I can already see you tough guys getting ready to have a field day but hear me out.

I can shoot hundreds of rounds through a mosin nagant comfortably so I don't believe I'm recoil sensitive. But sometgimg about the ar recoil is well uncomfortable. Shooting a bolt action .223 is almost as recoil free as a .22 Its almost imperceptible but the ar seems to "sting" or have a certain sharpness to it. I'm kind of wondering If it's thr textured stock on it. Does anyone have some input?

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Man up...the evil rifle has tiny recoil

It may be the muzzle blast that is giving you this feeling. You can always put a slip on butt pad. Be Safe,

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I BACK OUR BLUE

I can shoot a mosin or 3" 12 gauge slugs comfortably. In fact I could shoot larger.

That being said it may very well be muzzle blast. It's sort of a shock feeling

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Where is this feeling? In your cheek or in your shoulder?

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Freedom isn't free.

Severely overgassed?

I can't relate.

Even this with its complete lack of stock and super short gas tube is not bad:

Shoulder, it's more of a unpleasant feeling in thr general area. It's hard to explain

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Can't relate my friend.
Never heard of a 5.56mm being hard on a shooter thru
an AR15. Or any rifle.
Try a different hold and snuggle it up tighter
to your shoulder.
If you can shoot 3" 12 gauge slugs with no problem then
i am at a loss to explain this.

Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

This was a problem for me. I used to think 12 gauge shotguns were just plain unshootable. I tried fancy recoil pads. I tried light loads. Turns out, they didn't fit me and the stock was impacting my cheekbone every shot. It made recoil *unpleasant.* I finally found a shotgun with enough drop at the comb that made shooting a 12 gauge tolerable. (Wood stocked Remington 870). Now I shoot a wood stocked Remington 20 gauge that I would call pleasant.

Learn from my experience; figure out where it is unpleasant and work from there. Rastoff is on the right track.

I might need to tuck it in harder. I don't usually hold it as tighylu as bigger guns. So I may just need to play around.

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If the stock is adjustable, try different lengths. It may just not fit you right.

FWIW, AR15's are what I use for teaching new shooters after they have graduated from rimfires. With proper hearing protection, of course. They are loud, particularly with 16" barrels and flash hiders or muzzle brakes.

After watching the range nco fire it from his testicles, it's hard to visualize your situation.

When I hear a complaint like yours, I immediately think of gun fit. The AR fits almost no one, but it's not as critical as a shotgun because of how it's used.

How do you mount the gun? There are different ways to shoulder the gun. One is to have your head erect and just the toe in your shoulder. Another is to put the full pad along your shoulder and bring your head down to the stock. From an accuracy standpoint the first is best because the shooter is most relaxed in that position. From an aggressive standpoint the second is better because the shooter will be able to control the rifle better for multiple follow up shots.

Check to see if the stock is hitting your collar bone.


Shotguns are a different animal. As the guns come from the factory they fit almost no one correctly. Finding the correct fit for a shotgun is rarely about a new pad. Most often they have the wrong pitch. It took a long time, but I finally broke down and had a custom stock made. Now I feel almost no recoil from my shotgun.

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Freedom isn't free.

Where do you have your stock set? If you have it extended to far, it could be causing you to over extend and force the butt off the shoulder and onto the collar bone. The factory stock has somewhat aggressive checkering on the butt, so this could become uncomfortable. Try shooting it at different lengths, or try a pad.

There has to be something going on, the AR platform just doesn't have any recoil to speak of. As a Drill Sgt. and instructor, I'm one of those guys who fired from the chin and the nuts. My voice hasn't gotten any higher and there's no wire in my jaw. Have faith my friend, we'll get it figured out.

Good Luck and good shooting.

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SFC, US Army, Retired

Did I miss it, or has nobody asked what type of stock he's using?

If it's one of the chintzy, standard M4 stocks, you might wanna consider a Magpul CTR or MOE. Also, I believe companies make hydraulic buffers to take the spring out of the equation, if it's that "action" that's bothering you.

Perhaps you might try a 2 point sling for support as you shoot? Using a sling for support will minimize recoil

Yes, this is an important question.

This stock...


...will have a different feel than this stock...



Bonus points if you can see why.

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Freedom isn't free.

For me the clang/zing of the recoil buffer being hit is a little strange. Recoil is probably not the problem. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

The upper is a fixed stock?

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DPMS stock is designed to hook into the armpit, the Tapco is designed to ride higher on the shoulder.

If I win do I get to choose door number 3?

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SFC, US Army, Retired

No, they are both adjustable for length.

Well, sort of. The most important difference is pitch.

The DPMS (top) has negative pitch and the Tapco (bottom) has positive pitch. I don't know what the designer was thinking when they were created, but they represent different philosophies.

The DPMS is more comfortable for a shooter with an aggressive, forward leaning style. It is much better suited to someone shooting prone. The Tapco is better suited to a more upright stance and quick movement.

The Tapco is the most common pitch in the AR world. The DPMS is unique and rarely seen. Is one better? That depends on the shooting style of the shooter.

Sorry, no doors.

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Freedom isn't free.

My suggestions:

1. Find a stock & pad that fits you just right.

2. A compensator.

3. An AR-Restor hydraulic buffer.

Just my 2¢.

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-John

Because the lighter color has lighter recoil?

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Bob | KM4DEO
Sport | Glock 22

Stock to shoulder fit on an AR is sorta different than other long guns. Most of my long gun experience has been with shotguns and shooting clays and dove. And as most of you know, If a shotgun don't fit, you can't hit... Much of anything. For the past seven years or so my rifle experience has been with pre 1900 types. Winchester 1873s, Marlin 1894, Sharps, High Walls, etc. Some have a straight (Shotgun) butt plate, others a crescent butt plate. Both require a little getting used to. Then I bought an AR and found that it is an entirely different animal when it comes to fit and proper way to mount the rifle.

After that somewhat long winded introduction, what I guess that I'm trying to say is that an AR can take a little getting used to if you are not familiar with the way they fit. In other words "Get a Little more time behind the trigger before you go dumping $$$ into mods that may not be necessary.

Now if I would only follow my own advise.

Recoil on an AR15?

What's that?

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Molon Labe!

Ok. If it hurts past the point of what a 12 guage would,you are pulling our leg or something is broke. Something in your shoulder (or that area) ? Been hit,crashed or fell down ??? Joint problems ?? If not. Unload your weapon. Make it safe and break it down. Take the lower and pull the buffer and recoil spring and take a look down the hole and see if anything is down there. Stand it butt side up and see if anything falls out. Is the spring kinked or look "funny" ? Buffer in pieces,chunks or broken ? Take your upper and pull the BCG and charging handle out. Any parts missing or broke ? You build this weapon or buy it ? Some one else build it ? Store bought factory build ? Pawn shop bought ? New ? Old ? Used? We Need More Info.

I too watched a Drill Instructor fire an M-16A1 w/20 rd. mag from his groin on full auto and not flinch or twich a hair. Then scream at the top of his lungs AIRBORNE !!!! and (by then it was reflex and fear) we all yelled back ALL THE WAY DRILL SERGEANT !!!! .....thinking to myself wow, and I only have 3 more years to go....

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THIS WE'LL DEFEND ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

It may actually be muzzle blast that you are not accustomed to. If you can, have someone shoot the gun while you are standing to the left, parallel to the gun at about 5' distance. I get an incredible shockwave when this happens at the rifle range when someone shoots their AR next to me. It can be distracting, but you get used to it.

The AR also has a lot more moving things going on automatically when shooting compared to a bolt action or pump shotgun, so it may all that other movement that make it seem like "more recoil".

At least for me, a full power .308 bolt gun (Remington 788), Mosin Nagant or non-gas operated shotgun will make my shoulder sore well before my AR does.

AR15 too blasty? Well it does have a sharpness near the front.

Depending on which state you live in the solution can be simple.



Suppressors if you can own them are an amazing thing and will make your AR a dream to shoot. You may notice more gas in the BCG but it's worth the trade off.

Doesn't A R stand for Awful Recoil???????

No, Absent Recoil.

The OP mentioned that he shot a .223 bolt rifle, so I don't believe muzzle blast is the problem, even though the blast can be shocking if you're unfamiliar with it. I agree with fit most likely being a problem, but does anybody think thatf there isn't something about the buffer that's not buffering, too?

Sorry, I'm another that can't see why/how you would have an issue with the recoil, from a .223/5.56, especially the AR platform. Its literally a springy feeling, *SPROING*.

Also, a .223 bolt action, is going to have significantly more kick, than an AR. All the force of the recoil, is pushing back into your shoulder. The only dampening, really... is a recoil pad in that case. My Stevens .308, now that kicks like a horse, kicking thru your shoulder. Bipod helped, considerably, but still. Not a fun rifle to shoot (and expensive), for more than a few groups.

However, I do see the need for a buttpad on the ARs, just simply for shoulder seating/placement and retention... I've got a Tapco Intrafuse buttpad ($10), that just slips right on. Its a nice thick, pad... though not the softest rubber. Its still pretty substantial and has a bit of a curve on the back. It feels and seats, real nice up against where, I like to hold my rifle.

EDIT: Yeah, I know... the .308 isn't that big a cartridge. After having my chest cracked open, the wrong type of big rifle recoil, is very unpleasant. I do not like shooting bolt actions anymore, because of it.

Agreed. Rub a little M.A.N. on it, and the pain will go away.

In all seriousness, the recoil IS different because of the weight of the bolt going rearward, then forward with force. Also, with wooden stocks, and synthetic full length stocks, the buttstock DOEs divert energy differently than an AR, which has no such deadening material from stem to stern. But seriously; it's nothing to run 500 rounds and not have a sore shoulder.

The doctors' remedy for AR15 pain? A prescription of 3" 12ga. mag goose loads of 1-5/8oz tungsten. Shoot 20, and call me in the morning.

I've always believed that I was pretty much recoil proof having shot two boxes of 300 grain .375 H&H off the bench one day while working up handloads. I just fired my son-in-law's fixed breech turkey gun with 2 oz. max lead loads. That got my attention.

Like you, recoil has never bothered me much...though when deer season came around zeroing my .300 Win Mag wasn't real fun each year...except once.

My grandfather had a double barrel 10 guage. Several years after his death I was going goose hunting for the first time and borrowed it from my grandmother.

Well, unbeknownst to her or anyone else, my grandfather had decided that if anyone ever stole it they should pay at least SOME price, and since most folks pull the forward trigger first, then the rear trigger on a double, he had rigged it so if you pulled the rear trigger then the front everything went normally, but if you pulled the front trigger first you got both barrels at once.

Oooops!...

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Bob | KM4DEO
Sport | Glock 22

Yes, a lot of good select trigger shotguns have that ability. And yes...... I got caught by a double gun (12ga.) that did the exact same thing. Hard on a 14 year old shoulder......

To be fair, a good 30% of the powder from that cartridge is burning outside that short barrel.....Hell, I can see the tip of the bullet sticking out of the muzzle, fer crying out loud!!

OK, iron6, fess up. It's been a couple weeks and the rest of us have discussed this at length, so have you figured it out?

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SFC, US Army, Retired

I don't know why but when I shoot my Smith & Wesson M&P sport II. The stock digs in to my solder. Which is uncomfortable but not unbearable. My friend who owns a really nice AR-15 shot it and said the same thing. The M&P Sport II is a very nice AR-15 but it's stock is just ****ing awful.

Throw a different recoil pad in it and see if that helps. Limbsaver and a bunch of others make slip ons.

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Still carrying my S&W 642

The basic stock on the Sport is no different from the basic stock that comes on a Colt, FN, or any other rifle that comes with the GI type stock...

What muzzle brake or flash hider is on the gun? Some of them I nickname "Loudeners". Some like the AK74 style brake are just flat out painful to shoot from a hearing standpoint.



This is my Kel-Tec PLR-16 .223 with a 9" barrel. It is PAINFULLY loud without proper hearing protection, and by that I mean both squishy plugs AND ear muffs. Muzzle flash for most ammo is about the size of a watermelon. It's just not a pleasant gun to fire, yet recoil is like a .357 Magnum in a S&W Model 27.

(And yes, it is tax stamped as an AOW so the vertical fore grip is legal.)

You can also run a full auto bcg, an "H", or "H2" buffer, and springco spring if you're not already. This will slow down the action, and soften up the felt recoil significantly over a semi auto bcg, carbine buffer and spring.

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The Penetration Channel

What make and model AR is it?

Has it been modified since it was purchased? If so, what were the modifications?

Are you shooting factory ammunition or reloaded ammunition? If reloads, what bullet weight and powder charge are you using?

I just added a rubber recoil pad to mine.Problem solved

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JR

You need to see a doctor because you definitely have a serious shoulder problem. 8-)
A rubber recoil pad on an AR? You're kidding right?

This is perplexing. I would tend toward believing it's a fit issue, but I have shot my two ARs with the stock fully extended, fully retracted, and pretty much everything in between. The recoil is not much more than that of a 22LR. The muzzle blast is jarring, though. Especially to those standing nearby. I don't really notice it when I'm shooting - only when some one else is.

I'm guessing something is amiss in your buffer setup or the stock you are using just hits you in the wrong place. Take the buffer out and clean the tube and spring. See if anything is broken. Maybe try a slightly heavier or lighter buffer or a newer spring and see what that does.

Muzzle brake is another consideration.

I did a couple vids of the wife with two of my 16in carbines. See the difference in muzzle rise and her being pushed around between a bare muzzle and a Lantac brake. My wife's review was.... The one with the muzzle thingie is a lot nicer to shoot.

i agree completely. i think im going with the daniel defense stock on mine. it seems to just fit. I got a really nice ati stock laying around but its for a commercial tube. it came off a DB-15

I have a friend who has an Ar-15 with a custom muzzle break that is ported back towards the rifle. It is horrible to shoot compared to my stock Sport II.