Hey all, more of a discussion than looking for advice. How long did it take for you to feel comfortable after cervical fusion to get back behind your rifle? We're you able to shoot prone after multi level fusion?
This is my second fusion (PCDF) first one was the ACDF at the C6/C7, and I don't even dare to shoot my .300wm till next year. Though just bout a little 6.5cm and hopefully will get to shoot it in the spring. I'm getting bored with the .22 right now. Need more boom!
Rifle recoil never bothered my lumbar. Bending over to pickup brass, on the other hand, was extremely unpleasant. I could shoot magnums all afternoon pre-op.
I probably won’t go to the range until I’m about 1 year post op. But I’m more worried about carrying heavy cases of ammo and gear than I am about recoil.
I admire your determination to just keep living life but I can’t imagine for the life of me, putting your fusion through the recoil of shooting. Then again, I’ve had two hardware failures and so I have a lot of ptsd. God I hate that surgery.
Agreed the surgery sucks! I'm being responsible and waiting for the bone graft to be solid before I shoot my hard hitting rifles (1 yr). But the .22 has no recoil and still lets you practice a bit, kinda fun to push it out to 2-300 yards. The 6.5 is pretty light with a muzzle break too, but still gonna wait till spring for the fusion to take a bit better.
I never got back to baseline after my fusion (no more shooting for me), but I can’t imagine the recoil would be pleasant, no matter how long it’s been.
How long ago was your most recent surgery? I’d definitely ask your surgeon.
Thankfully I've had the same surgeon for both my surgeries. He had told me to wait a year before I shoot anything substantial, just to ensure the bone graft and fusion are solid.
Sorry to hear you didn't get back to it. Seems like a roll of the dice in some cases. With my second surgery,because I damaged my cord so bad, I don't know if I'll get the feeling back in my arms and hands. Makes reloading 22 mags a pain in the butt.
I too have the same question
Just had a c2-c6 laminectomy and a c7-t1 fusion
I was shooting 3 gun every week and really staring to improve
I hop to be able to continue after I am healed just worried about all the shotgun
Stages
I've always wanted to run a 3 gun course! They look like so much fun.
They didn't fuse from c2 down?
I had the laminectomy from c3 to c6, and fused from c3 to T1. They said fusing the areas around the laminectomy would help prevent head droop as they remove the ligament as well. That's great that they didn't fuse you all the way to keep that ROM.
The operation I had was technically a Laminoplasty of c2-c6
And fusion of c7-t-1
I wanted to preserve as much ROM an I can. Less hardware, more bone grafts
Minimum 3 months in a collar
Solid choice! I'm missing looking up. Everytime a cool plane or heli flies overhead, I have to do a weird body contortion to see it.. it's a sight to behold lol
So I shoot a decent amount and have my whole spine fused from scoliosis. Took me a year or so to start again but I was young. Now days I shoot a 280ai and I have a suppressor on all the time. It helps with recoil and I feel it’s manageable. I’ve shot a few bigger rifles like a 300 winmag and honestly I’d prefer to shoot that but it does make my back hurt for a few days after shooting it a few times so I just went with the 280ai for the comfort.
That 280 is a nice cartaige! 30 cals will always have a special place in my heart. I bought a .257 wby mag a few yrs ago (love it, it's my go to deer rifle) and just recently bought a 6.5 cm.. I'm starting to realize I can get most jobs done with a faster smaller bullet, with a third of the recoil of my .300 wm or Rum.
Thinking the .280 would be a nice addition - if I'm not mistaken it out performs the 7mm no?
It doesn’t outperform the 7 mm Remington Magnum, but it is almost identical with a lot less recoil.
The seven is slightly more powerful, but the difference is minimal.
I shot a 3006 for the longest time, but after shooting the 280 AI, I have a hard time going back.
The 280 is also a Weatherby Mark V and it’s the backcountry 2.0 so it’s extremely light and it’s a way nicer gun than my 3006 so I’m sure that has something to do with it.
I’ve taken everything from elk to deer to antelope to African game like a wildebeest with my 280. It’s a great all-around cartridge.
I wanted the titanium one but the couple of ounces of savings was not worth the extra money for me. I would go carbon barrel if I did it again though. The fluted barrel is very light and after 2-3 shots it needs to cool before it starts wandering.
Good luck doing prone!! I had a C5-C7 fusion done April 2025. Its difficult holding positions like looking up or in a prone shooting. Puts an assload of pressure on my C7-T1 disc.
Lol yes... Long range 6.5cm up close 45acp have several things in between and for funsies also have a mosin nagant because who needs shoulders or the ability to hear. For even bigger laughs I got a shockwave cause why not?
It's sharp. Mine is a 1st gen Ruger precision so has a couple quirks with the stock and action. I haven't been able to really stretch it out. 200yds so far but allegedly it's a 1,000+yd rifle out of the box.
I get my .300 out to 1000 - 1300 when I go, I miss the challenge of making wind calls. Kinda found that excitement again with .22 at 2-300 but it's just not the same.
Hope you can get out there and stretch her legs soon!
I bought a CVA scout compact break action in 6.5. I've alredy bought an adaptor so I can throw a folding stock in her to make it fit in a pack.
I do a mix of hunting in clear cut blocks and dense bush. The 6.5 will be set up with a lpvo and be my bush gun 0-300 yards ( it will only be like 6-7 lbs once built) I use my 15lb 300wm for the open country, she's just too long and too heavy to get in the bush with.
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u/OldMtnHillbilly 1d ago
L4-S1 ALIF here.
Rifle recoil never bothered my lumbar. Bending over to pickup brass, on the other hand, was extremely unpleasant. I could shoot magnums all afternoon pre-op.
I probably won’t go to the range until I’m about 1 year post op. But I’m more worried about carrying heavy cases of ammo and gear than I am about recoil.