bannockburn
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- Apr 24, 2007
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- 26,314
Dibbs
Kind of sounds a lot like me!
Welcome to the club brother!
Kind of sounds a lot like me!
Welcome to the club brother!
The ibuprofen club
- Thread starter Labguy47
- Start date
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BSA1
member
An outgoing medical condition(s) has pretty much limited my shooting. I saw Doctor #5 yesterday and have more medical tests tomorrow. So far I am 0 for 4 with all of the other Doctors and tests 
although the MRI confirmed I have a brain. 
The biggest effect it has on my shooting so far is with the rifle. I will have no problem dropping a deer at 100 yards but my shot may not be as accurate as I use to be.
So for now I am shifting my interests into building several AR's, refining my accumulation of, er , treasures, (Yeah that what it is treasures) and playing Gun Santa in a few months. Besides I am at the age where receiving smiles is more rewarding than shooting.
although the MRI confirmed I have a brain. The biggest effect it has on my shooting so far is with the rifle. I will have no problem dropping a deer at 100 yards but my shot may not be as accurate as I use to be.
So for now I am shifting my interests into building several AR's, refining my accumulation of, er , treasures, (Yeah that what it is treasures) and playing Gun Santa in a few months. Besides I am at the age where receiving smiles is more rewarding than shooting.
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Labguy47
Member
- Joined
- May 13, 2018
- Messages
- 863
If that ever happens I will just hang it up!
375supermag
Member
Hi...
I suppose there are a large number of us who can relate to age related, injury and medical constraints put upon our hunting and shooting activities.
At age 63, I have a number of health related issues that restrict me from doing things and activities that I at one time did effortlessly.
I have found that with perseverance and by limiting my activity on any given day, I can still do a lot of things.
I have a couple of pheasant hunting trip scheduled this fall and while I can no longer power my way through the heavy brush and briars all day long like I once could, I can still hunt over fairly rough terrain for several hours, particularly if I take regular breaks.
I will also be going bear and deer hunting several times this November/December and am still confident that I will be able to hike a couple of miles through the mountains to my chosen hunting spots.
I am still quite able to shoot my rifles(my most powerful rifles are chambered in 7mm magnum and .30/06) and 12ga. shotguns despite some serious cancer-related surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy treatments and even shooting my .44Magnum handguns hasn't become difficult.
A couple of weeks ago, I spent the best part of a day at the gun club with my son and shot around 100 rounds of full power .357Mag factory loads out of several of my revolvers and a quite a few full power factory rounds through my .45ACP 1911 carry guns. I also shot a box of cartridges through my .243 and 7x57 rifles as well as a few rounds through my son's .308 rifle and at least 10 thirty round magazines through one of his AR-15s in .223.
Yes...it was fatiguing but I was able to shoot 5 shot groups in the 1" range at 100 yards with each of the bolt action rifles
Probably the only real concessions I have been forced to make are the fact that I no longer hunt alone and my son will most probably be dragging out any deer I happen to shoot.
I suppose there are a large number of us who can relate to age related, injury and medical constraints put upon our hunting and shooting activities.
At age 63, I have a number of health related issues that restrict me from doing things and activities that I at one time did effortlessly.
I have found that with perseverance and by limiting my activity on any given day, I can still do a lot of things.
I have a couple of pheasant hunting trip scheduled this fall and while I can no longer power my way through the heavy brush and briars all day long like I once could, I can still hunt over fairly rough terrain for several hours, particularly if I take regular breaks.
I will also be going bear and deer hunting several times this November/December and am still confident that I will be able to hike a couple of miles through the mountains to my chosen hunting spots.
I am still quite able to shoot my rifles(my most powerful rifles are chambered in 7mm magnum and .30/06) and 12ga. shotguns despite some serious cancer-related surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy treatments and even shooting my .44Magnum handguns hasn't become difficult.
A couple of weeks ago, I spent the best part of a day at the gun club with my son and shot around 100 rounds of full power .357Mag factory loads out of several of my revolvers and a quite a few full power factory rounds through my .45ACP 1911 carry guns. I also shot a box of cartridges through my .243 and 7x57 rifles as well as a few rounds through my son's .308 rifle and at least 10 thirty round magazines through one of his AR-15s in .223.
Yes...it was fatiguing but I was able to shoot 5 shot groups in the 1" range at 100 yards with each of the bolt action rifles
Probably the only real concessions I have been forced to make are the fact that I no longer hunt alone and my son will most probably be dragging out any deer I happen to shoot.
Shanghai McCoy
Member
I did not know that...
Presbyopia kicked in around 47, been dealing with it by using low power reading glasses and my new multi focus readers. Right shoulder's been trashed for years and the hearing went long ago. Arthritis is starting to kick in and don't get me started about my back or knees or BP or....
So, that said, I'm still shooting and hunting at 64 and I guess I'll keep at it till I can't (or shouldn't) anymore.
bassjam
Member
I’ll be turning 36 next month, and I’m not at a point where age has affecting my shooting. But it has affected other parts of my life. Up until I hit 30 (when I met my now-wife) I still rode dirt bikes and sport bikes, played sports, camped, hiked and did a ton of wade fishing. Now if I take the day off work to wade fish in a local stream I’m sore the next 2 days. I spent last fall finishing my basement, and Mondays were always rough for me after a weekend of hanging drywall or being on my knees laying LVT flooring. I saw the writing on the wall that the “ease” of family life was affecting my health, and it was happening at a rapid pace, so I carved out half my garage for workout equipment that was collecting dust, unused for a full decade. I’ve been hitting it 2-3 days a week for 3 months now and I already have seen good results. I’m nowhere near the strength and endurance of my early 20’s, but I no longer huff and puff after climbing a few flights of stairs and slinging one of my kids over my shoulders and chasing the others around the front yard is actually enjoyable. I can knockout a weekend home construction project too without popping 3-4 ibuprofen the next day for a sore back.
I don’t know if any of this positively affects my shooting, but it certainly doesn’t hurt it. Hopefully I can keep it going for the next 40 years….
I don’t know if any of this positively affects my shooting, but it certainly doesn’t hurt it. Hopefully I can keep it going for the next 40 years….
Riomouse911
Member
Did it 12 years ago. It lasted about 6 years, then slowly faded for me to where I am needing glasses again.
Swifty Morgan
member
Things could be worse. I just came home from touring a memory care facility for my dad.
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Labguy47
Member
- Joined
- May 13, 2018
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- 863
Well once you've given uncle sam a good portion of your life, the repercussions of combat are a little more severe. I have been shot, stabbed, hit by shrapnel, concussed, and tossed around like a rag doll. God I miss it! Probably why I am a walking disaster area now.....
We depend on guys like you to keep America worth fighting for. Good job on the fam by the way! Not sure I could have gone that route.
JTHunter
Member
Labguy47 - good luck with your surgery.
While I haven't been tossed around like you, two discs in my lower back were removed right after I got out of H.S. Eleven months later, my motorcycle went sideways into a 4-door pick-up and snapped both bones just above the ankle. In 1982, I dumped my bike on an interstate and rolled almost 200 feet but was able to walk away with only "pavement rash" and bruises. That was the last of 3 accidents that, by rights, should have killed me.
Now the "quacks" tell me I have "degenerative disc disease" in my neck and, to do the surgery, want to go through the front of my neck!! And "Uncle Arthur" runs from the skull down.
Be glad you are still "vertical" and again, good luck !
While I haven't been tossed around like you, two discs in my lower back were removed right after I got out of H.S. Eleven months later, my motorcycle went sideways into a 4-door pick-up and snapped both bones just above the ankle. In 1982, I dumped my bike on an interstate and rolled almost 200 feet but was able to walk away with only "pavement rash" and bruises. That was the last of 3 accidents that, by rights, should have killed me.
Now the "quacks" tell me I have "degenerative disc disease" in my neck and, to do the surgery, want to go through the front of my neck!! And "Uncle Arthur" runs from the skull down.
Be glad you are still "vertical" and again, good luck !
cw308
Member
Im 71 still sure I can go a few rounds , been through a war , two blowm rotator cuffs , knee surgery , Im enjoying retirement to the fullest . Eyes aren't as sharp as they were but benchrest shooting my 308 outdoor range in the warmer weather 45ACP indoor range in the winter , reloading for both . 70's aren't so bad , but I can tell you it came pretty fast . Looking back let's not forget 9/11/2001 17 years today.
Be Well
Chris
Be Well
Chris
tark
Member
Everyone is different. In 1986 I met a seventy year old man at the Range. He was not a large man, maybe 160 pounds. He was shooting a Thomas Bland 4 bore elephant rifle with a full charge (385 gr) of 1F black powder and a 2000 gr. conical bullet. He took a step or two backward to handle the recoil. I watched him shoot four rounds. I asked him how he did it and he shrugged. His name was Ray Meyer and he was just lucky enough to age well, I guess.
Wish I were so lucky! Being old, fat, and just turned 70 myself, I remember the Friendship Ray and I had. And I remember shooting that cannon myself. It was not an experience I will ever forget......and I would not attempt it today, at least NOT with full power loads. I think I would break something.....
Wish I were so lucky! Being old, fat, and just turned 70 myself, I remember the Friendship Ray and I had. And I remember shooting that cannon myself. It was not an experience I will ever forget......and I would not attempt it today, at least NOT with full power loads. I think I would break something.....
Kendal Black
Member
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2011
- Messages
- 1,647
Some things I increasingly like:
Light-recoiling loads. A .308 sporting rifle loaded down to .30-30 levels is a pussycat. .38 Special in a full sized revolver is nice too.
Target focus and red dot sights. (Well, for me it is actually more of a red smear. No problem; I aim with the smear.)
Peep sights with tiny apertures.
Aspirin works for me better than ibuprofen.
Light-recoiling loads. A .308 sporting rifle loaded down to .30-30 levels is a pussycat. .38 Special in a full sized revolver is nice too.
Target focus and red dot sights. (Well, for me it is actually more of a red smear. No problem; I aim with the smear.)
Peep sights with tiny apertures.
Aspirin works for me better than ibuprofen.
MedWheeler
Member
I work in EMS, and will probably be on shift the day I depart this world.
I meet a lot of elderly folks, many of whom will jokingly tell me "don't get old." (Well, at over fifty, it's getting kind of late, anyway.)
I usually tell them that I have yet to meet anyone who has tried the alternative and come back to tell me it's better, so I'm gonna stick with getting old, God willing..
To relate to board-topic, I don't shoot as often as I'd like more for opportunity than "ache-and-ailment", but my vision has definitely reminded me that I'm not the kid I once was. I'm trying to help compensate by learning both-eyes shooting, anyway.
I meet a lot of elderly folks, many of whom will jokingly tell me "don't get old." (Well, at over fifty, it's getting kind of late, anyway.)
I usually tell them that I have yet to meet anyone who has tried the alternative and come back to tell me it's better, so I'm gonna stick with getting old, God willing..
To relate to board-topic, I don't shoot as often as I'd like more for opportunity than "ache-and-ailment", but my vision has definitely reminded me that I'm not the kid I once was. I'm trying to help compensate by learning both-eyes shooting, anyway.
Well, it seemed at 30 the warranty expired on this body, now at 40, starting to experience some parts breakage. I have put down the heaviest recoiling long arms, but just bought my first 357. So, we'll see how that goes.
I can say this about getting older, it's not for snowflakes...but I wouldn't trade in the experience of my age for the nimbleness of my youth
With experience, I can reload cartridges to a recoil level that suits me. And the competitions I've been in lately have thought me this:
I may not be as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was
I can say this about getting older, it's not for snowflakes...but I wouldn't trade in the experience of my age for the nimbleness of my youth
With experience, I can reload cartridges to a recoil level that suits me. And the competitions I've been in lately have thought me this:
I may not be as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was
theotherwaldo
Member
I'm 61.
I never expected to make 21.
It's all gravy.
Pain just means that you're still alive.
I never expected to make 21.
It's all gravy.
Pain just means that you're still alive.
I'm 67 and have noticed eyesight is not great, hearing is reduced, and stamina has taken a hit. I don't have to look very far to find others who are younger dealing with much worse issues, however, so I am thankful for what I have. This also encourages me to make the best of what's left.
AlexanderA
Member
The watershed for me, when I started feeling old, was around age 50. But I had pretty much given up shooting before that. I still enjoyed collecting and working on guns. Now, at age 73, the collection is still going strong.
This is a hard planet, it is not a fair place and all of the rules work against you. Once you accept your fate, then you can start enjoying life. Know that you are going to fail, you are going to hurt, you are going to get injured and/or sick and you are going to die. Once that acceptance is part of your life, then things get fun. Life is all about lose; all you can do is fight the good fight, have fun and earn your spouse a free US flag “on behalf of a grateful nation”. Life is an attitude.
I still shoot big bore pistols, that's what's great about reloading. You can load down to make them more comfortable to shoot. I still shoot near max loads but not as much. The really big thing I have noticed eye sight needs help and have to up my concentration more to stay accurate. Still ok with rifle but I've always have preferred 30-06, nothing bigger and with a good scope I'm still right on.
I'm 60 and so far have been lucky. I had meniscus surgery on my left knee 5 years ago, but was doing almost anything I wanted to do within 2 weeks. Never any issues since. At about the same time a medical issue caused total loss of hearing in my right ear. It happened overnight. I went to bed with perfect hearing and woke up deaf in that ear. The left ear is near perfect and I can still hear pretty well, but can no longer detect which direction sound is coming from. I've had several deer in the last few years get away. I could hear them approaching, but couldn't locate them until they were so close they saw me 1st. Physically I can still do anything I did in my 30's. It just takes longer. Where I used to run up hills I now walk.
Two years ago I met 3 brothers while hunting on public land here in GA that inspired me. They ranged in age from late 60's to mid 70's. They had backpacked 5 miles into one of the most remote and rugged areas here in GA to bear hunt. The oldest brother left camp before daylight, got lost and spent about 36 hours walking around before he made it back to camp. The other brothers were just preparing to walk out and get help. They were just arriving back at the trailhead about the same time I walked out.
The oldest brother pulled pictures out of the truck to show me. The 3 of them had just gotten back to GA from a CO elk hunt where they had packed in several miles. The older brother had taken a nice bull. They said it took all 3 of them 3 days to pack out the elk. I figure if they are still active into their 70's I can be too. In fact my wife and I are leaving for a CO elk hunt next month. Just the 2 of us at age 60.
Two years ago I met 3 brothers while hunting on public land here in GA that inspired me. They ranged in age from late 60's to mid 70's. They had backpacked 5 miles into one of the most remote and rugged areas here in GA to bear hunt. The oldest brother left camp before daylight, got lost and spent about 36 hours walking around before he made it back to camp. The other brothers were just preparing to walk out and get help. They were just arriving back at the trailhead about the same time I walked out.
The oldest brother pulled pictures out of the truck to show me. The 3 of them had just gotten back to GA from a CO elk hunt where they had packed in several miles. The older brother had taken a nice bull. They said it took all 3 of them 3 days to pack out the elk. I figure if they are still active into their 70's I can be too. In fact my wife and I are leaving for a CO elk hunt next month. Just the 2 of us at age 60.
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Labguy47
Member
- Joined
- May 13, 2018
- Messages
- 863
Got any small bore rifles you are looking to trade or sell?
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
God has been good to me. I turned 60 this year and thus far have enjoyed remarkably good health. My vision is deteriorating, but it's just presbyopia on top of a minor astigmatism; that is, age, no serious conditions--easily correctable with lenses. Hearing is still good, though; I got good advice early on about protecting my ears. I'm not an athlete by any means, but am generally active and within 10 pounds of my target weight. My wife and I hiked 70 miles on a two-week vacation this past summer. My Dad is 91 and still alert and active, so I anticipate a few years ahead of me--even as I hold life with an open hand.
I still have a few years before retirement, and I'm hoping then to have more time to invest in the hobbies I love, especially hunting and shooting. Even so, I find I prefer lighter recoiling cartridges to the loudenboomers. My .300 Win Mag went away a long time ago. When I figured my .308 could do everything I wanted from my .30-06, the latter went away, too. I still have my deceased father-in-law's 7mm Remington Magnum, but I don't enjoy shooting it or my 7mm SAUM very much. The cartridges that I am enjoying the most right now are the .243 Win, .243 Ackley, .260 Rem., and .260 Ackley. I can shoot the .308 all day, and I have taken more game with a .308 than all the others combined ... but I find I am more and more attracted to its smaller caliber offspring (I might build a 7mm-08, maybe an Ackley, just for the fun of it).
I still shoot and enjoy my .44 magnum revolvers, but at this point I tend to shoot medium power reloads rather than full power magnum loads ... at least at the range. I have no interest in anything more powerful. And I shoot a lot more mild .357s (.357 mag cases loaded to hot .38 special velocities) than .44s. And I've pretty much gotten out of .40 S&W in favor of 9mm.
Part of the reason this "old guy" recommends getting into reloading is that one can tailor loads for application, but also for aging. I can keep shooting my favored firearms at reduced recoil, and reloading is a fun hobby in itself.
Eh, I'm rambling (old guys do that, don't they?). I feel for those among us who are in pain; by God's grace, thus far I am not. But I still feel the effects of aging, particularly with regard to vision and stamina. But I hope to be able to be shoot and hunt with my grand kids for many years to come.
I still have a few years before retirement, and I'm hoping then to have more time to invest in the hobbies I love, especially hunting and shooting. Even so, I find I prefer lighter recoiling cartridges to the loudenboomers. My .300 Win Mag went away a long time ago. When I figured my .308 could do everything I wanted from my .30-06, the latter went away, too. I still have my deceased father-in-law's 7mm Remington Magnum, but I don't enjoy shooting it or my 7mm SAUM very much. The cartridges that I am enjoying the most right now are the .243 Win, .243 Ackley, .260 Rem., and .260 Ackley. I can shoot the .308 all day, and I have taken more game with a .308 than all the others combined ... but I find I am more and more attracted to its smaller caliber offspring (I might build a 7mm-08, maybe an Ackley, just for the fun of it).
I still shoot and enjoy my .44 magnum revolvers, but at this point I tend to shoot medium power reloads rather than full power magnum loads ... at least at the range. I have no interest in anything more powerful. And I shoot a lot more mild .357s (.357 mag cases loaded to hot .38 special velocities) than .44s. And I've pretty much gotten out of .40 S&W in favor of 9mm.
Part of the reason this "old guy" recommends getting into reloading is that one can tailor loads for application, but also for aging. I can keep shooting my favored firearms at reduced recoil, and reloading is a fun hobby in itself.
Eh, I'm rambling (old guys do that, don't they?). I feel for those among us who are in pain; by God's grace, thus far I am not. But I still feel the effects of aging, particularly with regard to vision and stamina. But I hope to be able to be shoot and hunt with my grand kids for many years to come.
PWC
Member
I'm a 17 yr old trapped in a 73 yr old body. Fortunately I don't have any upper body problems...yet. All my ailments affect walking; left knee and right anlke...all products of my misspent youth working for my Uncle Sammy. Eyesight...seeing the front sight properly is my bug-a-boo now.
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