Just Roll With It Baby!

[k4swb]

Just Roll With It Baby! Recoil!

Burn this into your brain. Most of what people think of as recoil is actually muzzle blast. With proper eye and ear protection, muzzle blast will not hurt you. Think of checking your car’s oil and someone slips up and blows the horn. You most likely will jump. Now have someone blow the horn a few times before you start and the whole time you are checking the oil. You won’t jump. It may be irritating but put on ear muffs and you will hardly notice it at all.

Guns do recoil but the physical force is way less than most realize. The recoil of a firearm should not hurt you. When firing a gun, if the recoil actually causes you pain you need to either change your hold or get a different gun.
There is no reason to ever shoot a gun that causes you pain. If the thump from the gun hurts because of an injury or something else and you insist on shooting take precautions to minimize this before you go shooting.
I have a hand that I broke once and also suffer from arthritis. Sometimes this causes some discomfort but it is the price I pay to enjoy shooting. It also bothers me at other times and is something I have factored out.

Since you cannot stop recoil you need to just let it happen. Don’t try to control it at all before it happens. This anticipation of the recoil/muzzle blast that is not going to actually hurt you is what causes problems. You do not need to hold the gun any tighter than what it takes to hold the gun. A firm but relaxed hold that keeps the gun steady before the shot is all it takes. This will most likely be firm enough to keep you from dropping the gun after the shot.
Do not try to stop recoil before it occurs. Let it happen. Then and only then is it time to think of doing anything other than keeping the sights on the target and pulling the trigger nice and smooth.

Go to the range and try firing one shot at a time. Load one cartridge only and think, “I’m only going to shoot once. Steady hold. Smooth trigger pull. Recoil will not hurt me. I’m going to let the gun do whatever it wants to after I pull the trigger but before that I’m only concerned with my hold and trigger pull.” Don’t worry about bringing the gun back on target. Don’t think about stopping the gun and your hands from rising.
Do not anticipate the gun’s response to the trigger pull at all. Just like dry firing. If you ever realize that recoil/muzzle blast will not hurt you, you will become a much better shot. Since you cannot stop recoil from happening except by not pulling the trigger, and we just gotta pull the trigger, wait until it is all over with before you react to it. The sooner you realize this the sooner you can start thinking about shot number two.
Shooting fast may be fun but shooting well is more fun.

Recoil is just a little noise in the face and a thump in the hand. I wouldn’t enjoy shooting without these things. When I want quiet and serene I take a nap or read a book. I love recoil!!! You should learn to at least like it or take up another hobby.

Sorry for the long post. This turned out to be longer than I meant for it to but there were just too many things to convey. I know I missed something but I hope I mentioned that with proper hearing and eye protection, recoil/muzzle blast will not hurt you. If you flinch, jerk or push into the shot, something inside you is still convinced it will.

 

[MikeJackmin]

Yep. Good advice,

 

[SaxonPig]

To some degree I concur. But even with good eye and ear protection my 460 rifle kicks the snot out of me. So does the 44 Magnum Model 29 which is as far as I care to go in handguns.

 

[k4swb]

To some degree I concur. But even with good eye and ear protection my 460 rifle kicks the snot out of me. So does the 44 Magnum Model 29 which is as far as I care to go in handguns.

If you're ever about to shoot and find a big ugly looking man standing there, give him warning you are about to sling snot everywhere. It might be me.

If the rifle mentioned were mine and it actually hurt to shoot it, I'd stop. If it was just pushing me around and giving me a good thump with no actual pain, I shoot the crap out of it.

I have a hand that I broke awhile back and enough full power loads through it and I might feel some discomfort. I mostly shoot wussy loads but do still rip off a few full power one from time to time. Once the pain from that gun starts I swap to something lighter or call it a day. I do usually wait until I'm about done before I shoot it with full power loads.

 

[Fleetman]

I like recoil too thus the reason I shoot big bores but recoil, if not handled correctly, CAN hurt you and muzzle blast WILL clean out your sinuses.

I agree though, if the firearm hurts either use a smaller caliber or pick a different hobby.

Most shooters know to "roll" with recoil but it's the amateurs that get hurt. I've seen shooters practically bend over backwards when firing a .458 Lott but only due to them trying to "control" the recoil so I, again, agree with you....let it happen. Anticipate, prepare, and roll with it.

I have a rifle that will throw the muzzle blast and resultant shock wave 10-15 feet from either side of the muzzle brake....trust me, you don't want to be kissed by the blast! It clears benches two positions away from me of cameras, ammo, etc, etc. (ask me how I know)http://www.thehighroad.org/images/icons/icon12.gif

 

[SwampWolf]

Guns do recoil but the physical force is way less than most realize.

Think of checking your car’s oil and someone slips up and blows the horn. You most likely will jump. Now have someone blow the horn a few times before you start and the whole time you are checking the oil. You won’t jump. It may be irritating but put on ear muffs and you will hardly notice it at all.

Have you shot a revolver chambered in either .500 or .460 Magnum? You can double up on ear protection if you want but the "toot" isn't as bad as the "bite".

 

[k4swb]

Have you shot a revolver chambered in either .500 or .460 Magnum? You can double up on ear protection if you want but the "toot" isn't as bad as the "bite".

Nope, not yet but I sure would love to.
I've shot heavy 45/70 loads out of a Contender. Wonder how much difference there is? The bite is usually softened by relaxation and letting the bodies natural shocks work. Stand on a table about 6' high. Jump off and do not bend the knees, hips and ankles to absorb the impact. Now repeat letting your natural shocks work and see the difference.

I know what people are saying, and I agree. Some people can handle just so much and then beyond that it is too much. Most people can handle alot more than they realize if they get the noise down and roll with the recoil. If someone cannot handle the big thumpers then they should not shoot them.
I never take a totally new shooter to the range and hand them anything bigger than a .22lr and only then if they wear hearing protection.

Before I learned how this works I knew exactly what my limit was. With proper eye and hearing protection I haven't found it again, yet.