If your oldee is recoil getting to you

[victor3ranger]

Severed all four tendons in my right rotator when 50. Had to be reattached differently, but works OK today at 76. Then I had a torn retina and the doctor told me all I had to do if it totally severed was get to him within 24 hours and he could reattach it. Scared me because I was booked for a Cape Buffalo hunt in Africa in a couple of months. So muzzlebrake was put on my 375 H&H and Global Rescue was paid up to haul me out if need be. Everything went well. Got my buff and had no retina issues. I kept the muzzle brake on.
I did settle for the 375 H&H being my dangerous game rifle because I cannot handle anything heavier recoiling any more. I have tried 416 Rigby and Remington, and 458 Lott. Just more than I can handle. Besides I can get two shots off with the 375 H&H before I can even get back on target with the heavier recoilers.
Best of luck if you hunt a brownie with that 6.5! Having been within 30 feet of them, I believe a bigger bullet is better. That said, if you only chase whitetails I don't think you can beat a 6.5 CM.

I severed three of the four in my left , not fun

 

[Taj]

I don't care who ya are…..that's a lot of shoot'n with hard recoiling rifles, shotguns, or handguns. That would be too much for most of the most seasoned shooters! memtb

Brother, you are right about that. I'm 73 this year and planning for my elk hunt this Oct. I got the .300 RUM out and stared at it for a while and started having PTSD from my last load development range day with it. Then I noticed my old pre64 model 70 in .300H&H sitting next to it on the rack. That gun still makes me smile. We are both old and may take to the field together again this October.

 

[Jester560]

When shooting from a bench, I use one of these and it makes a huge difference

 

[340Wby-4-everything]

Lots of shoulder and neck issues - rough and tumble childhood, motocross, jumping out of trees, jumping off cliffs into water, skiing black and dbl black diamonds, 6'2" 200lbs and trail running don't mix so my knees are bad too and other kid stuff. Mtn bike and a rattlesnake did more damage to my shoulder than everything else combined. Love the 460S&W for handgun and 10mm anything. Rifles - breaks and Cans are my friends! Have a Wby custom shop .416 that weighs only 8lbs. Shooting it without break or can would be a fools folly and a definite trip to see an ortho. On recoil, the 3 most violent things I have ever fired in order of painful: .44 magnum derringer with 240grHPs, a .505 Gibbs with 540gr and a .500 Jeffery with a 535gr pill (mortar) No one I know would ever consider putting a break or can on those last two and they are not for the faint of heart or recoil shy (in my 60s now and have little interest in those rifles that can kill everything from a ground hog to a wooly mammoth to an aircraft). If you are hunting things that hunt back or prefer to kill you rather than look at you, I highly recommend either of them

 

[highfinblue]

Lots of shoulder and neck issues - rough and tumble childhood, motocross, jumping out of trees, jumping off cliffs into water, skiing black and dbl black diamonds, 6'2" 200lbs and trail running don't mix so my knees are bad too and other kid stuff. Mtn bike and a rattlesnake did more damage to my shoulder than everything else combined. Love the 460S&W for handgun and 10mm anything. Rifles - breaks and Cans are my friends! Have a Wby custom shop .416 that weighs only 8lbs. Shooting it without break or can would be a fools folly and a definite trip to see an ortho. On recoil, the 3 most violent things I have ever fired in order of painful: .44 magnum derringer with 240grHPs, a .505 Gibbs with 540gr and a .500 Jeffery with a 535gr pill (mortar) No one I know would ever consider putting a break or can on those last two and they are not for the faint of heart or recoil shy (in my 60s now and have little interest in those rifles that can kill everything from a ground hog to a wooly mammoth to an aircraft). If you are hunting things that hunt back or prefer to kill you rather than look at you, I highly recommend either of them

That is exactly why I have never had interest in hunting things that were as interested in eating me as much as me eating them

 

[memtb]

That is exactly why I have never had interest in hunting things that were as interested in eating me as much as me eating them

Mostly boring is why I don't really care for fishing, unless it's in a stream/river in Alaska or Canada……fishing while closely watching your surroundings for that bruin that doesn't play well with others!

I enjoy a little excitement in my life…… helps keep the arteries clear of plaque buildup!

Which, by the way, I've never had the opportunity to do! memtb

 

[Mark37082]

Getting older brings on challenges and hopefully wisdom. When getting out of bed in the morning requires thoughts of Ibuprofen, you know you have arrived at being old. I agree that most of this is due to wear and tear from a life full of damage. I still enjoy shooting heavy recoiling rifles and handguns, but only in small doses. Brakes work, but I don't like the concussion and noise they introduce. Five shots with SW500 is about all I can take now. Suppressors on rifles are indeed a game changer.

 

[coop2564]

Many years ago, I found every time I shot 30-06 or larger for 20 rds or more, I left feeling a light concussion. Light headaches, blurred vision, etc. So I just do not shoot large calibers much anymore. I stay with 6.5's, 243 and good ole 22LR. I'll hunt with my 300 WSM or 06, just don't shoot a lot except check zero.

 

[highfinblue]

Many years ago, I found every time I shot 30-06 or larger for 20 rds or more, I left feeling a light concussion. Light headaches, blurred vision, etc. So I just do not shoot large calibers much anymore. I stay with 6.5's, 243 and good ole 22LR. I'll hunt with my 300 WSM or 06, just don't shoot a lot except check zero.

22lr has become my favorite. I live on a small hobby farm and have lots of opportunities at critters that harass my chickens. I have a left-handed Ruger 10/22 that is suppressed and it is a pleasure to shoot. I have targets set up from 50-500 yards, and if there are no varmints a few rounds out to 200 helps keep me sharp, at least as sharp as I can be lol.

 

[RichCoyle]

Add a LIMB SAVER AIRTECH Recoil pad for 60.00 and nevér look back. They reduce felt recoil up to 60%>>>>they say 70 but I'm convinced of 60 which is a Bunch! No extra noise less than 25% the cost of threading and brake!

I go for both. My gun jumps forward.

 

[Taj]

Lots of shoulder and neck issues - rough and tumble childhood, motocross, jumping out of trees, jumping off cliffs into water, skiing black and dbl black diamonds, 6'2" 200lbs and trail running don't mix so my knees are bad too and other kid stuff. Mtn bike and a rattlesnake did more damage to my shoulder than everything else combined. Love the 460S&W for handgun and 10mm anything. Rifles - breaks and Cans are my friends! Have a Wby custom shop .416 that weighs only 8lbs. Shooting it without break or can would be a fools folly and a definite trip to see an ortho. On recoil, the 3 most violent things I have ever fired in order of painful: .44 magnum derringer with 240grHPs, a .505 Gibbs with 540gr and a .500 Jeffery with a 535gr pill (mortar) No one I know would ever consider putting a break or can on those last two and they are not for the faint of heart or recoil shy (in my 60s now and have little interest in those rifles that can kill everything from a ground hog to a wooly mammoth to an aircraft). If you are hunting things that hunt back or prefer to kill you rather than look at you, I highly recommend either of them

Ain't that the truth. 2500+ parachute jumps, one of them not so good, a military and LE career, where not every day was a good day, left me with a lot of parts that aren't working like they used to. Shooting an extremely overbore rifle has made it onto my list of things that I'd rather not do. I was the guy that had to shoot his cape buff with a .458 because that's what the "Duke" would have used and load development with that was just a load of fun. Big mags never bothered me until I hit around 70. Geez those things aren't so much fun anymore.

 

[dgr416]

I shot my 338-378 Weatherby without the break one day with 200 grain bullets .It kicked like crazy .It has hardly any recoil with the break using the 200 grain but the 300 grain bullets kicked like a mule with the break on .I can see how it would tear up scopes without yhe brake on it .I use twi past pants when I shoot my 416 rem mag it does not have a brake it but is fixing to get one .The weathetby accubrake works awesome but it's not for the probe position for sure .

 

[Joefrazell]

I turned 61 and I also have a torn rotator cuff that I have shot with for 30 years. I had been hunting with my Ruger 338 mag for 35 years .I use to shoot that thing 100 times a day but now 5 times is about too much .That gun needs a muzzle break .
I started using my 260 Ren savage model 10 for kids about 10 years ago .I kept shooting it to check the site in and just kept shooting tiny groups and had fun shooting it .I use to shoot my 416 rem mag a ton of times at the range but its sat in the closet alot these days .It get older toting 10 pound rifles hunting too .I just bought a kimber model 84 in 6.5 cm if I can get it to stop jamming I will try it hunting .
I just wondered if any of yall had to reduce recoil when you got older .I am sticking a good muzzle break on my 416 and 338 wm so I can shoot them more .

I'm not old yet but I'm done with recoil. I remember shooting my 300 win mag 20-30 times and being bruised for a week. After going to lighter calibers/ muzzle brakes and suppressors I've got no interest in heavy recoil.

 

[Taj]

I'm not old yet but I'm done with recoil. I remember shooting my 300 win mag 20-30 times and being bruised for a week. After going to lighter calibers/ muzzle brakes and suppressors I've got no interest in heavy recoil.

Yeah, nothing like a detached retina in your old age to make you rethink what you are doing.