Just this week had Ablation heart surgery, will be on thinners for about three months..
I just put a new to me Kahles 1.2-4 30mm on my Rem .416 day before surgery and am dying (ok, bad wording) Anxious to try it out.. My question started out about possible bruising from being pounded while on the thinners, but then Heart healing time has also creeped into the question..

Anybody with any experience??

Thank you.

You do not want to risk a bleed into muscle when on anticoagulation ! Period ! If you are on one of these new ( Active Factor 10 inhibitors ) ie eliquis, Pradaxa or Xarelto type drugs you are at risk for a serious bleed into muscle and then compartment syndrome if contused. ( I have had to do compartment releases on patients who have had contusions of lower limb muscles whilst on these drugs)

I would think you would NOT want to cause bruises by your own doing, if your shoulder black/blues after shooting this horse I would lay off doing it...at east put a half filled sand bag to help spread out the kick..just sayin'

I would suggest a lead sled. I have been using one for about 55 years to develop loads off the bench with my big bores, first with one of my own devising, patterned after the German Preuss device, and lately with a commercial model, sold by Caldwell. I am 77 years old and on blood thinners. Absolutely no bruising.

Check with your doctor first, however.

I have more fun shooting my .458 with reduced power reloads. Try some Trailboss loads or 60% powder charges with 4895. IMHO, common sense would dictate not shooting full power loads until you're off of blood thinners.

I shot a 416 Remington Magnum, an Ultralight Arms rifle, once and wasn't all that impressed with the recoil. Also since the impact would be on the shoulder, would there really be much danger of a compartment syndrome?



My shoulder after 18 shots off the bench with a 460 Weatherby Magnum. That shoulder had hurt for months and after that session felt quite a bit better. I'm thinking I broke up some adhesions.

Then there was my inlaw, an engineering type, who determined that a Bond Arms derringer chanbered for 45 Colt/410 Shotgun could handle 454 Casull pressure...

454 Casull in a Derringer

No one lost an eye but he is on blood thinners and the palm of his shooting hand was bruised afterwards.

I probably would wait a bit before shooting something with heavy recoil if on blood thinners.

Definitely recommend a lead sled and a PAST recoil pad lol ...

A "better bruise" after 20 plus full power loads through my 500 Jeffery (up to 570g at 2500 fps) from the bench without a lead sled or PAST recoil pad in a T-Shirt before I learned better. Offhand it's "a pussycat"

All that recoil ain't gonna help your repaired innards. Might want to find another diversion for a while.

Grizz

After my first heart surgery my DR also a shooter had me stay off the heavy stuff for almost a year. Since I had a tissue valve I wasn't even on thinners that time.

Xarelto...

Thank you gentlemen.. Specially to ALF..

No shooting for me..

The problem with "thinners" is not that they make you more susceptible to bruising. The capillaries are not more friable.

The issue is once they are damaged and they are, as seen by the pictures of bruised shoulders and arms from shooting, the bleeding potentially does not stop ! This is what they are designed to do, stop blood from clotting !

And here lies the danger ! You get a bleed in muscle, your head or in a eye from shooting a big bore when on the new generation thinners you are in trouble ! ( The lawyers ads on TV that reference these medications are proof enough !)

ALF.. Your time frame recommendation for when I'm off the Xarelto before I can take a crack with the big boomers??

Thank you..

Xarelto has a half life of up to 13 hours dependent on your age if you are young (<45 years) 9 hours.

For surgery we usually have patients stop use 24 hours before to be safe.

So once you stop using it wait a day or so and you should be ok. Warfarin on the other hand takes about 5 days to be safe.

Bottom line from reading all the posts, might be a good idea to lay off shooting those big horses off the bench for awhile, at least use a sandbag or better yet a lead sled, better to put the stock in danger than risking a stroke !!!

Thanks ALF.... Looks like I got 3 months and five days to wait..

Best to ya..

quote:

Originally posted by frankinthelaurels:
Bottom line from reading all the posts, might be a good idea to lay off shooting those big horses off the bench for awhile, at least use a sandbag or better yet a lead sled, better to put the stock in danger than risking a stroke !!!

I have been on coumadin for 10 years and except for the year following my heart surgery I shoot big bore's all the time. A lead sled for load development but most load's are in now and use the sitting position and a Past shoulder pad for plinking, which is 95% of our shooting. Occasionally I get bruising but along with everything else it comes with the territory.

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:

And here lies the danger ! You get a bleed in muscle, your head or in a eye from shooting a big bore when on the new generation thinners you are in trouble ! ( The lawyers ads on TV that reference these medications are proof enough !)

Although not yet approved and on the market, they're in clinical trials now for an Xa reversal agent (andexanet).

Whatever you do keep that stock butt glued to your shoulder.I was out shooting my lott this afternoon and got hit like never before.I was forced to use a bench from which I never shot before as the range was crowded.I set up and put a sand bag between my shoulder and the rifle butt.As soon as I pulled the trigger I saw the butt slam into the upper right side of my chest.It was about the most painful hit I ever took.I was scared shit and thought the worst.It seems that the sandbag fell from my shoulder and the butt stock was flying free into the air before it smashed me.I am still sore and hope that none of my bones are broken.

Alf,
Ive had 2 stints inplanted and each time I was on blood thinners for one year, and apparently that is the norm according to all the cardioligists Ive talked to..and flying bird droppings can bruise me, or just rubbing up against a wall or the dog jumping on me, much less shooting a big bore..At my age a lot of the bruising has remained on my arms. A lot of that is caused by age and skin that is thin and less pliable Im told. My problem is Im active and rope and hunt and you just bruise up or sit around and die from lack of exercise!! No win situation. but so far Ive beat the odds and have remained active and still roping and shooting and hunting...I don't intend to change my life as long as Im blessed with my health. That seems to be the ONLY option.