First off, glutes are the best injection site, period. They seem to have a lower concentration of nerve bundles and veins to get irritated or pierced, substances tend to absorb better, and they can tolerate more volume and frequency than other places For most people delts are probably second-best.

Lots of people who have issues injecting into the glutes inject into the wrong place.I know it may seem simple but it helps to use a mirror When in doubt, trace a "+" sign on your glutes with your fingers and inject just inside the upper/outer quadrant. Too far inward (medial) or too low (distal) gets you the sciatic nerve. Too high and there are smaller nerve bundles and blood vessels. Too far outward and most people don't have enough meat there. Good injection technique (aside from hygiene which is not the topic here) starts when you pierce the surface, whether that's a vial or your skin. If you can switch out needles between piercing the vial and your skin, do so. If not (e.g. insulin syringe) this should be done on the vial as well.

We want to keep the maximum amount of metal directly behind the point at all times to reduce drag on the point and prevent it from deforming.

In simple terms this means you start with the bevel (the ground-down part... look closely at the end of the needle; it should look almost like a chopped-off drinking straw) at 90 degrees to the surface.This will have the BARREL, which is the round part, at a more acute angle. Once you puncture the surface continue to push it in AND angle it upward so the BARREL is at 90. This can be thought of almost as a "hooking" motion but be SURE the tip has penetrated the skin prior to angling up.

Now that you're into the superficial layer of the skin you want to insert slowly (for IM injections). Most people know this but it bears mentioning here: if you hit a nerve bundle or vein you do not need to pull all the way out - that just blunts the needle even worse. All you need to do is pull out about 1/4" (sometimes less) and reorient a few degrees; this is a guaranteed way not to hit another nerve.

Now that your needle is all the way in, rather than just slam down the plunger, jerk it out, and hope for the best, you need to follow some specific steps. This is very important. For almost everyone, 3/4 of injections go fine; it's the 25% of injections that suck that necessitate you do this every time. Make it a habit and your "bad shots" will not be as bad or as frequent.

Considerations: if you have welts or irritation close to the surface, use a longer needle. Most people getting welts are probably less lean than those who are not, and are essentially giving borderline sub-q shots without knowing it. You must get the shot squarely into the muscle for a proper IM shot!

Oh, and learn to relax the muscle for the entire shot, especially the needle insertion. This is also very important for long (high volume) shots

Steps to a good shot:

Step 1 - insert needle slowly. Start with bevel perpendicular to skin surface, as you stick it in angle the needle a bit so that your needle is perpendicular (see attached image)

Comments: less trauma = less pain. Most of the trauma from a "good" shot comes from inserting the needle, so we want to cut down on that and prevent scar tissue.

Step 2 - inject slowly, 30-60 seconds per ml

Comments: This probably improves absorption and definitely reduces pain.

Step 3 - Leave the needle in and stay relaxed for 10 sec after you finish the injection

Comments: less leakage. Taking more time before moving also helps the bolus settle a bit.

Step 4 - Pull it out all in one motion, then apply direct pressure HARD with an alcohol swab (same one you swabbed off with is fine) for 10 seconds

Comments: direct pressure not only should help disperse the shot, it also helps close off any nicked blood vessels - you should never leak blood from your injection site if you do this properly. If you find yourself prone to bleeding stay here as long as needed (30-60 sec or more).

Step 5 - massage in a circular motion for 10 seconds, hard

Comments: Spread the bolus around. This reduces the likelihood of a knot and reduces pain. You can extend this step if you are prone to knots. Steps 5 & 6 are probably key for preventing pain with large volume injections.

Step 6 - move the muscle, contract it, stretch it, for about 30 seconds

Comments: Further dispersion.

25 ga prob is not the solution. I only use 25 ga pins everywhere and I CAN NOT handle super concentrated gear. Prop 250 cripples me AND gives me bad flu symptoms. I can't even walk up a stair for 4 days when I inject in the quad. I put a 1/4 cc in my delt with a 28 slin pin and could barely raise my arm. Some people jug can't handle that super gear. May be the EO or something. It's prob the gear!!

25g pin is the solution. i sware by it. dont get annoyed at how long it takes to push the oil through, thats the whole point, the longer it takes the less pip u get. leave the needle in for 5-10 seconds after injection is complete.