Recoil Energy Calculator

Use this calculator to calculate the recoil on you rifles, handgun, and other firearms. After you input the necessary data such as the bullet weight, bullet velocity, powder charge weight, and the firearm weight it will output the recoil impulse, recoil velocity, and the recoil energy of the firearm. With this data you can estimate the felt recoil of a specific firearm and cartridge. Remember that "felt recoil" may be a little different from these numbers because felt recoil depends on the design of the firearm, how you hold it, recoil pads, and other factors. Use the chart below to see the recoil energy of common cartridges. Also you may create your own recoil chart and share it with others.

Bullet Weight: (gr)
Bullet Velocity: (fps)
Powder Charge Weight: (gr)
Firearm Weight: (lbs)
Recoil Impulse (lbs.sec)
Recoil Velocity (fps)
Recoil Energy (ft.lbf)

Ascending Descending

Bar Graph

Height: Bar Width: Bar Padding: Title:
a bar graph that shows the recoil energy of various firearm cartridges