The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Why doesn't shotgun porting reduce muzzle rise?

B.L.E. · January 24, 2010, 09:08 AM

Well, of course porting is effective in a shotgun. The effect is just not as dramatic as it is with high powered rifles.

The gasses that push the bullet out of the barrel weigh exactly as much as the gunpowder that generated these gasses. A 12 gauge one ounce (437.5 grains) of shot propelled by 18 grains of Red Dot means that only 18 grains of gasses are available to redirect backwards to cancel the recoil.

Compare that to a .300 Weatherby Magnum loaded with a 115 grain bullet propelled by 90 grains of powder. The powder nearly weighs as much as the bullet and you can almost make the gun recoil-less. Just be sure to wear earplugs!!

January 24, 2010, 09:08 AM	#11
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	Well, of course porting is effective in a shotgun. The effect is just not as dramatic as it is with high powered rifles. The gasses that push the bullet out of the barrel weigh exactly as much as the gunpowder that generated these gasses. A 12 gauge one ounce (437.5 grains) of shot propelled by 18 grains of Red Dot means that only 18 grains of gasses are available to redirect backwards to cancel the recoil. Compare that to a .300 Weatherby Magnum loaded with a 115 grain bullet propelled by 90 grains of powder. The powder nearly weighs as much as the bullet and you can almost make the gun recoil-less. Just be sure to wear earplugs!!