Old Age Isn't For Sissies....

D

Dave McC

Staff In Memoriam
Saw this on a T shirt a few weeks ago, it's quite apt here and now.

I "Celebrated" my 56th B-day a coupla weeks ago. Dinner out with the family, satisfaction that I survived through another year somehow, and a very small piece of B day cake(I'm diabetic) comprised the event.

My family calls me middle aged. I don't see a lot of 112 year olds around, so I mark that one up to diplomacy and tact.

And I can accept the fact that I'm old.I'm rather surprised to make it this far.So many folks I've known didn't. I'm very glad to still be on this side of the grass,even if it's taking 11 different prescriptions and some lifestyle changes to keep me ticking along.

BTW, none of those scripts are for Viagra. Thank Heaven for small blessings.

Anyway, I was shooting the bull recently with another Geezer In Training,and we thought and discussed what older shotgunners do and need compared to younger ones.

Here's a few differences we came up with.....

Older shotgunners tend to be more deadly, but not as quick.They tend to shoot better and obsess less over misses.

Older shotgunners tend to prefer older shotguns. Those designed before WWII(with the sole exception of the 870, ca 1950) are the choice, and with the exception of the Brownings and Brit toys for rich folks, US made.

Older shotgunners often have hearing probs. We didn't know as much about hearing loss in those days, and thousands of rounds later it shows.

Older shotgunners are not as flexible as those younger. More stretching exercises before shooting and a bit more time between rounds helps at the range, and a fat old bird dog instead of a young pup leg'd like a gazelle and with a belly full of fire does the same in the hunting fields.

Older shotgunners avoid the heaviest loads, and do more with less. Lots of 12 gauge owners these days are using oz loads,and my guess is that most of the new 20 and 28 gauges sold are going to folks over 50.Hills get steeper after 40 and turn into the Himalayas after 50.

Older shotgunners get emphatic about fit, but for the most part they can pick up ANY shotgun and do a workmanlike job with it. Lots of years of using all kinds of shotguns will do that.

Older shotgunners lose muscle mass, and a shotgun that fit 5 years ago may not now, and be harder to swing. More constant handling and practice is the best answer. Pick it up at home every day and swing some.

Older shotgunners are oft unmatched resources, and letting one die w/o talking with them is like watching a library burn down w/o trying to preserve the books.....
 
Dave:

I see your diabetes and raise you a 6 way bypass, bad back, bad knees along with glaucoma and cataracts. Of course, you have 5 years to catch up. (whippersnapper!)

I am actually more of a rifleman then sporting shotgun shooter. I find that I shoot more from the bench these days. I find that older riflemen tend to stick to the older proven cartridges. The newfangled .30 and 7mm whatevers don't seem to provide much if any improvement over .30-06, .270 or 7mm Mauser except that they require a new rifle to shoot them. (More money for the gun companies and more fodder for the gun rags. Nothing wrong with that.)
 
I moved down to 1oz and lower in the 60s:rolleyes:
And got consistantly better.

Now I take naps between rounds or strings.

Slow down, enjoy life and take the kids' money before going home.

Sam...my kids with hair left have grey hair.
 
56 to day is like 50 a generation ago..."Middle aged" is not polite exaggeration. The decade of decline, where real old age sets in, is the one that goes from 70-80, and even that one is being pushed further and further. So take care of your blood sugar and you'll be around more than a while to treat us to your narratives.
 
...Dave and Sam make excellent points...I've NEVER been a great fan of recoil, always believing that it was counterproductive to good shooting, whether with shotgun, rifle OR pistol. I have taken steps to "Reduce" recoil...lengthening forcing cones, porting, big, soft pads, etc., since the mid-80's...and I'm only 44 NOW!!! Due to an elbow injury back in 1996, I've had to put up my favored 3200 tube set and start shooting a 101 tube set...net weight loss between 3/4 and 1 pound...doesn't SOUND like much but, over a four- or five-hundred target weekend, it makes the difference between being functional on Monday and being miserable 'til the middle of the week.
I don't EVER anticipate firing a 12 ga. load of MORE than one ounce in a locked-breech gun again...tho' they still don't bother me in the 1100's...I've even taken to shooting the 12 ga. and Doubles event at Skeet using the 20 ga. tubes in my O/U...works pretty well...as the great Dan Mitchell once said, "It's better to be a has-been than a never-was"....funny, NOW I understand what he meant way back then!!!....mikey357
 
Thanks, guys....

DML, we've a lot in common. From the ground up...

Neuropathy in feet from the diabetes.

Bad knee from high school football.

Bursitis in both hips.

T-4 and T-5 discs herniated. Ripped back muscles all over.

Rotator cuff probs R shoulder, pin in L shoulder from the Nam mess.Last lets me know when rain's on the way.Former's why I had to give up bowhunting.

Pinched nerve in neck.

Staple in skull from non depressed fracture. The War again.

Plastic lenses in eyes from cataract surgery. I note my trap scores have dropped a mite and iron sights are not as clear. Thank Heaven I can see at all, I was but a year or so away from blindness.

Add in a lot of wear and tear from 20 years of prison work, there's a few honorable scars decorating my frame.My knuckles look like heck. Fingers are a little stiffer than they oughta. Old COs like me have more damage than NFL linemen or bull riders...

Hypertensive, diabetic, emphysemic, and with lots of aches and pains. If I didn't hurt someplace, I'd figure I was dead.

And as for rifles, been using 30-06s since about 1960, but have also owned or shot 45-70s, 303 Brit, 7X57, 6.5X55, a 270, a 6mm Remington and some 30-30s. No mags. Handguns have run to 38/357 revolvers and GMs. A couple 41 and 44 Mags, but loaded down mostly for better results.

But back to shotguns....

My opinions on shotguns have changed a lot,tho my high regard for the 870 hasn't.

I use a lot less high brass these days, more lighter/slower loads, and hit more critters and clays. On my rare bird hunts these days, I shoot less and hit more, even on doves.

My shotguns tend to have better triggers these days, longer cones, and even prettier wood sometimes. They ALL have pads, which not only cut the kick but keep the butt stationary better than a plate. And they tend to be tinkered with, the stocks especially.

Since I reload, I can use a light 12 and a lighter reload to duplicate sub gauge carry and performance, so I'm not exploring the 28 gauge fad. More power to those that do, using less to do more tickles my fancy.

And I obsess less about tweaking the last possible iota of performance out of a gun/load/choke combo. Goodenough works for me.

And Sam, my hair started going white at 29. I earned it. BTW, youngest is 15...
 
My health for age [68] is pretty good although I have always looked like a wreck. The one thing that is giving me a bit of trouble is my center of gravity which seems to be changing at an alarming rate at my waist line.I use this as another excuse on the skeet field.
Best
Charlie:)
 
Some of us are just payin back dues from all the "fun" we had when we were young and indestructable.

Wake up with a pulse, tis already a good day.

And still having more fun than a monkey with a load of barrels.

Sam
 
The first thing in the morning I check the obituaries in the newspaper. If my name isn't there, I shave. (Sorry, I stole that)
 
Dave McC:

There is a mis-definition here. At age 54 I made a career change, and during the interview, (3 member board) one of the members asked: Aren't you a little "old" for this job. I responded, Gentlemen, you asked for experience, I probably have more experience than the three of you put together. I got the job.

This leads me to believe, We do not get older, We just gain more experience.

Harley:D :D :D :D
 
Thanks, guys, misery loves compnay(G)...

Had a bit of an altercation the other night with a young loudmouth with an attitude problem.

Happiness is getting in a fight with someone 40 years younger, and winning.

Even an old dog might have one bite left...
 
Every October we go Pheasent hunting in SD. I'm the spring chicken (at 23) on the trip and always walk. The oldest (or should I say "most senior") member on the trip is 85 years old, blocks on every drive, shoots a 28 ga, and pulls the trigger at most two times a day. He ususally accounts for both shots with birds. The next "most senior" member is 78, walks, and shoots a 28 ga as well.

While walking next to him, I have a Benelli (left-handed) 12 ga loaded with 5 #4 high-brass shells. I open up at 70 yards and don't let off till the bird drops. I usually take 3 to drop the bird, though I've made the 70 yard shot before.

The most humble I've ever felt is when I went through the entire mag (all 5 shots) without so much as scaring the bird. He fired one shot (28 ga mind you) at about 40 yards. The bird folded.

I caught hell for that one from everyone.

WGBV
 
Thanks again.

Shooting with the Geezer Squad has taught me that shotgunning can be a lifetime sport. One gent shoots a beautiful Ithaca SBT. He bought it brand new in 1935. Sometimes he outshoots me quite handily with it.

Brownlow, that's the way it goes. Someone asked an old gent I know slightly if the years had made many changes in his deer hunting. His response was that it was his grandsons and greatgrands that dragged his deer out now instead of his sons.

BTW, I plan on being at PGC tomorrow for a few rounds of trap between 10 and 12. Stop on by if you can. Look for the big old guy with the scrumptious 870 TB and big grin...
 
I just turned 59 three days ago,have had 2 angio-plastys,knee rebuild job,but the worst thing for me is reliazing that things I used to be able to do,I no longer can..I'm not as strong,or as fast. My breath goes out faster.I used to chase pheasants all day with no problem,now the field looks longer and longer.Its hard for a man to admit that he's not as good as he used to be. At least for me it is.I can still walk the fields,just not as fast. sj:rolleyes:
 
SJ, when I retired from the Fool Factory in Jan, 98, I was twice the average CO's age. One of the nicknames I had and wasn't supposed to hear was Lt Dinosaur. Being 50 in a system that chews up young active men and women was interesting to say the least.But,the older cons had learned not to mess up in my vicinity, younger ones followed their lead. In my last two years, I had less than 6 Uses Of Force.

I was eligible for retirement, I wasn't going to ever make Captain, and I was heartily sick of the mess. A happier man never left Jessup.

Note, retired Correctional Officers face the same odds as their opposite numbers do in Police depts.
50% die within 5 years of retirement. I retired 5 years ago next Jan.Wish me luck (G)...

On a happier note, I shot with a really nice guy at PGC, a gent of 69 years who let me try out his Model 3200 Remington. I see why Geoff likes his K gun....
 
I thought I was doing badly at 51 fighting fat, asthma and high blood pressure. You guys either give me hope, or scare the heck out of me. I'll figure out which after my nap...
 
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