Taming the .40 S&W beast?

[Paincakesx]

I'm very used to shooting the 9mm which has comparatively very small recoil. I've recently tried shooting the .40 S&W, and while it's not by any means an extreme amount of recoil, it still seems to be enough that it throws me off. I think I may be flinching a bit with it as well which I've been trying to stop.

Any bits of advice to help me to effeciently adjust to the recoil?

PS: PS: The Glock 23 is what I've been mainly shooting in the .40 S&W. I'm assuming heavier guns such as the SIG and HK don't kick as much.

 

[One-Time]

I dont consider a .40 caliber Glock as a beast.

all you can do is embrace the recoil and understand its a twist and a flip as opposed to say a straight kick up and back like a 45

 

[Paincakesx]

It's not a best as maybe other guns, but the "snap" seems to be throwing me off.

The .45 ACP 1911 to me didn't seem to kick as bad (though maybe I'm not remembering correctly, haven't shot that one in a while).

I can control it in the sense that after the shot I can get back on target quickly. I guess it's that I feel like my shots aren't going where I'm aiming, which is odd given I was very accurate with the Glock 19 when I shot that one.

 

[GLOOB]

It will definitely have more kick than most full size 45's. I equate the kick of my g21 as equal to my g19 with hot ammo. The recoil of a G27 trumps both, with every fodder I've tried.

Try a variety of different ammo. I was kinda disappointed in the accuracy of my G27 for quite awhile, mostly shooting at an indoor pistol range at ranges less than 50 feet. I blamed my eyes and the shorter sight radius. But I eventually started shooting at longer distances and finally figured out it didn't like the ammo I was using. Shooting the two different loads at longer ranges was like night and day. I'm talking hitting a 2L bottle at 100 feet nearly every time. Then switching to the other ammo and missing by 6 feet left. Then 6 feet right! And not hitting the bottle with an entire mag.

With the right ammo, it's right up there with my other guns. It's too early to tell if there's a trend, but the ammo it didn't like was 180 gr, and the ammo it shoots well is 155 grain. I'm still trying different 180 gr loads, though.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

"It's not a beast, but does have more 'snap'" is a very fair assessment of the .40 S&W cartridge and guns, in my experience. I actually like the recoil properties of the .45 Auto better. You can play with various bullet weights and powder charges in your ammunition to change recoil properties, as well as practice more to eliminate your recoil anticipation flinch (which I suspect is much of your problem). Personally, my solution, for a piece of machinery that that is relatively inexpensive and easy to replace ($500 gun vs. $20,000 car), is to select equipment that works better for me - in other words, go back to 9mm - but that is just me.

 

[ATBackPackin]

Try getting someone to load you some snap caps randomly in a mag while at the range. That'll definitely show you how bad you are twitching and help you work on it. You have to learn not to anticipate the recoil and let it surprise you.

Shawn

 

[jmr40]

Borrow someones 44 or 357 mag revolver and spend a little time with it. The 40 will seem like a 22 to you shortly. When I started in handgunning I owned only magnum revolvers for years. Since started using autos I don't see how anyone can be concerned about recol from a 40, 10mm or 45.

 

[Mike J]

I shoot .40 more than anything else. While I don't own a .40 caliber Glock I have shot a friends. The recoil was more direct than the recoil of my XD. The XD also has more muzzle flip though. That said .40 caliber recoil doesn't really bother me.

 

[jon86]

Just practice. You will soon get used to it.

 

[SoulLessGinger]

Advice: If the recoil is bothering you, you need to be putting more rounds down the pipe. Eventually it becomes completely normal to you.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I grew up shooting 357, 41 or 44 mag wheel guns so the 40 is childs play to me. Use snap caps and shoot some 357 in a wheel gun.

 

[millertyme]

Maybe start with a full-size pistol like the 22 then move to the 23. A kid I was shooting next to at the range had a hard time putting it on paper and keeping it in the black with a 23. Bad grip, flinching, etc. I let him shoot my full-sized CZ 75 (granted a 9mm with a lighter trigger) and he was able to keep them in the 8 ring. He traded the 23 in at the counter for a 22 and he came back with groups half the size as the 23. I'm not an expert of any kind, but DAO and striker-fired polymer compacts tend to prohibit me from making tight groups. Maybe your grip also has something to do with it.

Borrow someones 44 or 357 mag revolver and spend a little time with it. The 40 will seem like a 22 to you shortly. When I started in handgunning I owned only magnum revolvers for years. Since started using autos I don't see how anyone can be concerned about recol from a 40, 10mm or 45.

Haha, yeah, that's for sure. I took my cousin and a few of his Army buddies out shooting and brought along some real-deal hunting loads for my 44 Magnum. 240gr XTP's at about 1600 fps. I loaded the cylinder up with five 240gr LSWC over Red Dot producing a meager 925 fps and one of the XTP's. For a bunch of guys used to shooting 9mm Beretta's the five plinkers were nothing much, but the one XTP almost shot the gun out of the guy's hands.

 

[dwhite]

I second JMR40. When I first got my .40 I took my .357 Mag to the range and ran a cylinder or two of full bore .357's through it before picking up the .40. The .40 was a lot more controllable after that.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[X-Rap]

The recoil is not an issue in slow fire when the sights can be recovered easily. I have come back to the 9mm for that very reason, the capacity and speed to me out weigh the benefit of the larger calibers in my SD weapon. I still have and enjoy the others and endeavor to increase my skills but as far as taming the 40, I think it is in practice practice practice.

 

[bcp280z]

Call me spoiled I shoot my .40's out of my M&P

But seriously it's not that bad, I learned to shoot handguns off of my fathers USP 40. Then later tried 9mm's and .45's and they weren't so bad.

From my limited experience, Glock and XD .40's have the worst recoil.

 

[GLOOB]

You shouldn't always blame the shooter. If you can't shoot it accurately in slowfire, try a variety of different ammo. My Glock 40 is ammo sensitive. It has shown a very strong dislike of certain loads.

 

[radio-voice]

Try a .40 Lite load

Paincakes:
If you reload, you might try downloading your .40. I've been doing some experimentation with .40 lite loads for my wife and have worked up (down) a load that actually feels like a light 9mm. If you don't reload, there are some commercially available .40 low recoil loads available. I may end up using this lighter load even for IDPA matches, once I check muzzle velocity to be sure I'm making power factor.