Recoil Data for Major Cartridges
Curious about how much recoil a certain cartridge has? Or how it compares to other rounds? The team at Ammo.com has created many recoil charts so you can quickly compare the recoil of some of the most common cartridges.
How We Made Our Recoil Charts
To create our recoil charts, we plugged each round’s projectile weight, propellant charge weight, muzzle velocity, and average rifle weight into a recoil energy calculator. We then compared the result with other similar cartridges to see how it ranked.
Understanding Recoil Energy
Here’s a simple guide to help you understand recoil and its associated terms.
What Is Recoil?
Recoil is the backward kinetic energy (i.e. motion toward your shoulder) that a firearm generates on ignition. In other words, it is the physical reaction to the launch of a bullet; in our data, measured in foot-pounds (ft-lbs).
Felt Recoil vs. Free Recoil
Felt recoil is subjective. It varies from shooter to shooter, making it an unreliable reflection of how much recoil a cartridge actually generates. A seasoned shooter might consider a cartridge that produces 35 ft-lbs of recoil energy to be manageable because they're used to firing a cartridge with 40 ft-lbs of recoil. Newer shooters (and many seasoned shooters), on the other hand, would say that 35 ft-lbs of recoil feels like a kick from a mule.
In contrast, free recoil energy is objective. It is determined solely by projectile weight, propellant charge weight, muzzle velocity, and firearm weight.
Does Rifle Weight Affect Recoil?
Yes, rifle weight affects recoil. When all other variables are equal, a lighter firearm will generate more recoil than a heavier one because its lighter mass absorbs relatively less kinetic energy.
How to Reduce Recoil
To reduce recoil, use a heavier firearm, make your existing firearm heavier, or choose ammo with a lighter bullet and/or lower muzzle velocity. Installing a muzzle brake will make recoil more manageable and forgiving. You can also replace the butt pad with a suppler one, which will help your shoulder feel less fatigue.
Combine all the aforementioned methods to experience maximum recoil reduction. If you still feel that recoil is too much, then it's time to find a lower recoil cartridge. It’s also important to note that the more often you shoot and practice proper form, the less the recoil will affect your shooting capabilities.
Recoil is only half of what a cartridge does. For velocity, energy, and trajectory on the same rounds, see our ballistics charts by cartridge.
