Afraid of Recoil

[545days]

I don't enjoy heavy recoil. I'm not afraid of it. I don't flinch & I shoot pretty much the same groups regardless of caliber. I fired a friend's S&W 500 a couple of months ago. It was fun, but didn't have any sort of "Viagra effect" on me.

I should qualify: I don't believe that the 1911 or a 12 gauge has excessive recoil. They are both more of a push than a sharp blow. 200 rounds of 12 gauge on a skeet range is no big deal, but five rounds of .357 in an air weight just makes an otherwise pleasant afternoon at the range less pleasant.

 

[loneviking]

As many here have noted, the weight of the gun has a lot to do with it. Also, the shape of the butt. I'm not afraid of recoil, but I don't like pain. The Ruger Blackhawks have a butt that just hurts to shoot. I have a Colt Peacekeeper (basically a Trooper MK V) and a S&W 65-6. Both are medium weight guns, about 34-38 oz., and I can shoot even heavy rounds from them with no problem.

Since I have kids, what I find interesting and fun is to watch how they approach recoil. The .357's scared them at first because if you are standing to the side the muzzle blast can make even me wince. Combine that with the barrel flying up in the air and it can scare the *$&% out of 'em!

So I start off with regular 38's with almost no kick and work my way up. After a while they begin to believe me that the experience when you are holding the gun is not what you experince off to the side. I don't notice the blast or muzzle flash when I'm holding the gun and I just 'ride' the recoil and don't try to stop it.

Also, the recoil of a revolver bounces up but a semi-auto pushes back. So, first time shooters have to understand that and realize that the two guns will feel very different.

 

[contenderman]

Hmmmm ... experienced hunter therefore discharging firearm should not be a surprise to him. As stated fella shooting medium caliber rifle nearby and no effect.

And I would like to think that both of you had hearing protection on.

So you stoke up a few rounds in your SA and the guy gets stressed ???

Did you ask him what the problem was?

Was it really the discharge of the pistol or something you were doing while or when discharging the pistol ?

2 + 2 is not coming out to 4 here

 

[.38 Special]

As others have pointed out, I don't think it's "fear", at least not for grown-ups. It's more along the lines of "I'm not really enjoying this".

And in that vein, I'd say folks who are "afraid" of really big guns are actually the sensible ones. Being smacked in the hand by a baseball bat shouldn't be something a reasonable person looks forward to!

 

[gentleman987]

Next time you shoot get a 22. revolver and get him to shoot that alot. Then move him up to LITE 38. loads and once he used to that just keep moving up.

 

[Matt304]

I've learned that the only way to rid flinching is by firing a lot of heavy ammo, and doing it very often. At least 50 rounds in a sitting. I'm mainly referring to revolvers with heavy recoil.

I think the flinch creeps back up when you forget what it will feel like, and you expect more. I have a 45LC Ruger BH which I fired a lot of heavy loads from. I would flinch and flinch, until finally I became downright angry with myself, to the point of calling myself demeaning names in my mind. I mentally battered it into myself that I was simply a chicken if I couldn't learn to stop the stupid flinching and man handle it with surprise. After about 50 rounds, I got it down. To this day, everytime I sit down, I just put myself back in that same mental state and force myself to ease on the trigger. It is all mental.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

He was going through that combat course, casual stance, one-handed, standard barrel weight, no compensator. I found myself wondering how many professional shooters would try that with a Model 29.

You must have missed the part when one of the NGs (believe it was Tim Matheson) asked him about his load and he said, "Light special."

Recoil is generally not one of the things that bothers me a lot. I played with loads in my Redhawk that were near max (Enough to fry one scope) and then pretty much got over it. Then came the .45-70 Contender. Too much gun for me in the standard new 300 gr loadings, even Magnaported, and I'll admit it. Harsh recoil is one thing; self-punishment is clearly another. I'm no masochist.

I'm reminded of great white hunter Frederick Courtenay Selous when speaking about the 4-bores he hunted with. After recoil had shattered his nerves just about completely he remarked that he was "sorry he ever had anything to do with them." Sad words indeed from somebody that considered the .577 Nitro a "medium bore."

 

[rondog]

PA-63 can be downright painful to shoot

Man, you got that right! Especially with that Russian Silver Bear ammo. I don't find that stuff pleasant to shoot at all.

 

[44Magnum]

I cannot imagine what I could have done while shooting that would make anybody nervous. I've never been "reminded" of the rules by range employees. In fact, the only time the weapons don't point downrange is when they are in their cases after being double checked for empty. I don't act cool about shooting or anything; I just quietly practice, pay, and leave. I still think it may just be the whole "handgun = human killer" thing. Next time I see him I'll ask. I just didn't want to ask right at that moment.

 

[scott090278]

I have a S&W Performance Center Carry Comp 629 in .44 mag. Its my most powerful hand gun so far. The recoil with this 3" barrel is something to behold. The first time I shot it it felt like my hand came loose from my arm and my ears rang for 3 days. I did have hearing protection by the way but I believe that one of the plugs wasn't seated properly. I have only fired one round through it as I am treating it like a collectors piece. It sure is a beautiful piece of engineering. After reading this thread I think that this little girl and myself will be making our way to the range this weekend for some more study.