Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Heavy recoil rifles and Spinal Surgery

Hello, All
New guy here who’s been following along for a while but thought I’d ask for input from others that may be in a similar situation. After years of collecting and shooting some fairly hard recoiling rifles I may be faced with an issue. I’ve recently had to undergo spinal fusion surgery. Going through the front of my neck and putting hardware on my c-4,5&6. I’m just now starting physical therapy I’ve lost a lot of movement in my right arm but hopefully it will recover. Has anyone here gone through this surgery and had experience moving forward shooting rifles with a lot of recoil? Did you have to give them up?

Welcome to the site...

A suppressor will reduce recoil substantially.

Good luck...

I have C2, C3, C4 fused 2 years ago. I also have S1, L4, L5 fused, 9 years ago I shoot anything I want.

Give it 6 months and you should be fine, Talk with your doc. I did find that the upper healed a lot faster than the lower did.

Posterior fusion C2 through T2. Be two years in a couple of months. I’ve sold all my heavy recoiling rifles. My hunting rifles now are a Kimber Montana 308 with a light suppressor and a model 64 in 30/30. I can shoot some hard kicking sixguns a little.
Best of luck to you. Physical therapy will help so learn what works for you. I have to do about 30 minutes of stretches and exercise every morning. Life is good mostly

have had 4 back surgeries last one was a year and 1/2 ago plates and screws plus fussing of 4 and 5 ,also neck surgery with the entire disc taken out and a steel disc installed .also have had surgery in both shoulders . ya recoil sucks i use a Ruger #1 with a contour #4 barrel chambered in a 257 Weatherby mag. this cartridge does not have as much recoil using 100 gr, bullets its fast and knocks the heck out of bigger buck deer too. i have 338 Lapua rifle also it weighs 14 lbs. with scope and 8 loaded shells on stock this rifle is a custom so i have it ported and this rifle has very little recoil ,my standard 30-06 rifle has more recoil. but to be honest the 257 Weatherby mag. is all i want to use anymore recoil on this cartridge is tolerable for me. the worst gun i have for recoil is a Savage 220 20 gauge slug rifle i won`t shoot that anymore very nasty recoil.good luck with your recovery,Pete53

Curious about your condition. How is your movement, especially lower body? Can you tie your shoes, stuff like that? What about twisting? Like swinging a golf club? Something like this could be in my future

You are perfectly describing a friend of mine by your title is this you? Lol .

Thanks for the reply. I’m hoping you’re right with things getting better in the 6 month time frame. Obviously time will tell!

I will certainly have to come up with a routine. I’m surprised at how much my first two therapy sessions have kicked me in the butt.

Hello, I’m not sure. I have a lot of friends and some family in MO!

If you was you would know it unless you're not recognizing the title we just assembled you a 6.5 Grendel the other night and I sent a text to the person.
He too has had some recent surgery and spinal fusion and neck area and will have some nerve damage to the right arm. And had a big liking for bigger firearms that he no longer may be able to shoot.

Sorry, wasn’t me. But it is a coincidence for sure!

I had C,3,4 and five fused three years ago. It took about two years before I could shoot my 375H&H comfortably.

I’m happy to hear that you were eventually able to start shooting it again, that’s promising to hear on my end. Thx

My chiropractor doesn't like it but it hasn't caused me any problem. I had problems with both my arms and my right hand had been numb for years. The surgery helped my arms and I now have some of feelings back in my hand.

I'm a medical person... but I'll keep my response simple...

If I had to go thru that ordeal... I'd be hunting and shooting rifles at the range, hand loaded with 30 grains of IMR 4198...

If I needed more than that for a rifle... I wouldn't be shooting it..

I load that load in many calibers for Boy Scouts, or let them load it themselves, with my supervision, and with dad usually there overseeing it all.

A 12 yr old can shoot that load, and not be afraid of it...

its good for deer and such out to 200 yds or a little more, if ya know what you're doing...

at the range for the last couple of months.. I've been playing with a 223, with a load of 10 grains of Unique, and have been ringing steel targets over at the range, pretty consistently at 300 and 400 yds...I don't have any medical issues.. I am doing it strictly because it is cheap, and stretches out components and your rifle barrel's life expectency.

just work your way up after finding something you can handle...

I've had four spinal surgeries going in for #5th. on 9-21-2022.

In 2000 I had a disc go bad in my neck. It blew while I was asleep. So, now I have a bone fusion at C5/6

A few years later, I started having issues with my lower back; started with a fusion at L4/5 It didn't last but 2 years.
I start thinking, what a nightmare. To make the next repairs, they need to go in the front then do the back side. That was all well and good, for a few more years, the screws didn't hold, and my hardware became loose.
So now, I go in on the 21st. to make the repairs needed. This will be my 5th spinal surgery.
No hunting season for me this year. I had tags for Montana and California Deer and Bear.

After I heal up, I'll see what I can do as far as hunting and the great outdoors.

I hope you all have a great hunting season.

Take care

Not my neck, but in late 2017, I had major lower spinal surgery. They went in front and back, almost a 9 hour surgery. I now sport pins and rods and screws and plates... fusion too. 4-1/2 years later, my back is about the only thing that doesn't hurt! Lol! Give yourself time to heal and do your PT like your life depends on it! The spring of 2018, just months after my surgery, it was coming up on spring turkey hunting. I went to pattern my turkey gun, fired one shell and had to sit there for a while before I could get up, pack up and leave. Too soon! Thankfully, didn't hurt anything, but I felt that 12ga, 3" turkey load throughout my entire body. I did loose some movement in my lower back. Only time I really notice it is when I'm putting on my shoes... could use a little longer arms. Like I said, give yourself time to heal and be diligent with your PT. Best to you and take care.

a number of years back, after getting an ICD installed to help control the heart, Doctor insisted no recoil due to a high probability that the recoil would tug the leads and disconnect the device from the heart. After a few years, he said it was ok to go back to rifles and shotguns, but only a 20 ga, not a 12, and no rifles that kicked more than a .243 Winchester.

I remember my father having his neck fused in August, he spent that deer season shooting his 300mag off his bicep, no issues. That was '94, remember watching woodstock 94 in the hospital room with him.