Shooting after shoulder injury

[RNE228]

Dislocated shoulder back in January. Recuperation and PT is going well.

Kind of different question to ask, but how long did you wait to resume shooting? Anyone with similar experience?

[Tarmy]

I had rotator cuff, bone Spurs, and several torn muscles in my shoulder operated on and was shooting about 6 months later.

I did a very aggressive rehab and followed the stretching and workout directions. I still exercise and stretch my shoulder daily...and it still is trouble, pain and ache free to this day. Those exercises are critical to maintaining flexibility and strength that helps protect my shoulder from further injury.

Busting off 100 rounds in my 12 GA does still have some soreness if I not careful...

Maybe ask you doctor for some advice about strength training and stretching exercises...

[shovelon]

Originally Posted by Tarmy

I had rotator cuff, bone Spurs, and several torn muscles in my shoulder operated on and was shooting about 6 months later.

I did a very aggressive rehab and followed the stretching and workout directions. I still exercise and stretch my shoulder daily...and it still is trouble, pain and ache free to this day. Those exercises are critical to maintaining flexibility and strength that helps protect my shoulder from further injury.

Busting off 100 rounds in my 12 GA does still have some soreness if I not careful...

Maybe ask you doctor for some advice about strength training and stretching exercises...

Time to start reloading and shoot a kinder gentler 12 ga shell. ceh383 turned me onto a 1 oz. claybuster recipe that is surprisingly soft.

[whutsup40]

I had my left shoulder done and was shooting in 6 weeks, But i'm right handed.

[pzbike]

It’s difficult to predict a time frame. Everyone is different. Be diligent with PT, ALL of the ROM and strengthening exercises.
Good luck, you’ll get better!

[CWL]

I think this is a question best asked of your Ortho & physical therapist.

Nobody else's injury will be the same as yours and includes other factors such as general health, age, other complications, etc. Listening to bad advice can mess up your shoulder again.

[L84CABO]

Shoulder surgery. One year to fire rifles. 2 years to fire shotguns. Shooting shotguns can still be a religious experience if I don't get the butt of the gun in the right spot.

Much depends, however, on the extent and type of damage. There is no universal answer. Talk to your doctor and see what he has to say. Then take it slowly. I would suggest only firing a couple of rounds the first day...and then see how you feel the next day. Increase from there as appropriate.

[Milsurp1]

Much of it depends whether the surgery was on your primary arm or weak arm.

[Tarmy]

Originally Posted by shovelon

Time to start reloading and shoot a kinder gentler 12 ga shell. ceh383 turned me onto a 1 oz. claybuster recipe that is surprisingly soft.

What fun is that....

What I need to do is buy another gun...I am eyeing an A400

I shoot quit a bit in summer...but not too often other than that. I have looked into reloading...and a bunch of my buddies reload...I just never got the urge.

[Ducky's Dad]

What I need to do is buy another gun...I am eyeing an A400

I have an 80% tear in my right (shooting) rotator cuff. Trying to avoid surgery because I am old and have learned to live with some limitations. Doc told me to stop hunting, so I went to small bores in doubles and O/U's, worked my way up from .410's to 12's, stopped when it started to hurt. That basically forced me to get a dreaded gas gun for ducks, just so I could keep hunting. Bought a Win SX3, liked it so much that I now own three (two 12s and a 20). Really don't need any other shotguns, but I still shoot my old ones whenever the shoulder feels OK. There are (usually) lots of moderate recoil factory loads for all gauges and game, but current market conditions dictate reloading.

[M1NM]

Switch sides. This ain't the Army. They won't make you shoot right handed.

[ceh383]

Originally Posted by shovelon

Time to start reloading and shoot a kinder gentler 12 ga shell. ceh383 turned me onto a 1 oz. claybuster recipe that is surprisingly soft.

Glad you like the load, but it came straight from the alliant web site

Originally Posted by Tarmy

What fun is that....

What I need to do is buy another gun...I am eyeing an A400

I shoot quit a bit in summer...but not too often other than that. I have looked into reloading...and a bunch of my buddies reload...I just never got the urge.

What fun is that...
When I do my part, it absolutely crushes clay targets. That is a lot of fun
But I do understand wanting to buy another gun, I've bought 3 new shotguns so far this year

[aztecw]

I have bad shoulders and went with a 20 gauge, much more forgiving.

[RNE228]

I'm working with my Ortho and PT for sure on the question.

Was just curious of others experiences.

My injury was dislocation; no surgery. Damn ladders...

Originally Posted by CWL

I think this is a question best asked of your Ortho & physical therapist.

Nobody else's injury will be the same as yours and includes other factors such as general health, age, other complications, etc. Listening to bad advice can mess up your shoulder again.

[md2020]

Originally Posted by Ducky's Dad

I have an 80% tear in my right (shooting) rotator cuff. Trying to avoid surgery because I am old and have learned to live with some limitations. Doc told me to stop hunting, so I went to small bores in doubles and O/U's, worked my way up from .410's to 12's, stopped when it started to hurt. That basically forced me to get a dreaded gas gun for ducks, just so I could keep hunting. Bought a Win SX3, liked it so much that I now own three (two 12s and a 20). Really don't need any other shotguns, but I still shoot my old ones whenever the shoulder feels OK. There are (usually) lots of moderate recoil factory loads for all gauges and game, but current market conditions dictate reloading.

Why avoid the surgery?

about 9 years ago, I crashed my dirtbike in the mountains and did major damage to my rotator cuff, scapula, collar bone and shoulder area. Took 6 hours to fix under the knife and they added some hardware to hold it together.

Without the surgery, they were telling me that I'd still be able to grab a small box of sugar from the top shelf of the cabinet. With the surgery, I have little or no limitations.

The pain stopped and went away after I regained full flexibility. why not go that route. Takes three to four months to get back to doing what you want to do and maybe a year before you forget that you were ever hurt.

Then maybe you have no limits...

[W.R.Buchanan]

Originally Posted by Tarmy

What fun is that....

What I need to do is buy another gun...I am eyeing an A400

I shoot quit a bit in summer...but not too often other than that. I have looked into reloading...and a bunch of my buddies reload...I just never got the urge.

I love the Airbus A 400 Atlas. I think it is one of the coolest looking A400's ever built. Kind of like a cross between a C130 and a C17. Gotta love 8 Bladed Scimitar Props.

You won't have any shoulder problems with one of these A400's and you can bring your car or truck with you!

Randy

[A-J]

I broke my collarbone several years ago and it hurt like a bitch to shoot my 12 gauge. I bought a gel butt pad for it to replace the OEM plastic and it was like night and day. Soooo much better to shot now and with zero pain.

[SoftHeart]

These ease things 4 me quite a bit; I upgraded my pumps to a Magpul w/a better cheek weld, and a Kynshot "No Kick" buffer tube which is essentially a shock absorber 4 a shotgun.


Then I got two of the biggest Bubba recoil pads Limbsaver makes, the Nitro, which are about 1 1/2" thick.







I bought 2 medium size Nitros, and 2 large; the mediums fit pretty well w/o any grinding. These are the large size I have left. Both new, even though one of the packages is a little crinkled. I'll sell either one for half of what I paid for, if you or anybody needs one.






Here's the No Kick buffer tube in action....



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0j_-dXhzdw



BTW: That ain't me shooting like that.

[Tarmy]

Originally Posted by W.R.Buchanan

I love the Airbus A 400 Atlas. I think it is one of the coolest looking A400's ever built. Kind of like a cross between a C130 and a C17. Gotta love 8 Bladed Scimitar Props.

You won't have any shoulder problems with one of these A400's and you can bring your car or truck with you!

Randy

Just a tiny bit out of my price range...not the cost mind you...but the O&M!

But I do like the way you think.

[Ducky's Dad]

Why avoid the surgery?

I was planning to do the surgery, but life got in the way. I need surgery on my ankle (two torn ligaments) and the shoulder doc told me to do the ankle surgery first because he did not want me on crutches with a recently repaired shoulder. Then my wife got cancer so I shut off my issues, and now I'm 73 and have learned to live with the shoulder and the ankle issues. Shoulder doc told me the shoulder recovery will be six to eight months, and no guarantee that it will be successful. Won't know until he gets in there. So I weighed all the options and decided that gas guns and good boots with an ankle brace were the best way to go. I have six gas guns and a huge supply of low recoil ammo in 12, 20, 16, and .410, so I'm OK for a few years.

[SoftHeart]

You and me and a lot of folks our age, are in the same boat, old and w/various issues and challenges, but I think you'd agree that there are a boatload of folks in the cemetery that would trade places w/us in a second.

You sound like you're up to the challenge of dealing w/whatever comes up.

Life at any age is worth living.


BTW: I plan on living til I'm 140----I'm halfway there.

[md2020]

Originally Posted by Ducky's Dad

I was planning to do the surgery, but life got in the way. I need surgery on my ankle (two torn ligaments) and the shoulder doc told me to do the ankle surgery first because he did not want me on crutches with a recently repaired shoulder. Then my wife got cancer so I shut off my issues, and now I'm 73 and have learned to live with the shoulder and the ankle issues. Shoulder doc told me the shoulder recovery will be six to eight months, and no guarantee that it will be successful. Won't know until he gets in there. So I weighed all the options and decided that gas guns and good boots with an ankle brace were the best way to go. I have six gas guns and a huge supply of low recoil ammo in 12, 20, 16, and .410, so I'm OK for a few years.

Makes sense... hopefully you can get back to it. Obviously, I'm a big fan of having the surgery. First doctor told me he could give me back the ability to reach for the sugar on the top shelf of the pantry. I said... YOU'RE FIRED!

I found another doctor who specialized in athletic injuries instead of working on retired people that said... If you really want your arm back, I can fix it, but the tendons would be pulled so tight it would be hard to move it. You'd have to really work to stretch it out. I said YOU'RE HIRED!

A week after the surgery, I was unable to feel or move my arm. I took PT seriously, even hung from my kids swing set every day just to stretch out my arm. Three months after the surgery, I was riding my motorcycle again. Zero restrictions.

I hope you get yourself patched up so you don't have to make compromises.

You can do it!

[hermosabeach]

My cousin was an avid clays shooter. 3 days a week. After one surgery he switched to 410 and or 28 gauge.

[CWL]

Look into adding a mercury recoil suppressor AND a limbsaver pad to reduce felt recoil.

[Stevehazard]

I broke my weak side collar bone last August and tried to go out probably the 3rd of Sept for dove. Shot one and said screw that, was not ready at that point. But was able to go out 2 weeks later and was alright shooting then. Everybody is different and you won't know without giving it a little test.