i was talking with a guy today....he was telling me how he had heard of guys shooting big bore handgun for so many years that they became incapable of shooting at all, due to the recoil over a period of time! is this true? can shooting 44mags or 45c actually harm you that bad? just curious

It depends on the individual. When you start climbing up into the severe recoil levels like the .454, .475, .500 Linebaugh, etc. the damage can be gradual yet cumulative. I know several people who have permanent nerve damage in their hands from recoil. John Taffin has real problems with his hands and wrists from the severe abuse he endured shooting and developing loads. It's no joke, it can certainly happen.

wow! i didnt realize it could get that severe. so when you say it depends....what are the circumstances? i just wanna take precautions for myself.

What I meant is that for some folks it may take longer and it may take more severe recoil, but for some others, it may take a bit less. Personally, I limit my time with the real heavy kickers.

i see...thanks for your advice

I tend to think your physical makeup and strength has a lot to do with it. Most guys with thick wrists don’t seem to suffer any ill effects from hard recoiling handguns. I’ve know some who had fairly small wrists but possessed some real power in their hands and arms and they haven’t experienced any problems in their ole age yet either. I’m not talking about the occasional shooter – I’m talking about the shooter needing a progressive reloader and a couple tons of lead. Those that do have hand problems that I personally know, think they got it from working with their hands and injuries to the hands when young. Old Arthur can be hard to figure out, as to why he visits some and not others.

I think if the recoil is painful in your wrist when you’re young and you keep at it for a couple decades – you would then be looking for trouble, in my opinion, if you’re a high volume shooter. The competitive skeet /trap shooter is a good example of recoil damage – a lot of those ole boys have neck and shoulder/upper back problems.

I’ve shot a lot of heavy 44 mag and 357 stuff over 40 years and I don’t have any problems that I know of – the 29-2 didn’t hold up as well as I did, in the short run anyway. I’ve been shooting the 454 some over the last couple years and have moved up in caliber, and I think power calibers in that range could cause some damage if a young man today started messing with top-end loads and kept after it several times a week for several decades – one should use good common sense with the heavy recoiling handguns and maybe I’ll pay a price in the future for being stupid when I was younger. Hope not.

i have never experienced pain from shooting MY guns. i shot a bfr in 45-70 ONE time:) and that was all i ever wanted. and i tend to use the milder loads. i am also gonna start handloading soon so i can load what i think is comfortable....i think for me 18-20# of recoil energy is my personal limit

It's not always the little guys that get hurt from them. I was 6'3" 250 but after 7 back surgeries it's closer to 6'2" but I had to have three bones removed from my right wrists and one of the two major nerve bundles were removed as well. I did also work in mechanical industries all my life but the big bores played a big part in the failure of my wrist. I was shooting at least twice a week and alot of the time more and I shot nothing but full house loads from all my guns which early on included a pair of 475's and a BFR in 45-70 I had turned up hot running 440gr HC's at 1650fps. I would usually run 50rds through each gun at each session and sometimes more. I would also take other guns with me such as 44's or my 45's all loaded well beyond reason and I would shoot my Contenders which at the time the only two barrels that had any real recoil to them were the 375JDJ and 45-70 barrel which I used the same load as i used in the BFR which in retrospect probably eventually would have stretched the frame. It's like anything you can overdo it or you can stay within moderation. Physical attributes will affect if you get hurt or not too but bottom line is if you push too far and hard you will eventually hurt yourself. I've since mellowed and seldom work loads up past book recommendations or what is suibtable to particular firearms. I also shoot more in moderation now, with my 458 Win mag barrel and the bigger ones I'll be building in the future I'll keep my shooting session to around 10rds max and more often than not I'll only fire half that to confirm zero and stay used to shooting it.

I wouldn't say 44's and 45's would result in long term injury, but when you get into the 454C, the Linebaughs, and the 1.6" and 1.8" magnums, you run a risk if overdoing it. I see no real reason to punish myself so I stick with the 1.285"ers in wheelguns.

i shoot a lot of heavy kicker 500,460,480,heavy loaded 45,44mags, 375jdj,and others for the past 20 years and they will take a toll on body. i practice a lot with the mild guns and wear shooting gloves with recoil pad in the palm for the heavy kickers.