Looking for a good LOW RECOIL rifle above .22

C

ckpj99

New member
So here's the deal. I want a rifle that's adequately supported in the after-market world, reliable, relatively portable, with light recoil in a decent caliber.

I'm HEAVILY left-eye dominant. I cannot shoot with any type of speed with my right eye. I'm also apparently very right-hand dominant when it comes to guns. I've shot a lot for years. Mostly handguns and .22 rifles. I've tried for months now and I cannot get quick shooting left handed. I've really tried hard to just get used to it.

When I shoot .22 rifles, I "lean over" the gun. I shoot right handed, and put my right cheek bone (and my nose sort of) over the top of the stock. My head is tilted to the right at about a 45 degree angle.

This is fine for .22, I'd even say comfortable and natural for me. But in larger calibers, especially shotguns, the gun just slams into my face. The recoil forces the gun against my cheek bone.

So, my dumb solution is to try to find a low recoil rifle with some actual stopping power. I'm fine with bolt-action, but I'd really prefer a semi-auto. Well, honestly, I'd prefer both in the same caliber.

I was thinking .22 mag, but that doesn't really seem like enough of a step up, although I don't know a ton about the caliber. I was also thinking maybe a carbine in a handgun caliber, but it seems like that just offers increased accuracy and only slight improvements in power.

My other option seems to be some sort of hunting handgun like a Thompson, but then you're way down into the single shot category.

The use for the gun would be SHTF hunting/tactical. I want to be lethal on BG and deer-sized game out to 100 yards (maybe 200, but I have no experience shooting that far.

I know it sounds like I'm asking for an AR and Sniper rifle at the same time, but I'm really hoping someone can point me in the direction of specific caliber. Unless you know about a specific gun with a modified stock or some other sort of dampening system or something that will allow me to shoot bigger bores. Either way, just looking for any advise on my situation, other than learn to shoot left-handed. Got that advice, tried it, didn't work.

Thanks!
 
You need an AK47. The 7.62x39 is near nill on recoil and if you put a quad rail on it you can then hang all sorts of goodies on it to bring the weight up and the push the recoil even further down. See pic below it's a rifle I put together for my wife to use deer hunting. If my 5ft tall smokin hot red headed wife can master this beast you shouldn't have a problem.:D
 

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Today, 08:47 PM #3
CountryUgly
Member

Join Date: May 4, 2012
Posts: 20
You need an AK47. The 7.62x39 is near nill on recoil and if you put a quad rail on it you can then hang all sorts of goodies on it to bring the weight up and the push the recoil even further down. See pic below it's a rifle I put together for my wife to use deer hunting. If my 5ft tall smokin hot red headed wife can master this beast you shouldn't have a problem.
Click to expand...
I must confess...I was looking for the 5', smoking hot, red head, when I opened the picture. :(
 
AR15 in 5.56 will get the job done without beating you up.

Leverguns in .357 and .45 Colt also work well.

In my Marlin .357 I can push 125 gr. JSPs at 2100fps+. In .45 Colt Rossi 92 Im pushing a WFN 260gr. hardcast at 1750ish.

Some pistol calibers get a good jump in power in a carbine. Some don't.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2
 
sorry to disappoint....I tried that once and it caused such a stir on another forum I got docked points....it's sad but the Mrs. is too hoottt for the internet:eek:
 
Learn to shoot left handed. I am left handed and was required to shoot right handed in the service. I can now shoot with either hand and it is not that difficult.
 
Why not just close your left eye when you shoot?

I am right-handed and heavily left eye dominant. I can not shoot with my right eye if my left eye is open. I've always just closed my left eye with rifles and I just shoot "left eyed" with handguns.

It seems like your looking for a complex solution to a simpe problem.
 
If you are left eye dominant and right handed you will find it is easier to learn how to shoot left handed. You may struggle at first, but don't give up. You will soon find that you will actually shoot much better than you currrently do.
 
Learn to shoot left handed is the only real answer. You will shoot much better if you do, because right now you aren't shooting in a natural position. It can be done I shot for many years left handed because that was how I was taught since I can't close my left eye and keep my right open as well. It wasn't until I was in the Army and someone realized I was right eye dominate that I started shoot right handed. I shoot everything now with both eyes open scopes or irons makes no difference anymore, but the good thing is I can switch back to the left if needed.
 
I have to admit, the high rails/sights/scope and low and flat the stock of the AR look appealing. They look like guns that you don't need a "cheek weld" on. Is that why you're saying it won't hurt me?

Can any explain the difference between 5.56 and 7.62? I'm assuming 5.56 is smaller/lighter/less powerful/less recoil?

Is there also a "cheek-weld-less" way to get an AR set up for long range?

I love the idea of a .357 since I can use that round in a revolver as well. But they're usually pretty old school designs. I was hoping for at least the option for optics and other accessories. I love proofing the traditional revolver can be as effective as modern handguns, but given that I have a huge disadvantage when it comes to long guns, I'd like to utilize every modern advantage.

Looking forward to discussing this further.
 
I agree with all of you about shooting left handed, but it can't happen.

I don't have the time, money or space to shoot everyday, but I shoot once every week. I've tried really hard to shoot left handed, I'm just super clumsy. I can do it, but not effectively.

I have horner's syndrome. I can't close my left eye, and my right eye sucks at just about everything. I shoot with both eyes open because of this. There's really no easy solution for this. It's not laziness, just my weird eyes and coordination.
 
5.56 is what the M16 is chambered for. recoil is negligible, i've never hurt a cheek or a shoulder firing the M16. Eyebrow, yes, but i get too close to the scope so it whacks me most shots. unpleasant, but not painful unless I do it a couple hundred times.

there's four kinds of 7.62 that I can think of. the one you would be interested in is the 7.62x39mm. never fired one but it serves the same purpose as the 5.56, probably not much difference in the recoil department. someone else can probably weigh in on this better than i can.

you also mentioned you want a bolt and semi in the same caliber, in which case the 5.56 gives you more options as far as bolt actions go and you can fire .223 out of a gun chambered in 5.56 if necessary. the CZ 527 is a bolt action in 7.62x39mm though, about $700 unfired and scoped on gunbroker right now.
 
Ah. The problem is not as simple as it first appears.

I can't imagine trying to shoot a long gun left eyed and right handed.

I guess I'd try an eye patch. If that's not possible and you've just really, really got to do it right/left, 223 is the obvious answer in a semi auto.

There are other that would have even less recoil, like 204Ruger, but the guns will be less common (in semi) and the ammo more expensive.
 
There are other calibers available in the AR platform, too. 6.8SPC, .300 ACC Blackout, and even the Russian 7.62x39 and 5.45x39. And many others. They are all low recoil.

A Carbine telescoping stock has just the buffer tube coming out from the receiver so it is even more minimalist than the standard A2 fixed stock.
 
Get yourself an AR platform. 223 is ample power for self defense above a .22Mag. If you want something better for deer, get a conversion to 6.8SPC.

Because of your eyes, forget long range. Pick up a red dot or Eotech setup for the AR and use the dot for aiming. You can keep both eyes open.....maybe.

I say maybe because the best thing you can do is visit a gun store and spend an hour there bugging the staff to try a bunch of different things. Maybe an extended-eye relief Scout scope would work well for you? Maybe a red dot or holographic scope setup would work? Maybe an Trijicon ACOG?

One thing is for sure, you want a MODERN platform like an AR so that all the various aiming mechanisms are available to you. Get something with an ambidexterous safety to at least have the option of trying it left handed once you buy it.
 
The main reason I reccommended the Ak is because for one the recoil is nill, it's very cheap to shoot, it lends itself to modifications of all types very easily like in my pic the scope is mounted scout style but Could be mounted tradtionally if one so chooses, it's also the only rifle/caliber mentioned and that I can think of that is legal to hunt game as large as deer anywhere in the USA (except for the 6.8spc AR but ammo is waaaayyy more costly) and lastly parts are easily found and cheap. The only real draw back of the AK is accuracy. It's not bad (mine groups at about 2-2.5 inches at 100 yards) but is easily outdone by any of the AR variations. If plinking for fun and service as a medium sized game rifle is your main interest you can't beat the AK but if tiny groups and varmits are more you speed the AR is the better bet. If cost is of a major concern then the AK wins hands down in every department. Oh BTW the AK is the most reliable rifle on the planet, you can neglect the heck out of it and it'll still run without fail and if you can break anything on it with normal use or even the usual abuse for that matter you are one bad man. The same can't be said for the AR. Let it get dirty and she won't run and those pesky trigger guards are kinda fragile. One more thing, the AK doesn't need special/ gun specific tools like the AR.
 
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Nice setup, CountryUgly. Oh and best regards to your wife. :)
I'm now experimenting with "scout" optics on my vz. 58, what are your average groups with the AK - if you bothered to measure it ofc?

A little comment to AKs: for a long time I was considering AKs a bad and crude weapons, until I saw an AK semiauto clone made in Poland. I believe it's sold under label Works. The ergonomics and namely the trigger were very fine, quite impressing.
 
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thanks FEXT, the average group with 154gr wolf soft point (deer hunting round) is about 2 and half inches. I've never bothered checking the fmj's or hollow points but I do notice the bunch of holes in the target appear to spread out more when chunking the lighter loads down the tube. There isn't any one thing my AK does really well but it does do everything I ask of it without fail. It's primary job is the Mrs. hunting rifle but in the off season it handles truck duty and critter control quite well. Tin cans, Zombie targets, deer and any pesky vermin that this gun has encountered have all fell with ease and it's all done while being easy on the shoulder and wallet.
 
The more I think about it the more an AK and AR sound interesting to me. They're not built for long range, but I can get a different gun for long range. And when shooting long range, it's slower work, less instinctive, so I can easily do that left handed.

I think I'm going to look into AKs first. I can afford and AR, but I love being a little different. I'd rather be surprised when something outperforms it's price, than even a little disappointed when something expensive doesn't stack up.

Thanks for all your help!
 
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