Hardest Kicking gun you've ever shot?

I am not particularly sensitive to recoil. I say this not as a boast, just a statement of fact. My first handgun shooting as a youngster was with a .45 Colt, and I guess I just assumed recoil comes with the package.

I had a Colt New Service .45 Colt rebuilt to .44 Special, and did my first loading for this gun. Reading a lot of Elmer Keith, I went to his 250 gr Keith SWC and 18.0grs of Hercules (then) #2400 powder. This with the original plastic factory grips. My first outing with this combination left me with two bleeding gouges on my shooting had, one from the cylinder latch, the other of unknown origin. Then I learned about custom stocks.

Later, much later, I was introduced to the .45-70 in a Thompson Contender. This gun kicked hard, but it was fitted with those rubber grips that tried to skin the palm of my hand. Rubber grips and hard recoiling guns don't go together. They left the web of my shooting had raw and blistered. With decent wood grips, the kick is there, but my hand makes it just fine.

A few years back a shooter at the range asked if I would fire his double derringer, a .410 bored over/under that also took .45 Colt. The .410 wasn't bad, but my .45 Colts hurt my hand. The palm of my hand was sore the next day. This gun was stocked with Sambar stag, by the way. With my .45 Colt handloads, this has got to be my most memorable hard kicking gun. The .454 Cassul doesn't even come close.

What's gun lingers in your memory as kicking like a Missouri mule?

Bob Wright

Id have to say my 6 1/2 inch ported Taurus Raging Bull in 454 Casul is as close to a handful of mulekick as Ive ever handled.Is a sharp fast rise that I always am amazed that I didnt slap my forhead with the darn barrel!
I much prefere the recoil from my 7 1/2 inch target grey SRH in 480 Ruger.Not nearly so violent,more of a big push albeit a evry big push.probably twice that of the MIGHTY 44 MAG!

My first revolver was a Colt .357 6" that came with Fitz 10 O Grip in brown plastic. I got a box of 38 special and a box of 158 Gr lead 357 Magnum. Of course the 158 gr round nose lead rounds were ok to shoot. BUT it only took one round of the 357 mag to get good bloodflow from the web between my thumb and index finger. I went back to my neighborhood Gun Store and found a great pair of smooth Rosewood grips and saved a lot of blood.

Hardest kicking handgun was a T/C Contender in .45-70. Hardest kicking revolver was a snub nosed .454 casull. I shot a S&W 500 before, but recoil wasn't hard because of the grips and muzzle brake.

A 44 Ruger Mag with a 71/2" barrel loaded to the max unbeknowing to me. I should have been more aware of this nut but I let my guard down for a moment. I had shot the gun several times before this but they were mild loads. The last shot in the gun was a boomer. I didn't say anything but my arm was sore for a week. I got him back though I married his sister and them he went nuts.

About 20 plus years ago I had a friend that had a 44 Magnum. Dirty Harry was popular then. I guess he did his own loads too. We were out in the woods, he handed me the gun, and without my knowing - stood way way back.
I took careful aim across the hood of his white pickup truck. Yup big boom. Scared me good. It flew back with an unbelievable kick. But I had the last laugh. You should have seen the big black streak that went across the hood of his pick up. Didn't really ever come off either.

as for revolvers my ruger bisley with a 5.5" tube with a 300gr boolet and 25.7gr h110 hurt like he^^
but the hardest kicking handgun was a thompson contender in 375JDJ man it kicked the sh$# out of me and no it had no brake

The hardest recoiling handgun I have fired is my 8 3/8" S&W M29-3 with the checkered factory target grips. This revolver has a tuned hammer, sear, and trigger; when I fired it the first time the recoil surprised me and I double tapped it. Believe me double tapping a 44 Mag is an experience of a life time. I was sure I had broke my middle finger on my shooting hand as the trigger guard hit it that hard. Regards, Richard :D

I'd have to say a Taurus 44 magnum, I have no idea where the bullet went...somewhere downrange........ I think? :neutral:

My T/C Contender with a 45-70 Gov. barrel on it..

Back in '76 in El Paso, Texas we all were
shooting the new game of silhouette at the
range at Ft. Bliss, Texas. The problem was
the rams were heavy and hard to knock
down. REAL hard. I had ringers, where the
bullet hit the target but didn't take it down,
with a 265 gr. load in a .44 mag. We all did!

So my friend found a Thompson Contender
in .45 colt and went to work at the reloading
bench. When he finished what he had was
a .45 magnum. Out at the range he fired it a
few times then handed it to me and asked
me to try it.

I didn't notice all the other shooters had
backed off the line and were watching the
two of us intently! I didn't notice the
scorched area on the bench in front of my
friend! I didn't notice the tree just to the
left of the firing line was leaning far to the
left, as if blown sideways!

So I chambered a round, closed the action,
hunkered down behind the gun and touched
the trigger. BOOOM!!!!

The Contender had a long barrel. The recoil
started as a counter-clockwise twisting
motion. Then it forced the grip straight back
into the palm of my hand. Then it flipped
up. All more or less at the same instant.
The gun ended up pointing straight up, with
the top to the left. My hand was sore after
only one round!

I believe I said a few choice words, which
can't be printed here! I opened the action and
the empty cartridge came right out, which
says a lot about the strength of the
Contender action.

I gave the gun back to my friend and told
him I didn't need to fire it again! I don't
remember for sure if he used that load again,
but I think he tried it on the Ft. Bliss Rams,
and had ringers anyway. Those Rams were
tough!

I remember one guy put a .458 win mag on
an XP-100 action because of those rams.
That gun must have had some RECOIL! But,
that's a 'hole 'nuther story!

That's my story and I'm sticking with it!

OMSBH44,

I have a photo somewhere of me firing a .45-70 Thompson Contender. The gun is in full recoil, and exactly as you described. muzzle vertical, sights to the left.

This load, incidentally, did not produce ringers, it knocked the rams for a loop. The bullet was a 500gr cast.

Bob Wright

I put one round through a 44/73 revolver. I almost want to try to put a second round through it. LOL!

Hardest recoil I've encountered was ruger 357 snub nose
with regular hard grips.About took my hand off with 357
rounds not bad with 38's.

Jennings 22... 1 shot and it blew up :smt082 :smt082 :smt082 :smt082

I've shot just about everything up to a .454 Casull without much trouble. I'm not a big fan of heavy recoil, but I can handle it.
Some years ago a dealer in a local shop was trying to sell me on the merits of a .38 Special derringer. I forget the brand, but it was one of the small frame models. We went into the back, loaded up some +Ps and fired them into his test pipe. That little sucker darn near broke my wrist!
No, I didn't buy it.

Rifle: Colt Sauer chambered for the 300 Weatherby Magnum.

Revolver: S & W Model 29, 44 Magnum.

Shotgun: Garcia-Rossi (side by side, exposed hammers) coachgun 12 ga. (3 in. chamber)


Till, I bought the S & W 500 Magnum.

I would have to say my 10" Thomson contender in 45-70. I would like to try the new Ruger Alaskan.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SuckLead

I put one round through a 44/73 revolver. I almost want to try to put a second round through it. LOL!

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Please elaborate on the 44/73.

See, I messed up and only one person caught it, it seems. LOL! I meant a 45/70. The 4473 is the paperwork I have to fill out and file at work for people to buy a gun. So I will now sit in the corner with my dunce cap on.

:rolleyes: @ me

Knowledgable that I claim to be, there could be a .44/73 for all I know. Lord knows, there are many combinations of numbers assigned to cartridges nowadays, such as .43 JDJ, .338 Woodswalker, .357 SIG, plus old favorites as .401 Eimer and .43 Eimer. Remember the .357 Atomic? The 10mm Gyrojet?

I once conjured up the .30/44 Carbine, the .30 M1 Carbine necked up to take .429" bullets. Never made one, though.

Bob Wright

500 mag.

.44 Mag. heavy loaded in a light gun.

Try full house 357s in a airweight J frame. They're really vicious. Up to that point I'd have to agree with the 45/70 Contender. A hard push with a lot of muzzle rise but not as painful as the J frame 357!

For me the 454 Casul. I was admiring the gun and noise of the weapon. The guy asked if I wanted to shoot and of course I said yes. 2 1/2" Ruger Alaskan, talk about kick a bit to much for me.

W