Shotgun Recoil.

Factual Questions
1

While in a firearms safety class today the instructor was commenting on how big a “kick” some shotguns give when fired.
Apparanly, it is enough to cause serious bruising, and according to a couple of stories, depending on the gun it can actually go right over your shoulder in recoil if not held properly.

So what I want to know is, why do these shotguns have a hard “butt” that can bruise, rather than a nice cushiony padded butt to absorb some of the excess shock? The only thing I can come up with is that it would somehow compromise the control you have over the shotgun.

Still, there surely MUST be a way to absorb excess shock and still keep the gun functional…

Of course, I’m pretty new to all of this, so my question may seem rather ignorant.

2

It’s not the butt, it’s the placement of it. Make sure you have it tight against your shoulder. If it’s not it can bruise.

3

There ARE small arms with padded stocks. There are also a few weapons that reroute the exhaust gas of the shell forward as a counter force to the recoil, kind of like rerouting jet exhaust for braking during landing.

In theory, I guess you could make a butt from something hydraulic like a shock absorber attached to the shoulder rest, though I haven’t heard of this for small arms. Hydraulics control the recoil on a lot of artillery pieces.

4

The M-16 uses a spring in the butt to absorb the shock.

5

There are recoil pads sold for large-caliber firearms, indeed there are rifles large enough to require them. There are rifles capable of breaking your collarbone, or leaping free, if you don’t hold them properly. Shotguns, however, are not difficult to hold properly, and when held properly should not injure you. Pads are not necessary. Movement due to a recoil absorber would also affect the accuracy (though that may be a moot point for a shotgun).

6

You need to shoot first to see what it really feels like to you. If it hurts, hold it a little more snug to the shoulder. I shot a 20 guage for my first time at the safety course and did all right.

7

Shotgun recoil is tolerable. If you hold it correctly, it’s more of a push than a sting (as some rifles can be). It’s only when it’s not held correctly that injury becomes an issue.

8

Partly right. While the spring does indeed reduce felt recoil, its purpose is to return the bolt/bolt carriere assembly to battery.

9

Any firearm may be fitted with a recoil pad. On some, it is standard, but any good gunsmith will be able to fit you with a pad that suits you.

There are slip-on pads which have recoil absorbing sections with soft rubber “sleeves” which can be slipped onto any firearm. These are often used where the firearm would be compromised in value by removing a section of the stock; in order to keep the draw length right you need to remove approximately the thickness of the recoil pad from the stock.

Bob Allen is a manufacturer of fine clothing used specifically for skeet/trap shooting, and they make a fine lightweight jacket (and some nice shell vests) with a built in shoulder pad. This way, you have the protection but you don’t have to modify your shotgun, and the recoil is diostributed over an even larger area.

The old rule of thumb used to be, you held the pistol grip area of the stock in your hand and placed the butt in the crook of your elbow. If you could easily reach the trigger, the buttstock was the proper length. If the trigger was dramatically forward or back of your index finger, you needed to shorten or lengthen the stock.

In target shooting (rifles) or skeet/trap (shotguns) the number of rounds fired often necessitates a pad, or bruised shoulders often result.

For normal hunting use, the occasional shock of the gun against your shoulder is probably insufficient to cause you serious harm if you are in moderate physical condition.

In nearly 30 years of hunting, skeet/trap/target shooting, I can’t say I ever thought about, nor do I conciously remember, feeling recoil from a firearm. And I’ve shot some big rifles, like the 470 nitro express, which supposedly kicks like a mule. In shooting I tend to tune out all external annoyances so i can focus on the task at hand. I have come home after meets with bruises on my shoulder, but they didn’t last long nor were they unresonably painful.

But then, I’m a big guy, 330 lbs, and I love shooting so much I’d do it if It hurt like hell. YMMV

b.

10

Also, if you don’t wish to modify the butt of your weapon, there are shooting jackets that have padding sewn into the shoulder. In most cases, with proper form, recoil absorbers are unnecessary. After a long day on the range, I usually come home with a light surface bruise, but it’s nothing uncomfortable, nor even something I normally notice: My wife usually points it out to me.

11

Excellent.
Thanks everyone.