Big bore shooting effects on your body?

[Scott CWO]

As a kid, I played football and soccer. I also raced motocross professionally for American Honda into my late twenties. I once suffered a severe concussion during football due to a helmet to helmet collision. Later, I suffered another severe concussion from a motocross wreck and actually cracked a Bell helmet. Lost my memory for a day or two except I could remember my girlfriend and that my dog had delivered puppies! However, I didn’t remember my mother and she was furious. Lol.

Ever since then, I can hardly ride an aggressive roller coaster, use my head for a “header” in soccer or shoot more than 20 rounds of big bore at the range without developing a noticeable headache. Shooting never bothers me when hunting but I definitely have to limit my range sessions with big bores. I don’t see the point in excessive practice with big bores anyway. I get them sighted in and then just shoot them occasionally. Practicing with dry fires and with smaller bores keeps me tuned up.

 

[Firebird]

Selous would have something to say about this thread. . . One thing I have had to smile about reading through these responses is how much ammo we go through preparing for those precious few actual hunting opportunities!

 

[crs]

One last thought on this old thread.
After having retina detachment and repair surgery on both eyes, I have minimized bench rest shooting of hard kicking rifles. A PH friend advised me that once the rifle/load is sighted in, never shoot from the bench rest position again. He trained me to shoot from sticks or offhand and to practice this before a hunt:
Pretend to be stalking
See game within shooting distance
Approach sticks or other standing rest
Take position on rest and careful aim
Fire
Fire two shots as if game is wounded and not down

Also,
Pretend to be stalking and see game within shooting distance
Aim and fire off hand
Fire two more times as if game either spooked or is wounded but not down.

Since we also hunted together, he observed an off hand error in my shooting and coached me on correcting it.
While after a Nilgai, the target animal ran away and stopped at about 50 yards to look back. He saw that I brought my rifle up and halted it to take aim at the animal.
Next and most important stalk hunting lesson was:
Bring the rifle sight up front leg and upon reaching lower 1/3 of body, fire.
Do NOT stop and look for a spot to shoot.

That worked beautifully on my first water buff and the North Fork CPS from my .405 WCF destroyed the upper front legs and heart lung area of the beast, resulting in DRT. I continue to use this practice when appropriate.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Shoulder injuries just don't come from the various heavy recoil of firearms, but also from repetitive bow shooting, especially from shooting 60-80 draw weights. Seems now even the lighter draw weight archery competitors using 45-50 pound draw weights are either having to reduce thier competition draw weight down to the 40 pound draw weight and switch to crossbows for hunting.

As we get older we all start to feel the effects of our youth whether it's the repetitive shooting of our heavy recoiling firearms and/or heavy 60+ pound draw weight hunting bows. Add tinnitus from not using hearing protection while hunting (or at the range) with firearms.

Yes, the reason U. Ted dropped to 55 lb (w/ the velocities of today's bows, anything else really isn't necessary for deer-sized game.) That said, i continue to shoot my older, 200-something fps PSE at 63 lbs/65% letoff. Unless shooting at large and/or DG, 'have no idea why friends like to shoot 70+ lb compounds! Compensation, perhaps.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Yes, the reason U. Ted dropped to 55 lb (w/ the velocities of today's bows, anything else really isn't necessary for deer-sized game.) That said, i continue to shoot my older, 200-something fps PSE at 63 lbs/65% letoff. Unless shooting at large and/or DG, 'have no idea why friends like to shoot 70+ lb compounds! Compensation, perhaps.

I neglected the traditional archery shooters. Compound bows have their advantages of lesser hold weight at full draw, as you reminded me of the various break over hold of compound bows.

Traditional archers aren't as fortunate as thier draw length dictates their 100% hold weight at full draw, and for those with a longer draw length of 28 inches add an approximate 5 pounds per draw weight over 28 inches. Now consider the amount of pressure being placed on the shoulder and the bodies compensation for such stresses.

 

[Newboomer]

If I'm shooting my 375HH I shoot a 3 rd group and then switch to a 6.5 or 5.56. Recoil gets to me after 6 or 8 375s and I get a headache that can last for hours. I use a Past shoulder pad which helps some. After I had neck surgery it's better but I still limit my 375 and heavy 06 loads. Of course, in the field I feel no recoil and hear no sound for the one or two shots needed.

 

[Frederik]

I shoot about 200 +- rounds of big bore per year 375 H&H and 458 Lott so far this year I'm on 77 shots. Load development and sighting in contributed to the 2 competitions also shot.

There is a gentleman who shoots big bore BASA with us who is 85 years old grand old soul who still shoots his 450 Rigby full house at our shoots open sights. 500gr at 2380fps
His eyesight is making it more difficult to score and his legs are not going as fast anymore moving between shooting points.

So with that in mind I have decided to look after myself better 45 now almost 46 years of age to get stronger and fitter. So far so good and will make this a habit and part of the rest of my life.
Being fitter and stronger should make you able to shoot more and better with big bores.

It's a love only a few of us understands getting pushed by a rifle, adrenaline the power of the cartridge and the recoil and then the smooth reliable action pushing in the next round and getting on target again in the same time firing that 2nd shot as fast as possible.

Don't get me wrong my Lott is still a bitch from the bench it whips up high and you have to hold on but I know what to expect and its more show than the actual recoil. I might be wrong in my thinking but do hope that I could be proven wrong at the age of 85 years also. That keeping in shape will let you shoot better and longer with big bores.

 

[CoElkHunter]

For me personally, the unavailability of large bore ammo and/or reloading components and COSTS associated when you do find some, has taken care of having to worry about the effects of heavy recoil on MY body. LOL If I shoot ten rounds of Lott OR Rigby plus another ten rounds of .375 and maybe a FEW .338WM, I'm DONE! That's a session MAYBE every three or four months, depending on the weather and other commitments on my days off from work. With the Lott and .416 Rigby, I do use a PAST shoulder pad which helps greatly. I guess if I had a DG hunt planned, I'd have to shoot a lot more and take a loan out for the ammo? LOL

 

[Nevada Mike]

I practice with low powered lead loads in my .404J, alternated with .22LR from a heavy, scoped target rifle.

I think there is a high probably of some lasting damage from shooting big bores, particularly off the bench. The bench shooting position makes you especially vulnerable to damage from recoil... especially in the head and neck.

In load development shooting from a bench now, after a series of full powered 400 grain loads, I went to lighter loads and shoot with my Lead Sled - it helps a lot.

 

[michael458]

For many years here doing all the B&M Load data, terminal tests, pressure data, getting ready for hunts, I would shoot between 7000-9000 rounds of 416 caliber to .620 caliber per year. 99.5% of this was from the bench, my indoor 50 yard range. You can't do load data/pressure data and even terminals any other way......... We also did a lot of load data, pressure data, and even barrel strains on double rifles at that time too, one day we fired 85 rounds of 577 NE........ never used lead sleds, someone bought one for me once, its still in the range load room, in the box, never taken out.......it would have been just too difficult to use with all the things we were doing.

We were also busting 1.5x5 Leupold weekly and sending them in, it was a constant process every week changing scopes out, had 4-5 at Leupold for repairs, 4-5 on the bench ready to send back in when the others pitched up. This was until I discovered the Nikon 1X4 African, later changed to Monarch, and then later discontinued. I never busted another scope after the Nikons.

I don't shoot that much any more, all load data and pressures are done, along with bullet tech, but still do a fair amount because you have to keep data up every so often, components change and of course we get curious about new powders and such as that................I have some upcoming work to be done in 458 Winchester, soon as my 20 inch gun arrives.......... that should be good fun...........

Guess I was lucky, never suffered any serious issues......... I have Macular Degeneration, get poked in both eyes with needles every 4 months, but that was not because of shooting.....