Newbie, Here are the actual numbers for recoil energy from Chuck Hawks very informative site (url below.)
Gauge, length (oz. shot@MV) Gun weight Recoil energy ft. lbs.
.410 bore, 2.50" (1/2 at 1200) 5.5# shotgun 7.1# recoil
.410 bore, 3.00" (11/16 at 1135) 5.5# shotgun 10.5# recoil
28 gauge, 2.75" (3/4 at 1200) 6.0# shotgun 12.8# recoil
20 gauge, 2.75" (7/8 at 1200) 6.5# shotgun 16.1# recoil
20 gauge, 2.75" (1 at 1220) 6.5# shotgun 21.0# recoil
20 gauge, 2.75" (1 1/8 at 1175) 6.5# shotgun 25.0# recoil
20 gauge, 3" (1 1/4 at 1185) 6.5# shotgun 31.0# recoil
16 gauge, 2.75" (1 at 1220) 7.0# shotgun 21.5# recoil
16 gauge, 2.75" (1 1/8 at 1240) 7.0# shotgun 27.6# recoil
12 gauge, 2.75" (1 at 1180) 7.5# shotgun 17.3# recoil
12 gauge, 2.75" (1 1/8 at 1200) 7.5# shotgun 23.0# recoil
12 gauge, 2.75" (1 1/4 at 1330) 7.5# shotgun 32.0# recoil
12 gauge, 2.75" (1 1/2 at 1260) 7.5# shotgun 45.0# recoil
12 gauge, 3" (1 5/8 at 1280) 7.5# shotgun 52.0# recoil
12 gauge, 3" (1 7/8 at 1210) 8.75# shotgun 54.0# recoil
10 gauge, 3.5" (2 1/4 at 1210) 10.5# shotgun 62.9# recoil
DATA Table SOURCE=
http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_recoil_table.htm
Maybe you have shot centerfire rifles; if so, here are the comparable numbers for some common calibers so you can compare the shotgun recoils ft-pounds seen above with something you already know.
I would suspect that different shooters have different notions of how much recoil is too much, just as different people have very different pain thresholds. Some of it has to do with your body mass/ build, some of it is your nervous system. For me personally, anything over about 50# recoil starts the flinching
* 6mm Rem. (100gr, MV 3100 fps) 8# rifle = 10.0 ft. lbs.
* .270 Win. (140 gr, MV 3000 fps) 8# rifle = 17.1 ft. lbs.
* .30-06 (180 gr, MV 2700 fps) 8# rifle = 20.3 ft. lbs.
* .35 Whelen (250 gr, MV 2400 fps) 8# rifle = 26.1 ft. lbs.
* .450 Marlin (350 gr, MV 2100 fps) 8# rifle = 35.7 ft. lbs
* .458 Win. Mag.(500 gr, MV 2050 fps) 8# rifle = 68.9 ft. lbs.
Continuing with quotes from Chuck H.:
"Rifle weight plays an important role in determining the amount of recoil delivered to the shooter's shoulder. For any given caliber and load, a lighter rifle kicks more than a heavier rifle. Which is why I avoid ultra-light hunting rifles. Here are a couple of examples showing the effect rifle weight has on recoil energy and velocity when shooting the exact same load.
* .300 WSM (180 grain, MV 2950 fps), 6.5 lb. rifle = 30.8 ft. lbs.
* .300 WSM (180 grain, MV 2950 fps), 8.5 lb. rifle = 23.6 ft. lbs.
AND
* .45-70 (300 grain, MV 1900 fps), 7.0 lb. rifle = 26.6 ft. lbs.
* .45-70 (300 grain, MV 1900 fps), 8.5 lb. rifle = 21.9 ft. lbs. "
And as regards the tall tales you may have heard around the campfire about ole Grandpap's shotgun that knocked the snot out of so-in-so, keep what Mark Twain said over 100 years ago:
"There was never a story so good that it could not be improved upon…"
Just as those fish that get away gain inches and pounds with the retelling, the recoil of Grandpap's shotgun / Civil War muzzleloader / safari bigbore [check one of the above] may have become -shall we say - augmented with the fond passage of time.
Try out a friend's small bore with a light load and work your way down the table gradually until you find the break point where it is truly uncomfortable for you. Good luck and enjoy the sport! AH
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