For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; that is one of the physical laws of our universe. This means that the momentum of a rifle's reaction will exactly equal the momentum of the bullet and powder gasses ejected from the barrel. In the shooting sports we call that reaction recoil or "kick." It can be measured or computed empirically and has been for the "Expanded Rifle Recoil Table," which you can find of the Tables, Charts and Lists index page.

Guns and Shooting Online member Clayton Yendry wrote to me and argued persuasively for a subjective recoil article, as he felt that the kick of his .325 WSM rifle was less severe than expected, based on the data in the objective "Expanded Rifle Recoil Table" and articles about the .325 WSM. After an exchange of e-mails and against my better judgment, I decided to comply with his request in the form of the table below. (Never say that we don't listen to our members, no matter how dangerous the rhetorical minefield they suggest we enter.)

Perceived recoil, what the shooter feels, is a highly subjective matter. It is influenced by many factors. One of the most important of these is the total weight of the rifle being fired, which definitely affects both objective and subjective recoil. Another is the fit and shape of the rifle stock, especially the length of pull, height and shape of the comb contact area and the area of the buttplate. A good recoil pad can help soften the blow to the shooter's shoulder. Gas-operated semi-automatic actions reduce apparent recoil by spreading it over a longer period of time. Most important of all, every individual has a different sensitivity to recoil. Actually, every shooter's recoil sensitivity varies considerably due to his or her mood, state of mind (we tend not to notice recoil when distracted by something else), physical condition (try shooting with a hangover some time) and so forth. Some shooters can tell the difference between the kick of a .243 Win. and a 6mm Rem., while others cannot tell the difference between a .270 Win. and a .325 WSM in rifles of the same weight. There are as many shades of gray in subjective recoil as there are shooters.

These sorts of things cannot be accounted for in any recoil table. Please understand that there are dozens of loads for any given bullet weight in any cartridge that will produce similar velocity, but a different amount of recoil. Thus, any recoil table should be taken as approximate. Furthermore, the table below is entirely subjective, based on my experience. Your results WILL vary.

In 1909 the British Textbook of Small Arms stated that 15 ft. lbs. of free recoil energy was the maximum allowable for a military service rifle. (The standard British .303 Lee-Enfield infantry rifle was below that figure, as are most service rifles to this day.) The 1929 edition of the same textbook stated, in addition, that recoil velocity should not exceed 15 fps; above that velocity a gun-headache was very likely to occur. These figures remain practical maximums for the modern hunter.

Above this level recoil becomes increasingly intrusive and the effects of recoil are cumulative. The longer you shoot, and the harder the rifle kicks, the more likely you are to flinch. These are good things to remember when comparing rifle cartridges.

In addition, the position of your body when shooting influences how bothersome recoil becomes; prone is the worst position, shooting from a bench rest is second worst and standing is the best. Keep this in mind when comparing rifle cartridges and when shooting at the rifle range. I try to take hard kicking rifles in small doses.

The following subjective recoil ratings are based on shooting the test rifles from a bench rest while wearing street clothes, without the aid of a recoil reducing rest (Lead Sled) or additional recoil absorbing padding. Note that while recoil energy objectively determines the severity of the blow to the shoulder, recoil velocity determines how abrupt that blow feels. My subjective impression is that, with a well designed stock, recoil velocity above about 10 fps begins to feel like a sharp rap on the shoulder rather than an abrupt push.

Muzzle blast is another factor that subjectively increases recoil, although there is no actual connection between the two. (Muzzle blast hurts only the ears.) For example, the .223 and .22-250 are both very light kicking cartridges, but the .22-250 has considerably more muzzle blast and it is noticeably more disconcerting to shoot for that reason. I have tried to ignore the effects of muzzle blast in the tables below.

For the purposes of this article I have grouped various rifle cartridges on a comparative basis according to how their recoil feels to me and I have limited this list to cartridges with which I am reasonably familiar. I have tried to include different models of rifles in the same caliber where possible. The subjective recoil categories I chose are Very Light, Light, Medium Light, Medium, Medium Heavy, Heavy, Very Heavy and Extreme. Objectively, those categories might correspond to recoil energy levels of about 0-3 ft. lbs., 4-6 ft. lbs., 7-11 ft. lbs., 12-15 ft. lbs., 16-22 ft. lbs., 23-35 ft. lbs., 36-49 ft. lbs. and 50+ ft. lbs., but this is a SUBJECTIVE list, so the actual recoil energy numbers do not apply.

Note that some cartridges appear in more than one category due to differences in the load or test rifles. In the tables, bullet weight is given in grains (gr.) and muzzle velocity (MV) in feet-per-second (fps). Remington Managed Recoil factory loads are indicated by (MR) after the caliber.

VERY LIGHT RECOIL

LIGHT RECOIL

MEDIUM-LIGHT RECOIL

MEDIUM RECOIL

MEDIUM-HEAVY RECOIL

HEAVY RECOIL

VERY HEAVY RECOIL

EXTREME RECOIL