6 Proven Ways to Reduce Recoil
Recoil occurs because of the explosive force with which a round leaves the muzzle, which is why more powerful calibers have a more intense recoil.
Excessive recoil can negatively impact your aim and make shooting painful, especially around your shoulder. While you can’t eliminate recoil completely, there are things you can do to reduce it to improve your shooting aim and comfort. Here are our six proven tips on how to reduce recoil.
Use a Suppressor
Adding a suppressor to your firearm is the least tedious and most effective way to reduce recoil. A suppressor is typically tube-shaped and detachable, and it goes on the muzzle of your gun. You can also find integrally suppressed firearms with a non-detachable suppressor built into the barrel.
Several suppressor types are available for various firearms and calibers, including options that improve recoil without compromising weapon weight and handling. Besides reducing recoil, a suppressor muffles gunfire, making shooting less noisy and damaging to your ears. By reducing noise and recoil, suppressors also help make you a more accurate shooter.
How It Works
Suppressors dull gunfire noise by slowing the release of gasses when you fire a round. When you shoot, the gunpowder within the cartridge ignites, releasing hot gasses that expand and generate pressure. The pressure propels the bullet through the barrel and out of the muzzle at high speeds.
As the bullet escapes the muzzle, the built-up pressure follows. The explosive release of the pressurized gasses causes the loud gunshot noise you know. A suppressor attached to the muzzle minimizes this noise by trapping and diverting the suddenly released gasses through baffles in the suppressor. Diverting the gasses through the baffles will slow the escaping pressured gasses, leading to a quieter gunshot and reduced recoil.
How to Buy a Suppressor
Buying a suppressor is simple if you live in a state that permits such firearm accessories. You can walk into a gun store and get one or go for the more convenient option of buying a suppressor online from a reputable brand. If you prefer online shopping, head to the Silencer Central store to browse our pistol, rifle, and shotgun suppressors.
After picking a suppressor that fits your budget, firearm, and goals, add it to your cart and pay the price and $200 tax stamp. You can pay once or spread your payment over three months with our eZ-Pay plan.
You have the option to let us handle the paperwork on your behalf and submit your eForm. We can also help you get a free NFA Gun Trust that allows you to select trustees who can lawfully possess and use your purchased silencer.
Once your eFile form receives approval, we will ship your purchased suppressor to your selected address. If you need help choosing the right suppressor, you can call us to speak with a friendly expert who will provide everything you need to make the best decision.
Switch to Lighter Ammo
Larger rounds require more pressure to launch from the muzzle and hit targets with enough stopping power. The force used to propel such rounds leads to more recoil. Since lighter slugs require less force, they cause less recoil, making switching to lighter rounds ideal for reducing recoil.
How It Works
Each bullet contains gunpowder. Igniting the gunpowder releases gasses that rapidly expand, creating pressure that propels a bullet out of the barrel and towards a target. Heavy bullets require more gunpowder to generate enough force to fly. Since more force leads to more recoil, you can minimize recoil by switching to lighter ammo.
However, lighter rounds are not ideal for every shooter. For instance, competitive shooters and hunters require heavy rounds with superior range and stopping power. If you want long-range precision ammo that delivers impressive stopping power without excessive recoil, top options include .30-30 Winchester, .25-06 Remington, and 6.5 Creedmoor.
Use a Muzzle Brake
A muzzle brake or recoil compensator is a rifle attachment that goes on the end of the barrel to help minimize recoil. While using a muzzle brake on its own is effective for dampening recoil, you will get better results when you pair it with a suppressor. Fortunately, most muzzle brakes have a threaded end where you can screw in a compatible suppressor.
How It Works
The right muzzle brake can help you reduce recoil by 30% or more. A muzzle brake typically has vents (blast chambers) on the side that divert the combustion gasses used to propel a bullet.
Without a muzzle brake, these gasses will escape from the muzzle in one direction, and the force of the release will jerk the gun backward, which is what you experience as recoil. Using a muzzle brake is one of your best options if you want to keep shooting big caliber rounds but without excessive recoil.
Improve Your Stance
One of the best tactics for reducing recoil is improving your shooting stance. Your posture and stance while shooting will determine how well your body handles the recoil from your firearm. For example, you will feel the recoil more if you shoot while leaning backward with most of your weight on your heels. Besides spoiling your aim, recoil while in the wrong stance puts you at greater risk of sustaining an injury.
How It Works
The proper way to manage recoil is to stand on the balls of your feet and lean slightly forward, centering your body over your knees. The position will enable your body to absorb more of the recoil. It will also give your shoulder room to roll with the pushback when you fire.
Your firearm recoil will be more noticeable if you shoot from a seated or prone position. The same goes for shooting with your back against a wall or another solid item because your shoulders won’t have space to roll with the recoil.
Add a Recoil Pad
A recoil pad goes on the butt of your firearm and softens the impact of your gun jerking into your shoulder when recoil occurs. Recoil pads are available for most long firearms, including rifles and shotguns.
How It Works
Most recoil pads feature a rubber base that compresses to absorb the recoil from your weapon and protect your shoulder. Since the pad absorbs most of the kickback from your gun, you can look forward to less pain and damage in your shoulder after a day of shooting. Minimizing the kickback of your firearm will also help you maintain your aim for a steady follow-up shot.
However, adding a recoil pad may make your firearm longer than you like. If you don’t like the extra length, you can skip the recoil pad and strap on a shoulder pad. The pad will go over your shoulder, shielding your body by absorbing the impact of the kickback from your gun butt.
Change Your Firearm
There’s a gun for everyone, and if your gun’s recoil is too much handle, you might be better off switching to a lower caliber firearm. For instance, if your 12-gauge shotgun kicks like a mule, you can switch to a 28-gauge because it has less recoil. If you want a rifle with less kickback, you can start with a .22-caliber rifle and gradually work your way up as you get used to the recoil.
How It Works
Higher-caliber firearms have more recoil because they use more force to propel rounds. However, caliber is not the only factor that determines recoil. For instance, the shape of your firearm can affect recoil. Straight rifles with the barrel and the stock on the same line, such as AR-15s, typically have less recoil, while rifles with the butt lower than the barrel have more recoil.
Lastly, most semi-automatic rifles have less recoil than similar caliber bolt-action rifles. Semi-automatics, especially ones with a gas system, have less kickback because the recoil spreads over multiple components instead of a single explosive kickback.
Start Reducing Your Recoil Today
Of all the how-to-reduce recoil tips, the easiest to apply and most effective is using a suppressor. Besides reducing your recoil to improve your aim and comfort, a suppressor will make shooting less noisy, reducing the risk of hurting your hearing.
Don’t let excessive recoil take the fun out of using your favorite gun. Visit the Silencer Central store today to find the perfect suppressor for your firearm.