Can heavy recoil cause serious injury or is it just a phobia?

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stevekl

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I've been shooting for a number of years and I can say I'm neither afraid of recoil nor a recoil junkie. I'm not enthusiastic about it but I won't back down from it, in other words.

But that got me thinking. Heavy recoil is scary. Everyone flinches, and no one would want to shoot a .600 Nitro Express in an Encore Pistol.

But is it rational? I mean, I used to be afraid of spiders until I got reasonable about it. There's only two species around here that are truly harmful, so now I'm cool with spiders. I'd like to become cool with heavy recoil, too, but are the stories about broken collar bones true? Has anyone ever seriously injured themselves (like broken bone serious, not scope eye or bruised shoulder) because of recoil?
 
It depends on where you put the butt of the gun when you pull the trigger.
Firmly against the shoulder with even the average hi-power rifle should not cause injury.
Holding the butt away from the body would cause it to strike you as it is fired, but I don't know about serious injury...unless you have fragile bones...or if it hits 'just right.'
Now, putting the butt of the gun against your crotch....nose....stomach....well, need I say more?:)
 
Do you count scope eye? Im sure small people shooting high recoil guns with a poor should mount could do some damage-
 
I seriously believe I have experienced whiplash after shooting

my 4" barrel 500 Magnum when I was testing loads. I was on the bench and every shot I would take would cause my shoulders to fly backward and my head to snap forward then back.

Each shot was like having a car accident. I did have a massive headache for about a week afterward. I'm sure my brain was bouncing around inside my head (which is quite a scary thought).:what:

So, I would say, high-recoiling guns could possibly injure a person, especially if they are not real fit to begin with and/or if they already have any physical ailments.
 
For every action there is a some poor schlub that will figure out a way to maim himself from the reaction.

YOu could give them classes in physics, teach them all about cause and effect, and they will still do it wrong.

It's like that phrase from Jurassic Park, "Nature will find a way".
 
Have heard reports that Military personnel using 50 cal BMG sniper rifles have experienced detached retinas from recoil. Can't say it's true....and don't know it's not, but makes you wonder.
 
So, I would say, high-recoiling guns could possibly injure a person, especially if they are not real fit to begin with and/or if they already have any physical ailments.
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I have a torn rotator cuff that acts up from time to time. I fired a couple of rounds out of an S&W 642 and could feel my shoulder ache from the recoil. I stopped shooting because I had plans to use my right arm later in the week.

I traded the 642 for a 10-5, and I can shoot that with no shoulder issues at all. (I don't know if that would be considered a good trade, but it was an in-family trade of inherited weapons. My son had his dad's 10-5, i had his grandfather's 642. We swapped. He'll re-inherit the 10-5 eventually lol.)

Some folks probably don't think the 642 has any recoil at all. All I can say is - my shoulder would disagree.
 
Have heard reports that Military personnel using 50 cal BMG sniper rifles have experienced detached retinas from recoil. Can't say it's true....and don't know it's not, but makes you wonder.
Click to expand...

My dad did a lot of rifle shooting, both in the army, hunting and recreational. He had detached retina surgery a few years back.
 
but are the stories about broken collar bones true? Has anyone ever seriously injured themselves (like broken bone serious, not scope eye or bruised shoulder) because of recoil?
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I believe one person on this forum got nerve injury in his hands from shooting an S&W 500.

And recoil is force. Enough of it can hurt you.

There's only two species around here that are truly harmful,
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Actually, there are more.
 
If i'm not mistaken, our military snipers who shoot the .50 are limited to a certain number of rounds in a day because it causes so much shock to the body and can seriously hurt them. IIRC it shocks the CNS and causes certain problems for them. I think it has more to do with concussion rather than recoil, but I don't know for sure.
 
Detcahed retina is the only acute injury i've ever heard of from heavy recoil.

My dad got "tennis elbow" once from shooting, but that was built up- didn't just happen all at once.
 
been bruised up shooting my 416 Taylor and 45-70 Contender 16" in carbine form...so yeah...you can do it.


Also got a partial shiner from someone mounting a scope with not quite enough eye relief on a 50 BMG rifle.
 
Excellent question. I hope someone qualified will provide a complete answer.
 
Extremely hard recoil can cause temporary flashes of light. These are symptoms of detached retina. Detached retina is no joke. My wife had to have nitrogen injected into her eye and spend 24 hours a day for three weeks with her face pointed downward in a special brace. Couldn't watch TV, etc.

She works for an eye surgeon.
 
People have had painful shoulder injuries requiring surgery or long recoveries, detached retinas, broken orbital bones and scope eye.

What do you consider "serious"?
 
A "friend" of mine let me shoot a .45 long colt/410 derringer with an aftermarket (larger) grip.

My wrist still makes strange clicking noises.
 
One of the shooters at the range let me shoot a .458 win mag last summer. It wasn't really didn't hurt my shoulder at all. Ass was a little sore went it hit the concrete though. :eek:
 
Repeated harsh recoil can damage nerves in the hand and powerful rifles and shotguns can cause shoulder injuries.

Listen to your body and use ice if necessary after shooting.

Take your ibuprofen.
 
Heck yes. Back when I started shooting recoil pads wern't all that common nor were they that effective. My shoulder and neck bother me all the time. I woulnd't shoot a hard kicking gun unless my life or someone's life was in danger.
 
I'm not afraid of recoil either, as I'm sure most people are who visit this forum. I however am not a masocist, and I don't enjoy shooting any gun thats uncomfortable to shoot.

Yes recoil can cause various forms of injury, acute injury is most likely from improper technique though.
 
this has been well documented. most common was retinal detachment for the old boys in africa shooting the heavy cartridges. a 4 bore is not nice on either end.
 
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