243 Kick

my 243 kicks a little harder than my 223.. very light, and I'm a little recoil shy .. many people consider it a good choice for ladies or youngsters. I tore my rotator cup a few years ago but only shot 22's for about 3 months.. A 308 DOES kick a little harder than a 243 because of the bullet weight

.243 has very light recoil. I have a Rem 700 in .243 with a light youth stock and a 20" barrel. My 10 year old shoots it w/o even a flinch.

I've never shot a managed recoil .308 so I couldn't comment on that.

30-06 from a bolt gun will thump your shoulder maybe twice what a .243 would.

Check out this page for some numbers comparing recoil forces and velocities for various calibers and loads.

.243 with a good shoulder pad is pretty gentle (I think it's easier than 7.62x39). If that's still too much I'd say .223

I'm pretty recoil sensitive myself.

I would also second the 243 along with a recoil pad. I like the 243 to teach women and children how to shoot rifles. I also believe that the 7.62x39 has more recoil compared to the 243.

Recoil is such a subjective thing - I'm not sure anyone can tell you what you can and cannot handle.

A few years ago I bought a Rem 700 .243 because I thought it'd be my "long range varmint gun" when the Colorado wind was blowing too hard for my .204.

What I found out was, my .243 recoiled just as bad as my .270 (as far as I was concerned). It was also loud, and although I always shoot with my ears on, the muzzleblast and muzzle rise added to the recoil perception, at least for me. It was not fun to shoot high volume with, and it didn't fill a need that wasn't already filled, so I sold it for more than I paid for it and bought other firearms.

--Duck911

The weight of the rifle and the area of contact with the buttplate or recoil pad
has a lot to do with the actual amount of recoil and perceived recoil, as much as the cartridge.

Here is a link for a recoil calculator, which might be very useful in helping you figure out what rifle might be best:

http://huntamerica.com/recoil_calculator/

just shot a heavy bbl varminter in 243 , this weekend. almost nothing, almost able to see shot impact through the scope.

What recoil?

I started with a .243 when I was like 12 or 13. Savage 99E lever gun. No real kick to speak of. But I also now shoot 7.62x54R and 8mm Mauser for fun. Now those have some kick

Recoil

Longboard--All else being equal (which of course is almost never the case!) the .243Win will kick far less than a .308Win or a .30-'06. The latter 2 have heavier bullets, and larger powder charges, which Ike Newton guarantees us will result in a heavier recoil.

Now, recoil is subjective, and also a heavier rifle will resist recoiling more than a lighter rifle. Also there is the consideration that an autoloader will sop up some of the recoil in operating its moving parts. And some rifles will fit you better than others--an ill-fitting stock makes the recoil feel worse.

All that said, the .243 is a traditional cartridge with which to start training smaller, more slightly built rifle shooters, and generally it works well for that purpose. My #1 Son started with a .243 when he was 11; it worked well for him. (He would NOT shoot my .30-'06 after one try.) It would probably be a much better bet for your torn rotator than either of the others.

There are now recoil pads available which help moderate recoil even further--Sorbothane (the gel shoe insert maker) has a new one that is supposed to be particularly good. If a factory stock is uncomfortable for you to shoot I'd certainly try adding a recoil pad as a next step.

BTW--Have you had someone take care of yr shoulder? You shouldn't just "tough it out;" physical therapists nowadays can do wonders, and if PT doesn't help, there is amazing new surgery. I had a rotator cuff injury myself, the PT was great, and the surgery consisted of 3 punch-holes the size of a pencil. Took a year to get over, though, and You Must Do the PT. I kept a daily log of exercises done, which amazed both the physical therapist and the doctor, and which got me better service from both I believe.

.243 with a good shoulder pad is pretty gentle (I think it's easier than 7.62x39).

Click to expand...

+1. If you are shooting x39 in a semi-auto, you can handle .243 in a bolt.

Here's, of course, hoping that your shoulder heals up! The less you worry about that then the less concern about which rifle obviously. When you shoot that .243 just make sure it is seated firmly against the shoulder. Recoil is exascerbated (sp) by sloppy hold. (sorry, too lazy to check the spelling this morning)

There will be a difference between a varmint(heavy) and a sporter(light) for the recoil, but you can also find a difference with the .243 ammo you choose. My VLS has a 1.9&1/8 twist, realy likes 70-95 grain jazz. Now I aslo reload but I belive you can get factory managed recoil ammo to.

Edit; I take back the managed recoil comment, and appologise.
I mean you make enough custom ammo and sometimes think why can't all factory ammo be just like it. Federal loads a few good premium selections though.