Does recoil affect your buying decision?

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If a person; any size; learns how to shoot properly; recoil will never be an issue. Those who study martial arts or ride a motorcycle will understand. If you've never rode a motorcycle before, sitting on a 1000+ CC motorcycle can be very difficult to balance. I've seen 6ft 220 lb individuals drop the bike on it's side while just sitting at a stop or even turned off in the driveway. They don't understand balancing the weight. After getting use to it; a 4' 6" woman can sit on the same bike; straddling it; without using her hands; and rock the bike side to side as far as she wants to and never drop the bike or have to strain to hold it up. Martial arts works the same way. Playing golf is similar. The 6' dude hitting a ball 75 yards and the 5' woman hitting the ball 300 yards. Well; I dated the tiniest girl I new; at 4' 6" and weighed about 100 lbs. But she was from a little town in Alabama and grew up with lots of guns her whole like. When I went to her home to visit during spring break, we and her family went shooting in the back yard. She shot a 44 magnum Ruger Redhawk and didn't even flinch. I hadn't shot too many handguns. I'm much bigger, and when I shot the same 44 magnum, it basically put me on my butt. Now however, it's not a problem. So what I'm saying is: ANYONE can shoot ANY GUN and get use to the recoil and not have it bother them at all.
 
Yes.

Like, I chose a gun that shoots .22 LR over a .22 WMR because the LR's recoil is more manageable.:D

Of course, I'm referring to the perceived recoil in my back pocket...
 
+P's out of a light snubbie are bad.....

....until I picked up some 350 gr. Buffalo Bore in .45 LC for my Vaquero. (I didn't see the little "+P" on the box, or the base of the round) I must have been in la-la land as I loaded the thing because you are faced with the writing on the shell base as you load it.

So, I loaded up, faced the target, and BOOM! I thought my hand came off! After checking my Ruger (and myself for injuries), I thought, "This must have been a fluke." So, I did it again.

BOOM!

Good thing I have an old model Vaquero.

I unloaded the rest. There they sit. On the shelf until I feel like killing a distant water buffalo sometime.

You can keep your recoil.
 
I like the feeling of power from a high recoil gun, but then again for general target or can plinking, nothing beats my S&W model 41.
 
Well I have my hunting firearms, then I have my fun/target stuff. You won't find me punching paper all day with a long action rifle and you won't find me hunting deer with a .22, obviously $$$ is a big factor in that as well.....

When I'm looking for a fun weapon to shoot, heavy recoil isn't a desirable attribute.
 
Nobody can claim fierce recoil & muzzle blast make them a better shot.

The most accurate guns don't knock your filling out, or the best match shooters would be shooting them.
But they aren't.

If a person; any size; learns how to shoot properly; recoil will never be an issue.
Click to expand...
Come back and tell us that when you get old and crippled and bruse easy.

rc
 
I am a firm believer in bringing enough gun. BUT in most instances you do not need a cannon to take most game animals. No matter what you manhood tells you a .458 lott is not required for praire dogs. I posted sometime back about a elk hunting trip that I went on with some buddies. After repeated practice with their cannons they could shoot minute of barn door. My little wimp gun .270 win as they called it. Took a elk because it is enough gun for a well placed shot. The cannons failed because there owners can not shoot them accuratly Because of recoil.
 
Yes, it affects my decision. I've written many times here and elsewhere of my dislike for certain guns and/or cartridges due to excessive recoil hurting my hands or affecting controllability. Shooting should be fun, not a painful ordeal.
 
I don't have any desire or need to own a 300 win mag or larger, shoulder bruising rifles. Nor do I have any desire or need to own a hand-cannon, such as a 454 casull. A 357 mag and 40 S&W will do everything I need to do, handgun wise and my .308 Remmy 700 tactical will do everything I need to do, rifle wise. I'm primarily into 300 yard target shooting, my Remmy 700 is perfect for that, it recoils enough to tell you you just shot something, but it doesn't beat you up.:) Its also damn accurate. I'm not a glutton for punishment.:p

If I wanted to hunt, inside of 250 yards, my .308 will take any animal that resides in Colorado.:)
 
you won't find me buying a 460 weatherby, and not because of the price either
 
I like the recoil because if I can feel the punch on my end I know that whatever I hit is getting punched even harder on the business end. That's fun at the range or hunting, but when it comes to self-defense I prefer a firearm that allows fast follow-up shots. That doesn't mean I have to give-up power it just means I have to practice with whatever I'm shooting. I've put all five shots out of a S&W 500 in the bulls-eye but the time back on target was longer than with my 9mm. I'll take the faster follow-up every time because as much as I all hate to admit it; in a self-defense situation with adrenaline pumping I may need the follow-up shot. This is why I have range guns and I have self-defensive guns. Besides, at home the handgun is just used to slow-up the bad guy until I can get to the 12 gauge.
 
I don't avoid guns because of recoil but I do reload so I download rounds for plinking. I use Trailboss powder for playing around. I use it in 45 colt,44mag and 45-70. and lead bullets that I cast.
 
With handguns, I tend to shoot/practice/buy for self-defense. So, I avoid any recoil that prevents fast and accurate follow-up shots. .38 SPL, , .380, 9X18, 9X19 & 7.62X25 I can shoot accurately and very fast. .357 I can shoot accurately but the kick prevents me from staying on target so, no .357 in my place.

I carry a Kel-Tec P3AT and some have complained about its recoil; it's very shootable for me. The Polish P-64 was on the edge of "too uncomfortable." Even with a stronger recoil spring, that thing bangs the hand. It would help if every edge on it wasn't so sharp, especially on the trigger. It's not fun to shoot.

I once shot one round of all-out .357 from one of those very light weight S&W J-frames and immediately gave it back to the owner. My immediate, first impression, after about 2-3 seconds of initial, stunned mental numbness, was "***???!!! What sick maniac came up with this idea?"

With longarms, 8MM Mauser is my most powerful kicker. It is a pleasant thump but, after 30-40 rounds, it does start wear on one. I have no desire to beat up my shoulder with any stronger than that. I'm no hunter so I have no need for big 'uns; I just like Mausers.

Yes, recoil does affect my buying.
 
I'm learning that recoil discomfort is something I don't notice until we're talking about 12 ga 3" magnums or stronger, (and +P 38s in a S&W J Airweight don't bother me at all). Accurate follow-shots are quite a different issue for me when considering effects of recoil in a weapon/load combination for me and my wife. I find that recoil and muzzle-flip is something I should factor-in when considering SD weapons and loads that I'm hoping would help me and my family stay more precisely on target and therefore alive.

Does this "split" of recoil-considerations make sense?

Les
 
I think recoil affects everyone's buying decisions to a certain degree. Who wouldn't like to have a .500 S&W magnum for personal defense, if the recoil was managable?
 
I was given a little 20-guage single shot stevens breakopen shotgun many years ago, it beat the bejeezus out me, three or four shots was all I could take, the comb would just knock my jaw off!! :eek:


I used to shoot IHMSA pistol silhouette almost every weekend. 40-60 rounds of fullhouse .44 Mag loads in my 10" Ruger revolver didnt bother me a bit. I borrowed my buddies Smith & Wesson Model 29 one match and only made it through about 8 shots, like to broke my wrist and tore skin off my palm down three layers. :what:

I also shot Highpower for a long time with a Garand. 60-80 shots out of it in a day didnt hurt me the least bit. I fired one shot out of a friends .308 Norma Magnum and had a headache for three days. :scrutiny:

Point is, I dont think the caliber is nearly as important as the fit of firearm, whether it is a rifle, shotgun or handgun. If it doesnt fit you properly it is going to be miserable to shoot. For my hunting , I use a .30-06 for elk, .257 Roberts for deer, .50 caliber flintlock for pronghorn. Have never felt the need for anything bigger.

PS- a couple of days ago a friend let me shoot his new Ruger .380 auto, the little pocket model, LCR (?). Only wanted three rounds of that, very hard to control and stung my hand ferociously.
 
I like 22lr and 22wmr.....I shoot 357 out of the proper frame...4 inch S&W or Marlin 1894....2 inch lite 357 mag no thanks...my Kel-tec 380 nasty but great point and defend..XDm 40 S&W shoots fantastic...my rifle's, 12 ga , 223, 7.62x39 no worries
 
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