Disabled/Older shooters

[Shooting while seated]

As I mentioned in my intro I am blessed with a muscle disease that has me in a wheel chair.

I came across a thread by a disabled shooter asking questions, wanted to start a new thread to address this.

There is always a way to shoot/get around where you need too.

It is also very important to have a supporting spouse who is very smart.

Mine happens to be an Occupational Therapist, which means she looks at a situation and finds workaround for how to perform that task.

With that said Im going to my local Point Blank and take some therapy.

 

[lightman]

I have MS and it makes walking distances a challenge. I will probably end up in a wheelchair someday but for now I'm still on 2 feet. I study a situation and plan ways to make it work for me.

 

[GerryM]

I know to a degree what it,s like with a broken back It,s b een hard getting around but i manage/
find a good range to practice on. Maybe they will build a shooting bench to fit your needs.
the rear leg is the key for a wheel chair.

 

[Shooting while seated]

if you show up and ask for help people will bend over backwards to help you

 

[K22]

Back in the mid 70's I shot on a club pistol team with a team mate that was wheel chair bound. We shot bullseye competition.

He became quite an accomplished pistol shooter qualifying as "Expert" with both the 22 rim fire and 45 center fire.

He was an inspiration to all of us besides being a top shooter on the team. Hope this gives you some encouragement.

Best wishes.

PS: I believe the NRA does have special allowances for handicap shooters, at least they use to. The fellow mentioned above obtained authorization to place the non shooting hand on the bench to support himself while shooting. This was necessary because his back muscles won't support his shooting arm when fully extended.

 

[Retired Grunt]

The NRA has the Adaptive Shooting Program https://adaptiveshooting.nra.org I have my card, I shoot F Class and my club lets me shoot from the bench and encourages others that want to shoot with me. I got it mainly if I shoot somewhere else. Not all Club ranges have benches and I have been told if I shoot at CIHP at Atterbury I would have to provide my own.

 

[Topstrap]

We have at least three shooters in our area that compete at the local 1000 yard and ELR matches with disabilities. They ask for no special exceptions and have excelled with their skill at showing the rest of us how to overcome.

Zac, who is paralyzed and in a wheelchair maneuvers around behind whatever bench he uses and has the range record at Rayners 1000 yard range.

Randy lost most of his fingers and had 7 re-attached in a work related accident set a new ELR World record this year at the NRA ELR match in Indiana. He's regularly beating most rifle shooters with his longrange pistols.

Aaron regularly is a top finisher at the long range and ELR matches shooting with no arms. He gets down, leans over and loads/fires his rifle with his feet. Amazing to watch him load and manipulate the action as smoothly as other shooters.

Watching all of them participate and routinely win or finish near the top of these matches is truly inspiring.

Topstrap

 

[Baron23]

I am not one of those people who can overcome a serious disability with strength of character and will. I have a surgically repaired, yet still degenerating, lumbar and I whine like a two year old.

But, but these people I admire and respect immensely.

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And there is more of these outstanding examples of human strength and will.

My hats off to one and all.

 

[mauser284]

My father in-law went back to Africa 2 times healthy and able bodied third time in a powered wheel chair for Safari. He is now after his accident a quadriplegic paralyzed from the nipple of his chest down. Custom made rest and highly modified triggers but still finger actuated triggers. He also mows the yard thanks to modified tractor and lift system all developed by my brother in-law. He hunts varmints, black bear etc.....

 

[divingin]

if you show up and ask for help people will bend over backwards to help you

This.

Be aware that many people will be a little reticent to offer help, in order to avoid offending you by being overly helpful. That does not mean they won't be helpful; just that they're afraid to break the ice.

 

[Shooter13]

My back is my problem and the guys I shoot with have been more than helpful to me, they will set my flags or carry the stuff to my bench..................all I have to do is ask! Some weeks are really good and I can do it all, some not so good and that's when I need the help and most of the time I have to stop them on the good days!

 

[Paula Marie Hamilton]

I shattered my left leg, the bleeding from the bone frags created pressure on the nerves killing the peroneal nerve leaving me with nerve pain, and a floppy foot. That caused uneven wear on my right knee which has less 10% cartilage left. It can't bend past 90% because a bone spur as fused. I still try to shoot remfire and my club is good in allowing position modifications. I would love to learn more about F class, and other opportunities for me to shoot. Thanks for this post.

Paula

 

[Retired Grunt]

I shattered my left leg, the bleeding from the bone frags created pressure on the nerves killing the peroneal nerve leaving me with nerve pain, and a floppy foot. That caused uneven wear on my right knee which has less 10% cartilage left. It can't bend past 90% because a bone spur as fused. I still try to shoot remfire and my club is good in allowing position modifications. I would love to learn more about F class, and other opportunities for me to shoot. Thanks for this post.

Paula

https://sirapc.com/f-class-program/
There is supposed to be a Informational clinic in February and hopefully the first match the week after or 1st weekend in March.
Shoot 500 yards only.

 

[AccelR8]

Yesterday, an 89-year-old offered to walk my target down to 200 yards for me!

 

[Baron23]

I shattered my left leg, the bleeding from the bone frags created pressure on the nerves killing the peroneal nerve leaving me with nerve pain, and a floppy foot. That caused uneven wear on my right knee which has less 10% cartilage left. It can't bend past 90% because a bone spur as fused. I still try to shoot remfire and my club is good in allowing position modifications. I would love to learn more about F class, and other opportunities for me to shoot. Thanks for this post.

Paula

God bless you, Paula. Now, my injury wasn't nearly so fraught, but I had a left foraminal herniation that crushed a nerve root, have some atrophy in my left leg, and over the past 12 years that disk is now gone and I'm trying to hold off fusion.

I used to be a competitive skeet shooter but just can no longer swing a 10 lb K-80 400 times in a weekend so I have moved into rifles in the last couple of years.

I mention this only as encouragement to you. No matter the disability (well, almost) there is some avenue...some format...to allow us to continue shooting. Look at some of the pics and vids of these very brave and strong people who keep shooting despite serious disabilities. Wow, they have ALL of my respect.

Don't give up, girl. Keep pushing.

 

[Paula Marie Hamilton]

God bless you, Paula. Now, my injury wasn't nearly so fraught, but I had a left foraminal herniation that crushed a nerve root, have some atrophy in my left leg, and over the past 12 years that disk is now gone and I'm trying to hold off fusion.

I used to be a competitive skeet shooter but just can no longer swing a 10 lb K-80 400 times in a weekend so I have moved into rifles in the last couple of years.

I mention this only as encouragement to you. No matter the disability (well, almost) there is some avenue...some format...to allow us to continue shooting. Look at some of the pics and vids of these very brave and strong people who keep shooting despite serious disabilities. Wow, they have ALL of my respect.

Don't give up, girl. Keep pushing.

It would be good if we created a subgroup for people with difficulties. Then we could teach each other the rules and maybe have people from USA SHOOTING post links to rules or give suggestions. I used to be a deadeye, took more coons and hams at turkey shoots than allowed. If I would have known competitive shooting existed I would have been good. Can't explain it, but from the moment my dad put a gun in my shoulder to teach me it felt right. I was out shooting him by the end of the day. If we could support each other then maybe others will learn how to keep going themselves. It's worth a shot.

 

[AccelR8]

It would be good if we created a subgroup for people with difficulties. Then we could teach each other the rules...

One thing I learned sort of the hard way; first time I shot HP Service Rifle at Perry, going from standing to prone I commented this is going to be really difficult for me. Guy scoring me says you don't have to, you've got a medical...you can start from prone. I had studied the rules before and I thought, oh yeah he's right. I remembered, I just had to wait until someone else fired the first round before I could fire. The part I didn't catch was, any points for the entire match mean basically nothing. Not applicable to any badge or ranking, can't win the match...not that I would have anyway, but you never know...

 

[Paula Marie Hamilton]

It's stuff like that that we need to know. Shoot if it meant making my badge, or improving my ranking I'd flopped on the ground like a beached whale. At Fort Benning I watched a guy with a below the knee amp, but one of those nice artificial legs. Dang he walked better than me. I had a brace and an arm crutch. Some of the Para guys were great to watch. Gave me hope. Till then you might not want to sit next to me, cause I'm going to flop in remfire till I get at least a bronze.

 

[Gordon Couger]

I've got MS and will be 78 this month. Most of me sorta works if the muscles are not locked up in muscle spams or I'm not asleep from the muscle relaxants. I can't stand up very long and have to shoot Left handed now. I logged on here for reloading info pm the Left handed 6.5 Creedmoor Savage Desert Tactical with a 24 inch barrel I ordered this afternoon.

I want to try bench rest as well as hogs and calling coyotes. There is some land north and west of me that will need all I can get from 6.5 Creedmoor. I used to pass on coyotes over 500 away with a 6mm Remington. I think I can do 7 or 8 hundred with a range finder and the right 6.5 Creedmoor ammo on coyotes standing still with a good rest.

Our target problems can be handled by awfully dumb radio controlled robots or a computer in a armored box controlling targets on a roll of paper and a web cam that sends video to your phone.

F-Class probably is a good class for gimps like us. We can pull the trigger with our teeth on if we have too on some of the heavy rifles.

 

[Will Henry]

Some of the most disheartening days I've had were when I was talking with a customer or friend who could no longer shoot. Some of the more gratifying days were when I was able to modify a rifle or other piece of equipment to enable a customer or friend to keep shooting a bit longer.
My hat is off to those to continue to compete and enjoy our sport in spite of extra challenges most of us don't face. WH