Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Shoulder surgery & felt recoil

I'm scheduled to have a total right shoulder replacement in a few weeks and am worried about recoil . Pretty sure the 12 ga.& 270 win are out for good . I hope to try a 243 in a Handi rifle and T/C contender 14 " in 30/30 win. or 223 rem . Sorry if anyone else has had to undergo this . Any thoughts are suggestions will be helpful

Sorry to hear about your Shoulder, wishing you the best on your surgery and recovery. If I was you, I would wait and see how you recover, you might be better than anticipated.

243, 7-08 don't recoil much. Might have to go with a 28ga. for a shotgun.

Wish you well.

I think you're right . All ready been thinking about the 28ga.

2 surgeries on each shoulder. Right in need of another, ruptured long bicep torn labrum and rotater cuff tear. No problems shooting my 9.3x62, 7mm RM or my shotguns . My expierence, shooting my bow is a bit uncomfortable if I shoot to much. Since I drew a NM elk tag this year, I'll grin an bear it.

I had rotator cuff surgery, right/shooting shoulder six months ago. I can shoot about anything, although I did trade my .404J for a 7x57. Off the bench with a full house 7RM, no problem.

I do have a 28 ga. and some 20 ga. guns, but think I'll be able to dove hunt with a 12 ga. M-1100, which is a smooth, easy recoiling gun. And, my reloads aren't maxed out.

DF

Same here, but it's my left. I'll still need to avoid sudden sharp impacts, so says the surgeon. I might wait until well into October if possible.

I have two NV elk tags and a deer tag, plus my grandson needs a hunting partner for blue grouse and pheasant.

Best Wishes on your surgery and recovery.

Yes to a friend who had shoulder replacement surgery. Dr told him AFTER recovery and therapy, shooting a rifle was not a problem.

He's been shooting a 270 W & 12 ga. for a few yrs. now.

Hopefully you'll be able to do the same.

Don't give up too soon.

This is great ! The rifle season for deer in eastern nc starts around the middle of October , probably want be ready for it with a long gun but might can handle the contender ? Wishful thinking .

To all you guys that deal with this , I know your pain . Thanks for the info. Hope you fill your tags this year.

It hurts get something that don't ! Handgun...

Shoulder replacement is a big deal. One of my best buds had his done and he does not shoot anything over a 243. He did have complications but he's done with big boomers.

I had labrum surgery (SLAP type II) about 7-8 years ago. I also had a couple bone spurs and arthritis. They cleaned it out with a gas powered dremel tool and a sawzall. At leats thats how it felt. I also have 4 pins and a cord holding my bicep onto the bone at the shoulder connection. All told it sucked - alot. I was able to shoot a 30-06 in about a year without any pain. I'm back into anything I want to shoot now and it has been 'normal' for the past 5 years or so.

A couple of suggestions for you. First find the best doctor you can find and go to him/her. Major surgery is not a time for convenience or cost cutting. You don't want the local shoulder surgeon who does dog spaying/neutering on the weekends. Find the best guy and go to him.

Second, do exactly what he tells you for post-surgery rehab. If he says stand on your head on full moon nights - do it. Rehab is going to suck - do it. Rehab is going to hurt and you'll be sore - do it. Rehab will take 6-8 months - do it. You only get one opportunity to get it right. Shoulder replacement isn't one of those multiple repeat surgeries if it doesn't go right. You may be able to get it twice. My buddy has had the same one done twice - and he's done, no more bone to attach to.

Third, don't push rehab. You will not be 'right' for 12-18 months maybe longer with full replacement. Do what doctor says, rehab religiously, and be patient. It will be 3 steps forward, 1 step back for longer than you want.

If you do what is asked of you, I'm fairly confident you'll be able to tolerate a reasonable level of recoil (30-06). My buddy wasn't exactly a model patient and he's suffered for it. Good luck and keep us in the loop.

My hunting partner had a right shoulder joint replacement. He did as as he was instructed by the medical professionals, did the therapy at rehab and home religiously. He can shoot his .300 win Kimber 8400 with no discomfort 2 years later. PS: also his bow at higher poundage than before the surgery and he turns 70 this year.

These guys are giving you good advice. Had extensive shoulder surgery in 2006 at age 56. prior to the surgery I could not lift my hand above my ear. I now have full range of motion. Find the best PT guy you can and do what he says. Be prepared for a lot of pain. I now exercise religiously to maintain my strength as long as I can. Have done almost 7000 pushups and hundreds of pull-ups [ I keep track] this year alone. Good luck with your surgery.

Go slow and listen to the doctors, good luck with it.

I could hunt deer for the rest of my life with a 223.

After two surgeries on my left shoulder, I can tell you that Bwinters and Steelhead's advise is spot on!

Also, try and find a shoulder surgeon that deals with college athletes and is part of a teaching hospital where their P.T. tech get ongoing training...you may be very sorry if you don't!

You should consider having muzzle breaks put on your rifles right now, will reduce your recoil by %60 or more.

If you want to go custom to reduce recoil even more, then consider a 223AI with a Muzzle break, 22/250AI with a muzzle break, and a 243 AI with a muzzle break. Barnes bullets in these 22's are the hammer of Thor on deer, and the 243 AI with a 85g tsx or a 95g Partiton is a deer slaying mamma jamma!

Not a shoulder job, but upper disc's C4&5 & C5&6 that had been jacked with during a massive 23oz Lipoma tumor removal from the side of my neck as I recall was the culprits.

Moved down from a 270 & 300WMg to a 257rbts as the get it done deer shooter after the 1 year layoff and 18 month rehab, and got back in the game s l o w l y off the bench & was well cinched up in a Past Pad Single Breasted Bra at 1st for more than 5-10 then 25-30 rounds...kept sharp with 22LR's at 75-100 yards in the 1st 90 days to reteach muscle memory and trigger discipline. Same thing with lack of reach, shaving and oral hygiene and help needed at first with pants zippers. God gave me a left hand only for balance and wearing a watch I am so badly right handed.

+1 on staying with a strengthening regiman too.
Ron

I had rotator cuff surgery on the right shoulder one month before the 2006 deer season, I hunted with the Redhawk in the left hand that year. By the following year, I was fine with the 270, 358 Win and 12 gauge.

What about the reduced/managed recoil ammo for your 270? Nothing wrong with buying a smaller gun but the reduced stuff may allow you to keep shooting 'Old Faithful'

FWIW,

Dale

Exactly what my ortho surgeon told me!
That said - after a re-attachment of my bicep last Aug 12, I hunted dove in late Sept with a 28, could shoot my 243 & 30-30 by mid Oct, and didn't get around to trying the 375 until March.

My doc is also one of the ortho surgeons for the US Olympic ski team - and he specializes in shoulders. Other docs in that office specialize in knees, or hips, or other mangled parts. But, they all specialize. My doc told me he'd done over 2800 shoulder surgeries, a year ago.
Experience counts!

+1000

You want someone that BTDT and nothing will surprise him/her. They've seen it all before.