As I progress through my 50's, I am much more cautious about what I do and what I expose myself to. I was curious as to what does more damage to a person's body, a heavy kicking handgun or a heavy kicking rifle. Specifically, 50 rounds through a .454 Casull 50 ounce revolver shooting hot loads or 50 rounds through a .308 7 lb bolt action rifle. What do you guys think?
What is harder on the body, rifle or pistol recoil?
- Thread starter AL45
- Start date
Evan Thomas
Inactive
If those are the choices, I'll take the rifle every time.
g.willikers
New member
I'll take the handgun.
Rifles can hurt too many places and can even damage the eyes.
Rifles can hurt too many places and can even damage the eyes.
Although I'm only in my early 50's I feel at this age I have slowed down a bit but neither of your choices should be too harmful in moderation. In fact I still ride dirt bikes and race enduro's and have to say this is much harder on the body then recoil from a gun. 50-70 mile off road races will truly test what your body can endure and test every muscle in your body. Eat right, exercise regularly, and there is no reason strenuous activities should stop you.
You compared one of the heavier recoiling handguns to one of the milder recoiling rifles.
The 454 with 300gr bullets @1700 fps will have about 29 ft lbs of recoil with all of it concentrated in the palm of your hand. Not to mention it will be considerably louder.
A 7 lb 308 will have 15-17 ft lbs of recoil depending on bullet weight. You'll hardly notice 50 rounds.
The 454 with 300gr bullets @1700 fps will have about 29 ft lbs of recoil with all of it concentrated in the palm of your hand. Not to mention it will be considerably louder.
A 7 lb 308 will have 15-17 ft lbs of recoil depending on bullet weight. You'll hardly notice 50 rounds.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
Handguns are hard on the wrist. Rifles are hard on the shoulder.
Choose yer poison ...
Choose yer poison ...
This answer is crazy simple. It's completely perfectly clear. Take a look at a chair of your arm bones . You will find a number of joints all throughout you forearms and hands that are going to be hammered very, very hard every time you pull that trigger, and every shred of that energy is going to hammer directly onto a few pieces of cartilage about the size of a quarter. Then, it's going to twist. It's going to reach the elbow, and even touch the shoulder.
If a person can be crippled for life by carpentry work, pitching, tennis, or any number of other things, you can bet your retirement savings that a handgun that heavy can cause damage to any of the structures in your hand, and almost certainly worsen existing problems.
As was said, I believe that the rec o I'll impulse of a .308 is so close to that of a casul that it's irrelevant. The biggest difference is that you if you put a pad on it, hold it properly, and allow that impulse to spread out, it's hard to imagine causing injury. The shoulder is a robust joint,padded, and there isn't an actual bone on bone compression or twist.
In the sort of shape my joints are in, I'd probably not fire heavy pistols routinely. I only fire my .357 occasionally. After two operations on my shoulder, I don't mind too much recoil, even so, I am certain that even a heavier rifle than a .308 couldn't physically harm me, at least that's what I've been told.
If a person can be crippled for life by carpentry work, pitching, tennis, or any number of other things, you can bet your retirement savings that a handgun that heavy can cause damage to any of the structures in your hand, and almost certainly worsen existing problems.
As was said, I believe that the rec o I'll impulse of a .308 is so close to that of a casul that it's irrelevant. The biggest difference is that you if you put a pad on it, hold it properly, and allow that impulse to spread out, it's hard to imagine causing injury. The shoulder is a robust joint,padded, and there isn't an actual bone on bone compression or twist.
In the sort of shape my joints are in, I'd probably not fire heavy pistols routinely. I only fire my .357 occasionally. After two operations on my shoulder, I don't mind too much recoil, even so, I am certain that even a heavier rifle than a .308 couldn't physically harm me, at least that's what I've been told.
Fifties? Yep. I guess your fifties depend a lot on your twenties throughout thirties.
Years ago I saw a girl wearing a "YOLO" shirt. Never heard of it, so I asked. You only live once.
"You know, dear, you are right. Show some G D common sense, so that you don't end your thirties penniless, homeless, alone, and in w wheelchair. Save your pennies, don't do drugs, use condoms, and drive carefully. Lots of people I know spend every minute wishing for a second chance, but YOLO! Don't screw up the only life you have by bungee jumping with second-hand ropes!"
Years ago I saw a girl wearing a "YOLO" shirt. Never heard of it, so I asked. You only live once.
"You know, dear, you are right. Show some G D common sense, so that you don't end your thirties penniless, homeless, alone, and in w wheelchair. Save your pennies, don't do drugs, use condoms, and drive carefully. Lots of people I know spend every minute wishing for a second chance, but YOLO! Don't screw up the only life you have by bungee jumping with second-hand ropes!"
"...pain, can be a great teacher...." Yep. It's Nature's way of telling you to quit doing that.
7.5 pound rifle firing a 165 grain bullet at 2700 fps has 18.1 ft-lbs. of recoil. 50 ounces is 3.125 pounds. A 260 grain bullet out of a 3.2 lb. revolver at 1400 fps recoils 39.0 ft-lbs. That's one shot per. Times 50, you've subjected your carcass to 905 ft-lbs. and 1950 ft-lbs. respectively in the time it takes to fire 50 rounds.
However, I have stretch marks on my shoulder from shooting shotguns and bolt action battle rifles. Don't have or want a .454 anything. No damage to my mitts from a .45 et al. The effects of recoil are cumulative and highly subjective.
"...a person can be crippled for life by..." Just living. Parts of me hurt for no apparent reason. Keep telling the Doc it's telling me I'm still alive. snicker.
7.5 pound rifle firing a 165 grain bullet at 2700 fps has 18.1 ft-lbs. of recoil. 50 ounces is 3.125 pounds. A 260 grain bullet out of a 3.2 lb. revolver at 1400 fps recoils 39.0 ft-lbs. That's one shot per. Times 50, you've subjected your carcass to 905 ft-lbs. and 1950 ft-lbs. respectively in the time it takes to fire 50 rounds.
However, I have stretch marks on my shoulder from shooting shotguns and bolt action battle rifles. Don't have or want a .454 anything. No damage to my mitts from a .45 et al. The effects of recoil are cumulative and highly subjective.
"...a person can be crippled for life by..." Just living. Parts of me hurt for no apparent reason. Keep telling the Doc it's telling me I'm still alive. snicker.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
I don't think your comparison is "apples to apples". That handgun has near twice the recoil energy of your .308 rifle.
A .454Casull is a lot closer to the top end of handgun recoil than a .308 is to rifle recoil.
You'd really need something more like 40SW versus .308 or .454Casull versus .416Rigby or 12ga deer slugs.
A .454Casull is a lot closer to the top end of handgun recoil than a .308 is to rifle recoil.
You'd really need something more like 40SW versus .308 or .454Casull versus .416Rigby or 12ga deer slugs.
Sorry guys, but I didn't word my post very well. I was wondering, as a general rule, whether a rifle of handgun did more harm to the body. I figured a rifle, since more of your body is in contact with it when it is fired. In my case, I shoot a .45 Colt, sometimes loaded hot in my Blackhawk and I own a Ruger Scout .308. The .308 bothers me more than the Blackhawk. Not sure which one is destroying my body the most though. LOL
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
In a general sense, I much prefer the recoil of a handgun to a rifle.
I hate recoil. I really do. I don't enjoy shooting any rifle that has more recoil than a typical .243Win. I will, and I do, but *for fun* I would rather even have my .204Ruger than my 10lb .243AI.
However, shooting my Encore Pro Hunter in 7mm-08 makes me giggle like a school girl. It's roughly equivalent to an average full-size .44mag revolver.
Usually, handgun recoil doesn't hurt. Now, repeated exposure to that same handgun recoil *might* cause more damage over time but on any given day I'd much rather shoot a handgun.
Of course, severe recoiling long guns can (and have) done significant damage too, from dislocated shoulders to broken collar bones to detached retina.
I hate recoil. I really do. I don't enjoy shooting any rifle that has more recoil than a typical .243Win. I will, and I do, but *for fun* I would rather even have my .204Ruger than my 10lb .243AI.
However, shooting my Encore Pro Hunter in 7mm-08 makes me giggle like a school girl. It's roughly equivalent to an average full-size .44mag revolver.
Usually, handgun recoil doesn't hurt. Now, repeated exposure to that same handgun recoil *might* cause more damage over time but on any given day I'd much rather shoot a handgun.
Of course, severe recoiling long guns can (and have) done significant damage too, from dislocated shoulders to broken collar bones to detached retina.
You are just going to have to remember. Get two firearms that are equivalent in recoil impulse and you will still be taking all of that recoil rignt on the wrist bones, finger bones, cartilage and tendons, then elbow and other parts. With that rifle, You have a softer buttplate guiding the force over a much larger area and through padding on your shoulder that doesn't exist on the back of the hand.
No matter what you shoot, you will take a greater risk of wrist injury with a pistol than you will with a comparable rifle.
Will a .40 acp cause damage without any other factors involved? probably not. Its not a big, hammering force, and your body is built to take a certain amount of beating without damage. If you walk away from your range session with your joints aching, your ears ringing, etc, you are doing it wrong and may wind up with permanent damage to oneor another of your body systems.
Or you can do whatever your heart desires, and maybe you'll be one of the folks that does everything wrong and still makes it to 90 years old while still square dancing.
No matter what you shoot, you will take a greater risk of wrist injury with a pistol than you will with a comparable rifle.
Will a .40 acp cause damage without any other factors involved? probably not. Its not a big, hammering force, and your body is built to take a certain amount of beating without damage. If you walk away from your range session with your joints aching, your ears ringing, etc, you are doing it wrong and may wind up with permanent damage to oneor another of your body systems.
Or you can do whatever your heart desires, and maybe you'll be one of the folks that does everything wrong and still makes it to 90 years old while still square dancing.
