot out of it. I once owned a nice little 410 shotgun that would belt you up the check every shot until I took to the stock with a wood rasp.
I find that if the stock fits me properly and the rifle has a bit of weight I'm fine with it.
Personally I think stock design has a lot to do with perceived recoil. The rifles that beat me up while all being what could be regarded as light to medium recoil ALL had stock that didn't fit me properly.
Those I found comfortable to shoot all had stocks that fit me well. Even the 30-378 while only being 9# and snappy, it had a nice recoil pad and a good stock that fit me well. The owner even tho he shot it well he found it beat him up after a few shots.
Just my personal take on recoil. If a rifle fits you well and has a bit of heft recoil shouldn't be to objectionable. On the other hand if it doesn't fit you you may as well go 10 round with Mike Tyson, it would be less painful.
Bob