The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - How does your body learn to handle recoil?

Metal god · April 13, 2013, 01:31 AM

Lots of good scary advice so far

. I have a couple things I might suggest .

1) Make sure you are behind the rifle .

Meaning be more square to the rifle . The best way I can describe this is have your midsection/torso facing the target and not your hip/side .( if anybodies got a better wat to say that please do ) This is where the rifle fitting you can help .

2) If your getting pushed around alot and at times it hurts I would stop shooting that gun and start shooting 22lr . Why you ask ? IMHO a new shooter getting knocked around a lot is bound to pick up some bad habits that could be hard to work out of at best or stay with you for life at worst . Shooting the 22 will help you relax and work on the fundamentals . trigger pull , sight picture . cheek weld , follow through with out the anticipation of the recoil . I always take my 22 target rifle with me . When ever I start to feel my self muscle the rifle around or start anticipating the recoil of the larger recoiling rifles . I put them down and and start working on the fundamentals with my 22 . Once I'm settled back down I jump back on the big dogs . I can shoot pretty good but I'd be the first to tell you I can have a huge trigger flinch .

Thats great you don't have a trigger flinch . It does seem at odds from my experience with new shooters and heavy recoil . There are ways to check for sure . I know I do and really don't know how I shoot as well as I do . I was shooting my Buddy's M1 garand and I flinched so bad I took a step forward

not kidding . The funny thing about that is . That was in the middle of a off hand 8 shot string @ 100 yards . All eight shots were in the 8" target .

April 13, 2013, 01:31 AM	#20
Metal god Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2012 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 6,875	Lots of good scary advice so far . I have a couple things I might suggest . 1) Make sure you are behind the rifle . Meaning be more square to the rifle . The best way I can describe this is have your midsection/torso facing the target and not your hip/side .( if anybodies got a better wat to say that please do ) This is where the rifle fitting you can help . 2) If your getting pushed around alot and at times it hurts I would stop shooting that gun and start shooting 22lr . Why you ask ? IMHO a new shooter getting knocked around a lot is bound to pick up some bad habits that could be hard to work out of at best or stay with you for life at worst . Shooting the 22 will help you relax and work on the fundamentals . trigger pull , sight picture . cheek weld , follow through with out the anticipation of the recoil . I always take my 22 target rifle with me . When ever I start to feel my self muscle the rifle around or start anticipating the recoil of the larger recoiling rifles . I put them down and and start working on the fundamentals with my 22 . Once I'm settled back down I jump back on the big dogs . I can shoot pretty good but I'd be the first to tell you I can have a huge trigger flinch . Thats great you don't have a trigger flinch . It does seem at odds from my experience with new shooters and heavy recoil . There are ways to check for sure . I know I do and really don't know how I shoot as well as I do . I was shooting my Buddy's M1 garand and I flinched so bad I took a step forward not kidding . The funny thing about that is . That was in the middle of a off hand 8 shot string @ 100 yards . All eight shots were in the 8" target . __________________ If Jesus had a gun , he'd probably still be alive ! I almost always write my posts regardless of content in a jovial manor and intent . If that's not how you took it , please try again . Last edited by Metal god; April 13, 2013 at 01:37 AM.