Author Topic: What is your "HANDGUN RECOIL LIMIT" ? (Read 7986 times)

New Hampshire · « **Reply #30 on:** December 30, 2004, 05:10:48 PM »

Quote from: Graybeard

Quote
Hey GrayBeard,

Maybe you can help me out with thise one...

What is this maximum recoil of which they speak?

I am having difficulty understanding the question.

Thanks,

SA

I'ma thinking in your case when that barrel comes back so hard and so fast it bops you on yore punkin head and knocks you down, about the third or fourth time you're gonna say you've reach your limit. :-D

I thought thats what helmets were made fer :-D .
Brian M.

ihuntbucks · « **Reply #31 on:** December 30, 2004, 06:32:36 PM »

I have not reached my limits thus far.I shot .357 for years with ease.My SBH .44 w/250 gr,no problem.I seem to not be bother by handgun recoil or shotgun recoil(3" mags),but for some reason rifles do.My .300 wsm,to me,is terrible.Oh well,guess it's just one of those things :lol: ............Rick

Old Griz · « **Reply #32 on:** December 30, 2004, 07:49:07 PM »

:cb2: Haven't had a problem with any handgun yet, but then FA .475, .454 and a .50 Desert Eagle are the biggest I've fired. (Rifles are a different story.) However, that new German revolver in .600 Nitro is one I want to SEE someone shoot first. It scares me just to look at it! :eek:

daddywpb · « **Reply #33 on:** December 30, 2004, 10:46:26 PM »

For me, it depends on the gun. My Ruger Bisley 45 Colt with 300 grain cast bullets doesn't bother me, but my friend's .357 Blackhawk hurts my hand every time. Something about the Blackhawk grip frame doesn't fit me. Every time I shoot one, it cuts the web of my hand. Bisley grip frame - no problem. I have shot Contenders in 44 Mag, .30/30 Win, 45 Colt, and my buddies 45/70 barrel - once. Gave it right back to him.

Graybeard · « **Reply #34 on:** December 31, 2004, 12:35:42 AM »

Quote

However, that new German revolver in .600 Nitro is one I want to SEE someone shoot first. It scares me just to look at it!

If someone will drop one off at Spyro's house he'll shoot the darn thing. And then probably wonder if he can get one in .700 Nitro.

Moe · « **Reply #35 on:** December 31, 2004, 03:51:22 AM »

Years ago I had a 6.5 inch 41 BH that was just terrible. Even with Pach grips. This year I bought a Bisley 41 with 5.5 inch barrel and it is a pussycat with all my loads so far. I have had several 44's that were easy by comparison. Probably the worst for me was a 35 REM 14 inch rechamber to 358JDJ with 4 ports. shooting 180's. It was so violent for me to hang on I couldn't hit anyhing.

Graybeard · « **Reply #36 on:** December 31, 2004, 03:58:39 AM »

Quote

Probably the worst for me was a 35 REM 14 inch rechamber to 358JDJ with 4 ports. shooting 180's. It was so violent for me to hang on I couldn't hit anyhing.

Trust me, the 180s are light compared to the 225s at 2300 fps. WHOA! :eek:

Spyro Andes · « **Reply #37 on:** January 02, 2005, 02:34:27 PM »

Quote from: Graybeard

Quote
However, that new German revolver in .600 Nitro is one I want to SEE someone shoot first. It scares me just to look at it!

If someone will drop one off at Spyro's house he'll shoot the darn thing. And then probably wonder if he can get one in .700 Nitro.

Graybeard,

Plain and simple, it is not true. They'd have to drop off some ammo as well because that 600 Nitro stuff is expensive.

When it comes to recoil, I think that your build has so much to do with felt recoil. I have wide shoulders, thick arms, huge wrists & big hands. ..

My large hands allow the use of larger than normal grips that spread the recoil over a larger area.

The large wrists minimize the snap and, because of the large arms, the additional weight alone will slow down recoil.

The wider shoulder allows my arm to come back and clear my head really easily.

Ironically, the same thing that help me reduce the recoil violence of big bore handguns, really hurts me when it comes to large bore rifles. A thicker upper torso means more felt recoil when it comes to big bores rifles.

For me, I enjoy shooting my hand cannons much more than my big bore rifles. I have a 50 Alaskan Encore that is knocks you around pretty good but not as bad as my Marlin 1895 or Browning 71 in 50 Alaskan.

Anyway, I think that I might have told this story before, one of my first big bore revolvers, a custom 475 Linebaugh w/ a 4.75" barrell, was purchased from a guy at the gun club. It was literally brand new and had a total of 3 rounds fired out of it by the owner. He had just paid $1500 it but I haggles him down to $950. Thankfully, a couple of my friends were with me, they went to the atm and pulled out $300 each and $300 from my card as well, while I babysat the guy. I paid him the $950, thanks to the $600 my boys lent me until monday, and we filled out the transfer paper work.

I am not sure what was more interesting while we did the paper work, the guy using his elbow to hold the paper still because his hand was holding ice to his blood covered forehead or me cleaning the flesh from the front sight.

Anyway, here is my tip for shooting big bore handguns, buy yourself a S&W 41 or some other form of extremely accurate 22lr and shoot it a couple of hundred rounds a week. Sprinkle in 20 rounds of your big bore of choice. You'll notice an flinching and etc real quick.

SA

Lawful Larry · « **Reply #38 on:** January 03, 2005, 06:03:35 AM »

My .375 JDJ has got to be the heaviest recoil that I have ever shot. It is really pushing the recoil limit for me if I am trying to sight in a scope in one day. :wink:

I gotta say that the 500 S&W can be brutal if shooting a steady diet of monster bullets. :noway:

coldmold · « **Reply #39 on:** January 03, 2005, 02:59:27 PM »

I have probably put more rounds through various 44 mags than most people. I find the double actions mod 29s easier to shoot than the ruger singles. The worst 44 I ever shot was an early thompson contender. It tore the hek out of the web between my thumb and index finger. I have shot a friends 45 70 encore and found it rough but livable. coldmold

poncaguy · « **Reply #40 on:** January 06, 2005, 04:57:53 PM »

45-70 Thompson Contender, 17" barrel.......63 and "arthur" in both wrist, but recoil isn't bad to me........... :roll:

LarryL · « **Reply #41 on:** January 07, 2005, 06:56:12 AM »

Recoil is highly subjective, depending on the caliber, the load, the gun, the grips, and how you hold on.

I had a 6" 629 in .44 shooing factory ammo that was really not that fun to shoot. I changed out the wooden grips for Pachmeyer gripper grips, but that didn't seem any better. It really pounded the web of my hand and made it sore. To be fair, I had a hand injury that required surgery a couple years earlier, and perhaps that contributed to the sensitivity.

Now, I have a 5-1/2" Ruger SBH in .44 with smooth Lett grips now that doesn't bother me in the slightest even shooting hot handloads. Maybe my hand just works better with the single action style grips. As long as I take a low grip so that the trigger guard doesn't smack my middle finger knuckle, it is a gun I could shoot all day without complaint.

I have a scoped Ruger 7-1/2" SRH in .480 that stings a little, but it is very tolerable. Don't know that I'd want to shoot a 100 rounds out of it in one sitting, but a couple dozen are just fine. I wonder if I fired the same round from a single action style pistol like an FA83, would it be as friendly as my SBH .44 mag.

Shooting lighter bullets will reduce true recoil, but can increase perceived recoil due to more muzzle blast. Similarly, some powders will generate more muzzle blast and perceived recoil.

It all comes down to trying it out. If you like it, keep doing it. If it is too unpleasant, stop doing it before you develop a flinch and screw up your shooting!

John R. · « **Reply #42 on:** January 07, 2005, 08:28:41 AM »

454 Casull is the largest handgun I have fired. I didn't have any trouble with it but I can't say it was pleasant with 325 gr. loads.

Tom W. · « **Reply #43 on:** January 09, 2005, 08:36:57 AM »

I have tendinitis really bad in my right elbow, and the 5 1/2 inch SBH would twist rather severely in recoil, causing severe pain, and ultimately the sale of said handgun. The 5 1/2 inch blackhawk in .45 colt is loaded to more moderate levels, and the recoil isn't so bad.

The 9 1/2 inch SRH in .480 Ruger doesn't have near as much felt recoil as the single action did, so I went and purchased a 7 inch SRH in .44 mag. Using the same handloads as I was using in the SBH gave a more "straight back and up" recoil, as does the .480, without the twist. The D.A. design has a lot more comfort in the felt recoil for me.

To update the story further, I have an Encore in 30-06 with no brakes and the factory walnut grips. I do believe that it is enough for me!

jaycocreek · « **Reply #44 on:** January 13, 2005, 02:59:32 AM »

Well the Taurus Raging Bull in .454 is the worst I tried to date and it is not much of a recoiler as far as the recoilers go.I would love to find out though.Not many big bore handgunners around here where I live.

Take care...Jayco

JOHN5111 · « **Reply #45 on:** January 19, 2005, 02:26:51 PM »

I`ve shot alot of hand guns,but so far my Encore with a 10" barrel and brake,chamberd in 510 whisper,pushing anything from a 350gr flat nose to a 950gr cast,has been the most wrist wrenching,especially with the Hornady 750gr AMAX`s,and 50gr 1680 powder around 1410 fps,i`am testing some barnes 647 x hollow points for deer hunting here in Ohio next year,couldn`t make it this year, John

JR1 · « **Reply #46 on:** January 19, 2005, 03:21:30 PM »

Well, it all depends on the gun. The .429 mag in a revolver is nothing to me. My .45 Win Mag in a Grizzly with 250 grainers going 1400 fps are reaching a reasonable limit. The Desert Eagle in .429 was a wuss as I recall. On the other hand, the short, double-barrelled .410/.45 Colt pistol if you could call that piece of #$@% that, with a little bird's eye grip, HURT.

Japle · « **Reply #47 on:** January 20, 2005, 02:37:58 PM »

ItÂ’s a funny thing about recoil.
I was a NatÂ’l Guard armorer for 9 years and was often tasked with teaching soldiers to shoot. Our sidearm was the 1911. I found it very odd that my 94 lb daughter, who was a ballerina at the time, enjoyed shooting my LW Commander with full power loads, while 260 lb macho MPs were terrified of the 1911 with hardball.

Maybe it's genetic.
As long as the gun doesn't actually hurt me, I don't care how much recoil it has. I used to shoot 190gr bullets at 2100fps out of my .308 Win unlimited silhouette pistol. I have a .358 Norma mag that's fun to shoot with heavy 250gr loads. .375s, .458s and my boss's .460 are all fine as long as they have a good recoil pad.
On the other hand, I fired ONE shot out of my buddy's .45-70 Marlin with the steel buttplate (I was wearing a T-shirt) and quit. That sucker hurt!! My M-44 hurts. I got a slip-on recoil pad for it.

John
Cape Canaveral

longwalker · « **Reply #48 on:** January 21, 2005, 07:50:23 AM »

I have shot 44 magnum in a SRH in bowling pin matches and hunted with it for several years. With all honesty the pin matches tend to be uncomfortable. Saying that, I would not say a 44 magnum is at all uncomfortable to shoot.

I had the opportunity to shoot a 500 Smith & Wesson. All I can say is whoa. After the first shot I felt like I had just finished a table of pins. Then I remembered I had an other shot. I shot it. I had fun and Glad I did it.

I found it to be uncomfortable. I would have a hard time getting good enough to hunt with it. Maybe If I had gloves it would have helped. Big guns big fun.

Longwalker

ratgunner · « **Reply #49 on:** January 23, 2005, 05:11:12 AM »

My limit would probably be a .44 mag. with 300gr. cast core federal factory loads for about six shots,thats asheavy as I,ve gone or care to.Can,t imagine needing anything more. :eek:

Mr. No Doctor · « **Reply #50 on:** January 31, 2005, 01:14:55 PM »

i let the gun recoil and put up no resistance. :?

Steelbanger · « **Reply #51 on:** January 31, 2005, 02:22:22 PM »

I can handle 44 Mag loads with no problem but a 14", non-ported Contender barrel in 45-70 was just too much. That 45-70 really got my hand to quivering and I'd be unable to hold steady after shooting just a few rounds.

To save you the trouble of asking, the barrel's gone.

poncaguy · « **Reply #52 on:** January 31, 2005, 02:27:37 PM »

My 45-70 has a ported barrel and rubber grips...........16" barrel.recoil not that bad, rise's upand back....... :lol:

simplicity · « **Reply #53 on:** February 03, 2005, 04:25:58 AM »

I'm still searching for my limit as far as handguns go been through stout 44's and stout 454 and am now playing with my 500s/w as far as rifles go well shoulder problems can't shoot much of them, been shooting a 338 winchester since I was 13 (I was a weird kid) still shoot it today. I had a 7mm rum didn't kick harder then the 338 but was a bit sharper, kinda moved the shoulder problem along. The funny thing is it isn't even the shoulder I rest the stock against. I have to agree with spyro though I'm not a very big guy only 5'8 170 lbs just built thick on the upper body.

GhosTT · « **Reply #54 on:** February 03, 2005, 03:57:23 PM »

Quote from: GhosTT

Dirty Harry once said---"A man has got to know his limitaions".

In my case it is a heavily loaded 44 magnum, either in my Ruger SRH, or my 14" Contender(both magnaported).

Living in Ohio, that's more than enough power, but....

I'm curious, what do you gentlemen shoot, and how do you handle the recoil?

As the starter of this thread I have to say "thanks" to all that responded.

1st off,,as I told in the original post,a heavily loaded 44 magnum is my limit.
And living in Ohio, that is enough. The biggest animal that has crossed my property is cattle.A 44 mag is enough.

I do have to admit, I envy the posters that can handle the rounds that make the 44 look weak.

But I got no problem admitting---A man has to know his limitations"

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #55 on:** February 03, 2005, 10:48:24 PM »

Im with spyro on this i can shoot a .475 or .500 all day but something a light as a heavy loaded 4570 out of a rifle will get my attention.

Quote from: Spyro Andes

Quote from: Graybeard
Quote
However, that new German revolver in .600 Nitro is one I want to SEE someone shoot first. It scares me just to look at it!

If someone will drop one off at Spyro's house he'll shoot the darn thing. And then probably wonder if he can get one in .700 Nitro.

Graybeard,

Plain and simple, it is not true. They'd have to drop off some ammo as well because that 600 Nitro stuff is expensive.

When it comes to recoil, I think that your build has so much to do with felt recoil. I have wide shoulders, thick arms, huge wrists & big hands. ..

My large hands allow the use of larger than normal grips that spread the recoil over a larger area.

The large wrists minimize the snap and, because of the large arms, the additional weight alone will slow down recoil.

The wider shoulder allows my arm to come back and clear my head really easily.

Ironically, the same thing that help me reduce the recoil violence of big bore handguns, really hurts me when it comes to large bore rifles. A thicker upper torso means more felt recoil when it comes to big bores rifles.

For me, I enjoy shooting my hand cannons much more than my big bore rifles. I have a 50 Alaskan Encore that is knocks you around pretty good but not as bad as my Marlin 1895 or Browning 71 in 50 Alaskan.

Anyway, I think that I might have told this story before, one of my first big bore revolvers, a custom 475 Linebaugh w/ a 4.75" barrell, was purchased from a guy at the gun club. It was literally brand new and had a total of 3 rounds fired out of it by the owner. He had just paid $1500 it but I haggles him down to $950. Thankfully, a couple of my friends were with me, they went to the atm and pulled out $300 each and $300 from my card as well, while I babysat the guy. I paid him the $950, thanks to the $600 my boys lent me until monday, and we filled out the transfer paper work.

I am not sure what was more interesting while we did the paper work, the guy using his elbow to hold the paper still because his hand was holding ice to his blood covered forehead or me cleaning the flesh from the front sight.

Anyway, here is my tip for shooting big bore handguns, buy yourself a S&W 41 or some other form of extremely accurate 22lr and shoot it a couple of hundred rounds a week. Sprinkle in 20 rounds of your big bore of choice. You'll notice an flinching and etc real quick.

SA

volshooter · « **Reply #56 on:** February 04, 2005, 07:38:53 AM »

I've got Houge oversize grips on my SBH and heavy 290gr. handloads are the heaviest rounds I can shoot without discomfort in .44 mag. In my .454 RB a 340gr. handload is my limit with the factory grip. The RB gets to me after a half box of shells. The center red grip starts leaving web somewhat sensitive.
Two hardest and most unpleasant shooting experiences were with a Charter Arms Bulldog in .44spc. (darn thing would peel the web during the first cylinder full) I found the .40 Kel-Tec was downright abusive. I know my limits but would be first in line to shoot anything short of a handle mounted howitzer.
Rick

Flatlander.54 · « **Reply #57 on:** February 04, 2005, 05:45:28 PM »

I had to call it quits on a .444 Encore pistol. Drew blood on every shot...literally, and still have problems with the muscles in my right fore arm. Only shot 6 shots too. :shock: I limit myself to 10" .44 Mag Contender now, which in itself is nothing to sneeze at. The Herret style grips make it more manageable, have not tried the Pachmayers yet but I agree that grip design makes a huge difference in absorbing felt recoil. Add the weight of a good handgun scope and it knocks it down to a very controlable hunting package IMHO.
At any rate, I wont be picking up anymore .444 pistol barrels.

redawg · « **Reply #58 on:** February 05, 2005, 05:51:56 AM »

Single Six .17HMR shooting those 20gr XTP's. One shot and I had to dig the front sight out of my forehead :-D . Seriously, I'm still experimenting. Got a .44mag that I've shot some warm 300gr loads out of. Got a .45LC that I'd like to try some 360gr bullets, just haven't got around to it yet. I've been longing for a .475 Linebaugh. I even picked up a caliber conversion kit for my reloader, just need to decide on what to do for a gun. I figure since I reload, I can load the .475 down and work my way up. If I absolutely can't handle it, I'll get rid of it!

winman · « **Reply #59 on:** February 05, 2005, 08:38:35 AM »

Why push it? I shoot heavy .44 mags in my Rugers and Smiths that will do anything I expect from a handgun. When I need more than that I just move up to a rifle.