Heavy Recoiling Rifles
10-13-2011, 04:58 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 3,516
Heavy Recoiling Rifles
A friend of mine fired a Ruger #1 .416 Rem. Mag., and a Weatherby Mark V Deluxe .378 Wby. Mag. Neither rifle had a muzzle brake, and were fired about 16 times a piece. He detached his retina. Has this ever happened to anybody out there. Good luck.
10-13-2011, 05:22 PM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 194
Handloader1,
This type of stuff actually happens somewhat often! In the old days, the Great White Hunters (British hunters)often would detach their retinas while shooting those large bore nitro express rifles. In fact, I have a friend who writes for the Double Gun Journal (top shelf gun magazine) that detached a retina while shooting his Purdy!
I hope your friend gets better!
This type of stuff actually happens somewhat often! In the old days, the Great White Hunters (British hunters)often would detach their retinas while shooting those large bore nitro express rifles. In fact, I have a friend who writes for the Double Gun Journal (top shelf gun magazine) that detached a retina while shooting his Purdy!
I hope your friend gets better!
10-13-2011, 05:22 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 194
Handloader1,
This type of stuff actually happens somewhat often! In the old days, the Great White Hunters (British hunters)often would detach their retinas while shooting those large bore nitro express rifles. In fact, I have a friend who writes for the Double Gun Journal (top shelf gun magazine) that detached a retina while shooting his Purdy!
I hope your friend gets better!
This type of stuff actually happens somewhat often! In the old days, the Great White Hunters (British hunters)often would detach their retinas while shooting those large bore nitro express rifles. In fact, I have a friend who writes for the Double Gun Journal (top shelf gun magazine) that detached a retina while shooting his Purdy!
I hope your friend gets better!
10-13-2011, 06:16 PM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 360
Depends on the shooter I think. I was told that near-sighted people are more prone to it, due to a thinner retina. Ive handled 375H&H, and 300RUM, boxes of them with no problems. Well, after that many rounds, you do feel like you were in a car wreck,lol
10-13-2011, 06:34 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Huntin' In Colorado
Posts: 2,910
I'm 6' 1" and I weigh about 185. I'm a little on the thin side but I'm not a little guy. I can shoot a 30.06 all day with no recoil pad or recoil reducing devices.
If I try shooting a Remington 300 Ultra Mag without a muzzle brake, it kicks my skinny ass. It's just to much for me to handle. I can see it doing physical harm because the recoil is so hard and quick. I love the 300 ultra mag and it is my caliber of choice. I just had to tame it down with a brake.
I hope your friend heals quickly.
If I try shooting a Remington 300 Ultra Mag without a muzzle brake, it kicks my skinny ass. It's just to much for me to handle. I can see it doing physical harm because the recoil is so hard and quick. I love the 300 ultra mag and it is my caliber of choice. I just had to tame it down with a brake.
I hope your friend heals quickly.
10-14-2011, 02:48 PM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: michigan
Posts: 107
I'm 6' 1" and I weigh about 185. I'm a little on the thin side but I'm not a little guy. I can shoot a 30.06 all day with no recoil pad or recoil reducing devices.
If I try shooting a Remington 300 Ultra Mag without a muzzle brake, it kicks my skinny ass. It's just to much for me to handle. I can see it doing physical harm because the recoil is so hard and quick. I love the 300 ultra mag and it is my caliber of choice. I just had to tame it down with a brake.
I hope your friend heals quickly.
If I try shooting a Remington 300 Ultra Mag without a muzzle brake, it kicks my skinny ass. It's just to much for me to handle. I can see it doing physical harm because the recoil is so hard and quick. I love the 300 ultra mag and it is my caliber of choice. I just had to tame it down with a brake.
I hope your friend heals quickly.
10-16-2011, 10:12 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,482
I've heard that detatched retinas with hard recoiling rifles is not that uncommon. Of course there are a lot of factors that weigh in to it, but it does happen. I am not recoil shy, but on the other hand, I see no point in punishing yourself by shooting more of a rifle than is necessary. I guess I am of the opinion that many people are overgunned for the game they are hunting. I can see using big, heavy recoiling calibers for African dangerous game and maybe large bears, but for the 99% of the rest of us who go after deer, black bear, elk, etc.... calibers in the 30.06 class or smaller are more than adequate...
10-17-2011, 12:39 PM
#10
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 35
Yes, you are correct regrading nearsightedness and detachment (I speak from personal experience having torn, not detached, my retina). The tear had nothing to do with firearms but, I was advised to watch what I was shooting in the future because tears can lead to detachments.
The MD's point was simply that near-sighted people and as people age (both have thinner retina's), and people who have experienced head trauma (falls, hockey, football, boxing, etc.) have an increased chance of tears/detachments. It has nothing to do with your ability to handle recoil, it is a question of whether your retina and the viscous fluid in the eye can. If your fluid is too "sticky" (retina and the fluid) and/or you have had a sharp blow to the head in the past, transmission of additional "shock" could cause a tear and a tear a detachment.
The MD's point was simply that near-sighted people and as people age (both have thinner retina's), and people who have experienced head trauma (falls, hockey, football, boxing, etc.) have an increased chance of tears/detachments. It has nothing to do with your ability to handle recoil, it is a question of whether your retina and the viscous fluid in the eye can. If your fluid is too "sticky" (retina and the fluid) and/or you have had a sharp blow to the head in the past, transmission of additional "shock" could cause a tear and a tear a detachment.