Excessive recoil on new build.

This AR newb could use some advice.

This past winter I built up a 16" carbine. I have a 2.5x10 Weaver scope on it.

I took it to the range for the first time yesterday and put about 50 rounds through it. Rifle functioned fine with no failures at all. Bench shooting and sighting in the scope.

I am shooting Federal 5.56 XM193F. Everything I have ever read about the AR is they are basically recoiless. Much to my suprise this thing has a pretty nasty little whack to it. The problem I am experiencing is, the scope is hitting my glasses when firing and that is with 3 inches of eye relief. I have shot quite a bit of high power bolt guns. Although it is not quite the thud of some of the bigger calibers it still makes it a bit annoying to shoot. I am not the biggest dude either, I am at 160 pounds and 5' 9".

Is there anything I can do to tone down the recoil. Maybe with buffers or buffer springs? I honestly dont know what is in there as it is just a spring and buffer that I picked up from SA&A. I am not holding on to this rifle with a death grip, but maybe there is something I am doing wrong with my grip?

Here is the rig as it sits. I'm hoping to avoid buying another scope with a longer eye relief.

ars do have a little pop to them they are not entirely recoiless, shouldn't be smacking you in the head though. you could try a heavier buffer i would also just look at how you are shooting if your tilting your head forward too much the scope can kind of catch you in the forehead. Bring the scope to your eye more than tilting your head down to the scope. You could get a riser for your scope that would add a bit of weight to help reduce felt recoil as well as making it so you don't have to tilt your head in to the scope.

Something is wrong. That AR looks to be 8-9lbs if it's an ounce. Even a 6lb AR should not be unpleasent to shoot.

Gun might be really overgassed or something with the buffer/buffer tube. Who built your lower?

If the rifle has room to recoil 3 inches, you're not tucking it into your shoulder firmly, and not bracing your shoulder at all. A really limp hold can give you scope bite even from an air rifle. You don't need a death grip, just a firm tuck and stiffen your shoulder to give the rifle something to work against.

If you can't shoot comfortably that way, consider softer loaded ammo like federal American eagle 223 or PMC bronze. Heavier buffer and stiffer Wolfe buffer spring may reduce felt recoil, as will a really aggressive muzzle brakes instead of that A2 flash suppressor.

Your shooting posture is to blame here. If my 6 year old daughter can repeatedly hit the bullseye at 100 yards without complaining, you should be able to as well....

Looks to me like the scope is mounted a little too far aft. I can't see from the pic, but is it possible to move the mount forward a little on the rails? Or slide the scope forward in the mount? I don't shoot an AR15 with a big scope like that, but usually my nose is against the charging handle. Can the problem be a matter of eye relief in the scope making you get too close with your glasses?

It weighs 9 pounds exactly.

If I can't figure it out on my own I will definitely call the shop where I bought the parts from.

I built the lower from scratch and bought the upper as an assembly. I have since had the upper apart though to install the olympic free float handgaurd. All proper tools used and torques followed.

After doing some more research today, I really think I just have my stance and scope installation all jacked up.

Not trying to be a wisen johnson, but I wish you and your daughter were here in person to see what's doing.

Next time I go out I'll be chatting with anyone at the range shooting an AR. :D

Thanks to all that replied. I've read it all and will be trying a few things the next trip to the range.

For some, that less than 5 ft.lbs. of free recoil is seems to be a problem. Some of them opt. for a brake and it's problems

I just finished putting together a 16" carbine and did notice more recoil over my heavy AR varninter. We see scope kisses from hi power hunting rifles every now and then around here. As suggested a bit more distance from the scope and a firmer pull into the shoulder will help. PK

A few things I have noticed after a lot of searching and reading.

I have been checking things out using the kitchen table as a shooting bench to see how my stance was and could be.

With this setup I don't really have a cheekweld. I have more of a jaw weld. My scope if I do the eyes closed and plant to the butt stock test comes up being about a half inch high.

Second thing I have noticed is I think I have the butt stock too close to the rifle for my arm length. This puts me square to the rifle and loosely holding it.

Third thing, is I have been favoring the short side of the eye relief for the scope because of problem number 2.


So I have ran my stock out two or three more clicks and moved my scope aft one notch on the rail. In the scopes present location for and aft, I could switch to a conventional set of scope rings and get rid of the Burris PEPR. This would lower the scope down a half inch and be a ton lighter.

I'll take it back to the range soon and experiment before I call the shop.

Move the scope forward far enough to get a good sight picture with your nose right up on the charging handle.. Extend the stock a notch or two. Problem solved.

I shoot nose to charging handle with an acog that has .9 inch eye relief. Scope does not hit the glasses.

If you are using that vfg as a bipod as well i would move it forward or ditch the combo and get a separate VFG and bi-pod. On a bench or rest you might be getting a bit of "felt" recoil from that.
edit: My father-in-law scoped himself with a .22 and 3 inches scope relief because of bad posture/ shooting stance. I was awe struck

Going back to the buffer and spring.

When I bought my lower parts I had no idea what upper or barrel was going on this thing but yet they gave me a spring and buffer. The buffer has no markings on it. Nothing on the spring either.

Is there anyway I can tell what I have?

I was using that grip pod and will be removing it for the next time out. When it was on there I was not holding on to it while shooting on the bench. Was using it more as a hand stop.

no markings means you have a standard carbine buffer and spring heavy buffers are marked with an h there are photos out on the interwebs and here that show the different buffers.

I just got your IM.

I hate, I mean HATE the standard so called "carbine" buffer. If it were up to me (and obviously I'm not the emperor of the world) they wouldn't exist at all.
I'd suggest borrowing an H or H2 buffer if you know anyone else with an AR who might have the parts. If not, I'd go with an H buffer at the very least. That will slow the bolt down a bit so it's not slamming back so hard. I would not mess with the action spring because if you add a stronger one, you can cause other problems. It's all a balancing act really. This will only be a minor help as it seems your positioning might be contributing to your felt recoil. If it were so overgassed that it was causing that much more felt recoil you'd likely have other failures. Failures to feed because it's cycling too fast to pick up the next round, even short stroking from the bolt trying to extract the fired case while it's still expanded in the chamber. That could even tear the rims off the cases.

A lower scope mount will probably help quite a bit too. I've noticed more recoil when I had a set of rings on my heavy 20 inch build that were too high. I wasn't getting a good solid position behind the rifle, and didn't have a good stock weld to my shoulder. Do you happen to have any iron sights you can mount to test different positions with your head no so high?

Thanks again guys.

Unicorn, I'll stop in to the shop next week and pick up another buffer. I am leaning towards the H2 from my limited research.

Going to a H or H2 buffer well soften the recoil a bit. Recoil is subjective. You need a yard stick to measure recoil. Go shoot some .308 gas guns, maybe 20 rounds through a 8mm Mauser or .303 Brit. Then tell use about the 5.56 recoil.

If you want some recoil I've got a nice .460 Weatherby Mag you could try!!

If you going to experiment with buffers I would suggest getting a H3. With your current buffer and a H3 you can mix and match the weights to get any buffer you need.

Even with that scope you should still be positioning your nose to the charging handle. The scope is mounted too far aft. I use the Burris PEPR qd mount also, with a Nikon ProStaff 4-12x. OAL of the scope is 14". I mount it as far forward as I can on the rail and use the stock to adjust for proper eye relief. The mount is just the right height for me to maintain my usual cheek-weld.

And no, neither the objective or occular are touching the FSB or BUIS. Hard to tell from the crappy pic..

All is well fellas. I thank all of you for your suggestions.

Spent about 3 hours at the range today.

I moved the scope forward of the charging handle as suggested.

I left the butt stock where it was which is making me pull the rifle to my shoulder to get proper eye relief.

I installed an H buffer into it.

Very pleased with the performance of the rifle out to 200 yards, plus I never had the scope hit my glasses today.

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