The .50 and lower back problems question

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - The .50 and lower back problems question

Posted: 1/22/2015 8:05:21 PM EDT

Do any folks here have lower back problems and still shoot the .50?

Is the rifle too much now for you and cause you pain to shoot one from a seated position at a bench?

Posted: 1/22/2015 8:24:39 PM EDT

[#1]

None of my 50s have ever related to any back problem and I shoot both flint and percussion.

Posted: 1/22/2015 8:28:43 PM EDT

[#2]

Do you have any lower back problems due to age, a prior injury or some such thing?

Posted: 1/22/2015 9:45:52 PM EDT

[#3]

I broke my back in 2009 in an offroad motorcycle accident.
Last July 2014, I decided to give up riding offroad as a 62 yr old rider with leg circulation issues due to a farming accident.
Now my main sport is shooting the 50BMG in FCSA Match competitions and for "rock-busting" for fun.
My modified AR-50 now weighs 47.76 pounds and does nothing to hurt my back while shooting 800 grain projectiles over 2900 fps.

What's your problem ???

Posted: 1/22/2015 10:02:37 PM EDT

[#4]

I had spinal fusion back in January 2007 and it seemed to take forever to recover from it. I've got metal rods on both sides of my spine that are about 8 or 9 inches long. While it kicked my butt for quite some time but shooting the 50 BMG does not cause me any trouble whatsoever. I'm really thinkfull for that being able to enjoy my rifle at this point. Setting at the shooting bench does not cause me any pain at all. My rifle weighs 29 lbs with the scope and as long as I take care to lift it properly there is no problem at all. The recoil while setting at the bench is painless. I wouldn't chose to shoot from the prone position however..

Posted: 1/22/2015 10:14:34 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:

My modified AR-50 now weighs 47.76 pounds and does nothing to hurt my back while shooting 800 grain projectiles over 2900 fps.

What's your problem ???

View Quote

I have found that the more a .50 weighs, the "easier" it is on the shooter. The Armalite .50 was the heaviest .50 I have fired and was actually pleasant to shoot. I don`t have one. Mine is much lighter.

Have a friend who has had back surgery about a year ago. The individual spent a LOT of money on the repair and I would absolutely be miserable, if I was the one who un-did all of the repair by taking this person out on a range with a large caliber rifle. Saw them a couple of days ago and every time that they got up from a chair, were sort of bent over grabbing their lower back.

Just looking for others experiences with back problems and who still try to enjoy the big bore.

Posted: 1/22/2015 10:21:23 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
I had spinal fusion back in January 2007 and it seemed to take forever to recover from it. I've got metal rods on both sides of my spine that are about 8 or 9 inches long. While it kicked my butt for quite some time but shooting the 50 BMG does not cause me any trouble whatsoever. I'm really thinkfull for that being able to enjoy my rifle at this point. Setting at the shooting bench does not cause me any pain at all. My rifle weighs 29 lbs with the scope and as long as I take care to lift it properly there is no problem at all. The recoil while setting at the bench is painless. I wouldn't chose to shoot from the prone position however..

View Quote

I think my friend had a lower disc spinal fusion.

That is why I am curious to ask about this subject.

Thanks to EVERYONE who has responded so far! I really appreciate it!

Posted: 1/23/2015 12:04:28 AM EDT

[#7]

Add weight to the light rifle to minimize the recoil felt pulse.
Weight can be bolted to stock, not to the action.

Posted: 1/23/2015 1:05:28 AM EDT

[#8]

«=== 4 lumbar fusions and still have a blown disk above that. The worst part for me is carrying the damn thing.

Eta. In case some of you have never seen the shit they put in use fusion guys here ya go. Notice one of the stainless screws broke....while in my back. Yea

Posted: 1/23/2015 1:49:13 AM EDT

[#9]

Quote History

Quoted:
«=== 4 lumbar fusions and still have a blown disk above that. The worst part for me is carrying the damn thing.

Eta. In case some of you have never seen the shit they put in use fusion guys here ya go. Notice one of the stainless screws broke....while in my back. Yea

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/ARsR4ME/20150122_231330_zps549fa52f.jpg

View Quote

Knowing something like that is used to fix back problems is enough to make me cringe. I can't imagine what it felt like to have that screw break inside you. Can you take a picture with a US coin next to them for scale?

Posted: 1/23/2015 10:13:43 AM EDT

[#10]

OP, if im hijacking your thread just tell me and I'll quit with the hardware stuff.

Here is that pic you wanted Bandito. I Threw in a 50 bmg shell and a 223 case for scale to. The stainless hardware is known as a plate and screws type, the titanium set is known as a rod and screw type.

Posted: 1/23/2015 1:51:00 PM EDT

[#11]

Man!

That hardware looks like something out of a Horror movie!

I am cringing too.

Posted: 1/23/2015 2:34:48 PM EDT

[#12]

When I woke up in recovery I was in more pain than I had ever felt before. The next 4 months of recovery were terrible but with the help of pain meds that suck I got through it. I had to be very careful about not slipping on the ice and breaking a screw like the above poster. I count myself as very lucky that I can now enjoy shooting without any problems. I do suggest your friend give it time to heal properly. Don't ever let him shoot a 50 BMG without it's muzzle brake on the barrel. Of course that is just common sense. Something our president is pretty short of.

Posted: 1/23/2015 11:59:19 PM EDT

[#13]

I had L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 fused in 2011. Had all hardware removed last year. Back is still not right so still doing different procedures . Ablasion (burn nurves), steroid shots and now trying accupunction . I still shoot my 50 BMG. Mine is heavy. Hurts more to carry it than shoot it. I shoot on a bench. I may be in pain after I shoot but the enjoyment of shooting is worth it. Just have a good shooting position that is supportive and comfortable. Ask for help getting it to the bench if need be. One of the few things left that puts a smile on my face. I will suck it up as it's worth it.

Dam, that's hardware looks similar to mine.

Posted: 1/24/2015 12:06:40 AM EDT

[#14]

Back pain sucks and haunts so many of us. I think many of us are preyed upon by doctors that love to install lots of expensive hardware. I hate the meds I have to take to function and agree with you Bearcat24. It's such a joy to ring that gong several hundred yards away with the 50 and other calibers.

Posted: 1/24/2015 12:45:12 AM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
I had L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 fused in 2011. Had all hardware removed last year. Back is still not right so still doing different procedures . Ablasion (burn nurves), steroid shots and now trying accupunction . I still shoot my 50 BMG. Mine is heavy. Hurts more to carry it than shoot it. I shoot on a bench. I may be in pain after I shoot but the enjoyment of shooting is worth it. Just have a good shooting position that is supportive and comfortable. Ask for help getting it to the bench if need be. One of the few things left that puts a smile on my face. I will suck it up as it's worth it.

Dam, that's hardware looks similar to mine.

View Quote

Man we seem like we have been threw the same shit. I did the nerve burn. Not sure its helped much. The shots only work for a day or so and it just wasnt worth it for me. Never tried the needle thing. Im going to go back to Baylor next month and see whats out there. The last MRI showed a big buldge at L2-L3 and a slight one above that. The last surgery dam near did me in. They gave the the juice for pain for a day and then the same pills i was takeing before i came in. :/ It was as if i was takeing nothing. 5 days of the worst days of my life. But im getting to that point again of not being able to walk 5 mi utes or stand and really, im just tired of the pain. Hearing that gong is a nice break, even if we are in bed the next day huh.

Posted: 1/24/2015 2:17:18 AM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:

Man we seem like we have been threw the same shit. I did the nerve burn. Not sure its helped much. The shots only work for a day or so and it just wasnt worth it for me. Never tried the needle thing. Im going to go back to Baylor next month and see whats out there. The last MRI showed a big buldge at L2-L3 and a slight one above that. The last surgery dam near did me in. They gave the the juice for pain for a day and then the same pills i was takeing before i came in. :/ It was as if i was takeing nothing. 5 days of the worst days of my life. But im getting to that point again of not being able to walk 5 mi utes or stand and really, im just tired of the pain. Hearing that gong is a nice break, even if we are in bed the next day huh.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
I had L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 fused in 2011. Had all hardware removed last year. Back is still not right so still doing different procedures . Ablasion (burn nurves), steroid shots and now trying accupunction . I still shoot my 50 BMG. Mine is heavy. Hurts more to carry it than shoot it. I shoot on a bench. I may be in pain after I shoot but the enjoyment of shooting is worth it. Just have a good shooting position that is supportive and comfortable. Ask for help getting it to the bench if need be. One of the few things left that puts a smile on my face. I will suck it up as it's worth it.

Dam, that's hardware looks similar to mine.

Man we seem like we have been threw the same shit. I did the nerve burn. Not sure its helped much. The shots only work for a day or so and it just wasnt worth it for me. Never tried the needle thing. Im going to go back to Baylor next month and see whats out there. The last MRI showed a big buldge at L2-L3 and a slight one above that. The last surgery dam near did me in. They gave the the juice for pain for a day and then the same pills i was takeing before i came in. :/ It was as if i was takeing nothing. 5 days of the worst days of my life. But im getting to that point again of not being able to walk 5 mi utes or stand and really, im just tired of the pain. Hearing that gong is a nice break, even if we are in bed the next day huh.

Small world, when I woke up in recovery after so many years taking morphine it didn't work and my blood pressure was so high my wife thought I was going to stroke out. The idea of more surgery scares me to death. My mother and sister had the same spinal fusion. You would think I would have learned from their lousy outcome. Oh well live for the good days at the bench. I'm lucky because I live in the country and can shoot from my front yard.

Posted: 1/24/2015 3:58:13 AM EDT

[#17]

My back pain came from shooting 50's, here's the back story.

Our group started back in 2000, met on Biggerhammer when it was the place to go for everything .50's. Started out with about 8 of us if I remember correctly, I think there might be a pic of it still on EDM Firearms site. I usually go to the desert to shoot but figured that I would hit the range to meet some new shooters that were into.50's also. Most of us had just bought our .50's so it was cool to meet up with everyone and shoot our new toys.

Fast forward to about 2004 and we are all out in the desert at the spot I've been going to for years. Myself and one of the other guys were out at 1000 yards putting up targets so that everyone could dial in their guns for 1000 yards. It just happened to be really windy that day so we had to staple the targets to the 8 foot by 8 foot stand that was made for putting up the targets. So there I am standing on the bedside of the truck when the wind hit the standard so hard it blew the plywood off the frame of the stand. To say that I know what a fly feels like when hit by a fly swatter is an understatement!!! When the board hit me I got one step back into the truck bed and landed on my lower back on the other side of the truck bed and then flipped out onto the dirt. As I'm laying there in agonizing pain I thought for sure my backwas broken. So there I am trying not to lose my mind thinking that I'm going to be crippled for the rest of my life when the other guy comes running around his truck to see if I'm okay. I said I think so and start to check myself out while laying there, after getting up with his help I was done for the day/weekend.

When I got home the look on my wife's face said it all, I had a bruise the size of a basketball that went from just above my ass to about 1/3 the way up my back. She said I should go to the hospital but I said no even though I wanted to say yes. My back hasn't been the same since even though I did some physical therapy to try to get back in shape. On the plus side, MrBen that posts here has the whole thing caught on tape! Other then that my back doesn't hurt at all when shooting the .50 or any other firearms. It mostly hurts when I stand to long or sit in some crappy chair for awhile.

Posted: 1/24/2015 9:34:44 AM EDT

[#18]

I have no recollection the first 4 days out of surgery. They over medicated me. Wife and brother thought they fried my brain. They both got ahold of the doc's and demanded to reduce the meds. Woke up finally. 6 more days of crap in order to leave. I have the disc above about ready to go but won't be getting that done unless and I can't walk like before first surgery. Would think by now there would be better options besides fusion. Definitely last resort to have it done thought. Sold most things that aggravated my back. On my last thing that makes me smile. Will keep it and suck it up. Way to much joy.

Posted: 1/24/2015 11:39:42 AM EDT

[#19]

Wow. Sounds like alot of us are on the same bad back boat. We should start a gimped up back 50 club.

Posted: 1/25/2015 9:47:46 AM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
Wow. Sounds like alot of us are on the same bad back boat. We should start a gimped up back 50 club.

View Quote

Probably the broke dick 50 BMG club!

Posted: 1/25/2015 6:22:09 PM EDT

[#21]

Those look bigger around than drywall screws. I'd think the vertebrae would break while putting them in. Maybe they are bigger than I think. I had too look up x-ray pictures to see how they are installed. That wasn't the best idea.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - The .50 and lower back problems question

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