recoil and hunting

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Does anyone notice recoil less when hunting than when shooting at targets? For example, I feel every bit of it out of my deer rifles when zeroing them at the range, and I definitely feel it from my shotgun when patterning with 3" turkey loads. When I hunt with the same guns and ammunition and shoot a critter, it ranges from not noticing it to barely noticing it. The last turkey I killed, the main thing I noticed was my shotgun was pointed somewhere else after I fired it (obviously due to the recoil of the Rem 3" #4 nitro). The only thing I notice after shooting a deer with a rifle is my ears ringing. It used to be the pain in my eyebrow from the scope nailing me, but I've gotten better about that over the years. I can't really compare it to any military experiences, since the rifles we used produced little significant felt recoil.
 
I have noticed it a few times while shooting at game. I lost 3 teeth when shooting a turkey left handed. I had to twist to my right and lean to clear a bush. My thumb caught me in the mouth. Yeah, I felt that one. It was a 3" 12ga 2 oz load made by Active. Nasty! Then there was another turkey that came around to my left. I had to twist so far to my left that the butt was on my bicep. That one hurt too.
 
It's the target fixation. Your mind uses more focused energy on game that the effects of the gun. There is only 2 factors. Target and squeeze.
I've always been better at placement on game than paper. Paper won't run off or stand behind a tree. Paper gives you nothing to help distract the mind.
If recoil is a concern then I suggest you are shooting bigger than what fits your comfort ability.
 
I've only noticed recoil one time when hunting. Shot a turkey with 3" mag shells out of a very lightweight Winchester 1300 pump. I just wasn't expecting that much and it actually startled me. I'd patterned the gun, but it had been more than a year earlier.

I fired a few 3 1/2" turkey loads from an 870 once. That is recoil in the 70 ft lb class and is more than 458 WM. I want no part of that anymore. No turkey is worth it. My Marlin 4570's with heavier loads was in the 50 ft lb class. That is considerably more recoil than 375 WM and with less performance. I no longer own a 45-70 either. If I need that much power I'd much rather have a 375.

I've owned some rifles with recoil in the 30-35 ft lb class and never noticed recoil when hunting. In fact I don't find anything in that class intimidating even from a bench. But what I have noticed is that as recoil approaches 30 ft lbs I can only shoot 15-20 rounds in a session before I start losing my concentration and accuracy starts to deteriorate. I can shoot rifles in the 15-20 ft lb range more 100 rounds before I notice my accuracy starting to drop off and rounds in the 5-10 ft lbs of recoil I hardly notice even after lots of rounds.
 
The only times I have been scoped doped was hunting and out of position, the shot was already sent by the time the damage occurred.

In short it was noticed but after the fact.

If one were shooting a group and got hit in the head by a 300 win mag it might cause a flinch but if it’s just the first kill shot that impacts your skull, it won’t matter.
 
Well, without earplugs, I know a .243 don't seem near as loud with a good size buck in the sight as it does shooting paper. I hardly ever noticed recoil with it.

Note... When at the range, at least don't forget to put your earplugs in. Tinnitus ain't fun.
 
Shooting from field positions while hunting allows the body to absorb most of the recoil. Shooting off the bench sends the force directly to the shoulder for me and has actually hurt my shoulder shooting 06 at the range.

Also hunting usually involves one or two shots and it’s done. Chasing zero at the range sometimes involves six or more shots and the cumulative blast can give me a headache.

Whatever the reasons, I feel the same effect. Hunting results in no real recoil, but the shooting at the range with 06 gets to be tiresome.
 
I have noticed it a few times while shooting at game. I lost 3 teeth when shooting a turkey left handed. I had to twist to my right and lean to clear a bush. My thumb caught me in the mouth. Yeah, I felt that one. It was a 3" 12ga 2 oz load made by Active. Nasty! Then there was another turkey that came around to my left. I had to twist so far to my left that the butt was on my bicep. That one hurt too.
But the important question- did you get the turkeys?
 
No recoil, little noise .
The trigger and my breathing are taken note of, but when things go boom,
I'm Pretty focusd on the animal, and what it's doing.
Same here! Glad I'm not the only one to have experienced this.
Sometimes afterward I swear I didn't feel any recoil or even hear the rifle fire.
Thick hunting clothes deaden the recoil but again, you wouldn't think it would leave you remembering NO recoil.
Focus on the game/target, mental awareness of the task and adrenaline are a powerful cocktail I guess.
 
I have noticed it a few times while shooting at game. I lost 3 teeth when shooting a turkey left handed. I had to twist to my right and lean to clear a bush. My thumb caught me in the mouth. Yeah, I felt that one. It was a 3" 12ga 2 oz load made by Active. Nasty! Then there was another turkey that came around to my left. I had to twist so far to my left that the butt was on my bicep. That one hurt too.
Friggin turkeys!

I shot a gobbler a friend wounded, one handed with a 12ga 3" magnum load, in a fairly light Mavrick 88. The bird had snuck past me and was about to fly over a fence we couldn't cross, so I just brought the gun up and fired it like a big pistol. I didnt have a good grip on it, and recoil yanked the gun out if my hand sent it sailing past my head. Blew a 6" hole in the bird as he was only about 5yds from me.

Generally I feel very little discomfort from firing at game. If I sit there and contemplate taking a shot tho, I think my adrenaline doesn't kick in or something, cause I usually feel those. 4-5 shots from a 300 or larger and you'll feel it too lol.

Edit: I fired the gun back and to my right without moving my feet due to the terrain......
 
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only one time did i feel recoil when hunting,i was out turkey hunting. i shot a nice tom, nothing big but a nice bird. i was hunting are friends farm and as i was walking back to my truck. i walked by the silo and heard a bunch of pigeons, i like pigeon almost as much i like turkey. this silo the steel roof was rotted, the farmer nick did not mind me shooting at it to get the pigeons. but or some reason instead of throwing rocks at it, i decided to stick my head in the side door. for you that don't know the doors are like 3 feet from the ground about 2 1/2' wide and the top is about your head height. so stupid me with out thinking i lean in the silo and point strait up in the air. i was all twisted up from the wired angel

to this day i regret pulling that trigger, i don't think i have ever felt my spine compress like they. it was instant pain and my back and neck hurt for a week. i got four pigeons tho. the gun was a 12 ga mossberg bolt shotgun can't remember the model, but those bolt shotguns make good turkey guns but there like 5 pounds.
 
I shoot a 10 gauge on geese. After a good day, firing up a box at 'em of 3.5" steel T shot, I have a nice soreness in my shoulder, but I enjoy every shot fired. :D My .308 and my .257 Roberts don't really have much recoil even off the bench even though the rifles are light weight. My 7 mag, however, I really need my Past recoil shield when shooting groups or over the chronograph. I chronographed some loads working up to max with a 160 Partition the other day. Didn't wanna dig out the recoil shield. The soreness went away after a few days. :D

But, yeah, shooting at game, it's like that big 7 doesn't even recoil. I think it's the concentration on making the shot. You just don't think about it when a nice buck or bull is standing there waiting on your shot. :D
 
Should have said do NOT feel when shooting at game.

Well, no need to exaggerate. :D I'd shoot that thing, though, just to be able to say I did. Of course, I might have to have the lenses replaced in my eyes the doc installed to replace my cataracts. I could see 'em flying out of my eyes as I pulled the trigger. :rofl:

Actually, I'm sure it's bareable. Friend had a .375 I fired half expecting my shoulder to fly off. It wasn't that bad. Glad it was a heavy rifle. :D I'm quite sure, too, that if you fired that .470 at a charging cape buffalo, it'd probably feel like a Benjamin air rifle. :D
 
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