Not all of us are 20 years old and in excellent health. After a conversation yesterday at the Geezer League, along with an E mail or two, maybe it's time to bring up a few things common to us over 40.Feel free to chip in if something's missed.
First, a personal observation. One of the reasons I'm 54 and retired can be found in between the back of my skull and my oversized Gluteus Maximus.
My back is a mess. Two herniated discs(T-4&5), a pinched nerve in my neck and some ripped muscles mean lots of anti inflammatories that do not quite take care of all the pain and discomfort. At this point, if something didn't hurt, I'd think I was dead(G).I can stand up for maybe 1 1/2 hours before it gets bad.
So, shooting presents several challenges and pitfalls for us that younger and more fit shooters may not be aware of. Here's what I started doing, it seems to help.
First, when trap shooting, I stretch and bend a bit to get things loosened up. Standing with my feet roughly shoulder width apart, I grasp the shotgun at the grip with both hands. I push it away from my body as far as I can and raise it overhead. After a few of these, I extend my arms, still holding the shotgun, and twist my body from the knees up to one side or another. Then, I bring the shotgun close to my chest and push it away a few times. Now loosened up, I'm ready to shoot, and less likely to get sore by so doing.
Those readers with experience in Tai Chi may recognise some of this.
Not too long ago one of my buddies from the Geezer League inquired about my gyrations. I told him about the back, and now he does it a bit to loosen up. Bad backs are not rare among older shooters.
You know the old joke....
First the legs go, then the eyes, then the memory, and I forget what happens after that....
Older shooters have more eye probs. Besides the slight astigmatism and more severe myopia I've been cursed with since childhood, my Diabetes screen and exams show that I've cataracts. In a less technologically advanced time, this would mean blindness. Instead thanks to modern science and my HMO, they get fixed next month. At the same time, they'll fix the myopia, though I'll still need glasses for the astigmatism.
If you're over 40, get an eye exam yearly. If your scores have been falling over the last year or two, get an eye exam. Do NOT put it off, my operation has an excellent prognosis because the problem was caught early.
Next, muscle mass and tone:
People over 50 lose muscle mass more easily than younger ones. Tone goes quicker, so more regular/frequent exercise is called for. For shotgunners, those exercises mentioned earlier to loosen up are a great start. A good exercise for us is to practice the mount. 50 reps a day lifting a 7-9 lb weight on days we do not shoot helps keep those muscles toned,and also has advantages in shooting. Better condition means less fatigue at the end of the day and maybe a bird or two we'd have missed otherwise...
Also, try mounting the shotgun from the offside when you do those reps.
"Serious" shotgunners need to be able to shoot from either side as needed, and keeping the muscles on both sides in shape is a good idea anyway.
Next, reaction time. As we age, we slow down a bit and lose the edge. However, stuff that's really grooved in through repetition tends to lose less speed. This is why Octogenarians like some of the Geezer League people can smoke them near the traphouse.A couple of folks I shoot with are WWII vets and they make smoke quite often.
For field shooting, going up one increment of choke may make sense. Gene Hill writes that age has cost him 5 yards, by the time he gets on a bird it's 5 yards further out than in days of yore. Actually, since many folks are overchoked, that 5 yards may help the pattern open up and you hit better.Play this by ear.
Question, comments, donations?....
First, a personal observation. One of the reasons I'm 54 and retired can be found in between the back of my skull and my oversized Gluteus Maximus.
My back is a mess. Two herniated discs(T-4&5), a pinched nerve in my neck and some ripped muscles mean lots of anti inflammatories that do not quite take care of all the pain and discomfort. At this point, if something didn't hurt, I'd think I was dead(G).I can stand up for maybe 1 1/2 hours before it gets bad.
So, shooting presents several challenges and pitfalls for us that younger and more fit shooters may not be aware of. Here's what I started doing, it seems to help.
First, when trap shooting, I stretch and bend a bit to get things loosened up. Standing with my feet roughly shoulder width apart, I grasp the shotgun at the grip with both hands. I push it away from my body as far as I can and raise it overhead. After a few of these, I extend my arms, still holding the shotgun, and twist my body from the knees up to one side or another. Then, I bring the shotgun close to my chest and push it away a few times. Now loosened up, I'm ready to shoot, and less likely to get sore by so doing.
Those readers with experience in Tai Chi may recognise some of this.
Not too long ago one of my buddies from the Geezer League inquired about my gyrations. I told him about the back, and now he does it a bit to loosen up. Bad backs are not rare among older shooters.
You know the old joke....
First the legs go, then the eyes, then the memory, and I forget what happens after that....
Older shooters have more eye probs. Besides the slight astigmatism and more severe myopia I've been cursed with since childhood, my Diabetes screen and exams show that I've cataracts. In a less technologically advanced time, this would mean blindness. Instead thanks to modern science and my HMO, they get fixed next month. At the same time, they'll fix the myopia, though I'll still need glasses for the astigmatism.
If you're over 40, get an eye exam yearly. If your scores have been falling over the last year or two, get an eye exam. Do NOT put it off, my operation has an excellent prognosis because the problem was caught early.
Next, muscle mass and tone:
People over 50 lose muscle mass more easily than younger ones. Tone goes quicker, so more regular/frequent exercise is called for. For shotgunners, those exercises mentioned earlier to loosen up are a great start. A good exercise for us is to practice the mount. 50 reps a day lifting a 7-9 lb weight on days we do not shoot helps keep those muscles toned,and also has advantages in shooting. Better condition means less fatigue at the end of the day and maybe a bird or two we'd have missed otherwise...
Also, try mounting the shotgun from the offside when you do those reps.
"Serious" shotgunners need to be able to shoot from either side as needed, and keeping the muscles on both sides in shape is a good idea anyway.
Next, reaction time. As we age, we slow down a bit and lose the edge. However, stuff that's really grooved in through repetition tends to lose less speed. This is why Octogenarians like some of the Geezer League people can smoke them near the traphouse.A couple of folks I shoot with are WWII vets and they make smoke quite often.
For field shooting, going up one increment of choke may make sense. Gene Hill writes that age has cost him 5 yards, by the time he gets on a bird it's 5 yards further out than in days of yore. Actually, since many folks are overchoked, that 5 yards may help the pattern open up and you hit better.Play this by ear.
Question, comments, donations?....
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