Absolutely right, recoil is 90% a mental issue. I'm 175lbs. and love my .338WM and larger guns. My father is 260lbs. and hates the recoil of even the .338. You just have to have the believe that it's not going to hurt you and it won't. Now I'm not saying there aren't guns that are unpleasant to shoot. The .454 Casull stings my hand a little and I don't care to shoot them. Some people love them. I can shoot one well b/c I know it's not going to really hurt me, but it is a little unpleasant.
Just Let Recoil Happen.
- Thread starter k4swb
- Start date
Edward429451
Moderator
As with most things, fighting recoil only makes it worse. You darn sure can train yourself to ignore recoil...for awhile. The CNS can only take so much before flinching will begin.
I'm used to the heavy ecoil of topp 44 mag loads, but later in the range day my CNS has been known to voice its objection to my continued abuse of it.
So I tell the little voice in my head to shut up, and start switching back and forth between my Super Bearcat and my 44.
Flinching on a 22 is very embarassing, the little voice has ego so will shape up for awhile. Dropping the hammer on a full house 44 and the voice is expecting a 22...is very satisfying. I have gotten to the point that I can almost fool my brain into thinking its a 22 all the time. (for awhile)
Ignoring recoil is simply mentally detaching yourself from the thought of owey long enough to sight press follow through, and if done right the shots over by the time I can think about reacting. I'm getting better.
I'm used to the heavy ecoil of topp 44 mag loads, but later in the range day my CNS has been known to voice its objection to my continued abuse of it.
So I tell the little voice in my head to shut up, and start switching back and forth between my Super Bearcat and my 44.
Flinching on a 22 is very embarassing, the little voice has ego so will shape up for awhile. Dropping the hammer on a full house 44 and the voice is expecting a 22...is very satisfying. I have gotten to the point that I can almost fool my brain into thinking its a 22 all the time. (for awhile)
Ignoring recoil is simply mentally detaching yourself from the thought of owey long enough to sight press follow through, and if done right the shots over by the time I can think about reacting. I'm getting better.
Seriously?
See the link if you dont want to believe me... http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_recoil.htm
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I can provide a extensive list of links that disagree with you to one degree or another. The point isnt whos right and whos wrong the point is hopefully a few people learn and grow from whats presented.
I was once a world class shooter and Im not bragging it is true... Then I joined the military and chose a different path, the basics of what we all are taught is the same.
As things get more advanced its less provable science and more experience but the general pool of experience generally agrees, recoil is bad for accuracy as the more and more often you shoot the more likely you are to flinch. It doesnt matter who you are... The larger the recoil the more likely the problem.
Ignoring the issue doesnt lessen it, you can take steps but ultimately you must recognize its a continual thing.
I was once a world class shooter and Im not bragging it is true... Then I joined the military and chose a different path, the basics of what we all are taught is the same.
As things get more advanced its less provable science and more experience but the general pool of experience generally agrees, recoil is bad for accuracy as the more and more often you shoot the more likely you are to flinch. It doesnt matter who you are... The larger the recoil the more likely the problem.
Ignoring the issue doesnt lessen it, you can take steps but ultimately you must recognize its a continual thing.
I think the OP did an honest,good faith job of trying to pass something of value on to beginning shooters.Many sound techniques are adjusted or modified for specific applications.
I don't use the same grip on every handgun.
Shoulder fire heavy recoil guns,I find its much better to roll with the punch.
There is a lot of great experience among the members here.
There is certainly room to post in disageement.That is good discussion.
But something else seems to happen.Its a troll like whizzing contest where a person with a different opinion seems to think he has to win or have the last word.
Its an immature ego game that serves no purpose,it just destroys a thread.
It would be much better to write your own thread with a different point of view,if you have something to offer.
I don't use the same grip on every handgun.
Shoulder fire heavy recoil guns,I find its much better to roll with the punch.
There is a lot of great experience among the members here.
There is certainly room to post in disageement.That is good discussion.
But something else seems to happen.Its a troll like whizzing contest where a person with a different opinion seems to think he has to win or have the last word.
Its an immature ego game that serves no purpose,it just destroys a thread.
It would be much better to write your own thread with a different point of view,if you have something to offer.
You shouldn't shoot relaxed with small light weight plastic semi-autos. If you allow recoil to have its way with these guns they can recoil with the slide enough to cause a misfeed. Giving these guns a stiff backing allows the slide to operate more independantly from the gun and it helps to ensure good cycling.
Not a problem with revolvers, steel semi-auto, or large plastic framed guns. Relaxed shooting is my preferred method. It provides better accuracy. Only been tapped between the eyes by the front sight once. That was when I was very young and first began shooing. My arms were tired from holding the 1911 up too long.
Flinching for me has always been a problem of trust in a specific gun. Didn't have much to do with the power of the cartidge except in that a more powerful cartridge gave me more doubts about the ability of that hardware to withstand the pressure. The way I resolved that was to simply stop caring... I reckon that's what they make hospitals for
Not a problem with revolvers, steel semi-auto, or large plastic framed guns. Relaxed shooting is my preferred method. It provides better accuracy. Only been tapped between the eyes by the front sight once. That was when I was very young and first began shooing. My arms were tired from holding the 1911 up too long.
Flinching for me has always been a problem of trust in a specific gun. Didn't have much to do with the power of the cartidge except in that a more powerful cartridge gave me more doubts about the ability of that hardware to withstand the pressure. The way I resolved that was to simply stop caring... I reckon that's what they make hospitals for
You have to be firm but relaxed. Think of a soldier at attention. Quite rigid and stiff looking. This would be a bad body set for shooting. Now think of the same soldier at parade rest. Still steady/firm looking, much less rigid and more relaxed. This would be much better.
Also I don't think I ever said to stop recoil, I've said quite the opposite. You are not going to stop it, but you can learn to let it happen and roll with it.
I've probably had about all the fun with this thread that is possible before things become to testy so unless I see something that really needs addressing, I'm done.
Also I don't think I ever said to stop recoil, I've said quite the opposite. You are not going to stop it, but you can learn to let it happen and roll with it.
I've probably had about all the fun with this thread that is possible before things become to testy so unless I see something that really needs addressing, I'm done.
Recoil....such a varied topic
It is different for each shooter. Is different for each type of gun and caliber. Many are very similar in feel, but each one has a feel. And that felt recoil is important, depending on what, besides hitting your target, your objective is.
Fractions of a second getting your front sight back on the target are heavily emphasised for rapid fire competition, for both serious and social purposes.
They should be of no consequence to a beginner (who should not be shooting heavily recoiling handguns anyway, that comes later) and for the majority of all other shooting are not as critical as a lot of folks make them out to be.
Recoil can be tolerable, at a level below pain, and still have physical injury result, if you "overexpose" yourself to it.
People's perception of what is tolerable, and what is "adequate performance" has changed over the century. In the early years of the .357 Magnum, it was thought of as something usable only by "men of exceptional physique". And that was in the largest heaviest revolvers available in those days! Today, some people think the .44 Magnum is a pussycat!
I own both, sir, and I can tell you from personal experience, they are not the same! Somebody said the Contender was a heavy gun, but my 10" octagon barrel .44 Mag Contender doesn't seem that way to me, compared to 6" or longer magnum revolvers, and nothing matches the feel of a Desert Eagle for "heavy".
Our expectations of how fast you should be able to get back on target has risen also. Action type shooting competition, as well as experience from combat and defense shooting teaches the faster you can deliver accurate followup shots, the better. It often sounds like if you can't "master" the recoil, expending the effort, shaving those fractions of a second off your time, you will fail. Recovering from the recoil, bringing the sight back on target smoothly, at a comfortable speed is what you need to be able to do. Forcing more speed is not for the beginner, and for recreational shooting, only has value in competition.
In other words, don't play games where time is the difference between winning or losing, until you are up to it. Just like don't shoot too much gun, until you are ready for it. And don't shoot the hard kickers too much, when you get there.
It is different for each shooter. Is different for each type of gun and caliber. Many are very similar in feel, but each one has a feel. And that felt recoil is important, depending on what, besides hitting your target, your objective is.
Fractions of a second getting your front sight back on the target are heavily emphasised for rapid fire competition, for both serious and social purposes.
They should be of no consequence to a beginner (who should not be shooting heavily recoiling handguns anyway, that comes later) and for the majority of all other shooting are not as critical as a lot of folks make them out to be.
Recoil can be tolerable, at a level below pain, and still have physical injury result, if you "overexpose" yourself to it.
People's perception of what is tolerable, and what is "adequate performance" has changed over the century. In the early years of the .357 Magnum, it was thought of as something usable only by "men of exceptional physique". And that was in the largest heaviest revolvers available in those days! Today, some people think the .44 Magnum is a pussycat!
I own both, sir, and I can tell you from personal experience, they are not the same! Somebody said the Contender was a heavy gun, but my 10" octagon barrel .44 Mag Contender doesn't seem that way to me, compared to 6" or longer magnum revolvers, and nothing matches the feel of a Desert Eagle for "heavy".
Our expectations of how fast you should be able to get back on target has risen also. Action type shooting competition, as well as experience from combat and defense shooting teaches the faster you can deliver accurate followup shots, the better. It often sounds like if you can't "master" the recoil, expending the effort, shaving those fractions of a second off your time, you will fail. Recovering from the recoil, bringing the sight back on target smoothly, at a comfortable speed is what you need to be able to do. Forcing more speed is not for the beginner, and for recreational shooting, only has value in competition.
In other words, don't play games where time is the difference between winning or losing, until you are up to it. Just like don't shoot too much gun, until you are ready for it. And don't shoot the hard kickers too much, when you get there.
Oh, no,Elmer Keith thought the .357 was for men with small, weak hands. For him a 4" N-frame S&W was a concealed carry gun. However, the .357 did carry a reputation for a couple of decades. Bill Jordan related his first experience firing a .357 magnum. He said he didn't know where the bullet went because he was sure he had it lined up on the target when he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. Anyway, the .357 was still considered powerful in 1960 and a "big gun."
I know this thread is about handgun recoil, I think, but I can tell you that a trapdoor Springfield carbine in .45-70 (mine was an H&R reproduction from the 1960s) would leave your shoulder black and blue, at least in the summer time when you were wearing thin clothes. It didn't hurt to shoot it really but it would still give you a bruise. Steel buttplate, you know. The Ruger No. 1 in the same caliber was a little easier to shoot.
I know this thread is about handgun recoil, I think, but I can tell you that a trapdoor Springfield carbine in .45-70 (mine was an H&R reproduction from the 1960s) would leave your shoulder black and blue, at least in the summer time when you were wearing thin clothes. It didn't hurt to shoot it really but it would still give you a bruise. Steel buttplate, you know. The Ruger No. 1 in the same caliber was a little easier to shoot.