I must be getting old

[Bronco72]

One of these would not look to bad on a Garand IMHO!

Robot or human?

 

[BreechFace]

Yeah those guys on their knees are tempting the fates.

If I'm invaded I'll be in my recliner with an AR and a bunch of loaded p-mags

Nice!

 

[LoonWulf]

Big fat squishy pads help alot, but they arnt particularly attractive or even practical on some rifles.
My 8.25lb .375 Ruger (52ft/lb free recoil energy) would be very unpleasant without the big Kickeez pad ive got on it. That gun will usually see 40-60rnds in an outing.
I need to fit another pad tho, took a chunk out using the gun to keep from face planting in the lava a while back.

Failing the squishy pad, brake/suppressor, past pad, or just adding more weight are options.

 

[StrawHat]

Most folks at a bench use too tall of a stool. They are used to eating at a table, not shooting from a bench. A shorter stool or taller bench is one answer.

I have used a standing bench for sighting in but they are not commonly found. A gentleman built one for himself to sight in his heavy double rifles. Mostly, I use whatever trees or even a hiking staff to help steady myself when shooting off hand.

Kevin

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

With an autoloader like the Garand you must grin and bear it, but most of my old milsurps are bolt guns that I download ammo for pretty drastically.

I've been using reduced loads of IMR 4198 up until now, but I just scored several pounds of Red Dot and am planning to give Ed Harris' "The Load" a try:

https://www.hensleygibbs.com/edharris/articles/The Load.htm

 

[DustyRusty]

The Korean said; "I don't remember the rifles being this heavy."
That though has been bouncing around in my head at the range this year.
Actually, I don't remember anything being this heavy.

 

[Rodfac]

've been using reduced loads of IMR 4198 up until now, but I just scored several pounds of Red Dot and am planning to give Ed Harris' "The Load" a try:

Dave: I predict you'll love, "The Load" by Ed Harris. It's worked for me in just about all of my shoulder rifle cartridges...+- a grain. Rod

 

[.308 Norma]

Mostly, I use whatever trees or even a hiking staff to help steady myself when shooting off hand.

A nearby fence post works pretty well also. Although, fence posts aren't as easy to pull up and carry around as hiking staffs.

 

[doubleh]

I went out to the range yesterday and among other things, shot 7 clips (56 rounds) through one of my Garands. I was shooting off the bench, so the recoil was hitting me harder then offhand, but still, the Garand is pretty soft shooting, as far as 30-06 goes. Anyway, my shoulder got sore last night and is sore again today. I may have to invest in a PAST recoil pad that one slips on the shoulder.

Of course you are. There is only one cure for aging for every living thing and that is death. Sorry to be a wet blanket but that is the way life works. I don't know your age but being a senior senior I can assure you that age related problems only compound. Even rocks eventually wear away. Keep on keeping on and ejoy every minute you can.

 

[Chuck R.]

It's not just the shoulder:

Cathy Arnot, USOC Physiotherapist and ISSF Medical Committee member

Many shooting athletes may develop headaches. This often can be attributed to sustained positioning in upper cervical extension (rifle) cervical rotation (pistol) or from recoil (shotgun). There are many different types of headaches: tension or positional, recoil, migraine and headaches associated with secondary illnesses. The most common headaches I see with shooters are the tension and recoil-type headaches.

These headaches generally present as pain at the base of your skull which progresses around the back of your head to your forehead and even to your eye. This pain is due to pressure on the greater occipital nerve. This nerve exits at the base of your skull and gets pinched when the muscles in this region get tight and with positioning of the head in a forward head posture.

Headaches and the shooting athlete

This article was originally published in USA shooting News on March 2015 and it being reproduced with their approval.

www.issf-sports.org

 

[Terry G]

The PAST works. I use it for every thing except my AR's. Even those bolt action Mauser 8 MM's are tamed. Pretty cheap for what they do.

 

[tominboise]

The PAST works. I use it for every thing except my AR's. Even those bolt action Mauser 8 MM's are tamed. Pretty cheap for what they do.

Got one on order

 

[Litetrigger]

The PAST is a smart investment., I always have a couple in my shooting kit in case I'm shooting big guns with someone who doesn't have one.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

A nearby fence post works pretty well also. Although, fence posts aren't as easy to pull up and carry around as hiking staffs.

And not so abundant deep in the wilderness on the side of a mountain!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Well, as Josey Wales said to Lone Wadi: "it's not old age that creeps up on a man, it's old habits". Do some pushups!!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Of course you are.

Indeed. Even little babies are getting old. The only thing that does not get old...is...COFFEE!!! Dark, strong, coffee. My drug of choice.

 

[PapaG]

I can still shoot 200 12 gauge trap loads in an afternoon with nothing but a mild headache, and that headache doesn't happen often. Anything bigger than 30-30, 357, 44, or 223 from the bench hurts.
I used to shoot black powder matches with a 45-70, bench matches with my 30-06, and Slug Assn matches with an 870. No more. I put the slug guns in the back of the safe, went to 1800 fps cast in the '06, and now deer hunt with either a Henry 357 or CVA Scout 44.
Disclaimer: I do have a Rio Grande 45-70 and a NEF Handi, both in 45-70, that I shoot offhand a few times a year. The NEF might be THE deer gun next year but the CVA did just fine a couple weeks ago.
Arthritis and a L2-L5 spinal fusion have taken their toll. Still smiling at almost 80.

 

[Old Hobo]

Both of my shoulders have been rebuilt by high-fee "orthopods". The right shoulder was a catastrophe.

Yet, this old poop went out shooting with a grandson (well over a year after surgery). While at the range, I ran numerous rounds through a Nagant carbine (sporterized, thus lightweight). These military surplus rounds kicked like a mule. Stupid me, I could have undone the surgical repairs.

Given to inflammatory disease, this trip did NOT cause me much grief. Sore shoulder the next day? Yes, a bit. However, surprisingly not bad. I do have thick shoulders, true. I'm glad that orthopedic surgeons are used to having to do the work of large-animal veterinarians. This tall & muscular surgeon of mine told me about the cabling he used, how magnificently strong it is. He was right. He repairs football players. Need an orthopod? My recommendation is to go get one who can do large animal surgery.

 

[tominboise]

Well, as Josey Wales said to Lone Wadi: "it's not old age that creeps up on a man, it's old habits". Do some pushups!!

I do 90 pushups, among other things, 3 days per week.