recoil issues

desimo

I have always carried a big bore. But as time has gone on I now have 3 fusions in my neck. I am concerned regarding the effects of recoil on my neck and spine. A big bore does nothing if I am in too much pain to return a second shot. Is this an issue of am I making more out of things than needed? thank you

nmyers

You are right to be concerned. Continuing what you have been doing could cause permanent injury or death. You want to talk to your neurologist & decide with him how much to limit your shooting, whether you can fire a medium power gun, a .22, or nothing at all.

I have had to give up .30-06 in bolt action rifles, but find that an M1A in .308 is fine. Part of the recoil is absorbed by the action, plus the remainder is spread out over a great time period.

If I have to "aim lower", an SKS or AK will be my next choice.

Neal

andrewsw16

As much fun as the big bores are, no need to punish yourself. There is nothing on this continent you can't take with a .30 round. Once you settle on an acceptable cartridge, .308 or 30.06 come to mind, then look for a semiauto action. An M1A, an AR platform, or other non-military style semiauto rifles are available. The action absorbs a significant portion of the recoil and will reduce the punishment on your body. Best of luck to you. [:)]

tsr1965

desimo,

Hello, and welcome to the forums here on GunBroker.com

nmyers(Neal), has alreaded pointed you in the right direction. You first need to find out what you can, and cannot do.

That said, we really need to know what your shooting needs are to make good suggestions to fill them. For what it is worth, most everything on this contenant, except the big bears, can be anchored with a 6.5mm(0.264") diameter bullet, as good as a 30 caliber, if bullet selection, and good shot placement is adheared to.

I have a saying about my favored 260 Remington, using a 120 grain Nosler BT...It hits the shoulder like a 243, and has as much or more energy past 400 yards as a 308, or 30-06 loaded with a 165 grain bullet...while shooting as flat as a 270. If you add a good muzzle break to that, it has even less percieved recoil.

Just some food for thought, and I know some will not agree, but those who have used the 6.5's know!

Best

charliemeyer007

We could perhaps be more helpful if you told us what big bore you are shooting.

In my S&W 29 I find full tilt loads of Unique unpleasant, while Bluedot ones are acceptable. Reloads give you way more control than the limited selection of factory ammo.

I have found that the straight back recoil of ported guns does not work for me.

Proper stock design and one that fits you can help. Same with adding some weight.

desimo

You are are very appreciated. I ahve carried concealed for many years and do not want to give up concealed carry. I really like my .45. I have carried concealed my .45 or .357. With the new ammo out there I know that many ammo arguments are meaningless. I appreciate all your input.

Riomouse911

If you're becoming recoil sensitive, there is nothing wrong with a good reliable 9mm pistol for carry use. As you stated the newer ammo in smaller calibers is pretty darn good, and I think you can't go wrong with one of the many different 9mm's on the market. I've carried a 9mm on my hip for over 22 years now, and I've never yet felt undergunned.

If you can find a place that rents them, try out a few different makes/models before buying. It can be a bit pricy, but nothing is more expensive than a $600.00 purchase you regret, as what feels great in your hand at the gunshop might stink on the range, and vice-versa. Good luck with your quest! [:)]

andrewsw16

quote:Originally posted by desimo
You are are very appreciated. I ahve carried concealed for many years and do not want to give up concealed carry. I really like my .45. I have carried concealed my .45 or .357. With the new ammo out there I know that many ammo arguments are meaningless. I appreciate all your input.

AH. I thought you were originally referring to big bore rifles. I'll second the motion on 9mm. The selection of 9mm handguns and ammo is almost unlimited. Try a few out and find what fits your hand and eye.

select-fire

Muzzle brake or port it. Recoil on big guns get tamed real quick

deerhide

What about that .22 magnum with 30 round capacity?

beantownshootah

With a handgun, most recoil energy goes into the arms.

Unless you're firing some sort of hand "cannon" with tremendous recoil (ie one of the big magnum revolvers of .44 or above) you shouldn't get much recoil in your neck or spine.

Unless your neurologist also happens to be an avid shooter (which is, bluntly, unlikely) I wouldn't count on him to be able to tell you which calibers you can or can't handle.

That's going to be up to you, though I think I can make it pretty simple. If it hurts when you shoot the gun, or the next day, you need to tone it down. If your hands, neck or back don't hurt after firing off your .45, keep it.

In general, assuming the gun in question fits your hand (which is actually quite important), there are two ways to reduce recoil: a. Use a lower power round, and b. Use a heavier gun. If you're finding that you can't handle a .45 1911 like you used to, you might consider going to the same gun in either .40SW or 9mm luger.

Personally, I'm quite comfortable with a 9mm luger gun. As a matter of practice, a good 9mm luger +P round puts out 75% of the energy of a .357 magnum, and from an all steel gun has fairly mild recoil.

As far as I'm concerned, if these are good enough for 90% of the police and military on the planet, they ought to be at least "adequate" for personal defensive use. Whatever a 9mm may lack in power, it makes up for in lower recoil/faster followup shots, higher capacity, and cheaper ammo (meaning more practice and therefore proficiency for my dollar).

In a revolver, I like .357 from a bigger gun, but for concealed carry a .38+P is fine. With a 2" bbl gun, the .357 doesn't give you that much better performance anyway.