Calculate gun recoil force, free recoil energy and recoil velocity from cartridge, gun weight and recoil distance, using typical loads or your own data.

Average force on the shooter while the gun moves back over the recoil distance.

Typical factory loads (powder charge shown with the result). Pick Custom load to enter your own.

How far the gun travels back while the shooter absorbs the recoil.

Optional settings

Gun Recoil Force Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Gun Recoil Force.

Vr = (Wb×V + Wp×4700) / (7000×Wg); E = Wg×Vr2 / (2×32.174); GRF = E / (RD/12)
  • Where GRF is the average Gun Recoil Force (lbf) and E is the free recoil energy (ft-lbf)
  • Wb is the bullet weight and Wp the powder charge (grains)
  • V is the muzzle velocity (ft/s), Wg the gun weight (lb) and Vr the recoil velocity (ft/s)
  • RD is the gun recoil distance (in)

What is a Gun Recoil Force?

Definition:

A gun recoil force is the total force exerted on a person’s hand by the recoil action when firing a bullet from a gun.

How to Calculate Gun Recoil Force?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate the Gun Recoil Force.

First, determine the bullet weight, powder charge and gun weight. In this example, the bullet weighs 87.5 gr (.0125 lbs) with a 40 gr powder charge, fired from an 8 lb rifle.

Next, determine the velocity of the bullet. For this problem, the bullet’s velocity is found to be 3,000 fps.

Next, determine the gun recoil distance. In this case, the gun recoil distance is measured to be 3 in.

Finally, calculate the Gun Recoil Force using the formula above:

Vr = (87.5*3000 + 40*4700) / (7000*8) = 8.04 ft/s; E = 8*8.042 / (2*32.174) = 8.05 ft-lbf

GRF = 8.05 / (3/12)

GRF = 32.2 lbf