Jay Chambers
How Much Recoil Can You Handle?
Recoil is one of the most important considerations when purchasing a gun. Each gun will have a different recoil depending on several factors such as projectile weight and velocity. The bigger and stronger the projectile you want to fire, the more recoil the handler will have to deal with.
Many people look towards big rifles of high caliber, and these guns end up having higher recoil than the person is comfortable with. This has a big influence on accuracy and comfort when shooting. If you want a good experience when hunting or target shooting, then you need the right amount of recoil for you, one that you can handle.
Do you want to know how much recoil you can handle? Read all about it here!
What Influences Recoil?
If you’re not new to shooting, you probably remember the first time you shot a gun with too much recoil, and how the gun’s movement felt difficult to handle. What exactly influences the recoil of the gun, though?
- Velocity
One thing that influences the recoil of the gun is velocity. The speed of the impulse of the recoil has an impact on the recoil as well. It doesn’t only matter in numbers, but also in the way the recoil feels to every shooter.
For instance, some think that a .45 ACP has too much of a high recoil for them to handle. Other people don’t have a problem with it, though. So, it all depends on how every person feels or perceives recoil. Velocity has a lot of things to do with what we consider light or heavy recoil.
- Projectile Size
As mentioned earlier, the projectile size will also influence recoil. Or better said, the weight of your projectile will influence recoil. If there is a huge tank mass, then there will be no velocity. Therefore, there won’t be any measurable free recoil energy towards you.
So, in the end, the weight of the firearm will have a big influence on what you’re going to feel when you shoot. If you pick a larger gun, then it will be much easier to shoot because there will be less recoil generated. Meanwhile, a smaller and lighter gun is bound to cause more recoil. This is because it doesn’t have as much resistance to gravity, so recoil will be one of the disadvantages when carrying a smaller gun.
This is one of the reasons why rifles are usually easier to handle compared to pistols.
- Operating Mechanism
Each firearm has its own operating mechanism. For instance, some weapons require the shooter to eject the spent cartridge casings manually. Therefore, there isn’t any recoil spring that can absorb recoil, and this will end up adding more recoil than semiautomatic guns.
If you own a semiautomatic gun and find a cheap and good quality lower receiver, then you’ll have a much easier time with recoil if you don’t have to manually eject the cartridges. An Aero Precision 308 AT M5 Lower Receiver, for instance, will do a great job as it’s well-built, durable, and corrosion resistant. Also, it doesn’t have too many retention pins that back out while the gun operates.
How Much Recoil Can You Handle?
How much recoil someone can handle depends on the individual. There are situations where ladies were seen handling strong recoil with no issues, whereas there have been people who looked much stronger, yet high recoil was too much for them. So, it really depends on the person and how they feel the recoil, as well as whether they’ve prepared for shooting before they held a gun in their hands.
But if we were to estimate, we would say that a lightly build woman should handle a 12-foot-pound of recoil, whereas 17 pounds should be okay for most men. Large men could handle 25 pounds. For wing shooting, 30-foot-pounds would be an ideal recoil. That being said, you should think about your body build and pick a gun with a certain recoil amount based on that.
If you want to find this number more exactly, try shooting with the recommended amount of recoil, and then slightly increase the amount you’re shooting by trying other weapons. Do this while you’re supervised by a professional so you’re not doing something that could hurt you. If you’re a beginner, trying multiple types of guns will teach you how much recoil you can handle.
Of course, in the future, you may improve, and you’ll be able to deal with more recoil than you do at the moment.
Should You Go with Higher Caliber than Necessary?
Instead of going for the highest caliber on the market, you should settle for a less powerful one that you can shoot properly. If you go with one that you shoot badly, it will only ruin your shooting experience and put you off shooting.
Final Thoughts
Recoil is not easy to handle for everyone, especially when it’s too high. This is why you should make sure to pick a gun that has the required amount of recoil so your experience is a pleasant one. If you’re not sure how to pick as a beginner, have an expert help you out in selecting the right recoil.