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.

How about shooting from your non-dominant side?

I second what was said earlier. If nothing else works get a light calibre (.243, .260) and add a muzzle brake. Used carefully almost anything can be taken with one of these light calibres.

Jim

My shoulder can't be fixed and I'm seriously thinking about adding a muzzle break to my .06 or using the 6.5 Swede with 130 gr AB"s for elk this year.

I like the idea of a super specialist when one can be found. I had rotator cuff repair, A/C joint cut down removing the spur and biceps tendon anchored to bone. I'm 7 mo. post op and completed a long physical therapy protocol. I still have some pain, raising my arm very high above my head, but can do most of what I need to do. Recoil off the bench doesn't bother me. 7RM is the biggest gun I've shot since surgery, but think I could shoot my .375 H&H.

My surgeon lectures all over the world on his thing, shoulder surgery. The day I had my repair, he operated on a German orthopedic surgeon who flew here for his surgery, bringing his ortho resident daughter who observed all 6 surgeries that morning.

I'm told these things take up to 12-18 mo. for max improvement. I believe that.

DF

Good luck, I would go with a lot of PT and pain meds before going under the knife. I wish you the very best with the shoulder. I am a lap swimmer, and had an injury, 10 years ago and worked through the pain and I am 100% functional today without surgury.

Get onto the PT regimen immediately and vigorously!
I seriously believe the PT is at least as necessary as the surgery!

Follow through with your PT. Time heals most if directions are followed. Good luck.

In 2006 I had full shoulder reconstruction, A/C joint removed, both sides on my shooting arm, after rehab/therapy and TIME, I can shoot anything up to and including the 505 Gibbs with 600gr pills.
I was strapped for 3 months, total immobilisation, and I had 12 months rehab after that. No shooting in that time, but my surgeon is a sports orthapaedic guy and new that my job (arborist) also required near 100% healing and use afterwards.
Funny thing, my right arm has been great since the surgery, but because the mind tends to favour the injured side and protects it, my left shoulder is far worse now than my right shoulder ever was!!
Anyway, time heals all, follow the therapy to the letter, it hurts, let me rell ya, but in the end you will be thankful you did it.

Cheers.

The PT is essential. I've got two friends who had different kinds of surgery (knee and carpal tunnel) and neither did ANY of the PT afterward. Instead both went back to work in a couple days, and one is an electrician and one a rancher. Both are suffering now because they thought the surgery was the entire deal.

On another note, I've also known several people who did the PT after various kinds of surgery (including shoulder) and while they did OK, still had some pain. They decided to try acupuncture and it helped a LOT. One was a guy in his late 70's who you'd think would be last guy to try "alternative" medicine, but it took care of the remaining pain and he's now a believer.

So there are other things that can help, even after the surgery and physical therapy.

I had open heart surgery on May 28th of last year and was shooting a 264mag,280AI for deer season and 12 guage shotgun with high velocity no 2s in them for duck season and had absolutely no problem at all with them.Like most have said,have it done and try shooting when completely recovered.My main problem was convincing myself of what I could and could not do.I do not listen to other people or doctors period.I made sure I was completely healed 1st.I will PRAY for your complete full recovery.