Uh oh. Need shoulder replacement...

[crowbarforge]

Doc says there is no cartilage left in my right shoulder socket, bone on bone scraping. Ouch. Options are to live with the (increasing) pain or shoulder replacement. I am concerned that this will SEVERELY impact my flintlock long gun shooting.I know some of you guys have had to face this dilemma. Were you able to recover and shoot your favorite smokepoles? Did you have to restrict things to .32-.36 calibers? How long was recovery. Thanks.

 

[bang]

Don't have a replacement but have family that has. Not shoulder but my point is they have made good strides with them. Key is the physical therapy. Got to be down right serious with it. Get back range of motion and strength. Still may need to tame the load a bit and maybe incoporate a sporters pad vest or the like. If it becomes an issue possibly switch to left.

 

[Historian]

Honestly, you may have to use recoil pads which are easily covered up with leather covers. This means cutting the stock to get the right length. I have had to have modern Pachmayer recoil pads put on all my guns due to rotator cuff surgery. They have helped out greatly. Just covered them with leather covers that I stitched up my self. Look real nice. You can also put in a mercury recoil reducer inside the stock. Real easy to do and will help as well.

Watch out for scar tissue as it is the biggest enemy. Take the therapy seriously.

 

[Rifleman1776]

It is remarkable what modern surgery can do. I know many folks and several ortho surgeons who have had or do this procedure. OTOH, I am not a fan of physical therapists. One ruined my shoulder after surgery. They seem to think older people are as strong and flexible as 25 year old athletes. Now, I just get a printed sheet with the exercises and do them at home at my own speed and level of endurance.

 

[Coot]

Doc says there is no cartilage left in my right shoulder socket, bone on bone scraping. Ouch. Options are to live with the (increasing) pain or shoulder replacement. I am concerned that this will SEVERELY impact my flintlock long gun shooting.I know some of you guys have had to face this dilemma. Were you able to recover and shoot your favorite smokepoles? Did you have to restrict things to .32-.36 calibers? How long was recovery. Thanks.

While not a replacement, I have had extensive reconstructive sugery on my right shoulder. I had physical therapy after that and for back issues & highly recommend it. I was relieved to see high school athletes & middle aged policemen in the therapy with me since I could then deny that the need for PT was "old gezeritis" (I was 65 at the time). The lead PT therapist gave this advice: "if it (what they want you to try) is not uncomfortable, you are not trying hard enough. If it is actually painfulI, then you are trying to do too much too soon and may actually regress. I also recommend a product from Buffalo Arms Co. - their BACO Shoulder Recoil Pad - a leather covered dense foam pad that protects the shoulder & collarbone.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I’ve done PT for both shoulders without surgery and in both cases is relieved the issues.

 

[Blogman]

Crow, I blew out my right shoulder and had to have surgery in "02". Now I have to do the same with me left, um tickle. I know what you're dealing with.
Just for kicks I found a slip-on recoil pad that looks very nice and works great. I use it with my double 12ga shotgun and not even a tingle after firing it. Look into something like that and if someone comes by just slip it off and tuck it in ya coat. Here's the one I bought, I now make em hand-made for customers.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Slip-On-Re...-Rifle-Butt-stock-Made-in-Europe/223729419828

 

[Sparkitoff]

I had reconstruction of the shoulder in 2002. I have some artificial parts and some repairs. Most of this came from being a left-handed hockey player and doing a lot of heavy checking with my right shoulder. After surgery the Doc said no shooting in his words "bigger than a 22". That was to last 5-6 months. Well with bird season in just one month I didn't want to miss it and thought I'd be fine with a 28 gauge. I made it through the day and a few shots didn't seem to have effect so I slacked off on PT after that too. Well, it never did heal right. If I shoot any long-gun just a few shots I have a severely discolored shoulder even now, 18 years later. If I shoot a lot of heavy recoiling shots I will develop swelling and a pain that runs from shoulder up into my neck and causes a bad headache. Doc says I should have another surgery to fix this, but no thanks. I don't shoot much with light, heavy recoiling guns with narrow butts. Something 8 or more pounds with a wide, large and flat butt will make me colorful but not sore if I keep the shot count down. I can easily survive a day of dove shooting with 50 or so shots out of a 20 gauge percussion shotgun, but not several days in a row like that. A day at the range with 25 or less shots is not problem - colorful but not painful. I like .54 and .62 caliber percussion and flintlock and use 19, 20 and 20 gauge percussion shotguns. My advice is to take off of shooting and other strains for the prescribed period and complete all PT and follow-up visits. After that, get back into it slowly and incrementally. Do not exceed your threshold for discomfort. I think if your shoulder is done right you will be relieved and surprised at how comfortable shooting will be again.

 

[hanshi]

Near 25 years ago I had extensive surgery on both shoulders over a two year period. The right went first and the left a year later; yes, it took that long to do PT and recover. Only got around 80% use back. I didn't shoot much during that time and then only the little guys. PT can be tough but it can also bring you back.

I have a friend/former student who had hip replacements not all that long ago. He still teaches jujitsu.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Doc says there is no cartilage left in my right shoulder socket, bone on bone scraping. Ouch. Options are to live with the (increasing) pain or shoulder replacement. I am concerned that this will SEVERELY impact my flintlock long gun shooting.I know some of you guys have had to face this dilemma. Were you able to recover and shoot your favorite smokepoles? Did you have to restrict things to .32-.36 calibers? How long was recovery. Thanks.

Took my dad about a year, and he was past 80 yoa. They said he had just enough bone remaining in the shoulder to attach the screws. Had he waited another 6 months, it would've been too late.

You can't rush the therapy. The bones will take time to accept the new socket, and you have to be very careful not to damage the healing process as it continues. It will be frustratingly slow, but it will work.

OH he's not all that much into Black Powder but he just bought a used Garand. I think if he can shoot that, you will be able to do BP.

LD

 

[Col. Batguano]

I've not had shoulder work done, but plenty of knee work, particularly ACL's. Be careful with the rehab. You need to listen to your body. I got way too over-zealous with it on the first one and wound up damaging the remaining cartilage to the point that needed surgery to get cleaned up. The point is to do it,and consistently, but not to over do it.

 

[olskool]

mike Beliveau "duelist 1954" on youtube had I think a shoulder replacement an is doing good with shooting,,,,,,,,

 

[appalichian hunter]

About 1983 had major surgery to my left shoulder 3 times ( I am left handed ) had a vert difficult time with it, Each time it would get to feeling good the doctors sent me back to work only to have it fail again in a few months.The physical therapy was pure he-- at the time I worked the freight docks for a major trucking firm, the 3rd time was in surgery for 8 hours at Hershey Pa. medical center to put it back together, the surgeon told me to get away from heavy lifting work it took almost 8 years to recover to the point where I was comfortable with it. Still cannot sleep on my left side. So that was when I went into law enforcement work with the state of Maryland. At this time I was into the C.M.P. high power rifle match shooting laid the rifles down. And started pistol competition. Short end of the story backed off the various long gun shooting to include the muzzle loaders. Still hunted but would be very careful of the loads by reducing the charge in the black powder long gungs. The last few years things are going pretty well even talked to a local gun club about returning to the high power matches.

 

[crowbarforge]

Thanks for the stories and suggestions friends. I am scheduled for mid-June. Worse case is i will just have to "specialize" on squirrel hunting for the next season with a still in-the-white .32 Allentown sort of rifle in a fine cherry stock. I can suffer through that!

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

There are no doctors, surgeries, or medicines that can beat the healing power of prayer.

 

[bore_butter]

those shoulder surgeries take some time to heal properly. about 5 years ago I had some extreme rotor cuff surgery and it took a year and a half before I could shoot my .50cal. I had to drop the load from 90grns to 70grns fff powder. I bought one of the cushy rubber butt covers and a shoulder shooting pad. now about 5 years later it seems fine but I still shoot the lesser load and wear the shoulder pad.

 

[Antonio Ferraioli]

I had a full shoulder replacement. No rotor cuff problems. Do your rehab. Do some rifle exercises. My mistake was not doing rifle exercises and I am a bit jittery when offhand shooting, but you will do fine.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Both my shoulders are disasters. The VA told me my right shoulder was a good candidate for a "non-reversal half replacement" procedure. Sounds interesting. But, as long as I can still scratch my back I'm avoiding more surgery.

 

[Antonio Ferraioli]

Do not wait, it is not as scary as you would think. My VA did an excellent job. Had it done and was out the next day. Take your pain pills

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

those shoulder surgeries take some time to heal properly. about 5 years ago I had some extreme rotor cuff surgery and it took a year and a half before I could shoot my .50cal. I had to drop the load from 90grns to 70grns fff powder. I bought one of the cushy rubber butt covers and a shoulder shooting pad. now about 5 years later it seems fine but I still shoot the lesser load and wear the shoulder pad.
View attachment 25753

Kind of looks like what I boiled up with my pot of beans this afternoon...