i shot the 500 mag before, and depending on the rounds used, its not as bad as you would think. with that said, i forgot exactly what loads i shot, but my buddies father said they were on the milder side so take that for what its worth. they are without a doubt pretty cool, but they are more of a novelty. they are however, very popular in alaska for grizzly bear defense! the short-barreled version is said to be much more brutal, a real wrist breaker