big gun enthusiast hates his shoulder

[DanSkorupka]

This guy has a .60 caliber rifle with 26" barrel and no muzzle brake, that weighs under 16 lb
what loads does he shoot?
In his own words "In my rifle, I use 160 grains of 4831 to launch the 900 grain bullet"

I am no gun expert but that does not sound like a pleasant day at the range for the shooter's shoulder.

He is planning on using it to deal with brown bear in Alaska.
full story here: http://www.calpappas.com/id29.html

[Gerarddm]

I am always surprised, but should not be, at the number of sub-cultures in the U.S. Everybody seemingly has a club or tribal affiliation.

[David W Pratt]

His first shot better be good, it'll take a week to recover enough to take a follow up.

[Paul Pless]

Its a double rifle. I bet it kicks less than a modern bolt gun in .458 Win or .460 Wby.

[Waddie]

Its a double rifle. I bet it kicks less than a modern bolt gun in .458 Win or .460 Wby.

I dunno, a 900 gr bullet is going to kick. 160 gr of 4831 powder will emphasize that kick, and seems to be way more than typically used. Both brands of 4831 are slow powders, and I wonder if the rifle's barrel is long enough to burn all that slow powder or will he just be ejecting unburnt powder onto the ground. I see he ordered jacketed bullets, as at nearly 2000 fps lead bullets will lead that barrel unless it's (the bullet) copper jacketed, uses solid projectiles or some other method to avoid leading. I wonder how flat that round will shoot? I'll bet it will arch way more than a 30-06. Overkill for Brown bear I would think.

Jeez, a .45 500 gr bullet and 120 gr of powder hurts my shoulder enough that I don't want to shoot it more than once or twice. But then again I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to recoil.

regards,
Waddie

[DanSkorupka]

That isn't even the hardest recoiling gun out there.
The nastiest gun ever intended to be shouldered was the 5 gauge rifled express. Its normal load was a 1750 grain slug riding atop 12 drams of black powder. Black powder's habit of low muzzle velocities was cured with tapered rifling and barrels sometimes over 68"
And this wasn't mid-evil era junk powder, this was the best metalized cannon powder that post civil war era factories could create.
they were sometimes hot loaded with a 2000 grain shell and 16 drams of the best french or english powder on the market.

They made the .51 bmg and the .550/620 tapered nitro express look like BB guns. Problem is they recoiled harder than a 20mm Oerliken and were often accused of causing peeling retinal detachments in shooters that would manifest themselves as large blurry patches in the users vision that would last for months or more.

[Phillip Allen]

I have observed people who, if they don't get the devil kicked outa them, think they aren't getting their money's worth. I don't know about your friend but those I have watched buy specifically for the recoil

[purri]

I've shot 12,10 and 8 bore black powder doubles, plus a 600 and a 500 nitro (powder) doubles. I prefer the former BP calibres..

[Shang]

RPG's against brown bear in Alaska.
Them things make good eaten, huh?

[Phillip Allen]

I've eaten very little bear... and that was black bear... I doubt I would really like it on a larger scale

[seanz]

Why isn't there a bigger interest in recoilless rifles? Surely they're what the sporting shooter needs?

[Phillip Allen]

Why isn't there a bigger interest in recoilless rifles? Surely they're what the sporting shooter needs?

actually, I think that is exactly what those ugly muzzle brakes are all about

[wardd]

i was impressed by the 106 mm recoilless even though it really is 105mm

[ahp]

I am not a gun person but I do know that the Brits made very fine big game rifles. In one of Kipling's stories one character is about to shoot a really big crocodile, and his companion cautions him that a double four bore is no joke. What would that be?

[Phillip Allen]

I am not a gun person but I do know that the Brits made very fine big game rifles. In one of Kipling's stories one character is about to shoot a really big crocodile, and his companion cautions him that a double four bore is no joke. What would that be?

a four bore has a bore that will pass a quarter pound ball... typically they shot conical bullets though... 4 balls to the pound... 12 gage is 12 balls to the pound

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

It takes a lot of boom-boom to get some guys aroused.

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

Why isn't there a bigger interest in recoilless rifles? Surely they're what the sporting shooter needs?

Have you ever seen a recoiless weapon in action? The type used in the military have perforated shells and perforated breaches. When you pull the lanyard a jet of gas hot enough to burn your face off streams out the back end. It ain't for the faint of heart or those ignorant of the laws of physics.

[Phillip Allen]

Have you ever seen a recoiless weapon in action? The type used in the military have perforated shells and perforated breaches. When you pull the lanyard a jet of gas hot enough to burn your face off streams out the back end. It ain't for the faint of heart or those ignorant of the laws of physics.

I don't think he was serious

[seanz]

Have you ever seen a recoiless weapon in action? The type used in the military have perforated shells and perforated breaches. When you pull the lanyard a jet of gas hot enough to burn your face off streams out the back end. It ain't for the faint of heart or those ignorant of the laws of physics.

I scoff at the laws of physics.......the laws of physics are only for the weak.

I don't think he was serious

I was only mostly joking.....

With the enthusiasm for firearms based on .50 BMG I find it a bit odd that some enthusiast hasn't made themselves a .90 recoilless rifle.

Hold my beer, stand waaaaay back and watch this.

[Phillip Allen]

I scoff at the laws of physics.......the laws of physics are only for the weak.



I was only mostly joking.....

With the enthusiasm for firearms based on .50 BMG I find it a bit odd that some enthusiast hasn't made themselves a .90 recoilless rifle.

Hold my beer, stand waaaaay back and watch this.

I'm inclined to agree... it's silly

[purri]

A 4 bore is about 1 1/4 inch diameter. (Black powder only)