What's your EFFECTIVE recoil threshold?

I noticed that you had "effective" in your question. I guess you are asking, in so many words, "What is the most recoil you can effectively handle and still shoot decently?" Right?
Rifles: I used to own a bolt action rifle in 7mm Remington Magnum. I've also put others' 7 mags on the bench. I hate the recoil of these guns, and I hate the recoil of a gun in .300 Weatherby Magnum even worse. I once had the displeasure to be near the firing line when a fellow had a Winchester Model 70 in .300 Weatherby and it had one of those BOSS accurizers/muzzle brakes on the end of it. Man oh man was that a horrible gun to be around.
Effective threshhold, rifles: 30/06. Period. I ain't havin' no more than that.
Effective threshhold, pistols: .44 Magnum, 240 grain bullets. Keep the 300 grain ones, I don't want any more of those, they make me flinch. Recoil with those is worse than that of a .480 Ruger.
Effective threshhold, shotguns: 3" magnum rifled slugs. Hate 'em, wince every time I think about putting those on the bench. Ditto for any 3 and a half inch 12 gauge turkey load except the Winchester 2 oz. Supreme High Velocity one...and I don't even like that load, I like the 3 inch Supremes better.
Also, any stout load out of a single shot 12 gauge shotgun.
Youth made me like power. The challenge to conquer it used to be exhilarating. Now it just hurts, and I don't want to be bothered with anything difficult that takes the joy out of shooting. Shooting should be pleasant, not a challenge or a chore.

I rather enjoy shooting my 338wm,I put a sims slip on pad on it,tamed it down considerably.

all357mag said:

I don't beat myself up shotgun wise either, strictly 20ga, 2 3/4"! I laugh at the 12ga crowd. Shot everything you could with my 20 sxs!

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I had a 20ga SxS that kicked like a mule. It was a lightweight field gun. Much happier with the lower recoil from:
-- 20ga and 12ga semi-auto gas guns
-- 20ga loads in a 12ga pump
-- even 12ga loads in the heavier 12ga gun are fine

Effective to me means I can put a follow up shot inside a 6" circle placed at ~7 yards consistently/ average .33 sec or less with a handgun.
In terms of quantifying that, it is a PF of ~200 (a stout 230 gr. bullet out of a 1911).
As far as rifles, I can't stand a hard kicking rifle; 30/06 bolt action recoil sucks, a bolt. 243 is okay, a .223 AR is perfect.

I've never shot anything bigger than .40S&W or .45ACP in a handgun.

In longguns I also haven't shot any rifles too powerful (.30-06 being about as stout as I've fired), though in shotguns I have shot quite a bit of 3.5" 12ga shells which don't really bother me too much.

Basically the force/pain from the recoil isn't my issue, but particularly with pistols my threshold is whatever I can safely control the muzzle at. I feel that though the more powerful rounds are usually chambered in revolvers I'd be better with more recoil in a semi-auto than a revolver, just because my grip on a semi-auto is very distributed whereas on a revolver my hands are focused more at the back of the gun to keep from putting my fingers beside the cylinder gap.

Having tried nothing stronger than a 300 Win Mag, or is there a 300 Short Win Mag? That would be it.

Among my guns, the strongest might be the Enfield #5 Jungles", and sitting upright by the river doesn't require any recoil pad - with the arm in a "chicken wing".
Might take a "Jungle" out today, because soon it will be too hot/humid to enjoy shooting centerfire (hearing protectors).

Heaviest rifles I shot gotta be my Mosin Nagant, 7.62x54R + steel buttplate = getting beat up by a Russian 37 years my senior

My M95 doesn't even compare with hunting SP loads however my 12Ga is a different story, I shot it with the taci-cool stock folded and beat my hand up so I figured I'd go back to the regular stock, now I can put my ammo holder on it again, no need for a tacicool T-6 folding pistol grip mall-ninja special stock with kung-fu grip, I can handle a 12Ga just fine, just not without a stock lol, rifles I prefer lighter than 7.62x54R for sure.

Haven't shot a handgun heavier than a .357 snubbie but that was still fun to shoot, my Kel-Tec P-11 9mm however is no fun at all.

My S&W M&P 9mm full size is the most fun of my pistols but I can shoot my .40S&W's just fine but I prefer 9mm nowadays, my .223 AK is fun to shoot but so is my .22LR S&W M&P 15-22.

I have only shot up to .44 caliber hot loads in a handgun but I have shot 12 gauge shotguns with just a pistol grip a lot with no problem. I rarely notice recoil as when I shoot I am very focused on the target. I had never had a sore hand before as I have experienced much worse when I played football. However, my 11.4 oz. snubnose with full house .357 loads took skin off of my hand. I still shot the whole box of 50 but my hand was sore when I left the range and minus some skin. When I got home the redness was gone from my hand and it felt fine but so far this is the worst I have experienced in a handgun. I still shoot .357 magnum though, just not a whole box full.

the older i get.......

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The older I get.......

Over the years there isn't too much in the way of heavy duty stuff that I haven't fired. As I have gotten older, I don't like the punishment and prefer something that hits what I aim at every time, without punishing me and making me want to flinch. So for me its a 30-06 rifle and full bore .357 and hot 45 Colt loads in the Blackhawk.
I can shoot most of these all afternoon and stay comfortable.
Back in the days of competition Black powder shooting, I would come home with a bruised shoulder after every competition. My wife would see it and say
'That's supposed to be fun??
Maybe I have gotten a little smarter with time!

Youth made me like power. The challenge to conquer it used to be exhilarating. Now it just hurts, and I don't want to be bothered with anything difficult that takes the joy out of shooting. Shooting should be pleasant, not a challenge or a chore.

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Sounds familiar. It's hell to get older, though it does beat the alternative.

my wall is steep. once I fall over it, that's it. I love to shoot my Wby sub-MOA 7mm Rem Mag and my Ruger Super Blackhawk. Howsumever - my Browning A-bolt in .375 H&H was just too dang much, as was a custom lightweight .300 Weatherby Magnum (wooo! bad idea). My foster son's .454 Casul is way too much for me, even in his big old heavy Taurus Raging Bull. And my Mossberg 835 with 3 1/2" mags was too much. I'd shoot 10 ga all day before I'd ever shoot that again... (yet I still want to try a 24" Mauser .458 Win Mag...)

I feel like I am being redundant on these boards, but for me it is 22lr. I dont really enjoy shooting anything bigger than that.

The long gun with the biggest recoil that I have shot recently is a 30-30. I easily handle it so I suppose my threshold is at least that. But it is only really shot with a purpose.

The handgun would be 9mm and 38sp. I have not shot a handgun other than those two in a long long time. I do have a 44mag and was good enough with it. But I will never shoot it again.

I dont shoot shotguns at all, but I can hit with a 12 gauge.

I'm sure I have a limit for longgun recoil, but I don't own it and haven't shot it. Stock/gun design makes a huge difference my heavy 348 win loads out of my '71 with it's pistol grip stock and recoil pad bothers me less than my '95 win in 30/40 Krag with it's thin straight stock and flat steel butt plate.
For handguns I know I'm very close with my 480 Ruger BFR, I limit myself to 10-15 rounds per session.
For defensive use I know I can't shoot 145gr silvertips from a M&P340 without readjusting my grip between shots.

Used to be a pump 12ga, but that was down to bad technique. I've not shot anything more powerful than a .303 Brit though. Most powerful handgun I've shot is a .45/.357 (not sure which one is more powerfu). 9mm I can barely notice now

For pistol its the 44mag thats become a bit much for me to handle at this point in my life. My "thunder" pistolwise has abated somewhat. I still shoot my 1100 for Trap and my 300WinMag and my Einfield when I feel like some long range rifle action. Alas the days of seeing the shocked expressions of the young guys when grandma took her 8 3/8 inch S&W Model 29-3 out of its case are over. Ahh the memories of those shocked facial expressions with their little 9mm's in hand and me with my hand cannon. Those were the days but no more. Grandma and her .44 are no more. The best I can do these days is the 45acp,41mag and 10mm. This getting old is wrong.

In a revolver, it's full-power .357 magnum out of a medium or large frame gun. A little bit of sting and a LOT of noise... it really lets you know you're shooting a gun without being painful.

In a semiauto, 9mm out of a service-sized pistol is as high as I like to go and I still don't like it. Something about the whipsaw motion of the slide going back and forth is disconcerting to me.

.22 cb

Handgun: Anything above a 44mag full load is not fun after a couple shots and I find myself anticipating the shot.

Rifle: I really haven't found one that I didn't enjoy. A 45/70 was the worst I have shot and it was fun and quite accurate. It hit harder than my buddies 50 cal McMillan Brothers.

Shotgun: Tie between my single shot ten gauge and 3.5" 12 gauge heavy loads. Those are not much fun after a few shots and I usually have the marks to prove it.

I've certainly found that mine is subjective and changes with the seasons. I usually end up doing alot of heavy lifting/construction during the warmer months. During the winter, I'm primarily tied to a desk job. By march, a 200 swc out of the 1911 is about all I want to shoot. However, when I've shot that same load in August - it feels super light.

With a rifle - I've never found a 30-06 that I care to shoot more than 3 rounds. But my 308 I can shoot a hundred rounds and be fine. SO I'm guessing my shoulder tolerance is real close to 20#

Redlg155 said:

Shooting at the range today I pretty much figured mine. Ruger Bisley. 44 mag with Heavy hunting loads. Marlin 1895 Guide gun with Hornady Leverevolution ammo. I am confident I can hit what I am shooting at with either weapon.

Have I fired weapons that recoiled more? Yes, but I was only effective with them under contolled conditions. No shooting offhand or twisted at strange angles, so they are ruled out. Desert Eagle. 50 AE....no way. Although it felt like it recoiled less than the Bisley. 44, the grip shape and recoil characteristics made it hard to shoot.

So I'm curious what others would say. Maybe I'm just a "girly man" because I can't shoot a .500 SW and. 50 BMG comfortably offhand and actually hit what I am shooting at.

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I have known some guys whose recoil limitations were dislocated shoulders, whip lash and some bleeding from ears and eyes.

I am not into beating myself with recoil any more. I do enjoy shooting 41 mag and 480 Ruger. Still working up to 475 Linebaugh. Of those, I shoot the 41 mag for fun and the 480/475 in preparation for hunting. But I didn't hunt last year.

I have never shot anything larger than a 300 win mag in a rifle. I just don't have any need for such calibers. In the back of my mind, I'd love to own a 375 H&H (probably Remington M700 or CZ), but I have little need for anything larger than my tried and true 270 win.

I shoot more 22LR than anything else and shooting paper with rifles is a renewed joy to me after pretty much shifting to handgun shooting except for scattered plinking sessions with my older 22 rifles. The number of 22 rifles grew after getting interested in shooting groups. But I have little desire to compete other than casual competitions with others or with myself trying to improve.

Recoil from a rifle gives me no thrill. But from a handgun, it is still a thrill of sorts.

Shotguns... well, I don't particularly like shooting 12 ga slugs or buckshot. But I can handle it if I need to. I just won't be doing that for sport.

I know I am not the only one that says ouch after shooting .357s out of a scadnium revolver, 2 rds then put it down.

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I fired a cylinder of full throttle .357s through one of those once. Never again. It was downright brutal. I shot a .480 Ruger the same day and it was a pussycat in comparison.

As far as rifles, I can handle a 7 Rem Mag and still be accurate. I really haven't tried anything that's worse than that, so I don't know.
Shottys, I've shot a H&R single shot 10-gauge with a slug and it was pretty bad, but I hit what I was aiming at, so I guess it was still effective.
Handguns, full throttle "Ruger Only" loads through my .45 Colt Blackhawk is about all I want. 26 grains of H110 and a 250 grain XTP is a handful. It's actually a little too much for me if I'm being honest.

It is not always the caliber, but a combination of the caliber and the load.

I have a Marlin Guide gun and with heavy loads it hurts. I have a Ruger #1 in .458 Win mag and it's a lot tamer, then the CZ 550 Safari American in .375 H&H is an absolute pussycat. Another Ruger #1, this one in .375 H&H hurts off a bench, but is ok offhand.

Swiss K 31 is a bit uncomfortable, but the M l Garand is my favorite plinking rifle.

5 1/4" BFR in 480 Ruger/475 Linebaugh shooting 415gr cast @ 1225fps would appear to be within my wheelhouse. This was 25 yards offhand.

As a bonus this was witnessed by my daughter and her new boyfriend.