Old age and trigger time!

[KHornet]

Seems like the older I get, the more I enjoy all the trigger time I get. Been diagnosed with AMD in the left eye, have a bad back, Arthur attacks my knees, I wear hearing aids, and I turn 80 in Dec. That said, I manage to shoot just about every Fri at the local indoor range w/wife (2 for 1 day), and get to the outdoor range sometimes solo, sometimes with Brad, as often as time allows. Up until my early 70's, I was still able to hunt Africa. Am very thankful that I have been able to afford to hunt Africa twice, and was able to take a nice Kodiak on the Alutions, in my 40''s. Back then I was dumb enough to say that if it had a trigger I was willing to shoot it. Put three factory rounds in a 460 Weatherby on a challenge as a result of that. Those days are gone for ever. I no longer appreciate heavy recoiling rifles. A couple of my heavier recoiling rifles are now still shot with moderate or very minimal recoiling rifles. The last few deer kills with full power loads have been with 7x57 77 Ruger with 154 gr Hornady's.
Thanks to Ben's influence I now shoot a lot of plain base bullets over very light loads of pistol powder in the majority of rifles. Have always had a fascination with old military rifles, as issued. Thankfully, I still have a good right eye, and still am able to shoot Harris type loads in them at 50 yds. I once in awhile shoot at 100, but in the past couple of years find that it is more enjoyable to post at 50 yds than 100. I load for a whoop of different ctgs, and like to keep a good healthy stock of every cartridge I load for. Have never been smart enough to find the "ONE" load per weapon and stick just with it. Have found the one load for most of my weapons, but then there are always different bullet weights to try, new powders, different primers, new molds to try, etc. Guess the "ONE" load would just be boring. I note that a lot of shooters, hunters, reloaders have given up shooting, hunting, and reloading, telling themselves that they are to old. I sure hope I never reach that age. The only thing that will stop me from shooting, reloading and hunting will be health considerations. If I have to have AMD, I thank God that I have it in my left eye, and that the right still allows me to shoot open sights with my right. I am thankful for this forum, a shooting son in law. daughter, grand daughter and wife, and friends on the forum like J.W, Ben, Freebullet quicksilver, Bill in KC, and others. I don't think I will ever have enough trigger time to suit me. And now I think I will go down and load a batch of 9mm's.

Paul

 

[S Mac]

I'm glad you still enjoying things Paul. We all need to be thankful for what we have and can do. Keep plugging.

 

[Rick]

Eye sight is what has put a big hurt on my shooting time. Sure takes the fun out of it with two things that ya can't see well enough to shoot well. The first would be the sights, the second is the target. A scope helps but not enough to really bring back the fun of it and I was always an open sight guy anyway. Turn 70 in a couple of months and everything considered the rest of me is kinda hangin in there. Geez, never ever occurred to me I would live this long or I might have taken better care of myself. hhmmm, na probably not.

 

[KHornet]

Ya Rick a lot of us old farts would have taken better care of our younger bodies had we known we would live this long. That said, it tis what it tis, and
we just need to keep plugging along. I recall hearing someone awhile back say "as soon as you stop living a normal life, you start dying". I kind of like that. Kind of reminds me of the old yankee saying, "I'm not the man I once was, but once I'm the man I always was!"

Paul

 

[JSH]

Paul, we might be some kind of kin. I have one load for very few guns, but of those there is never a question of where they hit.

The few dozen other rifles and pistols, fed a steady diet of cast, it always seems I come up with maybe a better mouse trap and am so inclined to try it.

May have somthing to do with my child hood and one flavor of ice cream, vanilla. Now I can have rocky road, butter brickle, pecan,lol.

Keep shooting.
Jeff

 

[Intheshop]

Nice writeup.Keep after it KHornet.

Feel bad I didn't make it to the gaming fields today.

 

[oscarflytyer]

KH - I am a bit younger than you (55), but after having both shoulders rebuilt, and the R one nearly had to be replaced... I moderated all my calibers and loads. I also used to be the one that "If it's got a trigger..." I did buy a 45-70, as always wanted one, found it, and was convinced that I could cast and shoot it with mild recoil. Love it. Have a lot of levers and shoot them all with peeps (eyes can no longer do buckhorns...) and cast bullets. Always shot single actions and used to shoot heavy loads. I find myself casting/shooting more traditional/lighter loads, and maybe soon some basic go bang Cowboy loads. Also shooting more 22 handgun and loving it. Casting bullets has really allowed me to shoot light recoil with more enjoyment. A new indoor range opened 15 min away and that has also contributed to more and more enjoyable shooting. And everyone here has always been great and helpful.

 

[Ian]

It took me a while to stop being angry and accept that my vision will never be great again after an almost ten year burn with pars planitis, but at least I can still see and do well enough with a scope and just barely well enough with irons to still have fun. Like many of you nearly twice my age I have had to give up the hard kickers, too many retina tears and surgeries already and don't want to risk a detachment. My eye doctor told me no more shotgun or hard-kicking rifles after the first torn retina surgery, then there were more surgeries (due to effects of chronic inflammation, not recoil) so I tend to listen pretty closely to him.

 

[freebullet]

One thing you ole' bullseye shooters need to remember, pray & spray is fun, no matter your age & is quite effective if you move close to the target.

Keep at it long as you enjoy it.

 

[RBHarter]

Ya Rick a lot of us old farts would have taken better care of our younger bodies had we known we would live this long.

Then there's me ........if I'd known I was going to be in this kind of shape anyway I'd have done more stupid stuff ......

I never developed mag lust and if I had magnumitis it was because I was allergic to them . I didn't ride dirt bikes until I was 40 , leaned toward the DeVille , LHS/New Yorker and Marquis over Vetts , Stangs or Chargers . I did all the right stuff . At 52 I still have to play nice with my low back , got a soft knee , Artie raising Cain in my wrists , an elbow that sticks in the heat and a shoulder that complains in the cold .

Never regret the youthful foolishness because it hurts now that you're passing middle age . It hurts anyway .

I am coming to have a distaste for muzzle blast and flash .

 

[Uncle Grinch]

Y’all make me feel better with your great attitude. I turned 70 in January and haven’t been able to get to the range as often as I want. Broken wrist, back issues, and everyday husband duties have cut into range time. Your attitude inspires me to stay positive and keep trying to work some range time in my schedule.

 

[Ian]

Then there's me ........if I'd known I was going to be in this kind of shape anyway I'd have done more stupid stuff ......

You said a lot right there. I did everything right, lived cautiously, and still have ended up in about the same shape as you, at 43. You can't take it with you, and it falls apart eventually anyway, so get the most out of it while you can and when you're old and broken down, you'll have good memories to remind you that it was worth it.

 

[Hawk]

Old age is a privilege denied to many!
The key is to enjoy everything you can still do and have fun doing it.
Attitude makes all the difference.
Glad to see we have the right attitude.

 

[smokeywolf]

I was an adrenaline junky when young. Body-building, scuba diving, motorcycles, horses, water-skis, hiking, camping, uncooperative suspects/arrestees. It was the body-building, horses and motorcycles that beat me up the most.
Have had my share of bones broken, lots of arthritis and bursitis, no disc between 4th and 5th lumbar, floaters in my left eye and a few other things that slow me down.
While I'm only in my mid '60s, I've gotten to the point where when I wake up in the morning I'm glad to have all the aches and pains, because the morning that I wake up feeling great, with no pain whatsoever, I'll know that I obviously passed away during the night.

Heavy recoiling rifles? I no longer load 50 grains or more of 3031 in 45-70 cases. Don't need to add detached retina to rest of the challenges that age is bringing.

 

[462]

Prescription drugs keep a couple troubles at bay, but daily I contend with the 39 year old mind not understanding why the 70 year old body doesn’t have the same get-up-and-go that it did at 60.

Hearing aids do a pretty good job of keeping my wife’s mumbling to level that she can mostly tolerate, and the VA audiologist did an excellent job of tweaking them recently.

Can’t remember not ever having floaters, but one morning two months ago a massive one suddenly appeared in my right (shooting) eye. Along with the floater, its vision became blurry and is akin to viewing the world through Sarah Wrap. I see the eye doc later in the month, but I think it is a permanent condition. It’s not a cataract, though that surgery is about 10 years away. I am used to waiting to pull the trigger till the floaters pass by, but this one is more than a little bothersome and many times I’ve have to take a rest then get another sight picture.

A lot of my relatives and friends didn’t make it this far, so I know that the Fates have been kind to me, because it is not as if I never tested them.

Jerry Jeff Walker sang that life is about attitude and timing.
My timing was right . . . twice.
I do keep a positive attitude . . . unless modern society interferes.

 

[Ian]

Any sudden change in vision like that should be cause for alarm, like first thing in the morning be at the opthomologist's office kind of concern. It may just be PVD, but it could indicate a tear.

 

[462]

Ian,

Thanks for the heads-up.

Called the eye doc that morning and saw him two days later. He didn't find any problems other than the new floater, which was a huge relief. I see him, again, later in the month.

 

[oscarflytyer]

I consider myself smarter than I give myself credit for sometimes... When I was young and dumb and in the Army early, never even considered I would live to see 30. Remember telling myself that and having a 'what the hell' attitude. But even then, didn't do a lot of stupid things I could have, and was egged on, to do... Not tattoos; did NOT let the troops goad me into riding bulls, OR playing rugby with them (when I was the CO - KNEW what THAT was all about!). Had my share of slice and dice rapairs (shoulders and hernias - the std stuff). Had a heart attack scare yesterday morning. Luckily it was only a perfect storm of normal old age crap - heartburn/degenerative disk disease in the neck/sleeping wrong on a new pillow and arm going to sleep and aching! But also agree, if I ever wake up and don't hurt and float outta bed, it's all over!

 

[KHornet]

Like Oscarflytyer, I am greatfull for having an indoor range in close driving distance. Am even more greatful that my better half enjoys shooting, and is progressing quite well with handguns. Tis interesting however that she does better with, and likes better the heavier ones. I also managed 23 years USMC/USAF without Tattoos. Was tempted one time as a buck private, but sobered up before I got stupid. I do have three blue dots tattooed around waist and belly when I went thru radiation for prostrate cancer a few years back. We can all who have what ever the devil aches, ailments, maladies, and deseases we have that we have modern medicine to keep us ticking. If we were 50-60 years back, some of us would have been dead by now, and the rest of us would be so crippled up or near blind that trigger pulling would be out of the question. Tis great to see so many positive attitudes on this forum. As for me I am pleased to report that the shot in the eye has improved vision some what. Somebody said what they had was like looking thru Suranwrap. I have improved to just a bit better than that stage, which is a great improvement over what I had. Am actually looking forward to getting the second shot if it continues to help. Never ever thought I would be looking forward to getting a shot in the eye, BUT IF IT HELPS, hell yes.

Paul

 

[JWFilips]

Thanks to Ben's influence I now shoot a lot of plain base bullets over very light loads of pistol powder in the majority of rifles. Have always had a fascination with old military rifles, as issued. Thankfully, I still have a good right eye, and still am able to shoot Harris type loads in them at 50 yds. I once in awhile shoot at 100, but in the past couple of years find that it is more enjoyable to post at 50 yds than 100. I load for a whoop of different ctgs, and like to keep a good healthy stock of every cartridge I load for. Have never been smart enough to find the "ONE" load per weapon and stick just with it. Have found the one load for most of my weapons, but then there are always different bullet weights to try, new powders, different primers, new molds to try, etc. Guess the "ONE" load would just be boring.
Paul

Paul,
I didn't get farther then your first post of this thread ( Yet !) but I just had to respond to that one .
We must think the same because If I started a thread like this, your quote above would mirror my words! ( Kind of scary )
While I love my rifles, I don't have very much to load for so It is easier for me to jump around. I too probable find a pretty good load for a particular rifle then tend to chalk that up and move on to another bullet, mould and powder just to keep it interesting (and frustrate myself many times)
But it does keep it interesting and there is always a reason to make another "range trip"
I only have 2 mil surpus but you are correct ...they are a geat fun to load for and shoot!
I guess I'm no longer a hunter but I will not give up shooting because of old age aches and pains It gives me something to do with my spare time and the reloading well that get me a chance to hide away in my reloading room ( especially if I have a lot of chores to do!)
Jim