Recoil

[michaelhh375]

Recoil!

Fellow hunters ! This is very usefull information for all choices of caliber.

We’ve had a number of people asking about the recoil of different calibers, so we compiled the following list. Please bear in mind that there are several factors affecting the "felt recoil" of any rifle that you shoot. These include the weight and shape of the stock and how they fit you. Also, I have found that on some days I feel the recoil of the rifles that I shoot more than others.

All the following were worked through LOAD FROM A DISK program, other programs might give you different results. We tried to be as accurate as we possibly can. We used weights of rifles that we have on record, and we used powder charges and bullets pulled from factory ammo for our data entry.

For some of the popular calibers we have included data on more than one bullet weight. The data in the last column was included at the urging of one of our geniuses here. He thought it would make it easier to understand. It is really nothing more than multiplying the recoil velocity by the recoil force. We’ve had quite a discussion on this subject, and we also decided, by a unanimous decision, to add the following advice to help you to interpret the following table.

Any rifle that has a Recoil Factor of less than 100 can be shot by anyone that can handle a rifle.

Between 100 and 200 is moderate.

Between 200 and 300 is moderately heavy .

Between 300 and 400 is heavy.

Between 400 and 700 is very heavy.

Between 700 and 1000 is extremely heavy.

Between 1000 and 3000 very painful.

Anything over 4000, if you are seriously considering hunting with this rifle, then you are living a couple of million years out of date, as the dinosaurs do not exist today! And despite everything that has been written on the subject of "charge stopping" calibers, bullet placement and bullet performance is much more important than the actual caliber. I am not suggesting that you take your favourite deer hunting rifle and go chasing cape buffaloes or elephants with, just use some common sense.

CALIBER	RIFLE WEIGHT	BULLET WEIGHT	RECOIL VELOCITY	RECOIL ENERGY	RECOIL FACTOR
17 REM	7	25	4.1	1.8	7.4
22 HORNET	6.5	45	3.5	1.3	4.6
222 REM	7	50	4.8	2.5	12.0
223 REM	7	55	5.9	3.8	22.4
22 PPC	7.5	52	5.8	3.7	21.5
22-250 REM	7.5	55	7.0	5.4	37.8
220 SWIFT	7.5	55	7.6	6.2	47.1
6MM BR REM	8	100	6.8	5.8	39.4
6MM PPC	8	70	5.8	4.2	24.4
6MM BR NORMA	8	107	7.8	7.6	59.3
243 WIN	8	100	8.5	8.9	75.7
6MM REM	8	100	8.9	9.9	88.1
257 ROBERTS	8	117	9.1	10.3	93.7
25-06 REM	8	120	10.6	13.8	146.3
257 WBY	8.5	100	10.6	14.8	156.9
257 SCRAMJET	9	100	10.4	15.1	157.0
6.5 X 55	8.5	140	9.9	13.0	128.7
260 REM	8	140	10.0	12.5	125
264 W MAG	8.5	140	12.0	18.9	226.8
6.71 BLACKBIRD	9	140	13.2	24.3	320.7
270 WIN	8.5	130	10.7	15.2	162.6
		150	11.2	16.6	185.9
270 WBY	8.5	130	11.9	18.8	223.7
		150	12.7	21.4	271.8
7 X 57	8.5	154	10.1	13.5	136.4
7MM-08 REM	8	120	9.9	12.2	120.8
		154	11.0	14.9	163.9
280 REM	8.5	140	11.2	16.6	185.9
		165	12.0	19.0	228.0
7MM R MAG	8.5	140	12.3	19.8	243.5
		160	12.8	21.5	275.2
		175	13.3	23.2	308.6
7MM WBY	9	140	12.1	20.3	245.6
		160	13.0	23.7	308.1
		175	13.0	23.5	305.5
7MM STW	9	140	12.7	22.6	287.0
		160	13.7	26.3	360.3
7.21 FIREHAWK	9	140	13.9	27.0	375.3
308 WIN	8.5	155	6.4	5.5	35.2
		150	10.1	13.4	135.3
		168	10.7	15.0	160.5
		180	11.0	16.0	176.0
30-06	8.5	155	7.7	7.8	160.1
		165	11.9	18.8	223.7
		178	12.3	20.0	246.0
		220	13.1	22.6	296.1
7.82 PATRIOT	8.5	150	13.4	23.8	318.9
300 DAKOTA	9	200	14.7	30.3	445.4
300 WIN MAGNUM	9	150	13.2	24.2	319.4
		180	13.9	27.1	376.7
300 WBY	9	150	14.3	28.7	410.4
		220	15.7	34.3	538.5
300 WARBIRD	9	180	15.8	34.9	551.4
300 PEGASUS	9	180	17.2	41.5	713.8
8 X 57 MAUSER	9	170	9.3	12.1	112.5
8 REM MAG	9	220	15.0	31.3	469.5
330 DAKOTA	9	250	17.2	41.4	712.1
338 LAPUA	9.5	250	16.9	41.9	708.1
338 W MAG	9.5	225	14.7	31.9	468.9
340 WBY	9.5	250	17.0	42.6	724.2
338 A-SQUARE	9.5	250	18.3	49.6	907.7
338 TITAN	9.5	225	17.5	45.4	794.5
338 EXCALIBER	9.5	250	19.4	55.7	1080.6
358 STA	9.5	275	17.2	43.6	749.9
9.3 X 62	9.5	286	14.1	29.2	411.7
9.3 X 64	9.5	286	16.1	38.3	616.6
375 DAKOTA	9.5	300	17.4	44.9	781.3
375 H & H	9.5	300	16.2	38.8	628.6
378 WBY	10	300	20.0	59.0	1180
375 A-SQUARE	10	300	19.9	58.4	1162.2
416 DAKOTA	10	400	20.0	62.1	1242.0
416 REM	10	400	19.3	57.9	1117.5
416 RIGBY	10	400	19.7	60.3	1187.9
416 WBY	10	400	22.3	77.1	1719.3
10.57 METEOR	10	400	22.6	79.1	1787.7
458 W MAG	10	500	18.6	53.6	997.0
450 DAKOTA	10	500	22.5	78.7	1770.8
450 ACKLEY	10	500	21.7	72.8	1579.8
458 LOTT	10	500	21.4	71.1	1521.5
460 A-SQUARE	10	500	23.6	86.3	2036.7
460 WBY	10	500	25.7	102.2	2626.6
470 RIGBY	10	500	21.6	72.7	1570.3
470 NITRO	12	500	18.0	60.6	1090.8
475 # 2	12	500	18.3	62.6	1138.3
505 GIBBS	12	525	20.6	78.8	1623.3
500 NITRO	12	600	20.5	78.3	1605.2
495 A-SQUARE	13	600	20.2	82.2	1660.4
500 A-SQUARE	13	700	22.8	105.0	2394.0
577 NITRO	13.5	750	22.2	99.2	2202.2
577 TYRANO	13.5	750	28.3	168.5	4768.6
600 NITRO	14.5	900	23.7	117.8	2791.9
700 NITRO	15	1200	21.7	109.8	2382.7
700 NITRO	18.25	1000	28	235	6580

 

[MarineHawk]

IUMO, the chart is really useful in setting out the fifth column--the recoil energy of the various cartridges. As I said before, multiplying energy by velocity, has no basis in science or experience, and overstates the velocity of the bullet. The recoil energy (subject to variables like the fitting of the stock and the recoil pad, etc ...) mstates, as a matter of physics, the destructive impact (i.e., ouchyness) of the recoiling rifle. Multiplying that long and scientifically accepted result yet again by the velocity of the recoiling rifle (recoil energy already is proportional to the square of the velocity VxV) has no support to describe the practical impact of a recoiling rifle. The fifth collumn is very helpful. The sixth collumn cannot be an accurate characterization of recoil effect. I know of no scientific forumula (the sixth collumn is one of those) that predicts a destructive impact by the cube of the velocity of the projectile (VxVxV). NASA uses energy (1/2MV^2) to predict the destructive effect of projectiles (that's what a recoiling rifle is); so does the defense department; so do the weapons labs; so do the firearms and ammo manufacturers; so do physics professors; etc... Cubing the velocity has no precedent whatsoever.

 

[AkMike]

 

[Fabnosh]

This is a really good basic offering that would serve as a quick reference for someone looking to see whether the 300WM would hurt significantly more than their .243Win....and may colour their decision on its appropriateness, so thank you for posting it.

There are many variables that would need to be taken into account to truly represent what is going on around Newtons 3rd law. As mentioned previously though, gun fit makes a huge difference. Any rifle accelerating along a poorly directed path will feel much worse than a significantly more potent calibre where its energy is appropriately channelled through a well balanced and fitted gun.

Looking at the chart though I'm wondering whether I'd ever want to fire a 700nitro given that my feeble .375H&H apparently generates a less than 10% of the 700's recoil energy! Seems that the 700nitro is more of a shoulder mounted artillery piece.

FN

 

[mark-hunter]

It would be good to know what are possible medical consequences after long time shooting high recoil firearms?

 

[BigSteve57]

It would be good to know what are possible medical consequences after long time shooting high recoil firearms?

One that isn't mentioned too often is detached retina.