Advice on a super light recoil rifle build for a dislocated shoulder (Rifle built!)

Ha! I see what you did there!;)

I broke my sternum and clavicle a couple of years ago, and glibly explained to my wife that I needed a new gun to make shooting possible during recovery. She gave me the stink-eye, suggesting that surely something in one of 5 gun safes/cabinets would serve the purpose. Desperate (I think I was probably doing the Homer Simpson eyeball-snapping-back-and-forth thing), I began to methodically run through guns, one at a time, explaining in detail why each one was unsuitable. After 4 or 5 examples, she rolled her eyes and walked away...

...and a new Mini14 Target came to live at my house! You know...small, soft-shooting cartridge...heavy and gas-operated, both reducing recoil...easy to scope...really, I couldn't afford NOT to buy it...;)

If I ever break a leg, I'm gonna get me a new quad!
 
Boomer said:
Jaydog, looks like you've solved your problem in quite a satisfactory manner, with a rifle that will continue to be a practical shooting platform long after your shoulder heals up. Here's to a full recovery.
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One of the design considerations was ending up with a useful rifle when I'm back to 100%. Take the extra weight out of the stock and replace the muzzle brake with and end cap (or trim the barrel and recrown) and I now have a great varmint/new shooter rifle!
You have idea how badly I want to be back in shape. NO idea! :runaway:

blwebster said:
I gather you have no issue carrying a heavy rifle and that you are only afraid the recoil will be a problem for you?
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For the hunting I have left this season there is next to zero walking. I will be in a blind with shooting sticks. That being said, if this weekend goes well and I feel strong my 72 year old father has offered to be my 'good strong arm' and fly out here to help me take attempt #3 at my mountain goat LEH. Slim odds, but I'm an optimist and a fool- its quite the combination!

luke s said:
so did you manage to come in under $800?
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Close. The rifle and scope were about $500 each. Gunsmithing was done for barter. Total bill slightly over 1K$

Interesting note on the muzzle brake- my wife reports a noticeable decrease in recoil, as expected, but you get almost zero barrel rise now when shooting. I'm not sure how well it shows up in that video but those vents sure do their job! :) It will be interesting to see if spotting my own shots will be possible with this gun.
 
Hell yah! Operation 'gimp shoot' was a success. :):ar15:

The muscle mass I have lost in my shoulder and the nerve damage that isn't fully healed has left me a respectable, but not fantastic shot. Good enough for the hunting I plan on doing but my career as a benchrest shooter might be put on hold for a couple months..... ;)
[video]http://s216.beta.photobucket.com/user/Jaydog70/media/Kitten%20Gun/IMG_08651.mp4.html[/video]
 
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what 1899 said ......

try practicing with your other shoulder , and other eye .

it is very similar to writing with your other hand , but it can be done , and once mastered you would be able to pick up any rifle and use it well .

other than that i'd look for a semi auto , with a soft over sized pad , the larger the better as it will distribute the recoil pressure over a larger area of your shoulder ....AND a mercury recoil reducer . the one i used in my 45-120 was ment to be placed in one of the barrels of a double barrel 12 guage shotgun .
i've also seen them as just a round tube . i expoxied mine into the but stock .

the difference the recoil reducer made on my rifle was , before , it would bruise my shoulder with one round ( you could see a mirror imprint of the butt pad on my shoulder ), after it would take at least 10 rounds to get sore .... but still no bruising , and no mirror imprint of the butt pad .

the only other thing i can think of is , i have a rossi 1892 in 454 casull , now shooting 454 out of it is intense ( the rifle is around 5 1/2 pounds) , but shooting 45 colt rounds out of it is like firing off a 22 .
200 yards might be a stretch for 45 colt , but killing a deer at 100 yards should be a piece of cake .
 
257 Roberts is cool, also a recoil shy son of mine loved to shoot a 25-06, 243 is super cool, all have factory ammo in the mild zone, if you don't reload. But if you do reload the list is endless! 260, 7mm-08 are others. and many many more downsized loads such as in 308 and the age old whopper, the 30-06!. Now you will hear tall tales from the he-man mountain MEN, about how their 85 lb 9 yr old son can shoot his 7mmRM all day long without a flinch or a raw shoulder! I guess you'll never know for sure, until tried! Ya just might have a mountain man/woman on your hands! Go low, start slow, you will know where to draw the line!
 
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