SKS Recoil vs AR-15. How do they compair?

[utahman]

SKS Recoil vs AR-15. How do they compare?

I'm really interested in getting an SKS, however I'm wanting to know how the recoil on the SKS compares to the recoil of a AR-15. I've shot an AR-15 and was amazed at the low felt recoil (compaired to my lighter .204 H&R).

If anyone can comment on this, please let me know! Thanks in advanced!

 

[Dave Markowitz]

The SKS has a bit more recoil than an AR-15, but it's by no means heavy recoil. I dislike heavy recoil and find the SKS pleasant to shoot.

 

[Bitmap]

SKS Recoil vs AR-15. How do they compare?

Depends on the caliber.

An AR in .223? Less recoil than an SKS.

An AR in 7.62x39? About the same recoil as an SKS.

An AR in .50 Beowulf? More recoil than an SKS.

 

[esq_stu]

I think it depends on the weight of the AR. I have an SKS and an M4-type AR and I find them pretty comparable, maybe slightly less from the AR. But I have never shot them side by side. Neither has an OWEE factor like a .308 or a shotgun, IMO.

 

[gruesomenewsom]

an SKS kicks about 1.33-1.5X more than an ar. I've shot my friends bushmaster many times and bought an sks a little over a month ago. And I couldnt agree more with mr. markowitz it is very pleasant to shoot.

 

[Funderb]

Sks is great to shoot. you can buy a little rubber for the stock. ha.
That will make it more comfortable to shoot, joke aside.

Ar is like shooting a squirt gun. Expect the sks to love you a little bit more.

 

[TehK1w1]

Neither one has noticable recoil IMHO, as long as they are in 5.56 and 7.62x39

 

[lamazza]

Pull that stock tightly to your shoulder and it won't feel like much.

 

[jad0110]

Neither one has noticable recoil IMHO, as long as they are in 5.56 and 7.62x39

Ditto. 7.62 Soviet in an SKS, even with a steel buttplate, isn't bad at all. The SKS is an excellent bargain when you consider the smiles per round it delivers.

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

The SKS will have slightly more recoil, but to be fair, both are fairly tame in the recoil department.

 

[Frog48]

Both of them are pretty mild, in my opinion. Further, I can hardly tell a difference between the two.

Neither come close to .30-06, for example.

 

[john9524]

i cant really tell the difference

 

[Elotemuygrande]

My Saiga .308...you can feel the recoil but it's not nearly enough to be a bother and I'm a pansy. The barrel doesn't even rise much. Nowhere near my 12Ga with slugs. I would imagine that .223 and 7.62x39 would not be too noticeable. IMHO you will get used to anything less than a 12Ga within a couple of mags.

 

[atblis]

Few things

The AR definitely recoils less, but the SKS is pleasant to shoot.

A few things as to why some people could go either way about which recoils more

Perceived recoil is a big factor. The AR seems more intense/louder, so it might seem to recoil more than it actually does (more so even with a muzzle brake).

The Ar also has better ergonomics. That is an integral part of recoil. The round fired and mass are obviously important as well.

Regarding the rounds fired. Bullet mass plays a much larger roll in recoil rather than velocity. 7.62x39 bullet weights range from 120ish to 150ish gr. AR bullets are usually 60ish gr. The 7.62x39 will generate more recoil.

The SKS has a larger reciprocating mass which adds to the recoil. Not so much as kick to the shoulder, but more as moving the gun off target. I have a Daewoo which is basically a gas piston AR. The recoil is similar to an AR (same caliber), but you definitely notice the extra mass of the gas piston as the sights end up further off target with each shot.

AR15 definitely recoils less, but both are very mild.

If you're concerned with an SKS being more than you'd care to shoot, I wouldn't worry. They are excellent plinking guns that women and young people who are not avid gunnies often enjoy shooting.

Try wearing plugs and muffs while shooting. It makes most guns seem really mild. A big big part of recoil is anticipation and thus perception rather than actuality.

 

[spiroxlii]

I put a recoil buffer on my SKS. It's just a little piece of rubber, and I didn't really buy it to handle the mild recoil of the SKS. I bought it both to reduce wear on the rifle and because I plan to get a receiver cover scope mount soon, and the recoil buffer might reduce the shock to the scope mount and help keep the scope zeroed.

 

[Uncle Chan]

For me there are a couple of factors - noise and recoil. The AR has almost no recoil, but is incredibly loud. That makes it unpleasant for me to shoot. The SKS has more recoil, but the noise is more dull and as such, I can shoot the SKS all day and never tire of it (and I have shot it all day and never tired of it ).

U.C.

 

[Wolfman_556]

SKS is a very entertaining rifle to shoot.

 

[biscuitninja]

SKS not much more than the AR-15. Now the Mosin-Nagat, well its just slightly , by >< much.... more than the SKS.
good luck
-bix

 

[tnieto2004]

SKS is a bit more but still pretty mild

 

[SpeedAKL]

Neither of them should bother most shooters. Even the lighter AK doesn't kick that much.

 

[JKimball]

Not so much as kick to the shoulder, but more as moving the gun off target.

That has been my experience too, and I think is the most important point in answer to the OP's question. There's no need to worry about an sks kicking too hard, but if you want to be doing some quick double taps, an AR is better suited for that.

 

[brentn]

I own both, I can say that 120 rounds of 7.62X39 doesn't hurt or feel uncomfortable at all while plinking for 10 minutes or so, even when mine has a metal butt plate that doesn't look comfortable at all.

I have an AR15 with an 11.5" barrel, and I can say that shooting 500 rounds during an afternoon, my shoulder was slightly bruised, but 120 rounds of it was no problem. I was wearing a t-shirt for both weapons.

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

For me there are a couple of factors - noise and recoil. The AR has almost no recoil, but is incredibly loud.

This is a strange comment to me. Maybe I am just not as sensitive to these things, but I just wear hearing protection and I don't really notice the "noise" as being any kind of a factor between different calibers. In other words, it's not unpleasant for me, and to be honest I never really thought about the difference in "noise" between these two calibers.

 

[DiN_BLiX]

When I fist got my sks my bother and I spent about 200 rounds in about an hour just blasting away, No problem, great fun. The m44 on ther other hand, we were done with after about 3-4 rounds each.

True the SKS is not a very good rifle for DTs, but if one round of 7.62x39 doesnt drop whatever your shooting... run. LOL

 

[NoirFan]

Hello,

Just more of what everyone has said. The recoil of the AR15 feels like someone is gently tapping on the front of the barrel, almost nothing at all. The SKS recoil is like a friendly shove on the shoulder. Neither is painful.

The SKS is definitely more fun to shoot. The AR sounds like: CRACK, rattle-sproing, kind of toylike. The SKS sounds like: BOOM, slam-crash! Much more viscerally satisfying.