Darn near tore off my shoulder yesterday,,,

A

aarondhgraham

New member
Instead of hitting my watering hole after work,,,
I decided to hit my range and turn some money into noise.

I was popping away with my Beretta NEOS when this gentleman drove up,,,
We waved as he walked to the 200 yard range with a rifle case,,,
A few minutes later I heard this BOOM!

Nothing blew up but man was that one loud rifle,,,
He fired it twice more, stopped for a smoke, and to go look at his target.

I went over to say hello,,,
He offered me a shot at his rifle,,,
I had never fired a .458 Winchester Mag before.

Da-Yum!
That thing kicks! :eek:

Aarond
 
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LOL! Sounds like a good time!

I remember the first time I shot a .300 Win Mag, it was in a light hunting rifle and they had me do it from the prone position. The shmucks had to have known it would be painful since I'm long and bony all over... my skinny shoulders don't have a lot of meat on them! I pulled the trigger and hit the target, but I gave it back to them after one shot... those magnum people are crazy! :D
 
Wimp! Try a .....

Ithaca 12ga M37 using Brenneke slugs.

Have two7mmMag prefer the wood stocked one instead of the composite stocked one.

Also try a M1 Garand with 8 round clip for rapid fire string of high power match.
 
Wimp?,,,

Wimp?,,, :p

I have fired plenty of 12 gauge shotguns,,,
And with what I was told with some exotic ammo,,,
IMHO shotguns have more of a "push" while rifles have a "punch".

I grew up with a single shot 12 gauge my Poppa called a Long Tom,,,
It was lightweight and kicked very hard,,,
But nothing like magnum rifles.

My Great Uncle Slick had a WW-II era BAR,,,
I once emptied a magazine as fast as I could fire,,,
My poor 12 year old shoulder was bruised but I handled it.

The most pain I have experienced was 3 rounds out of an H&H .375 Magnum,,,
That thing actually brought tears to my eyes by the third shot,,,
If I would have fired 3 shots from that .458 Win Mag,,,
I would have been whimpering like a baby. ;)

Aarond
 
A few years back, after the magnum rifle craze had subsided a bit, I began to notice various ads for used .458 rifles. This peaked my interest so I began to phone them. In almost every case they had a rifle that had only been shot a couple of times plus a box of cartridges with only 2 or 3 missing.

Some would admit that was just too much gun for them and some wouldn’t. Of those that admitted it was too much gun some of the stories of first firings were hilarious. “Thought I had been struck by lightening.” “Kicked me down and stomped me.” “Picked myself up and put it back in the box.” “ Neighbor called and asked what had exploded.” “ Shoulder was sore for a week.”

My son bought 2 from the ads. Both new and both came with a box of cartridges with only two rounds missing. We abused ourselves a bit with them, then back on the market they went.
 
I hate recoil. I have no desire to shoot anything with more recoil than my 7-08. I grew up killing things with 12ga slugs and 3" turkey loads. Hated it then, hate it now. If somebody offered to let me shoot a 458, I would respectfully decline. In fact, I'd decline a 30-06 unless I had a reason to shoot it.
If I never shoot a 12ga, or anything similar, again, I can die happy.
 
This gentleman fired 12 rounds in all,,,

So he's ahead of the curve I guess.

We chatted a while and I asked him if he was going on safari,,,
He said no, that he just always wanted an elephant gun.

And yes, my shoulder is a teeny bit sore today.

Aarond
 
I must be odd, I guess. I love the big bores and find the recoil of my. 458 Lott to be quite moderate. Of course, I'm not shooting off the bench, either, and don't know why anyone would shoot a DGR rifle from the bench. Shoot standing up with a good stance, and I think you'll find the big bores to be quite manageable. The trick is to let the big muscles in your legs absorb the recoil.
 
Hello csmsss,,,

When I was a young man I owned a Springfield Trap-Door 45-70,,,
Light factory loads and the weight of the rifle made it okay to fire off 20 rounds.

Like you I actually enjoyed the recoil of that antique,,,
But it didn't have that snappy kick the modern magnums have.

I would love to fire off one round from your Lott,,,
I'll fire just about anything, one time. ;)

I touched off a .75 caliber muzzle loader once,,,
That was like firing a 20 gauge shotgun,,,

A friend has an H&R Handi-Rifle in 7 Magnum,,,
That lightweight rifle kills at both ends.

I really love my .22 rifles. :D

Aarond
 
I've only shot reloads out of my .458. A 405 grain bullet at 2000 fps and the gun just doesn't move. That bullet hits rocks like a hyperactive silver paintball though.
 
Aaron, you definitely know you touched something off, but most of the effect people are noticing is the concussion and the roar. I honestly think most shooters can handle the recoil if they get into a good stance (hint: make sure your knees are slightly bent), and lean forward into the shot. The inertia from the shot will thus be taken up by the big muscles in your thighs and backside and it really isn't the hugely dramatic experience you might expect (apart from the extra loud boom, of course).

If you're ever in the Augusta, GA area, let me know and I can take you out for a shoot with it.
 
Hehehe ... that's great. Nothing like a turn on a gun like that to make your day eh.:)

First time ever out shooting pistols, I was with my Father-in-Law. He brought a smith 9mm pistol and a Smith .357 Magnum. I'll never forget that first firing of that .357 ... Wow!!! The grin comes across your face and the love of guns begins. :D Fell in love with that 459 Smith though.
Now if I can just find someone with a .44 Mag to try. :rolleyes:
 
I'd have to agree about the .458winmag. I shot one once at our local range and it was quite a handful.

Also try a M1 Garand with 8 round clip for rapid fire string of high power match
Click to expand...

The recoil on an M1 isn't that bad. If you're getting bounced around (in a highpower match) with an M1, then you either have a ill-fitting sling or a poor position.
 
To Jroths 12 gauge comments.

My light .270 winchester kicks more than a 12 gauge, even with 3 inch "magnum" slugs or 3 1/2 turkey load.

.300 win mag is the biggest I've tried (i thought it was more recoil than a .45-70) and I didn't think it was bad at all. Of course, I'm built like a brick sh**house to.

I'd love to wrap my hands around a .458 win mag, off hand of course. :D
 
Rifles that kill at both ends.

I too fired a stock .458 Win. Mag from a rifle weighing about 9 pounds. When I recovered from the shock, my right hand was under the pistol grip rather than around it. The recoil was nothing short of savage, far worse than 3" magnum 2 oz. 12 gauge turkey loads.

I also fired a .460 Weatherby custom rifle that weighed in at around 13 pounds. It spoke with authority but due to the heavier weight, was far more pleasant than the .458.

I helped a friend sight in a .338 Winchester Magnum off a bench. First shot and both my eyeglasses and hearing protection pitched forward. Climbed back on the rifle and did some serious shooting but it wasn't enjoyable.

Recoil is relative. Once had a Savage 99F in .308 that was unpleasant for sustained shooting. Hunting while wearing heavy clothes would not have been a problem.

When sighting in my slug guns on the bench, I merely add some padding to the shoulder. I happen to hate recoil pads and would not add one to a long gun.
 
"Ithaca 12ga M37 using Brenneke slugs."

Did that once.

I won't ever make that mistake again.

I've fired some of the really heavy hitters, .470 Nitro, .577 Nitro, etc.

Recoil on those was pretty bad, but nothing hit me with the authority, and subsequent pain, of that Model 37.
 
Aarond, that sure sounds like you had some fun!:D

My first 'recoil experience' came when I was just 14. Pop had just purchased some old French flintlocks from a guy and that next Sunday we set off to the back 40 to test fire one of the beasts.
The night before we had cast some bullets and gathered our powder and patches, so we were well prepared, we thought, that fateful morning. We surmised a decent powder load for the chamber and for the flash pan, and it was decided that I, being the most eager and the youngest, would get the first shot.
I cocked the flint and shouldered the rifle... Took aim at a large pumkin in the field and pulled the trigger... BOOM!
The recoil knocked me off my feet and as I landed on my back the rifle went over my head.
The powder charge caused a plume of smoke... maybe 20-30 feet high? ... and singed my face and eyebrows! (NO safety gear at all...)
As I lay on my back trying to gather myself and get my eyes to focus again, my Dad said pensively, " I think we used too much powder..." Then... "Are you all-right?"

I'll tell ya, it kicked the holy ---- out of me!

Whenever I want to remember that day, I take the Guide Gun out for a spin around the range... That's as close as I want to get...

That .458 experience will stay with you a good long while... Enjoy it!:D
 
Aarond - what are you doing over here in rifles??

Of all the butt busters I've shot I'd rate the 460 Weatherby and the 338 as tied for the worst. Rattle your teeth!

I think I'd rather shoot my 375 H&H more that the "ultra mags" or "short mags" or even my 7MM Remington mag. I think the impulse on those hot rods is worse than the "shove" of the big bores. I love the 458.

BUT... The worst kick I ever got was a 45-70 Ruger #1 - African / Safari / what ever. I took one shot and said - "Thanks that's enough". I don't know if I was holding it wrong or didn't suck it up tight enough. I've been in fist fights that didn't ring my bell that hard. It HURT.


You had better be careful... Those big bore rifles are more addicting than the K frame S&Ws.
 
Hello jglsprings,,,

I own rifles,,, :)
Just not as many as handguns.

Three .22 rifles,,,
One Handi-Rifle in .357 Magnum,,,
And my family heirloom K-98 German Mauser.

I don't hunt any more,,,
Except for the armadillo extermination,,,
So all of my rifles are simply used for range toys.


But for the big boomers,,,
Standing is the way to go all right.

I learned way back that a big gun will hurt you on the bench,,,
A lot worse than if you are standing.

Even though I'm not a recoil junkie like some folk,,,
I will never pass on the opportunity to fire a cartridge that's new to me.

I would pay a decent fee to fire one of those T-Rex rifles,,,
That's the video of the gun that is tossing people across the room.

I wonder where a fellow could go to rent one of those puppies?
Click here please,,,

Aarond
 
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I hand an old uncle with a Model 70 in 458 when I was about 12, which translated means 1968. He was a serious reloader and would drive down about every year with several rifles and coffee cans of ammo. Groundhogs were thick along a big rock bluff, which backed a hayfield we hunted.

We shot several with that old 458 of his. You could tell when it went off and the groundhogs could sure tell when we didn't miss.
 
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