What has the worst recoil that you've ever shot?

[John from MD]

You sure it wasn't that Farah Fawcett poster you used to have

You never know.

 

[engineerbrian]

Another one is the Ruger Deerfield (I think thats what its called), its the 10/22 chambered in 44 mag. Its a lot of recoil to put into such a small stock.

 

[HiStandards]

I have shot a Freedom Arms .454, a S&W .500, a bolt action single shot .50 BMG, an American Derringer .45 ACP, and a Mark 45 5"/54. Worst recoil pain was a PPK .380 and a 4-inch S&W 29 .44 Mag.

 

[WatTyler]

Handguns have been good to me, though the Tokarev TT-33 was a bit of a surprise for a 7.62 pistol. But that's a lot of powder behind the slug. For rifles, though, I agree with Mexican Bob. The Mosin Nagant M38 shooting Soviet surplus. Ergonomics of Russian Mosin Nagants are pretty unforgiving, but even with that in consideration, the full-size round in the carbine-size rifle make for a brain-rattling afternoon.

 

[boule]

Handguns?
- lightweight 460Magnum S&W XVR with the short barrel

Long guns?
not so bad - Mosin Nagant M44 with 200gr surplus ammo, good for a few rounds but the shoulder hurts after a few packages

bad - CZ safari in 458 Lott, think someone smuggeled a pro boxer into a sparring match and he just hit your shoulder

worse - Heym double rifle in 9,3x74R when we thought we had the problem with the double discharge fixed. Replace the pro boxer in the sparring match with an angry jackass kicking your shoulder

worst - Mauser Tankgewehr 1918. Feels like a spanish fighting bull impacting your shoulder with someone placing an IED on the bull.

 

[GuitarmanNick]

Years ago at the hunting camp, a cousin's TC in .30-30. Lots of fun, but brutal. Much worse than my P-64s which are unpleasant on the hand, but also too much fun not to shoot.

 

[zoostation]

At a range day once I shot .454 Casull out of a Taurus Raging Judge. That was a lot of recoil but was still fun and a lot of muzzle flash lol. Of course the fact it weighs 2.5 lbs with a well-designed rubber grip helps with the recoil. In comparison, the lightweight .357 snubbie loaded with .357 rounds I shot next was absolutely the most miserable handgun to fire I think I've ever shot. I don't know if it was the most recoil but it was for sure the most miserable.

 

[somd_mustangs]

P64. Recoil ain't bad it's the grip that screws you up.

CZ vz.38 pistol was the most heinous felt recoil for me. "Just" a .380 ACP but the ergonomics suck and one magazine was the limit for me. Hand hurt for a few days afterward.

 

[teratos]

Moderna vaccine.

Feeling those assassin micro bots come out the end of the needle packs a wallop.

 

[GolfR]

In a handgun, my S&W micro 357 revolver. It’s by no means the biggest recoil I’ve shot but it hurts far more than shooting a 454 because the gun is so tiny and light. With 38 it’s awesome.

In a long gun, 12 ga 3.5 inch magnum slugs. Worse than a 50 cal because every one I’ve shot has a break.

 

[Darkemp]

For rifles K98 8mm, M44 or M38 MN’s are all less than pleasant after a few rounds unless I stick a Limbsaver on them. Handguns of just what I own, several of the micro 9mm’s and .380’s are snappy but not painful. Glock 29 I recently got can be a bit snappy in 10mm as well but only hurts the wallet to shoot.

 

[Virgil Co.C]

3 1/2 turkey xr loads , shotgun , 50cal rifle , Sig938 after a few mags.

 

[atblis]

329PD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReCaA56OYRI

 

[Meditator]

I have owned a Ruger SRH44 magnum for over 10 years and finally put some rounds through. Thought it would give me problem, but not issue at all. It just gave me a reminder that I wasn't shooting 40, 45 or 10mm.

Interesting though I was at Cresap a few years ago and there was an older guy in his 80, who was shooting 500 Magnum, didn't see any round on the target but the fact he was shooting that caliber was impressive (to his younger wife as well).

I went to the range recently with Sig229 in 40 and Glock 30 gen 4. The Glock didn't feel enjoyable to shoot any more. The recoil was sharper some how , may be because I rarely shoot 45acp.

 

[nerfherder]

Winchester lever action in .45-70. Ow. Did not enjoy.

 

[Speed3]

I dont shoot lots of handguns but I'd say 44 mag but I can shoot 1 handed pretty easy. I'd imagine a 500 SW would be a different ball game though. Or even a 44 mag with a lightweight short barrel

 

[Muleskinner]

Holland and Holland 500 Nitro Express double rifle. The rifle weighs a little less than 12 pounds and has double triggers. The first round hurt but the killer was the 2nd right after the first...My shoulder was purple for a week and I couldn't hold a long gun to it for about half that time. Rifle was made in the late 19th century. The gentleman that owned it wanted to sell it on consignment. I was the RSO on duty when he came in. It was the RSOs job to test fire anything after the smith looked it over. We ended up not selling it for him since it turned out to be worth more than the owner wanted to deal with (probably wouldn't have sold on John's Island SC anyway..) $70,000 in 1985..

Some modern doubles have 1 trigger so you can fire both in one pull....ouch...

 

[AlBeight]

Now days, in my early 50’s, any 12 gauge shotgun slug is almost too painful. One thing to shoot once at a deer, but the prospect of needing to sight in another deer slug gun with multiple rounds at the range is very low on my list of things I’d like to do ever again.

For handguns, my 454 Casull Raging Bull will get my attention. It never hurt as far as snappy goes, but the concussion shockwave rolling through my palms, forearms and elbows into my bad shoulders is unpleasant enough to limit my time at the range to only 5 or 10 shots typically.

Years ago in my 20’s, I wore recoil more like a badge of honor and was not usually as affected by it. One day my old boss brought his Colt Anaconda 44mag out, and we shot that along with my Taurus M44 44mag (with ported/compensated barrel). The un-comp’ed Colt flat-out sucked to shoot, and I kept with my Taurus the rest of the day, as did he. Another co-worker brought his T/C Contender in 44mag same day. I shot it twice and never touched it again. The T/C weighs next to nothing and that absolutely stupid hook thing on the bottom of the trigger guard took a nice chunk of skin off of my left hand, that gun can kiss my a**.

In hunting shotguns, 3-1/2” magnum waterfowl loads from my Benelli Nova hurt a bunch too. That shotgun is way too light to shoot those heavy loads comfortably.

Another handgun that doesn’t get much range time, my Taurus 605 lightweight snubby in 357 mag. I bought it because I have a friend that had a Rossi snubby that I liked shooting, but forgot that his was a full-size frame gun. My 605 is really small and light. The 357 full power loads are just incredibly unpleasant to shoot, not as much snappy but the massive explosion in my hand without anything to help absorb any recoil just plain hurts, like being punched in the palm over and over again.

 

[AliasNeo07]

Desert Eagle in .50ae.

I know there are a lot that are more powerful, but I haven't shot them

 

[FrankOceanXray]

Kahr PM9. Just couldn't fire that well.