Three Factors That Will Help To Reduce Recoil When You Hunt
Posted on: 21 January 2021
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Recoil is an issue that most gun owners, including those who hunt with rifles, have to think about. In addition to being physically painful for your body, a rifle that has a lot of recoil can affect your accuracy to some degree. While there are things that you can physically do to lessen it, the rifle itself plays a significant role in how much recoil you experience. If you're shopping for a new hunting rifle, you should keep the following points in mind.
Smaller Caliber
The amount of recoil that a hunter experiences depends a lot on the caliber of firearm that they're carrying. Small-caliber rifles produce very little recoil, while large-caliber rifles have a significant amount of recoil. Even if you're new to hunting, you may have some experience with firearms. If you've fired an air rifle, you may recall that it produced a tiny amount of recoil. A hunting rifle that has a slightly larger caliber than an air rifle — for example, .22 — will have a bit of recoil, but not a lot. At the other end of the spectrum, a large-caliber rifle — for example, .444 — will produce a lot of recoil. If it makes sense based on what you're hunting, a smaller-caliber firearm can be a good choice.
Heavier Rifle Weight
Another point that you should consider when you shop for a hunting rifle is the overall weight of the gun. A heavy rifle will produce less recoil than a light rifle. This doesn't necessarily mean that you want to buy the heaviest firearm that you can find at your local gun shop. Heavy rifles can lead to shoulder, arm, and back fatigue on long hunts, and this can especially be a concern if you aren't accustomed to carrying a heavy gun. Even a rifle that has a moderate weight will be better for recoil than a lightweight gun.
Recoil Pad
A recoil pad, which is a soft, rubber pad that mounts to the butt of a rifle, doesn't technically reduce the gun's recoil, but it certainly lowers the amount of recoil that you feel in your body. You'll occasionally find rifles with recoil pads that are built into their stocks, but it's more common to buy a recoil pad accessory and add it to your rifle before you begin to hunt with it. Visit your local gun shop to look for the right rifle for your needs.