Shooting magnum rifles with blood thinner meds

[FourTeeFive]

Muzzle brake, recoil pad (good cushy one like Limbsaver or Pachmayr Decelerator), and a shooting shoulder pad. Heavier rifles recoil less, but then you have to lug them around.

I haven't used a shooting pad before but this company looks interesting:

https://shockeater.com/

If you have a recoil pad professionally installed you can have the stock cut down at the same time to accommodate the additional recoil pad thickness along with the shoulder pad thickness.

 

[dangerranger60]

Yeah, my doctors had me all freaked out when it happened and told me I shouldn't even use a regular razor for shaving....needless to say, they weren't totally correct. I did sell the 7mm but have no issues with my 270 or 30-06, neither a recoil pad. I think I'm good and should make the doctors who told me that buy me a new rifle!!!

I traded a 7mm mag and 300 win mag for a 6.5x55 and 30-30. I don't shoot any less deer; I just have to get closer.
As far as the bruising, the two worries are that you will start an internal bleed, or that you will get blood poisoning from the pooled blood under the skin.
I had a pretty minor bruise on my leg that turned bad. It took months to get over.
Don't ignore it, but don't let it stop you from the things you live for either! DR

 

[Dillon1000]

Cheap solution, before you go out shooting grab a couple Kotex pads and tape inside your shirt on your shoulder. Or wear a magnum pad. I have the same problem.

 

[Flopsweat]

I've shot all my rifles, a 50 cal and tons of pistols. Not an issue...I get cut and still clot fairly quickly. I haven't had a huge cut yet, and I don't intend to, but I will adjust appropriately if I start to see issues.

If you're not having problems clotting, you should be fine. I shot a 300 WM and a few 308's on blood thinners. I also had dental surgery on blood thinners. I went through a lot of gauze, but I did eventually stop bleeding. You may find that you bruise more easily. The bruises may look funny and take longer to heal. I'm always banging into stuff, so I got a few real doozies before I finally got to drop that stuff. I still take aspirin but it's not nearly as bad.

 

[Crazyeye24]

Unfortunately, I'm not supposed to go off my meds unless surgery. Since taking them, I've never felt the same...heck, since the stroke, I've never felt the same!!!!

 

[Flopsweat]

Unfortunately, I'm not supposed to go off my meds unless surgery. Since taking them, I've never felt the same...heck, since the stroke, I've never felt the same!!!!

Same for me for years. Eventually the doc switched me to just aspirin. Very happy with the change.

 

[Crazyeye24]

Same for me for years. Eventually the doc switched me to just aspirin. Very happy with the change.

Hopefully I'll be in the same boat also. Hate the stuff, and it costs a ton.

 

[Mr Smith]

Muzzle brake on a semi auto makes a world of difference in recoil. My 308s feel like shooting a 5.56. though the concussive blast off the brake does rattle the brain pan a bit. Small price to pay for low recoil.

 

[Flopsweat]

Muzzle brake on a semi auto makes a world of difference in recoil. My 308s feel like shooting a 5.56. though the concussive blast off the brake does rattle the brain pan a bit. Small price to pay for low recoil.

Small price for some. I prefer the recoil over the concussion. If I shot in competitions I might feel differently, but I don't mind recoil and I hate the "brain pan rattle". That's a good way to describe it.

 

[Bobbygun]

Hate the stuff, and it costs a ton.

I'm curious what you take. Due to Factor V Leiden, I've been on blood thinners for 25 - 30 years. I was on Coumadin until the insurance company said they wouldn't cover the name brand any longer. I've been on warfarin since. I noticed absolutely no difference and my dosage was exactly the same. My wife picked up my prescription for a month's worth of tablets this week and it was less than $27 (insurance covered 100%). If you're on Coumadin or some other name brand, you might look into generic.

I really couldn't (and still can't) feel any difference when I started taking the medication. It really hasn't changed my lifestyle much. I'm probably more cautious when running a chainsaw, but I was pretty cautious before after notching my shinbone with one when I was in my early 20's. I haven't noticed much bruising when shooting my .300 Weatherby Magnum. I think the most bruising I've seen is shooting clay pigeons with a 12 gauge shotgun. It looks like a rash at first and hasn't really gotten me concerned or prevented me from participating. The closest thing I've had to a problem was when I ran my scapel-like skinning knife (Havalon Piranta) into the palm of my hand while skinning a 5-pt. bull elk. I ended up wrapping a bandana around it while I finished. That small, probably 3/8" incision just did not want to stop bleeding. I thought it had, but when I woke up the next morning my hand was stuck to the sweatshirt I slept in, on my back with my hand on my chest. It wasn't really a serious amount of blood, but it was annoying that it took so long to stop bleeding. I thought about investing in one of those clotting packs, but that was about ten years ago, and I still haven't gotten around to it.

 

[Crazyeye24]

I'm on eliquis

 

[oldcorpgunny]

Anyone shooting 7mm mag rifles while on blood thinner meds? My doc made it sound pretty bad now that I'm on thinners and has me wondering if my 7mm mag will cause too much bruising or internal damage.

Any thoughts?

I have a Remington 7MM Magnum and I'm also on a blood thinner. Yes, you will bruise. I have short arms and cut my stock down to fit me better and then cut it some more to add a comfortable recoil pad. It worked for me. I no longer hunt (except for good deals at garage sales) and so my experience is somewhat dated.

 

[Bobbygun]

I'm on eliquis

From what I could find through Google, they have a generic that will be much cheaper, but the company that makes Eliquis has a patent that they have extended to 2028. I don't know if there is any guarantee they won't get another extension at that point. The price differential is ridiculous. I read that the generic is available in other parts of the world. They certainly have stacked the deck against you. You probably already knew all of this.

Unfortunately, warfarin and Eliquis aren't quite the same, and you and I take thinners for different reasons.

 

[JJJJJ]

Unfortunately, I'm not supposed to go off my meds unless surgery. Since taking them, I've never felt the same...heck, since the stroke, I've never felt the same!!!!

Which Covid shot did you take?

 

[Crazyeye24]

Which Covid shot did you take?

Didn't take the covid shot, won't take the covid shot.

From what I could find through Google, they have a generic that will be much cheaper, but the company that makes Eliquis has a patent that they have extended to 2028. I don't know if there is any guarantee they won't get another extension at that point. The price differential is ridiculous. I read that the generic is available in other parts of the world. They certainly have stacked the deck against you. You probably already knew all of this.

Unfortunately, warfarin and Eliquis aren't quite the same, and you and I take thinners for different reasons.

Yeah, they did give me choice between coumadin and eliquis. Coumadin requires constant checks to adjust and eliquis is 2 pills per day. Figured eliquis will be the least impactive. Cost between the two are crazy. They told me coumadin is around $5 per month, or something really low, and eliquis is right around $600...Good thing for me is my insurance covers it fully. Probably the only reason I'm still taking it.

 

[JJJJJ]

Didn't take the covid shot, won't take the covid shot.


Yeah, they did give me choice between coumadin and eliquis. Coumadin requires constant checks to adjust and eliquis is 2 pills per day. Figured eliquis will be the least impactive. Cost between the two are crazy. They told me coumadin is around $5 per month, or something really low, and eliquis is right around $600...Good thing for me is my insurance covers it fully. Probably the only reason I'm still taking it.

Glad you didn't take clot shot…I wish you the best brother!!

 

[Flopsweat]

Didn't take the covid shot, won't take the covid shot.


Yeah, they did give me choice between coumadin and eliquis. Coumadin requires constant checks to adjust and eliquis is 2 pills per day. Figured eliquis will be the least impactive. Cost between the two are crazy. They told me coumadin is around $5 per month, or something really low, and eliquis is right around $600...Good thing for me is my insurance covers it fully. Probably the only reason I'm still taking it.

That's weird, I took coumadin for a few years and never had to do constant checks.

 

[Bobbygun]

That's weird, I took coumadin for a few years and never had to do constant checks.

I've been going in for a check about every five or six weeks for the past 25 years. I tried to get them to sell me the monitoring equipment so I could do it myself, but that was a non-starter. I really don't understand either. It's not a complicated process. Nowadays I use that visit to town to schedule lunch with some former co-workers.

 

[Flopsweat]

I've been going in for a check about every five or six weeks for the past 25 years. I tried to get them to sell me the monitoring equipment so I could do it myself, but that was a non-starter. I really don't understand either. It's not a complicated process. Nowadays I use that visit to town to schedule lunch with some former co-workers.

I was curious about monitoring, and I ran across this:

Updated Guidelines on Outpatient Anticoagulation

The American College of Chest Physicians provides recommendations for the use of anticoagulant medications for several indications that are important in the primary care setting. Warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist, is recommended for the treatment of venous thromboembolism and for the prevention...

www.aafp.org

In patients with atrial fibrillation and at least one other risk factor for stroke, newer agents (rivaroxaban [Xarelto] and dabigatran [Pradaxa]) that do not require frequent laboratory monitoring are as effective as warfarin for prevention of stroke or systemic embolism and have comparable risks of major bleeding.

 

[Bobbygun]

I was curious about monitoring, and I ran across this:

Updated Guidelines on Outpatient Anticoagulation

The American College of Chest Physicians provides recommendations for the use of anticoagulant medications for several indications that are important in the primary care setting. Warfarin, a vitamin K antagonist, is recommended for the treatment of venous thromboembolism and for the prevention...

www.aafp.org

Thanks. I don't fall into any of the categories that say it wouldn't be a good idea to let me self monitor. It has been a few years since I asked about it. Maybe it's time to take another run at it.

I had a couple of very minor surgeries where I was required to go through the "bridging" process. I live out in the country and didn't want to keep driving into town every day, so they let me self-administer the daily injections of Lovenox. If they trust me to handle that, why not measure my own INR? I remember when I inquired several years ago, they talked about how the machine wasn't that expensive but the test strips were. Who knows, but with all the bureaucracy in the insurance racket, maybe they won't cover the cost of the strips if not administered at the clinic. I need to find out though.