May 10, 2017
By Beth Alcazar
One of my missions in life is to encourage more women and children to get involved with responsible gun ownership and training. Some of the main obstacles I hear of is that shooting is too loud or that recoil is too strong.
In fact, it seems that no matter what their level of experience or what their area of expertise, many gun owners have long wished for ammunition that would make shooting easier and more enjoyable, without sacrificing performance for hunting, practice, competition or personal protection.
Fortunately, I've found there are several effective, low-recoil cartridges options available, some new, some not-so-new but tried-and-true. Without punishing recoil and bruised shoulders, greater numbers of people can get involved and enjoy shooting, whatever their firearms activities or gun preferences may be.
Think of light recoil as an "easygoing" alternative. Interested? Here are a few of my favorite reduced-recoil standouts to consider for rifles, shotguns, and handguns.
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Here's look at nine great low-recoil cartridges
Fusion Lite
Federal Premium's
Fusion Lite is one of the tried-and-trues. The line has been around for a few years, and it works. The cartridge reportedly slashes recoil up to 50 percent, and I believe it! Still, the bullet delivers terminal energy out to 200 yards.
Fusion Lite is specifically made for deer-sized game and has a copper jacketed bullet fused to a pressure-formed lead core. I think this light-recoil ammo really delivers with a specialized bullet that's tough and accurate.
Three calibers: .270, .30-o6 Springfield and .308 Winchester.
MSRP: $27-$29.99. 20 rounds per boxCritical Defense
This is my personal favorite concealed-carry ammunition.
Fusion Lite" target="_blank">Critical Defense Lite is a great option for compact, lightweight, personal-protection handguns. Reduced recoil often increases accuracy, and especially in defensive situation, that means everything. Critical Defense Lite also comes in 9mm.
Propellants are low-flash, bullets are proven FTX's that have a polymer insert for better expansion.
I got to admist, I love the Pink Flex Tip inserts and pink packaging, and a portion of the proceeds from the sales goes to fund breast-cancer research. All in all, this self-defense ammo can be a real lifesaver for shooters with smaller handguns or with significant recoil aversion. If there's a down side, it that they only come in two calibers, .38 Spec. and 9mm.
MSRP: $25-$27.85. 25 per boxCivil Defense
This is my personal favorite concealed-carry ammunition.
Critical Defense Lite is a great option for compact, lightweight, personal-protection handguns. Reduced recoil often increases accuracy, and especially in defensive situation, that means everything. Critical Defense Lite also comes in 9mm.
Propellants are low-flash, bullets are proven FTX's that have a polymer insert for better expansion. I got to admist, I love the Pink Flex Tip inserts and pink packaging, and a portion of the proceeds from the sales goes to fund breast-cancer research.
All in all, this self-defense ammo can be a real lifesaver for shooters with smaller handguns or with significant recoil aversion. If there's a down side, it that they only come in two calibers, .38 Spec. and 9mm.
MSRP: $25-$27.85. 25 per boxPersonal Defense Low Recoil
These low-recoil carry rounds have expanding Full Metal Jacket and non-hollow point technology. The idea is, you're buying a high-energy bullet that doesn't have as much recoil as normal bullet but that will also give you high energy, reliable expansion and less risk of hitting something behind what you're shooting at.
You could see how that would be important in the personal-protection realm. Nickel-plated cases let it load smoother and make it easier to detect in the chamber. This cartridge might still be a bit much for some younger or smaller-framed shooters.
For all you Judge owners out there comes
Personal Defense Low Recoil in .410 for handguns as well. From .380 ACP to .357 Mag plus .410.
MSRP: $22-27.95. 20 rounds per boxManaged-Recoil
Like the others,
Remington made this cartridge to cut recoil in half. Managed-Recoil has been around awhile, since 2004, yet is still a leader in the low-recoil segment because you still get what you need from a hunting bullet.
Remington shoots for a 75 percent weight retention, that is, you'll probably recover a bullet that weighs around 75 percent of the one that left the muzzle. I found that Managed-Recoil puts you on paper exactly where the full-powder cartridge do.
All in all, this light-recoil ammo delivers on its intended purpose and at a cheaper pricetag. Nine calibers, from .260 Rem to .308 Win.
MSRP: $25-$34.99AA Target Loads
Winchester's AA shells were probably in your granddaddy's canvas hunting bag. But Winchester has spend the last 50 years inching toward perfect. The latest, A2's, the Target Load, have a high-strength hull (plastic not paper like grandpa's) and a high-tech unique wad.
They're not marketed as low recoil, but they are. They're a great training tool on the range and in the field, and as a bonus, the spent hulls are excellent for reloading. Buy in bulk, and shoot often. They come in 12, 20, 28 and .410 gauges.
MSRP: $9-$11.99 Winchester Train & Defend
Winchester ahs a cool ideas with their
W Train & Defend . If you're looking for a training round, there will be a 'T ' on the box. If you want a deadly, technology-driven (and more expensive cartridge), look for the 'D. '
Both are designed with lower recoil, and I found both will give you similar points of impact. Training loads have full metal jackets — best for targets — and lead-free primers for indoor shooting. The 'D ' stands for 'defense ' but they could be for 'deadly ' but they could.
They have jacketed hollow points and nickel-plated cases. Offered in .380 ACP, 9mm, .40 S&W and .38 special.
MSRP: $19-$26.99, T's have 50 rounds per box. D's have 20WinLite
Winchester's contribution to the low-recoil market is the
WinLite . What's different here is that you can get them in buckshot and sabot slugs.
They'll reduce recoil by about 35 percent in buck and slug. They come in 12 and 20 gauges.
MSRP: $6-$14.99Custom Lite
Reliable and innovative cartridge-maker Hornady puts about 43 percent less kick in their
Custom Lites . You'll also get less annoying muzzle blast and that will help keep you on target for follow-ups, if you need them.
Hornady also gives you a choice in what kind of bullet. You can choose the proven SST bullet that has a polymer tip and boat-tail for long-range accuracy, or the Interlock RN, a monolithic core known for high weight retention.
I find Custom Lite feeds, shoots and ejects well. This is a great option if you are helping a recoil-sensitive hunter or if you're looking to add another ammo option to your lineup without bringing 'too much gun ' to a smaller-game hunt. Lots of hunting calibers, from .243 to .300 Win Mag.
MSRP: $29-$47.51
