# What kind of gun delivers a recoil like this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2020, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790 "2020-11-17T13:26:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/1 "2020-11-17T13:26:43Z")
Here’s a compilation of clips of a bunch of people shooting a particular rifle: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tzpsmKId9_0/hqdefault.jpg "Arab sniper shocked, funny") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzpsmKId9_0) The recoil seems absolutely insane. For comparison, here’s Destin shooting a 50-cal rifle (cued to 4:14): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZmO_J-_N_8Q/maxresdefault.jpg ".50 Cal vs Ballistic Window HARDCORE Slow Mo - Smarter Every Day 187") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmO_J-_N_8Q) The recoil from that 50-cal is substantial, but manageable - although to be fair, if you watch to 4:28, you see that the rifle has a built-in recoil system that helps cushion the blow to the shooter’s shoulder. So what sort of gun is knocking everyone over in the first video? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/2 "2020-11-17T13:30:49Z")
> **[.577 Tyrannosaur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.577_Tyrannosaur)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > The .577 Tyrannosaur or .577 T-Rex (14.9×76mm) is a very large and powerful rifle cartridge developed by A-Square in 1993 on request for professional guides in Zimbabwe who escort clients hunting dangerous game. The cartridge is designed for use in "stopping rifles" intended to stop the charge of dangerous game. The 577 contains a .585-inch (14.9 mm) diameter 750-grain (49 g) monolithic solid projectile which when fired moves at 2,460 ft/s (750 ... ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/3 "2020-11-17T13:31:42Z")
It’s a T-Rex .577 stopping rifle. It’s a big game rifle. The idea of a “stopping rifle” is that if something big is charging you, like a lion or an elephant, you don’t want to just kill it. If you kill it and it still plows into you then you’re still going to get hurt. You want something big and powerful enough to stop it in its tracks. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/4 "2020-11-17T13:42:56Z")
.577 Tyrannosaur, thanks. Why would they not include a recoil absorber like Destin’s sniper rifle? Seems like it’d be hard to line up a second shot in a hurry if the first shot has knocked you (the shooter) on your ass. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/5 "2020-11-17T13:47:42Z")
Two important things, Compare the way the rifles ‘interface’ with their stocks. The first has a barrel that isn’t well aligned with the shoulder/stock interface it’s slightly higher. The second rifle is in line. The recoil from the first rifle is going to be _back and up_ while the second is going to be almost pure _back_. The other thing to note is the large brake on the second rifle’s barrel it ain’t there for looks it’s designed to reduce recoil. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/6 "2020-11-17T13:49:13Z")
“Destin’s sniper rifle” is as big, bulky weapon designed to be fired from a bipod. You can line up a second shot more quickly, but it takes a while to emplace it for the first shot. If you’re being charged by a rhino, you’re never going to get a chance to use that fancy recoil suppression system. It’s an “anti-material” rifle designed to be used by a trained sniper. The .577 Tyrannosaur rifle is a big game rifle, designed to be used by a hunter, and to be usable for “snap fire”, where you bring it to your shoulder quickly and line up a shot on a target that sees you and is about to charge or flee. That means it has to be lighter and handier, and can’t have the fancy recoil suppression system. And, BTW, sheer weight of the weapon is a recoil suppression system, but makes it harder to line up shots from the shoulder. Everything’s a trade-off. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/7 "2020-11-17T16:36:34Z")
BTW, stopping rifles are nothing new. Here is a video of Ian from Forgotten Weapons firing an old 4 bore stopping rifle: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/C_dtC6ZOR3w/hqdefault.jpg "Ultimate Recoil: 4-Bore Rifle Edition!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_dtC6ZOR3w) Here is a longer video on 4 bore rifles: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MDYtxxRU_cY/maxresdefault.jpg "An Overview of 4-Bore Stopping Rifles") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDYtxxRU_cY) There have been larger and more powerful rifles than these, but 4 bore was the largest and most powerful rifles that you could get that were designed to be mass produced. Larger rifles were one-offs designed to set records or very limited production runs designed for people who just wanted bragging rights to have the biggest and most powerful rifle around. This 2 bore rifle for example is a one-off exhibition piece: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/eXoa5zNn0TU/hqdefault.jpg "Shooting Times test-fires a two-bore rifle") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXoa5zNn0TU) If you want bigger and more recoil, there’s always the punt gun. This isn’t a hand held rifle though. It’s designed to be mounted onto the front of a punt boat (hence the name) and the point of such a huge gun is to take out an entire flock of geese all at once. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bTQQfKxkZpk/hqdefault.jpg "13-Foot-Long Punt Gun Shot Gun Clay Target") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTQQfKxkZpk) The german Tankgewehr (literally, “tank rifle”, it’s an anti-armor weapon) and similar anti-tank rifles also have a fair amount of recoil. They were originally designed to kill tanks, but then they just made tanks with thicker armor, rendering the rifles obsolete. The anti-tank rifles still saw a lot of use against troop carriers and other vehicles that didn’t have armor quite as thick as that of a main battle tank. Ian firing a Tankgewehr at a steel plate to simulate tank armor: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/EzDfUKNwfGc/hqdefault.jpg "Could a Tankgewehr Really Take Out a British MkIV Tank?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzDfUKNwfGc) A Soviet PTRD-41 anti-tank rifle: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sIU1eJk-P5A/hqdefault.jpg "PTRD-41 Anti-tank rifle") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIU1eJk-P5A) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/8 "2020-11-17T16:48:35Z")
Enough with the popguns. 😉 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qg0RdhFnTd0/hqdefault.jpg ""Fat Mac" - SSK Industries' .950 JDJ Rifle") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg0RdhFnTd0) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/9 "2020-11-17T17:04:40Z")
And here is the follow-up video showing it in action: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0JUiVhM0V7Y/hqdefault.jpg "Shooting the .950 JDJ - Largest Sporting Rifle Made") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JUiVhM0V7Y) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/10 "2020-11-17T18:05:15Z")
The video explains that that rifle was commissioned and registered as a sporting rifle, but that sport obviously is not big-game safari hunting, because nobody would actually haul, let alone try to fire, such a 2-bore-class rifle. > [@](#): > > Among other weapons, I had an extraordinary rifle that carried a half-pound percussion shell—this instrument of torture to the hunter was not sufficiently heavy for the weight of the projectile; it only weighed twenty pounds: thus, with a charge of ten drachms [270 grains] of powder, behind a _half-pound_ shell, the recoil was so terrific, that I spun around like a weathercock in a hurricane. I really dreaded my own rifle, although I had been accustomed to heavy charges of powder, and severe recoil for some years. None of my men could fire it, and it was looked upon with a species of awe, and it was named “Jenna-El-Mootfah” (Child of a Cannon) by the Arabs, which being far too long a name for practice, I christened it the “Baby;” and the scream of this “Baby” loaded with a half-pound shell was always fatal. It was far too severe, and I very seldom fired it, but it is a curious fact, that I never fired a shot with that rifle without bagging: the entire practice, during several years, was confined to about twenty shots. I was afraid to use it; but now and then it was absolutely necessary that it should be cleaned, after months of staying loaded. On such occasions my men had the gratification of firing it, and the explosion was always accompanied by two men falling on their backs (one having propped up the shooter), and the “Baby” flying some yards behind them. This rifle was made by Holland & Holland, of Bond Street, and I could highly recommend it for the Goliath of Gath, but not for the men of A.D. 1866. > > — Sir Samuel White Baker ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/11 "2020-11-17T19:55:33Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > The first has a barrel that isn’t well aligned with the shoulder/stock interface it’s slightly higher. The second rifle is in line. > The recoil from the first rifle is going to be _back and up_ while the second is going to be almost pure _back_ . That was what I was thinking too- with the barrel aligned with the very top of the stock, and the sights so low on the rifle, it looks like what’s happening is that when they fire it, the recoil is actually in line OVER the shooter’s shoulder. So what happens is that when the rifle is fired, the resistance from the shooter’s shoulder is there, but the force is over the shoulder, so the stock basically pivots counterclockwise around where the stock and shoulder meet, giving the effect of a lot of muzzle climb. I bet if they installed some kind of raised sights or some sort of different stock, the recoil would be transmitted more straight back into the shoulder, and it wouldn’t look so dramatic. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/12 "2020-11-17T21:02:54Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > … > > > … > > and I could highly recommend it for the Goliath of Gath, but not for the men of A.D. 1866. > > > > — Sir Samuel White Baker 1866, a time of wooden ships and iron men and Sir Sam says the 2-bore was still too much for 'em. Modern effete 21st Century girly-men don’t stand a chance! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/13 "2020-11-17T21:30:02Z")
I am also guessing that in the first video the recoil effect is exaggerated because the guy has no fucking idea what he is doing. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/14 "2020-11-18T10:12:20Z")
I believe the original context of the video was that a gun club in the UAE was pranking people by telling them they were firing a normal rifle bullet when really it was a exceedingly heavy recoil cartridge, which is why theres a lot of people with casual stances. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/15 "2020-11-18T11:50:22Z")
Am I the only one who suspects that this thing was actually designed to have recoil as bad as possible, as a way of flimflamming rich but ignorant buyers into thinking that it was more effective than it really is? The concept of “stopping power” is meaningless unless your weapon is either rocket-propelled, or mounted on something significantly more massive than the target. A man-held weapon stopping a rhinoceros? Ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/16 "2020-11-18T12:01:03Z")
The muzzle brake on the .50 rifle is extremely effective. A muzzle brake essentially shoots gas out in opposite directions in a way that takes a lot of the energy from the explosion and basically cancels it out by blasting it in opposite directions. Without the muzzle brake, the .50 sniper rifle would look a closer to the other rifle in terms of recoil impact, although not as much because it’s a better designed rifle with a weaker round and probably weighs more. But the presence of a very big, very efficient muzzle brake is a big factor here. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/17 "2020-11-18T12:13:59Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Without the muzzle brake, the .50 sniper rifle would look a closer to the other rifle in terms of recoil impact, although not as much because it’s a better designed rifle with a weaker round and probably weighs more. - The .577 makes around 10,000 ft-lbs, the .50 runs mid to high 13,000. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/18 "2020-11-18T12:56:03Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > a gun club in the UAE was pranking people That sounds like a dangerous prank to me. Witness the broken window. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/19 "2020-11-18T14:22:15Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The concept of “stopping power” is meaningless unless your weapon is either rocket-propelled, or mounted on something significantly more massive than the target. A man-held weapon stopping a rhinoceros? Ridiculous. Agree completely about “stopping power” in the sense of an (in-)elastic collision. As a matter pf physics you’re of course 100% spot-on\*. The gunfire idea of “stopping power” is more like > Deliver enough total KE to penetrate the armored skin and enough inches of muscle meat and still have enough residual KE and enough bullet integrity to do enough organ damage such that the animal loses consciousness, or balance, or something else vital before it closes the distance to you. You’re not stopping it as a massive object; you’re stopping it as a functioning organism or at least a self-mobile organism. The bigger, ornerier, and more thick skinned it is, the more KE you need to start with to finish the job. * * * \* For the non-physicists see here for more: [https://what-if.xkcd.com/18/](https://what-if.xkcd.com/18/) ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790/20 "2020-11-18T14:25:28Z")
I’d add that ‘stopping’ usually means ‘Target dropped where it stands.’ Unlike movie ‘physics’ where the target is blow ten feet backwards. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-gun-delivers-a-recoil-like-this/925790.md?page=2)