Right now my heaviest recoiling handgun is my 25-06 encore pistol. However im contemplating getting a 15 inch 450/400 nitro express barrel for my encore to go with my encore. I just want to be able to say i have a nitro express hangun lol. So what is your biggest caliber you have or heard of in a handgun?

There is that infamous video of the guy shooting a 600 Nitro Encore pistol and it flying over his shoulder from recoil. My heaviest is a 45/70 Contender.

I would expect a big difference between your 25-06 & the 450/400. My heaviest recoiling single shot is probably a 338-06 JDJ. However, it has a brake on it. The 375 JDJ without a brake and with 270 gr bullets produces more felt recoil to me.

In revolvers currently 454s. However, I am awaiting the 475 from Rod & the 500 WE from Bob.

I have fired both the 500 S&W and 50 AK in encores and the 500 S&W in a BFR. Without brakes they will get your attention.

Me too......it matches up closely with my T/C 14" .444 Marlin and 14" .375JDJ

458 Win mag, I know of other 450/400's and although the performance is less than the 458 the benefit is the rimmed case which of course works better in the T/C platforms. The 600 in the video is the largest I've heard of.

This one right here is the heaviest recoiler I have and have ever shot. It weighs 4-lbs and shoots a 525 just under 1,600 fps. You need a hardhat and a saddle to shoot it:



My next two kickers are my SRH in .500 Linebaugh which weighs a couple of ounces shot of 3-lbs, but right behind it is my 4-inch Redhawk in .454.





This one (BFR in .500 JRH) is bad when the 425s and 440s hit about 1,450.

Yep that baby will get ones attention for sure and for certain

Here is a friend of mine shooting that one at a Linebaugh seminar




Yes sir firing 525's near 1600 FPS in light frame revolver is like being invited to your own private earth quake

With the right (or wrong) ammo, my BFR in .45-70.

My 444 marlin 14" contender

375 Snipe-Tac (Chey-Tac Improved). Rear-Grip Specialty Pistol
150 grains of powder and a 370 grain bullet

Sounds serious, Ernie! What does it weigh?

Cartridge perspective:
223 Rem, 243 Win (308 Win necked down to 6mm), 375 Snipe-Tac

Diameter of the head of the case is .637

The one that hurts the worst is a 500 JRH - the one with the most recoil is a 416 Taylor.

The muzzle blast has to be of gargantuan proportions

I have a 460 in a 15 inch Encore..........that thing eats my lunch!!!!!!

Worst on single shots - my 475 JDJ in the Contender (45-70 straight-walled)

Revolver - 500WE, although the extremely heavy Corbon loads out of my 460 are no fun.

the worst i have is a 44mag- several of them, guess I 'll just put on my apron and do up the dishes

CorBon's 395 grain load for the .460 is no picnic. I shot a bunch of those and used them on a couple of hogs.

Hahaha!!! I could help....not a fan of big kickers.

My 460 encore at 6 lbs is the worst.

My Ruger 5 shot is a light revolver and when loaded with a 440gr full power, cast bullet load it sure can be a "headfull"...

44mag revolver with max loaded 240's and a 14" 35rem contender with 180's is plenty for me and have any reasonable comfort to shoot several rounds.
going from 120's to 154's in the 7-08 encore was very noticable! been a while. still have unfinished load work.....ugh.

those "recoil lovers" should consider long term damage to hands/wrists etc....IF you actually shoot them much. my right wrist hurts now if i try to bend it to it's max position. had a few days a while back where i could not use my hand. a real scare! doctors didn't fully determine, but you KNOW recoil does not help. i can shoot now, but who knows what the future holds.

disable yourself gentlemen. just think how fun handguns would be then. hey....you can always read about it.....

james....wicked beautiful revolver!!

Hahaha - nothing wrong with a 44 Magnum. I have never killed anything that a 44 Magnum wouldn't kill with the right bullet in the right place.

My 416 Barnes recoils with a little more punch than my 376 Steyr, but still not that bad. The biggest round that is put in the Competitor pistols is the 470 Capstick; with a 600 gr. bullet I can only imagine how bad the recoil would be.

My FA .500 Wyoming Express.

Here is a post I made with a slo-mo video of Fowler shooting it.

http://www.handgunhunt.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2058&ppuser=872

I have a customer that has a 470NE in an Encore.

My buddy's T/C in .416 Taylor has been in my safe for a couple years now. It's his "pig gun". It's not mine but I've shot it a few times - does that count?

It is impressive.
First day out I shot it 25 times at one time.
Here is the first two times I fired it. It was really windy outside that day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpvoURwOkSM

For sure the 450/400 would be more recoil than the 25-06 but ive seen 458 win mags that had muzzle breaks that looked pretty controlable. I also have some 450/400 black powder load data that would bee pretty cool to see that big billow of white smoke come rolling out the other end. With a muzzle break the 450/400 will probably be pretty managable plus it the smallest nitro express round and the cheapest to reload for.

I have a .25-06 and really enjoy it. Its recoil is pretty mild. I don't have anything thats horrible to shoot. My 15" Encore 500 S&W with a 385 gr bullet at 1700 fps would probably be the worst. It has as much energy at 200 yards as many .454 Casull loads have at the muzzle. My .45-70 barrels would come in second with 300 gr bullets at 1900 fps. Nothing close to what some of you guys are shooting.

The 450/400 is no cream puff by any means but it's about 200fps slower than the 458. The 450/400 is an old cartridge and it's brass isn't up to what the newer belted mags can take but like I said the nice thing is they eject easier. I agree too that owning a NE in a handgun is cool. I have plans to build one later this year but haven't decided on which one. The 458 Lott will come first, I know it's been chambered in Encore rifles but never heard of one in a handgun. I haven't talked to my customer about his 470 to find out what it's recoil is like. The one thing to consider with NE's is the cost of brass, the 450/400 isn't as bad since Hornady brought it back but some of the brass can approach 10.00 a piece and dies close to 300.00 which is why for a practical dangerous game cartridge I'm building the 458's.

Hornady 300grn XTP's in .454 out of my 3" FA 83 Packer. After 2 shots I went and got a glove. After 2 cylinders, I went and got the .44

I had to think about this for a while and frankly I am surprised by my answer. I have a few .500's, a .475, a .375-06 JDJ, and other various big kickers but I have to say that darn .44 MAG S&W Nightguard. It twists my arm and flat beats up my hand even with a glove on. Gun weight makes a real big difference!

Found this photo of the .50 AK being shot.

Hey Witworth anybody told you your not right shooting those things

. My worst one 454 Cassual Alaskan. Heavy loads pull the trigger and hope for the best.

Many times......

But that doesn't mean I listen!

Yes, I think he is recoil sensitive

14" contender .45-70.

Some of the best videos ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZL797pOAZ0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea_Q8C_67jY

This has been a fun thread to read through!

My own gun would have to be my FA 83 in 454 casull, but it really is not that bad.

Worse I have fired would have to be an Encore with a 14" (I think) barrel in 460 S&W , no scope, with max handloads of 260 grain partition. It hit the hand hard but the worst part was the trigger guard. made my knuckles bleed after 3 or 4 shots!

My 500sw encore with a 535 gr cast bullet really is much of a kicker-i think its close to the 308. I did have a 4" sw 500 revolver and that sucker was fun to shoot-about like an explosion in ur hand!!

The heaviest recoiling I own is my Encore .30/06.

The heaviest I have ever shot is one J. D. Jones developed on the .378 WBY case cut back to 2" and necked to .50 cal. He turns the head down on a lathe to .473 & then puts it on a single shot bolt action pistol. After 6 shots my hand was turning numb but it was FUN!!!

I was told by an authority in the business who builds Encore barrels that the video is NOT a .600 NE; that in fact the Encore platform is not capable of handling that cartridge safely. Also said that video is more likely a black powder cartridge.

EDIT:
I just did some research; the Encore barrel OD is 1.00" and the .600 NE cartridge base OD is .697" which would leave a chamber wall thickness of .1515", seems a bit thin to me; not to mention the .600 NE cartridge rim diameter is .800" which determines the thrust factor back on the frame which is usually the limiting factor for the T/C Encore and Contender frames.

But then I am not a gunsmith or an engineer; just going by what I see. And that is not to say that somebody wouldn't actually make one...and shoot it...maybe with black powder...

Who knows?

BTW, the .600 NE factory specs with 120 gr. Cordite: 900 grain bullet @ 2050fps for 8,221 fpe.

http://stevespages.com/jpg/cd600nitroexpress.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.600_Nitro_Express

My energy in ft pounds is right at 6672 with the 375 Snipe-Tac handgun.
and the 408 Chey-Tac (Oh yes, it is a switch barrel) with a 420 grain pill should be around the same

My two heaviest recoiling handguns are my XP-100 .308 Winchester and Ruger Super Redhawk .454.

I was told by an authority in the business who builds Encore barrels that the video is NOT a .600 NE; that in fact the Encore platform is not capable of handling that cartridge safely. Also said that video is more likely a black powder cartridge.

EDIT:
I just did some research; the Encore barrel OD is 1.00" and the .600 NE cartridge base OD is .697" which would leave a chamber wall thickness of .1515", seems a bit thin to me; not to mention the .600 NE cartridge rim diameter is .800" which determines the thrust factor back on the frame which is usually the limiting factor for the T/C Encore and Contender frames.

But then I am not a gunsmith or an engineer; just going by what I see. And that is not to say that somebody wouldn't actually make one...and shoot it...maybe with black powder...

Who knows?
I am an engineer, which might be why I don't have one or want one, but I am willing to watch while someone else shoots one.

Man, reading this board makes me feel kinda mainstream and wimpy. I've a few .44s with 2" to 20" barrels and a Encore with .270 and .454 barrels. I'm flirting with the idea of a .460 now, but the brain says the .454 covers that. I live in N.Georgia. Pig and bear is the biggest I'd see. The other part of the brain says "what does reasonable have to do with it?".
I do have to confess, I had to buy rubber grips for my Encore with the .454. That fat wooden handle just beat up my middle thumb knuckle.

I thougth of a t-shirt. If any of you want the idea, take it, just send me a shirt please. It would read "apparently my insensitivity extends to recoil also" No t/c logo, no gun related prompts. Just let those who know what you are up to know what you are up to.

Haha! Great logo for a t-shirt!

Not wimpy, smart!

For me that would be my 6.5" S&W 500 with a 400gr Sierra JSP over 40gr's of H110...I'm no weaklin but this will get your wrist sore after a short session...

Dan Wesson 445, 8"barrel 300 gr. 6'4' 275# and it sets me back. Great boom. Not a all day shooter.

I didn't either until they removed three bones and half the nerves in my right hand, problem is I decided I like it too much so although I listened I filed it under things to worry about after the fact. I can't give up my big guns although lately I've wimped out some and I've been hunting with my 454.

I must tell some of you contributors --- do not apologize for what you shoot. My father tried to teach me --- " Be aware of the man with only one gun. He probably knows how to use it." I did not listen.

However, I could have financed a trip or two to Africa (or where ever) if I had taken note of his comments. If it does the job that you need done, it is OK.

My father's only "big gun" was a model 94 Winchester in 30-30. He owned two rifles -- that one and a 22. If I shared with you the things that I have seen him do with that old 30-30, most of you would call me a liar.

Just my humble opinion.

.454 Casull in a Ruger Alaskan. Can't imagine having any fun with something stouter. I can shoot 2" groups at about 75 feet, tops. I hope that's good enough, 'cause I'm not getting anything bigger.

mine is a magnum research 460 with 8 inch barrel. i love the punishment

450/400 nitro express brass from hornady is 35 dollars for 20 cases which isnt to bad. You can also use 405 winchester bullets for it. Ive also heard you could load .41 magnum bullets in it seing as they share the same diameter of .410 but im not positive.

you wouldn't want to use jacketed bullets designed for the 41 as they aren't strong enough but I believe your right about the same bore diameter. Hornady has made it alot more affordable to buy components and ammo for several calibers that were almost extinct. If you want to see something that will scare you look up the cost on 470 and 500NE brass and dies.

I agree w/ Rod, I wouldn't use the 41 Mag bullets in the 450/400 Nitro. They are the same diameter as are the 405 Win & the 411 JDJ. You can use them in the 411 JDJ and they are awsome on WT deer. But, the 444 Marlin (411 JDJ parent case) case is quite a bit smaller than the 450/400 nitro case and the top velocity is alot different as one would expect.

.470 Nitro Express/500gr. woodleighs/2000+ fps in my Encore is without a doubt the heaviest recoiling handgun I have, or have ever shot, (and luckily it shoots better than it looks-pic on bragging board!) Numbness sets in pretty quickly so you don't realize how bad it is until the next day or two when your hand and wrist throb uncontrollably. It isn't so much the speed of the recoil as it is the shear energy of the recoil that makes it "fun" to shoot. It's quite enjoyable with 400gr. XTPs and trail boss!

I dont think the recoil of the 470 nitro in a pistol scares me as much as the thought of it coming back into my face id really like to see some video of that thing in action.

It definitely is not the sort of thing that you want to try as your first big bore handgun experience, but for anybody shooting .454s, .500s, etc. it wouldn't be a huge surprise or problem to control. I will admit the anticipation before I pulled the trigger on it the first time was quite high as I wondered how many stitches I would need later!!!

nothing to compare with the .470 but have a braked 41/445 TC-- 210 at 2200+ or a 250 at 2000+ --my 358 is a 250 at 2300+ not so far apart-
41/454 Redhawk -250 cast at 1610 -- 212 cast penta point HP 1720

The .460 S&W I shoot in an Encore 15" with no brake with .275gr Barnes or .395 Cor-Bons are a handful...Just sayin' But kill with Authority!!

For me, it's the FA Model 83 500WE with 6" barrel, micarta grips, no brake, and heavy 440gr loads using H110 and shooting with one hand. By comparison, I have owned, loaded for, and shot the 445SM, 454Casull, and 45-70 in handguns, but they (the 445SM & 45-70) were all heavier. (Comparing the 454Casull to the 500WE is like comparing a 357Mag to a 44Mag. The 500WE makes the 454 feel like a joy to shoot.) IME, the weight of the handgun plays such a huge role in recoil energy. Shooting rifle cartridges through 4-5 pound "handguns" with muzzle brakes does not feel the same as a revolver that wants to pull your hand off your wrist.

Agreed!
That is one of the reasons I shoot the single-shots

I agree with Ernie. Single Shots in Large Rifle Rounds are not that bad.

what's the velocity Ernie?

that all depends on what your talking about, my 458 with 350gr bullets is building 106ftlbs of free recoil energy and the previously mentioned 470 is building 157ftlbs whereas my 454 with full house 300gr loads is building 30ftlbs. Now the brakes on these two big bores help but I know mine is violent so I'm sure the 470 is.

Right around 2800 fps

I forgot to ask you the weight of the gun but I figured at least 6lbs which would put you at 141ftlbs of free recoil and if it by chance weighs 8lbs it would be 106lbs. So basicly your somewhere between the 458 and 470 depending on the weight of the gun. Pictures of that cartridge look alot like the RUM until you look up the actual dimensions and find out the parent case is actually the 505 Gibbs compared to the 404 Jeffrey. I had played with chambering RUM cartridges in the Encore but there aint enough meat to chamber a 505.

I would think bench shooting it would be a significant emotional event.

It is. I sighted it in once off the bench and fired 25 rounds. It was traumatizing....LOL!

and you think the max is going to be any better? lol I have an article I printed off line where John Taffin talks about getting physically ill from shooting the Max.

Yeah, I shot my buddy's and it wasn't nearly as bad. Of course, the bullets are running a good 250 fps slower and it's burning a lot less powder (38 grains versus 63). I can handle it -- I hope!

I may be a shimp but the wors I ever shot was a 30-30 10" octogon barrel on my TC. I could not hod on to the foregrip.
So I am a whimp.

are you trying to shoot that holding the forend? I didn't catch that part when we were talking, that could be your problem. Hold the gun with a two hand hold like you would a revolver or auto and just use the forend to rest the gun on your bags or rest.

With what has been posted, my 17in Encore in 375 H&H AI lookes anemic...

For me it's my 375 JDJ with 270 gr bullets. It use to be my 300 WSM in 14" until I got it "braked".

375 JDJ here also with the 270 gr Hornady. Had a 460 S&W and it was pretty stout with the heavy pills.

9" SRH in .480 Ruger

Thats just wrong. I've fired the .470NE and the .500NE in Krieghoff double rifles and there was nothing fun about it.

First; a lwt 6 pound center grip XP 100 in 9.53 (375) Hellcat firing a 300 grain bullet. Second a 15" Encore in 458 Govt. (45-70 IMP) firing a 500 grain bullet. Either will get your full attention.
David

My 480 Ruger with 8 3/8" bbl (RAGING BULL)

JIM

I have to amend my list and put my .500 Maximum (525s at 1,350 fps) in second place after the .50 Alaskan.

Recoil? What's recoil?

The numbness between my ears!

recoil is so subjective. my son is firing guns that recoil nearly 2-3x as hard as what was billed as unshootable 40 years ago. he was just never told it was too much or that he should struggle with it. ya just gotta find ways to keep it from hurting, whether the pain is coming from your hand/wrist/or your forehead.

Ya my son at 13 used my 480 6" raging bull to take a Buffalo and a hog. He also shoots the BFR 45-70 with lever evolution ammo in it.

Exactly. Shooter size, age, physical shape, hand/arm strength, hand size, finger length, body position, (can be different from shooting position depending...) handgun type/style, scope/no scope, barrel length, weight, balance, grip (thickness, material, size, style, etc.), material used for grips/forend, shooting position, gloves/no gloves, weather temp, standing, sitting, etc. are all factors that are really not constants in the handgun shooting world. What recoils "a lot" to you may or may not be the same to me, and vice versa. And a brake does not really enter into this subjectively except to make the felt recoil less, which negates the actual question.

Even your mood and general personality are factors. Genetics are a factor; ie. pain tolerance is mostly genetic; the list goes on and on.

So reasonably, we each have our own recoil tolerance limits; and that is as it should be. Doesn't make anybody any better or any tougher or more macho; it just is what it is.

That said, my FA 83 4 3/4" bbl. in 500WE with heavy 440 gr. loads got my attention real fast. I since sold it; not because of the recoil; rather because I sorely needed the money at the time.

that's why it is very very important to be honest with yourself. i know many guys that shoot traditional bows well. very very few if any i've ever met do not shoot 70 pound bows better than a 45 pound bow. even if they are accurate with the heavier bow, they are more accurate with the lighter bow. same with these guns. find your limit where accuracy breaks off and it will still kill your intended quarry, then you've found the right cartridge for the game you seek. answers the question of what's enough gun.

I agree and also add when it quits being fun. Some can handle and deal with recoil of large caliber handguns and shoot them reasonably well but when you can't enjoy it because your so focused on controlling recoil it's time to as you said trad" be honest with yourself".

.480 Ruger

Snake

Mine was my SRH .454 with the stock grips, it was BRUTAL!!!

It's a toss up between my 45-70 and 375 jdj contenders. They both let you know you pulled the trigger but in different ways. One is a push straight back and the other rolls back more. 45-70 has 16" ported barrel and 375 jdj has no porting and is 14". Love to shoot them both regularly.

Good point; one detail I left out was the "type" of recoil produced; some are more of a push and others are a severe snap.

lighter bullets pushed fast tend to snap more to me, big bullets slower tend to push more, big fast bullets to both and are not my favorite things in the world.

I have seen quite a few 480 Rugers so I wanted to throw this out there…

The platform in which you shoot the round does make a difference. I have a 480 SRH that anemic to my 17in Full Bull Encore barrel in 375 H&H AI, and that was with the muzzle break & Pac grips...

I am not trying to say that “I am more holy than though…” I guess I just wanted to throw it out there because I can’t tell any difference in shooting my 9.5 SRH in 44 and 480. However, I guess I should point out that the 44 was shooting 310gr HCGC @ 1400 fps and the 480 was shooting a 325 HCGC @ 1400 fps and both revolvers were scoped…

Ps, The 375 H&H was a shooter, but no fun to shoot. It no longer claims residence at my house… LOL

I have to say hardest handgun to hold onto is my LCR in .357 mag. when running full house 158grn any loading. The little grips and 17 ounce weight make it seem worse than either of my .41s or my SP's in .308, 7mm-08 or 30-30. I don't carry hot .357s in the little rascal but periodically I can't resist shooting a few.

Amazing but believable; it all has to do with the Total Package; plus fit of the handgun to the hand, and all the other variables mentioned...

I'll bet that li'l monster has a pretty good bark to go with the bite!

I had a Bond Arms derringer in for an action job the other day and when I test fired it all I had besides full house loads were some handloads with 250gr cast running around 1000-1100 fps and in that little package it barked and bucked pretty good.

I guess that is what I was trying to say... LOL

The question was the heaviest recoiling handgun, not round... My friend has a 380 auto that is the worst I have EVER shot... I would rather shoot my 480 SRH any day of the week over his little squirt...

Duane

For me anyway, it's my S&W JRC 500 with no compensator, when it goes off, I know exactly where all the arthritus is in both hands?

Steve

Wow, those 500 S&W rounds actually look little in the picture... LOL

My Khanke 82 with 425s at 1440fps. I have been too chicken to try the 600gr stuff in it. It will launch a 600gr somewhere around 1300fps. It aint much of a plinker. reflex264