worst recoiling rifle

[tark]

Let's have some fun guys, and swap some horror stories. What is the worst, most painful to shoot rifle you have ever fired. I'm talking recoil beyond the threshold of pain, recoil that has injured you.

For my part; it is easy. A Thomas Bland single shot, twenty one pound 4 bore elephant gun. The charge was 385 grains of 1F pushing a 2000 grain bullet. The case was 4 1/2 " long. Don't believe those stories about the "gentle shove" of "steady push" of a black powder rifle. Toro Caca. The kick from that gun can only be described savage. It cannot be shot sitting down, it will knock you off the chair.

I fired it once. It is hard to fire a second round with a broken collar bone, and that is my nomination for the nastiest of the nasty.

Whats yours?

 

[Justin]

No matter who else posts, I think you win the thread.

I have a memory of shooting a Weatherby rifle chambered in some ungodly magnum years ago that left an impression, but I don't remember the caliber.

 

[rcmodel]

.460 Weatherby sure made an impression on me!!

rc

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

but I don't remember the caliber.

460 Weatherby?

For me it would be H&Hhunter's 470 Nitro Express double rifle.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Polish anti-tank rifle in 7.92x107. Even loaded down and with a brass solid instead of jacketed tungsten bullet it pushed me back about a foot, shooting from the reclining position.

One shot was enough.

Years later I found out that they were supposed to have muzzle brakes.

 

[Gtscotty]

Mine was a Lahti L-39 20mm anti-tank rifle. Even with the rifle's weight of over 100 lbs, the recoil was.... eye opening. I was prone while firing, and made double sure that I was lined up directly behind the rifle, as the owner had told me in no uncertain terms that if I were cocked to one side my collar bone would pay the price. Even so, when I fired the rifle, it basically picked me up and moved me 3-4 inches backward. The funniest part was that we were using WW2 ammo, and the first round I dropped the hammer on was a dud. It's not a whole lot of fun slowly counting to 30 while keeping up your form and waiting for a light cannon round to maybe/maybe not hangfire.

 

[Liberty1776]

Now I feel like such a wuss.... or maybe I just haven't shot enough cool big bores...?

Mine was a Remington 721 rechambered to .300 Weatherby. Actually the recoil may not have been too bad, but the rear scope eyepiece smacking me between the eyes made up for it...

 

[Robert]

For me it would be H&Hhunter's 470 Nitro Express double rifle.

Larry that thing is a pussy cat. Let me load up my 7 lbs Marlin Guide Gun with some loads that H&Hhunter gave me. 405gr leaving the muzzle of a 7lbs rifle at near 2,000 fps will leave a mark. I'd much rather shoot the 470 than those damn hot 45-70s in a light rifle.

 

[jmr40]

A 7 1/2 lb. 870 Supermag shooting 3 1/2" turkey loads would be the worst.

A Close #2 would be one of the 1970's era Marlin 1895's in 45-70 shooting hot 500 gr handloads. These old guns had no recoil pad, just an old school hard curved buttplate.

There isn't an animal on the planet I want to kill bad enough to deal with that much recoil again.

I've fired some hot loads from a 6 lb. 300 mag, 416 Rigby, and an 8mm magnum rifle that were nothing in comparison.

 

[nastynatesfish]

A friend from Cape Town South Africa let me shoot his dad's old 600 nitro express. Side by side like a shotgun right? Nope! I'm 300lbs it didn't knock me down but it did dislocate my shoulder lol. I guess there is a certain way to shoot them big old lion guns. I don't want one anymore I don't care how cool they are and look. Nope...

 

[Nighteyes]

... one of the 1970's era Marlin 1895's in 45-70 shooting hot 500 gr handloads. These old guns had no recoil pad, just an old school hard curved buttplate.

Ditto. In fact, the recoil was so strong that each shot actually kicked the lever out of battery! My fingers in the lever kept it from moving more than a smidge, but still...

Another is my Pedersoli .45-70 Remington Rolling Block with a full-up black powder load behind a 405gr. lead bullet.

 

[50 Shooter]

I got socked in the head with a 35 pound .50 when its collapsable stock released when I pulled the trigger. It's a good thing I had a hold of it or I might've had a broken nose from the scope hitting me right on the side of my nose/eye/glasses...

It was bad enough that I was actually seeing stars! Whenever I shoot that type of .50 I make sure to check the lock indicator on the stock.

 

[LeonCarr]

H&R Tracker II Single Shot Rifled Slug Gun (About 5.5 pounds empty) loaded with 3 Inch Magnum Brenneke Magnum Crush Slugs, shooting off the bench. Hurts on both ends.

After firing the first thing I thought was I would have to be really really mad at someone or something to shoot them with one of these .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[xfyrfiter]

A friend from Cape Town South Africa let me shoot his dad's old 600 nitro express. Side by side like a shotgun right? Nope! I'm 300lbs it didn't knock me down but it did dislocate my shoulder lol. I guess there is a certain way to shoot them big old lion guns. I don't want one anymore I don't care how cool they are and look. Nope...

Yeah those 600 NE kill on the front end and maim on the back. They are absolutely worse than any 10 ga. slug gun. Will put you in the hospital if not held properly.

 

[Saleen322]

Let me load up my 7 lbs Marlin Guide Gun with some loads that H&Hhunter gave me. 405gr leaving the muzzle of a 7lbs rifle at near 2,000 fps will leave a mark. I'd much rather shoot the 470 than those damn hot 45-70s in a light rifle.

I am so glad you posted that as now I don't feel so bad. I have a NEF handi rifle, no recoil pad, weighing between 6 and 7 pounds that "my buddy" said, "Hey try some of these cast bullets." We had a chronograph set up and when it came up 1710 and I felt like I was hit by Mike Tyson, I asked what do those bullets weigh. "Oh.....500 grains, maybe a bit more..." One off the bench was enough! lol

 

[ExAgoradzo]

I was 10 when my dad allowed his buddy to put a Garand on my shoulder. I'll never forget that. But at least it was a Garand and not a bolt action.

A couple of years ago I had a single shot H&R 12 gauge. I accidentally put a 3"mag in the chamber. I calmly put the gun down while Matt shot the 20 ga. My buddy snickered at me then did it himself. He had to go to the doctor because he had the but on a nerve that took months to heal.

Justin is right, tark wins though!

Greg

 

[samort457]

I've shot some pretty stout .338 mag, .45-70, & magnum turkey loads but the one that that has left the most painful memory in my mind is a 30-30. Back when I was a little five year old, 40lbs and barely four feet, my uncle asked if I wanted to shoot his old marlin 30-30, I told him yes. I fired of two shots and each one wolould have knocked me off the benched had he not had his hand on my back.

 

[Justin]

460 Weatherby?

I honestly don't remember. That sounds too big, but I do remember the term "elephant gun" being tossed around.

For me it would be H&Hhunter's 470 Nitro Express double rifle.

The pain from the recoil was eclipsed only by the sense of awe I felt at vaporizing a watermelon with that thing. There was a momentary flash of green and pink, and that thing was just gone.

 

[tommy.duncan]

I had a .460 Weatherby try to remove my shoulder when I was 18. I remember the owner saying it was a little worse then a 30.06. After the owner (and friend) stopped laughing he said, "sorry, it is a LOT worse then a 30.06!!"
I think my pride still hurts to this day!!

 

[Nom de Forum]

Tark, that is quite are rare opportunity. One I would almost be willing to risk a broken collar bone to have.

No real injuries from rifles spring to mind if you don't count bruising and brain rattling. Most unpleasant was a Mark V in .378.

If we can count shotguns it is easy to answer. I have a Rossi, single shot, 12ga, with a hollow synthetic stock and a barrel cut to 18" that weighs 5.0 pounds. I got sloppy and a 3" Brenneke popped my cheek bone. It really swelled up.

 

[56hawk]

Well, I don't personally think the recoil is too bad. My friend might disagree though:



Rifle is a 8 3/4 lb. 600 overkill shooting a 900 grain bullet at 1700 fps. Here is me shooting the same rifle with a 900 grain bullet doing over 2000 fps:



Compare that to the recoil of a 9 1/2 lb. 460 Weatherby shooting a 500 grain bullet at 2600 fps:

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

After seeing that I hate to even mention a .350 Rem. mag. in a Rem. 600 which is about 6 6 1/2 lbs. I shot about 10 rounds trying to zero in a newly mounted receiver sight. It wasn't going to happen due to needing a higher front sight. I flinched for a while, but never shot the gun again. I traded it to Wild West Guns in Ak for a s & w revolver (I took a loss for sure) I still remember the serial no. 63000. That was one gun I wasn't sorry to see go.

 

[crashyoung]

My most painful memory was at the gun range with my 1903 doing some firing practice,
when the guy next to me was complaining about his new gun. I asked what the problem
was, and he said the shop had bore sighted it, but he wasn't hitting paper.
I asked if he minded if I tried, and he agreed to let me. I picked it up and noticed it was
an ultralight so I tucked it in a little tighter and touched it off, I was an inch off center, I
handed it back and said he was flinching.
I packed up and went home to ice my shoulder. I never did know what caliber it was...

Tark wins, but I wouldn't mind trying that rifle just once!

 

[SC Shooter]

I have a Moisin Nagant M-44 carbine. I was the standard soviet carbine of WWII. It has the worst recoil of any of my long guns.

 

[Inebriated]

Never shot any of the magnums, unfortunately. The worst I've ever experienced was an 18" single-shot 12 gauge, steel buttplate, with Brenneke Black Magic 3" slugs. 600gr slug moving out of the barrel at around 1500fps, out of a 5lb gun... That hurt.