All recoil values have been rounded off to one decimal place.
In the table below rifle weight is given in pounds, free recoil energy is given in foot pounds, and free recoil velocity is given in feet-per-second. These are good things to remember when comparing rifle cartridges. The longer you shoot, and the harder the rifle kicks, the more likely you are to flinch. In addition, the effects of recoil are cumulative. Above this level recoil becomes increasingly intrusive. These figures remain practical maximums for the modern hunter. The edition of the same textbook stated, in addition, that recoil velocity should not exceed 15 fps above that velocity a gun-headache was very likely to occur. Inthe British Textbook of Small Arms stated that 15 ft. My subjective impression is that, with a well designed stock, recoil velocity above about 10 fps begins to feel like a sharp rap on the shoulder rather than an abrupt push. While recoil energy determines how hard the blow to the shoulder feels, recoil velocity determines how abrupt the blow to the shoulder feels. Fifteen foot pounds is probably about the maximum recoil energy most shooters feel reasonably comfortable with, particularly at the shooting range, where most serious marksmanship practice occurs. It is worth remembering that the majority of authorities agree that recoil of over twenty foot pounds will cause most shooters to develop a serous flinch, which is ruinous to bullet placement the prime component of killing power. Never-the-less, the table below should give a reasonably accurate comparison of the recoil of most popular rifle cartridges. So the figures in any recoil table should be taken as approximate. Also, please understand that there are dozens of loads for any given bullet weight in any cartridge that will produce the same velocity, but a different amount of recoil.
These sorts of things cannot be accounted for in a recoil table. Gas-operated semi-automatic actions reduce apparent recoil by spreading it over a longer period of time. One of the most important of these is the fit and shape of the rifle stock.Ī good recoil pad can help soften the blow to the shooter's shoulder. In addition to gun weight, it is influenced by many factors. However, perceived recoil, what the shooter feels, is a highly subjective matter. Choose a rifle weight appropriate for the loads you intend to shoot. Just because it can be done does not mean it makes sense, despite what you might read in advertising copy. Violate this principle by, for example, chambering a lightweight, short action rifle for a powerful Magnum cartridge like the. In the real world, firearms chambered for less powerful cartridges are typically built lighter than firearms chambered for more powerful cartridges. Bank authorization letter sample to collect documents Do not forget that rifle weight is a crucial factor in the recoil equation, inversely proportional to recoil. In the shooting sports we call that reaction recoil or "kick. This means that the momentum of a rifle's reaction will exactly equal the momentum of the bullet and powder gasses ejected from the barrel. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction that is one of the physical laws of our universe.