Recoil vs Accuracy

[ET]

As the years pass it is understood the body losses muscle mass and I find myself becoming more sensitive to recoil. Wish that there would be more muscle mass loss around my midsection, chuckle.

With the increase of felt recoil I find this starts to affect my accuracy with shot placement. The last thing I ever want is to have is to chase a crippled deer because of poor shot placement.
Most of my experience has been with a 250gr bullet and now with the advent of an all copper 250 bullet I would like to see a velocity of 2800fps. But I’m beginning to wonder if I can really handle the recoil from this load. If not then my only option is to reduce this load to an acceptable level.

One other option is using a lighter bullet. Just not a lot of desirable options in the all-copper bullet class for the 50Cal IMO. Then there’s the usual loss of BC that affects ballistic performance. In order to reproduce the bullet drop of a heavier bullet you need higher velocity for the lighter bullet to start with.
Then as distance increases you again need more velocity. In my case I don’t shoot over 200yds so the increase for desired velocity stops here unless I want an even flatter trajectory.

Okay time to negotiate the tradeoff for performance, chuckle. Decisions, decisions, decisions.
I know what SW would suggest and he’s probably right but I just can’t abandon my first SML love.
My old lady (50) and I still have some dance moves (loads) to experience, chuckle.

[jims]

Although I do not personally care too much for a muzzle brake they might help reduce felt recoil. Extra weight in the rifle itself and a good recoil pad could help some also.

[ET]

Mar 9, 2021 21:14:29 GMT -5 jims said:

Although I do not personally care too much for a muzzle brake they might help reduce felt recoil. Extra weight in the rifle itself and a good recoil pad could help some also.

Jims
When I first noticed recoil was feeling stronger, I installed a decelerator pad followed with a recoil reducer embedded in the stock. That really helped but as time has passed recoil has become more noticeable. As for a muzzle break, I’ll pass. I feel they belong on the heavy kickers more for target shooters or really long-range loads. I basically fall in the 200yd hunter category with best possible loads without heavy recoil.

Now I’ve also taken an interest in bullets lighter than 250gr as another option. Researching this should reveal some interesting info.

[dannoboone]

I'm pushing 70. Recoil at the bench seems to get worse with
each shot, so my bench time with heavier loads, no bullet over
275gr, 2800fps, limits me to 10-12 shots. I also have a better
recoil pad (Simms) and a mercury recoil reducer.

On the other hand, I cannot to this day recall feeling much
recoil at all when hair is in the target.

[ET]

Dannoboone

You’ve obviously have a more solid shoulder than I do. I’m only a few years behind you but it’s not only age it’s the mileage, chuckle. With heavier recoil I can’t control my shot as well as I need too.
Yeah, I don’t feel the recoil as much when sighted in to a hair target Now I’m also wearing a jacket that provides additional padding.

But in reality, how much bullet do we need. I took a moose with a .308 200gr bullet that had a muzzle velocity of about 2300FPS. Now with a 45cal 250gr bullet going say at even 2500FPS and a well-placed shot on a deer, it’s not going anywhere.
Okay let’s reduce the bullet weight to 225gr or even 200gr all copper 45cal bullet say with a muzzle velocity around 2650FPS. With a well-placed shot a deer is not going far.

Bottom line for me is best shot placement and after a certain level of recoil my shot placement suffers. Sure, I would like a flatter trajectory when possible, but in some cases, higher velocity and more recoil can be detrimental.

[jims]

I use the Lead Sled for sighting in. It helps IMO. As mentioned above I do not notice recoil when shooting game, often do not even hear the shot sound except for with a muzzlebrake which I do not much care for. Have removed some and put the cap on.

[ET]

Jims

Probably the lead sled is the smarter way for load development. Through out my shooting life-time I’ve always just used a front rest. As recoil increases, I hold the stock tighter to the shoulder never touching the fore-stock. Here too I monitor my shooting technique that I follow through with my shot by staying focused on my target. I sort of see this as feeling the shot. Sometimes old habits never change, chuckle.

[bphunter1974]

I agree lead sled is the best bet. Our bodies take so much abuse in our lifetime most of us are lucky we can still shoot at all.

[sw]

Ed, you know my thought, so, I’ll not say it, again. I think your recoil reducer plus a muzzle brake would do what you want. If you are feeling too much recoil, then you’re in a category that a muzzle brake would help. They reduce recoil 40-50%. That’s a lot!. I want to reduce the recoil of anything I shoot except my 17 HMR. I’d think on it .

[ET]

Mar 16, 2021 22:09:56 GMT -5 sw said:

Ed, you know my thought, so, I’ll not say it, again. I think your recoil reducer plus a muzzle brake would do what you want. If you are feeling too much recoil, then you’re in a category that a muzzle brake would help. They reduce recoil 40-50%. That’s a lot!. I want to reduce the recoil of anything I shoot except my 17 HMR. I’d think on it .

Thank's for that additional food for thought.