Doctor cleared me to shoot... sort of

[Thumbcocker]

Had Dr. visit on Friday and I am offically cleared to shoot .22's with my dominant hand. I detached my right bicep in late March trying to keep a wood stove on a hand truck from falling over. I would love to tell you all a stirring story about my manly pain tolerance and how I bit down on a boolit but the fact is it felt like a cross between a charley horse and hitting your funny bone.

Surgery was outpatient so no cool operation story. Before surgery got the 4 5/8 .45 blackhawk out of the safe. Figured combination of big holes and alloy frame would be good for non-dominant hand dry firing and shooting (.45 acp cylinder).

Learned a lot while right arm was immobilized the past 5 weeks. Shooting is very much in your head. Teaching the left hand muscle memory and trigger squeeze was mentally draining. Knowing what sight picutre should be and getting it are 2 different things. Finally broke shot sequence down into series of steps including the placement and pressure of each finger on the grip. Lots of rain in April so lots of time dry firing at birds in the yard, birds on the feeder, and when daughter was out of the house, dry firing on the cat.

Using 452460's over 4.5 of red dot got where I could hit fair at 25 yards (quit laughing .44 man) one handed off hand. Fair being groups smaller than my hand . One day at the range a groupof 20 somethngs shooting a CZ 75 at 15 yards were wowed by my stellar marksmanship (keeping shots on paper plate at 25) they seemed disappointed to see right arm in cast.

It is amazing how soon nondominate hand adjusted to shaving, tooth brushing, and eating. Still have to shoot .45 with left hand but can shoot.22's with right hand and have permission to dry fire with right hand in wever stance. Firts try felt like shaking hands with an old friend. Sights seem very steady as opposed to left hand only.

I am very happy that things are working out well. As long as I don't mess up until right arm is fully healed I should make a full recovery.

Appreciate what you have in the way of health, vision, chances to shoot, and good people to share with.

[Gunfixer]

I feel your pain, literally. I had 80% detachment on my left distal bicep tendon in '04. I am half left handed. what a deal. I have gone through what you stated about the non dominate hand. I shoot long guns left handed, but prefer pistols right. I can do both off either side. But it was the simple stuff like eating, shaving etc, that I wasn't ready for. Good wishes for full recovery and don't do anything you are not supposed to. I now have a new dehydration gauge, the area where they screwed the tendon back on starts "tugging" for lack of a better term, If I start getting "dry" even before I get thirsty.

[MtGun44]

Smart move to make sure yo let it heal properly. Docs have told me that if you screw up
and reinjure something you can make it so it will never really be OK in the future due to
too much scarring and inability heal a second time before it was 100% healed.

I've been shooting weak handed in competition and training for 30+ yrs, and you wouldn't
want to stand out there, but it is much more difficult and slower in recovery from shot to
shot than my right hand, so I know what you mean about shooting 'wrong handed". OTOH,
I think it is good training for folks to learn weak hand shooting with a handgun.

Bill

[RobS]

Lots of rain in April so lots of time dry firing at birds in the yard, birds on the feeder, and when daughter was out of the house, dry firing on the cat.

Not a cat lover either I see. I believe I sent you out some 375 boolits (maybe not) but I'm positive rifles were out of the equation as well with the origin of the bicep being up in the shoulder/top of the humorous. You're still probably not allowed to even shoot a 22 LR. Take is slow as she goes and you’ll be back at it, although it probably already feels like an eternity.

[Thumbcocker]

Nope no .375 boolits here. Bicep detached on the elbow end. Today I got to shoot the model 18 smith I lucked into before bunging up the arm, made in 1966. Sweeet trigger.

Not a cat lover but he has proven that love can stop boolits. Daughter loves the cat, I love daughter, cat lives.

[DIRT Farmer]

Now that you have learned to shoot with some ability weak hand, don't give it up. I just talked to a friend this weekend who had to start using the weak hand for every thing due to eye problems. He is thankful he had some training thirty plus years ago as a LEO.

[firefly1957]

Good luck and get better soon .