Pressure and perceived recoil

by JohnKDM, Saturday, December 14, 2024, 10:18 (7 days ago) @ cas

We can measure/calculate things like pressure and recoil, but perceived recoil is extremely subjective and depends on a lot of variables.

One of those is rise time. If we imagine two cartridges, both with a 20Kpsi average pressure, fired in absolutely identical firearms giving markedly different impressions of recoil, my personal suspicion is the rise time of the pressure curve. Many local people perceive a 30-06 to kick horribly, but I have seen them shoot 100rnds of high brass 12ga at a late season dove shoot with no complaints.

One extreme analogy would be comparing 0-100mph in the family car to a top fuel dragster (.8s) - it will feel different. I think we put too much emphasis on the actual pressure and not enough on the full pressure curve in this case.

Really fast rise times (acceleration) coupled with high pressures will batter mechanical objects with excessive tolerances. Famous story about Winchester chambering their beefed up 1894 XTR in 454C - even though it could handle the pressure, the tolerances and the acceleration opened up the headspace in just a handful of shots.

It's the old 'big shove' vs 'sharp punch' and people react differently.

Then you try a full power 500NE and realize it combines a BIG SHOVE with a SHARP PUNCH. LOL!

Just my theory,