How to Control Rifle Recoil! 

Here’s the best recoil moderation my dad told me when I was a boy. “Son, it ain’t that bad. Don’t be a weenie.” Thanks dad.

I have shoulder pain, and one thing that really helps me, is I tuck my elbow against my side instead of having my elbow out. It causes my muscles to flex enough that it's like having a really thick recoil pad. Can shoot all day that way.

I love your RU-vid channel it's very educational I will call you rightful man you are the perfect person to call rifleman

This guy is unbelievably helpful to young shooters. Like the how to dad of shooting

Good episode Ron. I had a 7mm Mag that had a stock that even a friend, who used his 300 WM for hunting varmints, didn't like to shoot. Stock fit and shape, as you say make a big difference. I have also found that seating the rifle firmly against the body helps since it doesn't give the rifle a chance to "jump" back at you. The difference between being punched as opposed to pushed. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Started wearing hearing protection approximately 15 years ago and wish I started from beginning. In the old days almost unheard of but currently it is extremely popular in my circle of hunters. Thanks Ron for another great and relevant video!

@Ron Spomer Outdoors You said, at 3:32, "Ten decibels is the equivalent of doubling the sound." That is incorrect. THREE decibels increase is the equivalent of doubling the sound intensity. Ten decibels (increase) is the equivalent of ten times the sound intensity. You can get out the calculator and understand decibels and sound intensity, or you can look it up 🤓

Ever since I started shooting about 15 years ago, I’ve come across Ron’s articles in various shooting and hunting magazines. I’ve found these articles to be very helpful and would consider Ron to be one of the top 5 outdoor writers out there! For me personally, I have to agree with Ron’s premise that noise is a big factor in perceived recoil. I started shooting centerfire without hearing protection and developed a horrible flinch that still haunts me! With most rifle calibers, noise is more of a factor for me than actual recoil. However, with shotguns, shooting 12 gauge turkey magnums becomes an issue of pure recoil. In my somewhat limited experience, Ron hits on all of the high points in terms of gun fit, weight, etc. and how these affect perceived recoil. I’ll personally probably never brake any of my centerfire rifles due to my sensitivity to noise. Recoil and muzzle blast tend to go together with rifle calibers, so I find that I shoot just as well with a light 7mm-08 as I do with a 243. 270s and 30-06s start to bring on the flinch mainly due to muzzle blast but it is something that I can condition myself to if I shoot more often…

When it comes to proper stance and grip, I always tell people “that firearm doesn’t own you. YOU own that firearm. OWN IT!”. If anything, it helps them relax a bit in understanding that they are in control of the firearm, not the other way around. From there, with some demonstration, stance and grip tend to get better after a few rounds.

Good information, and loved the fall setting.

Yes, a heavier barrel/rifle (imo) will tame a kicker rifle. Although, the physics don’t agree, field testing wisdom tells me that heavier can be effective. However, the biggest improvement for me is a length-of-pull correct fit. That in itself fixes a lot of kicking and shoulder punch issues. Enjoy and be safe! 👍🏻😃

On shooting stance. You don't have to set your feet straight on to the target. You can face the target at about a 45 degree angle with the weak side leg toward the target, take a half step toward the target with the weak side leg, then adjust the angle of your shoulders by pivoting at the waist. This has been used in all sorts of "combat" over the centuries, from sword fighting, to karate, to boxing. I learned it as a "boxer's/fighter's stance" over 50 years ago. I used it for decades in a modified Weaver when shooting handguns and as described when shooting shotguns and carbines.

My 45-70 with the 405gr hand loads really let’s you know you’ve shot it. But I love it, doesn’t bother me much and never fails to shock people when it goes off.

Another gem Ron. Always enjoy your videos

recoil recoil use to hurt alot after my shoulder got torn apart. 8 ancures. but it's been 2 plus years and i can enjoy just about any size round now. shot guns can still bight a bit after skeet or trap shouting. but with practice and mind over matter (lol) i've come a long way. If i can do it so can you.

Really love the way you filmed this, great editing and video concept Would love to see this type of video more often

Great and educating video thanks Ron

Great tips and advice!

Love your videos Ron. Always so well thought out and plainly stated.

Thanks dad. Appreciate all your wisdom.

Outstanding video. I learned a lot.

Camera work and editing was great! The info, very useful. Thanks, Ron!

Great advise. Thank you

Well done Ron,on the good content and excellent information

Thank you sir, for sharing with us, all your wisdom!! I appreciate you very much!

Solid info, as usual. Thank you sir 👍

I’m 3 videos into your channel and you’ve earned the heck outta my subscription. Love them all the way over here in 🇦🇺 Australia! Keep up the good work, mate!

Good advice and great video

Very good. Thank You Sir.

Great episode! Your passion for firearms really shows.

Love the tips Ron. Learning alot from your content. Cant wait to get out whitetail hunting this season here in central maine.

Thanks for the video Ron, recoil doesn't bother me much but my wife has had a shoulder injury and she is very sensitive to recoil. I finally built her a 350 Legend AR that she says doesn't hurt. So the combination of an eight lb. Semi-auto rifle with a recoil pad, luckily she doesn't have to carry it much.

Another great video! You have a way of presenting information that has been sorely missed for years! Where have you been????? Keep it up and God bless.

Great tips. I learned something new

Great info. Well fitted gun, butt placement and mind over batter has always worked well for me. As well as practice which also helps with quick sighting and accuracy.

Good stuff, as usual!

Thank you Ron.

Great Video Ron! 👍🏻

"Mind over batter" LOL yeah that's basically what my pops and his friends said way back in the good old days when they handed me one of their 30-06 rifles at 7 years old. I think they got a good laugh out of it as well... but after it was all said and done I'd shoot pretty much anything from that point on. Good advice and great video as always keepem coming brother!!!

Recoil is part of the fun

Very helpful and we will share

Great info!

Thanks Ron really enjoyed this episode, hope all is well, until next time take care 😊👋

Good, informative video. I have told people for many years (but they do not listen) that light weight rifles kick harder than regular of heavy weight rifles in the same caliber. Thanks for showing / mentioning the stock insert anti-recoil tubes. Have seen them for years in copies of Shooter's Bible and Gun Digest over the years. There was another brand that had a spring and another that used hydraulic fluid. Very difficult to find reviews on those. You did not mention it/them, but there is/are also slip-on pads. I purchased slip-on recoil pads and a slip-on cheek/comb pad. Helps get the stock in the right (or better) position. This good video makes up for the crummy video wherein you doubt that a bullet rises, even though every printed firearm and military shooting instruction book / lesson plan and ammo company has charts that show and says the bullet rises.

Great video, thanks so much... Just back from the range with my brand new 300WM straight to watch this 🙂

Great video Ron! I have a few big bores, 500 A-Square, 450 Nitro 3 1/4” and others graduating down the caliber scale to 243 Win. I’ve read of some instances of detached retinas occurring to a few older guys. I don’t shoot the heavies as much as I used to as I’ve gotten older. Have you come across this issue, before, in your career? You do give good recoil mitigation practices and, of course, one can always get an eye exam to see where they might stand with their own eye heath on this issue. I don’t know if you have ever tackled this one, before, on one of your videos/podcasts. I’m a proud supporter of you on Patreon and I always look forward to your work! Thanks for all you do!

The start and 1:51 were supreme. Very entertaining and educating!

Beautiful colored fall tree

Beautiful the color of the leaves. Aloha

Great video. One SUGGESTION and one muzzlebrake emphasis. Similar to using a lighter bullet, consider a smaller, game appropriate caliber. If you're chasing little Coues whitetail, don't grab your .300 Win Mag, take a .243 or .25-'06. I am 54, hunted in AZ my whole life, never even considered hearing protection while hunting. On a recent elk hunt with a new to me Browning BAR in .300 Win Mag with their BOSS brake, I fired thrice at a bull (3rd time the charm!). First and I only time I ever had or will shoot it without GOOD ear protection. My ears literally rang for 3 days. Lesson learned. And brakes really do work - I have a fairly aggressively angled one on a 7 MM Rem Mag and it feels like a .243.

Thanks for the video, all great points. I've found the biggest issue of recoil comes from scope bite, not so much the recoil force. A fella can take the kick in the shoulder a lot better than the optic breaking his nose or digging into his eyebrow, especially if you try shooting some of those older stocks prone... Putting a rail on a rifle often lets you get the scope in an optimal position better than two rings at a set distance. Eye relief in your choice of scope is a consideration for those big chamberings. Consider a scout scope if your hunt allows for 2-7 range of magnification.. they have well a over a foot of eye relief in many cases.

Great video Ron and sage advice. The biggest point I've found which you mentioned is hearing protection. Most people are more anxious about the report (muzzle blast) than the 'kick.' With hearing protection with ear plugs plus ear muffs it's a huge difference. Also just like shotgunning the rifle has to fit you. a poor fitting stock will kick. Finally I'm not a fan of muzzle breaks as I don't hunt with ear muffs (I want to use my sense of hearing when hunting). A prefit limbsaver makesa world of difference and I have one on my Sako 375 H+H and also on my Winchester .458 Win mag. Lastly if you are new to shooting a medium/big bore is to just shoot the rifle standing up with ear protection, etc and without aiming at a target just fire the rifle down range. Get used to what it feels like. Worry about aiming, etc after you have gotten used to firing the rifle without flinching seated off a bench. Thanks for sharing1

MAG-NA-PORT of Mt. Clemens Michigan. Looks really great, and big reduction in recoil.

Excellent video and nice casing catch!!! 👏😂

I am 6’2” and have thick shoulders, my 7mm mag doesn’t bother me at all because it has a Winslow stock that really puts the bore line in the right place. I had a 270 that had a cheap synthetic stock that wailed the bejesus out of me! It really taught me that a good stock will make a huge difference.

I can't ever remember when shooting a deer feeling recoil. At the bench is a different story.

Hello Ron, Big fan of your channel. Really enjoy common sense and clear information.Wondering if you would consider doing some videos on shotguns for hunting and sport .Thank you Tony from Australia

Very good video.

Tip number 9 is spot on! (as are the other tips)

Wow, after using 30-06’s as a teenager and I still like ‘em, recoil never seemed to be an issue. My wife loves her 30-06, no complaints about recoil either… Ron, you forgot to include the latest method of getting past recoil, swap to a 6.5Cr! LOL

Hi Ron , I'm 61 years old and grew up shooting a 30-06 at 16 years old. Now in my later years I prefer less recoil like a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor , 7mm08 or a 243 Winchester. I hunt mainly white tail deer and any of the 3 I listed will do just fine. In heavy brush I use a 20 GA shotgun with the Remington Buckhammer slugs. They give a pretty good kick with that heavy slug but I have a really cushy recoil pad that I slip on.

LOVE YOUR VIDEO'S THEY ARE REALLY EDUCATIONAL AND THANKS TO YOU SIR FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE MAY G[D BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY THANKS

Hold the rifle SNUG to your shoulder! I failed to do that once with my 338 WM. I won’t forget again. My shoulder was black and blue for a week!

Great info Ron! Thanks

I shot 2, 760 30-06 pump rifles same day. 44 rounds of 180grain soft point. My dad's gun was giving us issues. Mine had a rubber butt his was plastic. My shoulder after was black and blue. For Christmas I got him a rubber butt pad

Layer of clothes also helps. You will feel less recoil in a sweatshirt over just a tee shirt. So if its fold outside where you'll be shooting, an extra layer will help absorb some of that felt recoil.

Limb saver recoil buttpads are great!

One of the reasons 6.5 Creedmoor round is so popular is very good ballistics and fairly light recoil.

I have a Remington 760 chambered in .270 Winchester. I've only shot it a few times, all on my uncle's shooting bench. As a new self-taught hunter, I want to take my first deer with it this year, but it kicks pretty bad and it doesn't help that it has a steel butt plate and a"hair trigger". Your finger will barely touch the trigger and it goes off.

I love that intro! lol

Where you really start reducing recoil effects is to do as many of the things you mentioned. It just makes YOU deal with it easier. If all you hunt is white tail deer do you need a 300 Win Mag? I use reduced loads in a 30-06 and been getting it done for about 50yrs of hunting. My pet load sends a 150gr bullet at 2600fps. Works for me.

One thing you didn’t mention is semi auto rifles, I don’t know if all the different type of semi act the same way but my Browning BAR 30-06 sure feels light in the recoil department!!

Man that hoernig rotary rifle in the entrance so nice

I started wearing hearing protection as a teenager when I noticed that I never flinched when wearing it versus almost always flinching when I didn't. Recoil itself wasn't causing me to flinch it was the anticipation of the muzzle blast. I guess I was like a gun shy hunting dog! Now, I will say as I matured and put on some muscle mass rifles that I thought of as having some decent recoil like a heavy loaded .30-06 or a friends .300 Winchester Magnum didn't seem so bad anymore. But, as you said here, Ron, simply shooting and getting familiar with the gun and it's recoil and the fact that it won't really hurt you unless you have the scope too close to your eye is key. I don't shoot much anymore and when I do rifles that were once familiar seem awkward and the recoil a bit heavier than I remembered. But when I was shooting a lot the big .300 mags were more than manageable, quite a few hot .45-70's seemed comfortable enough and even the occasional .375 H&H was tolerable. But I didn't jump from a .22 LR all the way to the .375 in a day either. I think extremes of experience make a difference as well. If you're used to shooting, say, your .308 and then someone hands you a .458 Lott you're going to have a different experience than if you've been working your way up through heavier and heavier rifles.

I have three .30-06 bolt-action rifles - vintage Winchester M70 w/wood stock and steel butt plate, a Sako 85 with wood Monte Carlo stock and factory rubber butt pad and custom-ish Rem 700 with classic composite stock and rubber butt pad. They each within a few ounces of each other. I shoot one of the three each week. Lo and behold, that M70 feels the easiest to shoot. Not sure why, other than the small differences add up - comb height, stock material, butt shape, and just the overall ability to repeatedly shoulder the rifle to the correct spot to absorb recoil. For me, it's all about 9 and 10 - put your mind to it and practice, esp. by working up to it - .223 -> .243 -> 30-06 -> 7 Rem Mag -> 300 Win Mag, etc. I am of the opinion that most any man should be able to handle .30-06 fired out of the average bolt-action rifle.

I have an Omega 300 and it has a muzzle break built into the end of it. when installed it is more effective than the regular muzzle break. At least it feels it to me.

Great Video Ron! Shooting seated at the range is very different from shooting standing, No ranges in my area permit standing shooting. This is sad, cuz often beginners start at the range, gets horrible recoil, and then start developing bad habits that wouldn't have been there if they started shooting standing from the beginning.

Linear muzzle brakes redirects blast forward after braking. Might be worth giving a try. Definitely less cost than a suppressor and the accompanying fee/permit.

Thanks Ron love your videos recently I went out to shoot my new 375 Ruger the recoil was God awful pulled it in good and tight but really rock n me. I shot it 5 times I think and now my shoulder and inner bicep are purple. I think the biggest problem is the rifle is too light it’s around 7 lbs I am going to change this and bring it up to 10 lbs. Some may call me a wuss but next time I will have a recoil pad. I shoot a 35 Whelen a lot and the recoil is nothing compared to this thing. Watching you shoot the 375 H&H it looks like your shooting a 30 30 . Anyway Ron your videos are always fun to watch see ya later.

There is a balance between Wheight, Rifle shape/stock and caliber, The same cartrige will kick more or less in dif guns.I could shoot 100 rds in my 1917 Sporterized Enfield 30-06 whithout problem, and a guy next asked me to shoot his new 30-06 Interarms Mauser and it kicked me sharply cheek and shoulder, Rifle ergonomics have a lot to do with felt recoil

I found if I tighten my back lateral muscle, along with my upper arm muscles and chest muscle it makes a great pocket for a rifle. I went from hating 12 gage to having it not bother me at all.

If you reload your own ammo, you can use reduced loads in big bore calibers for practice , that will help with prevent developing a flinch and work on your shooting form. That way when you step up to full hunting loads you should have better shooting habits that help manage recoil .

Ron, regarding the decibels, The db scale is logarithmic so every 3 db doubles the energy. So, in the case where there is an increase of 9 db, the sound energy is 8 times more intense. A suppressor with ear protection is the way to go. Thanks for another great video!!

I use mind over batter,my dad taught me this when I was young,he started me out with a 12 gauge and a 3006,my dad didn't own a 22, Ron can you do a special on the lesser known Weatherby mag the 375 Weatherby mag,it is a superb cartridge and with lighter bullet it has the same trajectory as the 3006

I don't need hearing protection because I'm a veteran. I'm already deaf. I really like your videos.

In my experience proper fit is one of the biggest factors. Some of the comparatively small caliber rifles I have shot seem to put the recoil on a nerve.

Regarding his ‘mind over batter’ I once taught a friend to shoot and we were shooting my ruger mini 30(7.62x39) a very moderate recoil. The next day in the locker room at the restaurant where we worked, he showed me the bruising on his shoulder and it was pretty significant. I know he had the buttstock properly planted in his shoulder pocket, I made sure of that and I don’t recall that he had even shot more than 30 rounds at most. I read later that anticipation of a burn could produce burn marks on skin when no burning temperatures are applied. I’m not positive, but I think his anticipation of recoil may have played into his bruising. I have never had bruising like that even though I have experienced fairly painful recoil shooting .35 Whelen Hornady Superformace 200 gr at 2900 FPS from the shooting bench. Even the range master thought that rifle recoiled a little too much for his taste and compared it unfavorably to a .375 H&H magnum he had shot the day before.

Could you do a video on “every you need to know before your first hunt”? Im just about to get into hunting without really anyone who can show me the ropes.

Suppressors are nice, but way expensive. Muzzle break maybe loud. But way more affordable. Where electronic hearing protectors.

Unfortunately in Canada it's illegal to hunt with a suppressor.

Fit the rile stock!!!

Thanks Ron. I would add one more thing to the list. A trigger with travel. I know the Rem 770 is pretty well universally regarded as a bad gun. But I adjusted the trigger to a lighter weight. And it has enough travel so that it helps reduce my recoil anticipation winch. That made all the difference for me. I recently bought a Savage with acu-trigger. I hate it. No travel on the trigger. In my opinion, acu-trigger is a marketing gimmick. Can anybody say more about good triggers with travel on them? And what model rifles they are standard in. Thanks. Paul 😊😊

I was looking through your channel. It is very informative. Have you ever done any on the .224 Valkyrie?

* I've always thought that the pitch of the butt stock had an influence on felt recoil. How your butt stock marries up to your shoulder pocket is important in the reduction of felt recoil. If the toe of the butt is to long the gun will rotate up from that point, which will cause more felt recoil to the face and the shoulder. If the heel of the butt is to long, the recoil will be felt more at that point since there will be less surface area to disperse the recoil. What a shooter needs is a butt stock that's pitched correctly for his/her physique. Ideally the distribution of the recoil should be evenly spread over the contact point where the butt stock meets the shoulder. A good cheek weld is important, also.

Possibly the best video I have seen on recoil. I have shot for over 40 yrs but now have a back that won't stand much abuse. I am looking for a new rifle, .243win is nonexistent in my area and has been for almost 2 yrs. Thinking about the 25-06, hunting whitetail, pronghorn, hogs and possibly elk, asking for opinions (has to be low recoil).

My Tikka t3x lite in 300 winmag 20 inch barrel. It's threaded 1/2x28 have 3 port asr muzzle break. Feels like 22-250, Tikka but pad is the softest iv felt. Using 190 accubond

I use muzzle brake and porting and recoil absorbing grips.

H maxims patent calls it a silencer as well as legal gargan. Flash “suppressors” exist too.

Wonderful thumbnail.

Not a fan of muzzle breaks due to the noise issue, I regularly shoot .270 Win Tikka and .45/70 Ruger No 1 , the Ruger is fine in most situations though definitely rocks my world off the bench with stout loads. My Ruger No1 in .416 REM Mag is ok shot standing or kneeling, just roll with it. Pretty sure I would not shoot the .416 prone 😄. Shot a light weight double over and under rifle in .300 Blaser a few years ago, fair to say the recoil was more than I expected and given the light weight of the rifle it was a little unpleasant.