Well, recoil with the wood grips was brutal. Cut my hand(not wearing glove). Changed over to Hogue and it dampened recoil somewhat. It's definitely not a target gun with fullhouse loads. Probably, all in all 44 Special ammo would do fine. If this recoils more than the 500 S&W I'm getting one. Although harsh it is not unmanageable. Accuracy is good. I like the sight setup for quick acquistion. My only concern is will it hold up. Time will tell.