
Cheers,
Mehul
I read somewhere that dislocated shoulders,cracked collar bones,ruptured corneas,torn ligaments,concussions,nose and/or ear bleeding etc are not very uncommon among the test shooters at Weatherby's.Shooting big bore rifles does come at the cost of stressing ones body. In
preparation for my last Safari I fired 400 rounds of 505 Gibbs, with 200 of
them off the bench. Just before that hunt my shoulder became sore and
started aching. Later there was numbness in my fingers. Problems with my
trigger finger prompted me to consult a physical therapist friend of mine.
He determined I had a ruptured disk in the neck that was pinching a nerve.
Regular workouts and neck stretching pretty much cured it but he warned me
of shooting the big bores. I had already started my 606 project and was
financially committed so knew there was some risk. The next summer when it
became time to start shooting the beast I proceeded cautiously. The lead
sled was handy and used for all bench work but eventually shoulder firing
was needed. Limiting myself to 6 rounds per day at first I gradually worked
up from there. Then a short drag on a pronghorn antelope and the pinched
nerve became active again. I?m hopping it was mostly from the drag.
Acquiring my own neck stretcher and using it two times a day has helped but
hasn?t eliminated the problem. There is slight numbness in my right index
finger, something that would worry any shooter. I understand this is a
common occurrence from the whiplash of car accidents. I have also learned
that this is especially common with big bore shooters. I hope to stave off
surgery.
Seems a Howitzer is better for a persons health than one of these modren big bore riflesdislocated shoulders,cracked collar bones,ruptured corneas,torn ligaments,concussions,nose and/or ear bleeding etc are not very uncommon among the test shooters at Weatherby's.
For those who don't know what an M-79 is...One frosty morn at Ft.Knox, KY, "A" Troop was scheduled for firing excercise avec Le M-79. I, a newbie 2Lt and the First Sgt were sent ahead of the unit, towing a small trailer with weapons and ammo behind the Jeep.
When we arrived at the range it was barely dawn on a cloudy and snow-threatening day. As we were pouring another cuppa cawfee from the Thermos(TM) the old sarge noted a small herd of deer grazing downrange. He asked if I liked venison.
We looked at each other, the old veteran and the boy, and simultaneously nodded. I took an M-79 and loaded it. He muttered "Range, 250" and I adjusted the sight accordingly.
"Pop" and the 40mm pellet was on it's way, arcing high into the gloom. True fact: The round impacted dead center among the 5 deer, killing all of them!
Now the problem was how to conceal our felony from the unit, especially the troop commander, and later recover our bounty.
Estimating that the troop was at least 45 minutes behind us, we dashed out and gutted all 5 Cervinus Defunctus, one buck and four does, then hid the carcasses in a nearby copse, there being neither catafalque nor catacomb readily to hand.
That evening, after the boys of Alpha Mob had departed, the old NCO and the boy returned to the scene of the crime, with two accomplices, and divvied up the flesh. Deeeee-licious! Luckily, I had a civilian friend upon whose farm I hunted who graciously furnished freezer space in exchange for a bit of Bambi.