Author Topic: Getting Older, Shooting Magnums ? (Read 3451 times)

sc1911cwp · « **Reply #30 on:** February 08, 2012, 01:17:06 PM »

I'm 58 and just bought a 44magnum. My deer gun is a .270 Remington. Usually I shoot .45 ACP that I reload. Yeah, getting old is not for sissies. I see this daily since I'm in Healthcare. FWIW, NEVER GIVEUP!

williamlayton · « **Reply #31 on:** February 09, 2012, 01:23:19 AM »

Never give up----hummmm.

I am 70 and I have learned to accomodate the pleasures.
Never did like the .44mag.
Blessings

the jigger · « **Reply #32 on:** February 10, 2012, 05:20:30 AM »

While we are confessing, I'm 73, shoot at least once a week, sometimes more. I have never owned a magnum rifle. Currently own only one magnum shotgun(a 18.25" 20ga for home defense). My last magnum handgun left this week in favor of a 1911 Commander. My changes of emphasis in firearms is not so much "can't" as it is "won't" or no longer choose to.
GOOD LUCK and GOOD SHOOTING!!!

barber · « **Reply #33 on:** February 10, 2012, 05:58:08 AM »

I'm 80, have had open heart surgery, a major sroke, but have been lucky, still go shooting and having fun.

Glock Doctor · « **Reply #34 on:** February 12, 2012, 02:37:00 PM »

Quote from: Woodsman1 on January 25, 2012, 07:09:40 AM

Hi all. At 51, I don’t consider myself an old man. ....... When I was younger, I used to love to shoot my S W 29, and my 12 gauge shot gun, id shoot them as much as I could, didn’t bother me at all; but, now, it seems as though I prefer a 20 gauge shot gun, and a little less bark and bite from my magnum handguns.

So I’ve got a question: Am I the only 1; or do some of you, prefer a softer recoil as you age? I still love magnum rounds, and high powered rifles. It just seems it bothers me a little more to fire them.

Yeah, thanks for reminding me!

This is the exact reason, 'Why' I've recently sold off my: Match-grade Garand, 2 S&W Model 29's, and a Sako, 'Finnbear' 30-06. I've still got one (primo) S&W Model 29-2 left as well as a (rare) 12 gauge Belgian Browning slug gun that I'm going to keep and let the widow deal with after I'm gone. (All of my personal firearms are listed and appraised.)

Otherwise my slightly arthritic hands and shoulders are still able to handle: 9mm, 357 Magnum, 45 ACP, and 5.56 x45mm well enough. (Still better than most!)

coyotejoe · « **Reply #35 on:** February 13, 2012, 05:24:37 AM »

Just turned 70 and I found some years ago that I don't enjoy getting kicked around any more. But I've also learned I don't need to. When I had more book knowledge than experience I was on the Elmer Keith bandwagon. I believed the lightest acceptable elk load was the .338 Win Mag for open country and the .45/70 with outrageous handloads for timber. Now I've taken enough game with the .243, .250 Savage, and 30/30 to know I don't need to be brutalized by magnum loads, the 6.5X55 is all the rifle I need. I still shoot the .357 but my .44 mag gets loaded down to .44 Special. Since I won't try a shot on game beyond 50 yards with a handgun the .357 and .44 Special are plenty. In shotguns I gravitated to the 20 gauge in my younger years because I found early on that there was no point in trying to stretch the range with heavier shot loads, one ounce or ounce and a quarter at most was adequate out to the longest range at which I could reasonably expect to hit anything and I liked the lighter weight and trimmer lines of 20 bore guns.

m-g Willy · « **Reply #36 on:** February 15, 2012, 04:05:24 PM »

It's not the recoil that bothers me as I get older ,,it's those new fuzzy sights they put on all those guns now.
Heck someone even snuck in and put them fuzzy things on all my old guns too!

timothy · « **Reply #37 on:** February 16, 2012, 12:50:59 AM »

Im only 36 but even in my 20's i never shot boxes after boxes of 44mag or 30'06. Not only was cash tight but my concentration span and arm strength rarely allow for more than 20 good shots at a time of each. Im not sure what you all used to do, but shooting off the bench always seemed irrelevant to me after a guns sighted in. Shooting offhand and marking your targets after every group takes time and energy too. So i dont know if ive always been too smart, cheap or lazy but after a couple hours in the field I only fire between 20-40 shots usually. That I can still do and hopefully will be able to for years to come. I wonder if you older gentleman are shooting more often and less formally these days and that why your preferance is shifting to the easier kicking calibers?

AtlLaw · « **Reply #38 on:** February 16, 2012, 08:05:10 AM »

Quote from: timothy on February 16, 2012, 12:50:59 AM

I wonder if you older gentleman are shooting more often and less formally these days and that why your preferance is shifting to the easier kicking calibers?

Yeah! Why all you old dudes wussin up about recoil!?

Brittle bones and all that I 'spose...

I'm glad us young studs don't have such a problem...

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #39 on:** February 16, 2012, 08:44:48 AM »

I suppose I shoot my magnum rifles as much or more than ever, at game...I seldom shoot groups much any more as I have developed the loads I need over the years...I do still shoot my .22-250's, and .223's more 'cause I shoot far more varmits than big game..as for pistols, I never developed the skill to shoot heavy magnum loads: hot 38 spl.s were my choice and hot .44 spls. were my second choice...in the last few years I have come to enjoy the 45 auto...but recoil there is not a problem...as for shotguns, I use my 10 bore often for duck, always for geese, and some for turkey, but this shooting is rather limited in my area...but I do like that gun...most of my shotgunning is still with various 12 bore pumps...since I hunt the praire mostly my favorite load is either 3 1/4 -1 1/8 - or 3 1/4 - 1 /1/4 loads of 5's or 6's....I have a couple 20's and occasionaly use those, but I haven't the faith in either that I do in the 12's....oddly my favorite shotgun aside from the 12's is a little 870 28 ga...it is a great blue grouse gun..and it has taken sage grouse up to 40 yards.....so as I approach age 65 my shooting is much the same as it was when I was 25, except I have more guns to play with and more time to play....

streak · « **Reply #40 on:** February 16, 2012, 09:10:21 AM »

Quote from: m-g Willy on February 15, 2012, 04:05:24 PM

It's not the recoil that bothers me as I get older ,,it's those new fuzzy sights they put on all those guns now.
Heck someone even snuck in and put them fuzzy things on all my old guns too!

Glad to see someone else has noticed those fuzzy sights!!

temmi · « **Reply #41 on:** February 17, 2012, 06:57:12 AM »

I am 57 and I regularly shoot my 480R

Keeps me young.

That is not counting rifles.

guns-o-fun · « **Reply #42 on:** March 03, 2012, 01:10:08 AM »

I will be 65 this summer. I have double padded all of my hard kicking rifles with the addition of slip-on pads over the original rubber recoil pads. The little 460 S&W Kahtadin rifle I bought last year makes my neck hurt some even with the extra pad! As far as handguns go, I still love my super Blackhawk 44 magnum because of the roll back in my hand - otherwise my wrist would be complaining

. Everything wears out. Fundamental law of nature. At least you are smart enough to recognize your new limits. Plan on getting one of those 6.5 Swede barrels for the Encore myself....

odoh · « **Reply #43 on:** April 08, 2012, 08:20:06 PM »

Quote from: AtlLaw on February 16, 2012, 08:05:10 AM

Quote from: timothy on February 16, 2012, 12:50:59 AM
I wonder if you older gentleman are shooting more often and less formally these days and that why your preferance is shifting to the easier kicking calibers?

Yeah! Why all you old dudes wussin up about recoil!? Brittle bones and all that I 'spose...

I'm glad us young studs don't have such a problem...

Add detached retina to the list

sc1911cwp · « **Reply #44 on:** April 09, 2012, 02:54:00 AM »

I wanted to jump in again and say if you reload, like many of us do, just load it down alittle. I shoot .44 magnum at 44 special velocities. I'm not getting rid of my Freedom Arms 83, yet. Heck, I just got it. Oh, and I'm only 59

45-70.gov · « **Reply #45 on:** April 09, 2012, 04:42:54 AM »

i am 56.......had heart surgery 5 weeks ago

wouldn't hesitate one second to shoot my 17 ounce 357 MAG

3 weeks ago i was looking at some 45-70 targets and thought
that recoil might open up my chest
but even then my 357 was in my pocket ready if needed

give me another week and i might drag out the 500 smith
the 500 is not a practical gun
i just like to shoot it to ''de-sensitize'' myself to recoil

probly need a few more weeks before i go out with a shotgun....[other than a 410]

odoh · « **Reply #46 on:** April 10, 2012, 06:14:17 AM »

my mag recoil nemesis is the 338 from a bench w/o brake/sissy bag ~ no, not a 375 but the 338 win mag. Have had to go to the chiropractor, developed migraines. Now thet I'm in my second 67th yr. (made a mistake on my 66th thinking i was 67 ~ ''til this yr when I'm really 67. Getting old aint for the faint ) I've learned to walk a less painful path.

Swampman · « **Reply #47 on:** April 10, 2012, 06:28:23 AM »

Although I shoot a lot of moderate loads these days I find that I can handle recoil a lot better than when I was young. I don't fight it as much.

oldhunter · « **Reply #48 on:** April 10, 2012, 11:50:03 PM »

Now 70 and have begun to enjoy the lighter calibers in rifle, handgun and shotguns. Many years ago, on occasion would shoot 45-70, 375 H&H Mag, and 458 Win Mag. Now prefer 30-06 reduced recoil loads, 150 gr 30-30, 140 gr, 7mm-08 or 357 mag lever rifle. Also still own a black powder 10 gauge (haven't shot it in 30 years) 12 gauge that I shot last about 10 years ago but will often take my Ithaca model 37, 20 gauge out that weighs 5 3/4 lbs and still fits like a glove. Bought it new in 1958 when I was 14 years old. The largest and badest handgun I ever shot was a 454 Casull about 15 years ago. A friend owned it and several of us would shoot it, but quickly tired of the beating it gave us. Now I am very happy to shoot my 44 special, 357 mag, 38 special, 9mm and many 22's. I think that we all start to revert to the guns that we started with as many of my older friends now enjoy shooting 22's as much as anything. Doesn't seem to matter if it is a 22 rifle or a handgun, it remains a cheap and fun caliber to shoot often without fear of arthritis, bad shoulders. etc.

oldhunter

temmi · « **Reply #49 on:** April 11, 2012, 07:22:18 AM »

Well,

I'm older than 57...

and

I still shoot my 338WM, 450Marlin, 480 Ruger, 45 Colt and 45 Auto.

So

I guess for me the answer is no

Snake

Woodsman1 · « **Reply #50 on:** April 11, 2012, 10:52:50 AM »

Thanks for all the feed back everyone. But ! I gotta tell ya, I feel like a WIMP, after all the folks older than me are still shooting there big bores. I had totally forgotten about the slip on rubber butt pads for shotguns. I had 1 on a old 20 gauge, when I was about 12, it still kicked like a mule ! It was 1 of those with the twist chock, and it was a bolt action. Guess ill be puttin one of those rubber butt stock cushons on my new 410. Ha Ha. But really, I did buy a 410, and I love shooting it ! Thanks all !

45-70.gov · « **Reply #51 on:** April 12, 2012, 04:17:50 AM »

SSSSSSSSSSSSS
[don't tell anyone......i bought a slip on recoil pad last week]