If your oldee is recoil getting to you

[dgr416]

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 .

 

[memtb]

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 .

Not yet……but a shoulder injury can alter a lot of things a person may be able to do!

That said, with age I don't shoot as comfortably with my rifle as much as I used to. Of course, some of this is due to cost and availability of components.

However, aside from a shoulder injury, I do have a theory about increasing age and shooting the high recoilers becoming difficult/painful. With age, most of us have simply lost the muscle mass and density we had as younger men.

I think/believe that working on physical fitness, especially developing muscle strenght/density/conditioning in the upper body especially the upper arm, neck and shoulder regions can help mitigate the effects of shooting the "hard kickers"! But as usual…..I have no factual data to verify my hypothesis! memtb

 

[hesse]

Hey what ever you can shoot accurately and enjoy (also have enough gun for any predators in the area you are hunting) is the caliber I recommend shooting there's a reason I enjoy shooting my bolt action 223 or 22 250 and rimfire

 

[xsn10s]

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 60 now but a few years back I started noticing recoil more. That's one of the reasons why I picked the 7mm RM as my last big game hunting rifle. I was going to do a 300 WM using a 208gr-215gr bullet. But I figured the 7mm RM would recoil less and be cheaper to reload for.Probably my favorite rifle to shoot right now is my 260 AI. I'd probably enjoy it even more if i took off the old hard buttpad and put on a new Sims pad lol.

 

[dgr416]

I use past pads when I shoot and i always used two of them shooting my 416s .I think one day my cousin and I shot the 416 175 times and two of my 338s 300 times till the scope fell off of one of them.I used a standing bench with a 60 pound bull bag on top off a milk crate off the top of the bench .The recoil was way less Standing than off the bench .I usually shoot my 22 alot before I shoot larger rifles then 243 then larger .I found the 416 rem mag was my maximum recoil that I could shoot well with .A rifle I wish I had not bought a lightweight 444 marlin was the worse kicker besides a light 375 jdj I had .You know they kick when they bend the scope mount and tear the scope off .Those past pads work awesome.
I DIDNT like muzzlebreaks till I gor my 338-378 weathetby accumark that break works awesome but is super loud .I wear ear plugs and muffs shooting it .I found I shoot my 260 rem best of all these days and everyone one that shot it liked it too .If you ever start flinching it ruins your shooting accuracy .Hopefully my 338 and 416 days are not over yet I really like those rifles .

 

[Kiowa Cowboy]

I am not opposed to big magnums or large calibers, just never needed one personally. I am middle aged but I am a big advocate of the least amount of recoil needed to comfortably get the job done. I live and hunt mainly in Western OK so the largest critter I shoot at is Elk. I have used a 25.06 all my life and love it because it is a light recoiling rifle. I love being able to see the impact on the critter through the scope. Most of the time with the 25.06 I can see right where the impact is on the critter. I also have a 30.06 which I use as well. Mainly, I am a little concerned that 25.06 may be on the decline with gun manufacturers and I like that 30.06 can be modest recoil or low recoil depending upon the load you shoot. I think you are going to love your 6.5 and never regret the switch.

 

[Rosebud]

I found that a 6.5 Grendel kills deer and hogs just as dead as a 300 WM inside 300 yards. My shoulders thank me.

 

[asd9055]

An oz or prevention is worth a lb of cure. I only have one bolt rifle without a brake. I shot 116 round of 300wby one morning without a brake. I shot 375 H&H without a brake. But I decided long ago I wanted brakes on everything. I wear double ear protection and shoot braked!

 

[memtb]

I use past pads when I shoot and i always used two of them shooting my 416s .I think one day my cousin and I shot the 416 175 times and two of my 338s 300 times till the scope fell off of one of them.I used a standing bench with a 60 pound bull bag on top off a milk crate off the top of the bench .The recoil was way less Standing than off the bench .I usually shoot my 22 alot before I shoot larger rifles then 243 then larger .I found the 416 rem mag was my maximum recoil that I could shoot well with .A rifle I wish I had not bought a lightweight 444 marlin was the worse kicker besides a light 375 jdj I had .You know they kick when they bend the scope mount and tear the scope off .Those past pads work awesome.
I DIDNT like muzzlebreaks till I gor my 338-378 weathetby accumark that break works awesome but is super loud .I wear ear plugs and muffs shooting it .I found I shoot my 260 rem best of all these days and everyone one that shot it liked it too .If you ever start flinching it ruins your shooting accuracy .Hopefully my 338 and 416 days are not over yet I really like those rifles .

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

 

[Idaho Lefty]

After owning, an UN- Braked, .338 Win Mag Rifle for about, 15 Years, the Short Answer is,.. Fug,.. YES !
I Now ENJOY shooting, my, 8 pound, .22-250 Rem., a 10.5 Pound, 6 XC and, a sweet Tikka in, 6.5 Creedmoor ( Mostly shoot, 130 gr's Now ).
ALL 3 Rifles,.. ARE,.. "Braked". So Yeah,.. I HATE,.. Recoil AND,.. I shoot,.. much, MUCH Better, Group's ,..
UN- Less, I forget and, the .338 Mag.,.. Flinch,.. "Sneaks up", on Me !

 

[Idaho Lefty]

There IS, NOTHING, on this Planet that, CAN'T be Killed with, a 6.5 Creedmoor, USING, the RIGHT Bullet at, a "Reasonable Range"
IF you can properly,.. Stalk / HUNT, the Animal and KNOW exactly,.. "Where" to, PUT, the Bullet !
The Swede's have been using, the 6.5x55 for,.. MANY Decades,.. ON,.. Everything !!!

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

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 taught myself to shoot both R & L in the Corps. Although when I went through basic everyone had to shoot RH. After Basic when ever i was shooting I would always shoot my left non dominate more just to be versatile. I had two rotator cuff ops on my left plus a total replacement and an rotor cuff on my right. My right is still very well but do have Packmyer on some rigs.

 

[birddog 68]

I've got torn rotator cuff and basically just check zero on hunting rifles before going out. I started shooting my 223 a lot but wanted something with a bit more oomph so I just purchased a 6.5 CM with a brake. Great little cartridge and was a cinch to work up a load. And yea no shoulder pain after a range trip!

 

[xsn10s]

A 6.5x 47 Lapua has caught my attention lately. Supposed to be easy to make shoot accurately and consistent.