404 Jeffery, my new sweetheart

Rule404 · Jun 6, 2026

Hi Ontario Hunter. Sorry to hear how bad yours became. I’ve been fortunate that I have not needed surgery my vision has not been badly affected. I only shoot the 404 off sticks or free hand now and not that often. I do shoot a 375 H&H and an 8x68S in a Mauser M03 a bit more often, but I had a recoil reducer added to the stock and muzzle breaks fitted to both. Sacrilegious, I know, but this was due to two shoulder reconstructions, which were not successful, not the eye problem. However I try not to bench shoot too often.
I don’t read any stories of anyone saying they were glad to have sold a 404, only regrets. If I lived in NSW, the 404j would definitely be one of the keepers, along with a move to another state, probably north.

Ontario Hunter · Jun 6, 2026

Hornedfrogbbq said:
You all have to be kidding me. You detached retinas or damaged yhem from shooting? How is that possible with any kind of proper form? I mean I could see bad things happening shooting a 7.5lb .458 or something but a proper gun weight and form I would think would make injury quite difficult?

I'm happy to educate you ... it may save your eyesight some day.

Several factors can affect one's vulnerability to retina problems. If near sighted or diabetic, you are at risk. And then there's the aging process. As we approach the end of "middle age" the vitreous fluid in the eyeball begins to thicken and shrink. The thicker fluid can stick to the retina and tear a hole in it. Then the fluid gets behind the retina and causes a detachment. For those like me who have thin retinas this can be a hidden time bomb. My second detachment occurred after a morning goose hunt with 3" mag 12 gauge 870 only a few months after the first detachment. I was pushing the envelope and paid the price. First detachment was entirely spontaneous. I didn't recognize the symptoms and by the time I could be flown out for surgery nearly lost the vision for good. Third detachment was only two months after the second. By then the odds of saving that eye were very slim. But it worked. For ten years afterwards I was having periodic laser patch jobs to retina tears in both eyes (extremely painful, unlike cataract laser surgery which is painless). Eventually my eyes "settled" and I was allowed to resume all activities (except bull riding

). I was only 51 years old when I had my first detachment. No, actually I was only fifty and turned 51 by second detachment. I am not diabetic or near sighted.

So, you can understand how the shock of severe recoil could easily exacerbate a retina detachment, especially in a shooter who's at risk. Shooting a heavy recoil rifle from the bench is NOT "proper form". Your body is not allowed to flex enough and too much of the shock is absorbed internally. Shooting prone is the worst form! Best for accuracy but almost all the recoil must be absorbed by the body. Do that with a DGR and risk hurting yourself severely. Imagine trying to get up off the ground with a broken shoulder to fire a followup shot at a wounded charging buffalo. Good luck with that!

My best advice to everyone who shoots thumper guns is know the symptoms of retina problems. If recognized early a tear can be patched before it becomes a detachment. A detachment starting is an emergency situation. Your hunting trip is over and you need to get on a plane to a tertiary hospital immediately. If the detachment makes it to the macula (where optic nerve attaches), the eye is pretty much gone. Go on line and familiarize yourself with symptoms. They can be relatively minor (annoying) until too late.

Mark458 · Jun 6, 2026

Good information, thanks for sharing. Many of take things like that for granted, but it is good to have the information and know the signs to look for. I would definitely recommend you get a Lead Sled. For bench shooting it's the only way to go, especially when shooting big bore guns. Zeroing a gun or general practice it takes a lot of the negative affects of recoil out of the situation.

That being said sooner or later you need to get off the bench and do a significant of practice standing and shooting off of sticks. You're an African hunting veteran and know this, but many first time Africa hunters show up with a gun that is shooting perfect from the bench but they have never shot from sticks and it's a very different situation.

Many PH's have switched to the 4 stable sticks and other similar designs. Personally I prefer the old style tripod sticks. I like to lean into my shot and found that the 4 stable sticks let me tilt forward and therefore the tripod style is more stable for me. My point is practice the way you are going to hunt. Ask your PH what kind of sticks they use. If you have something you really love to use you may want to take them with you.

Monski · Jun 6, 2026

Ontario Hunter said:
I'm happy to educate you ... it may save your eyesight some day.

Several factors can affect one's vulnerability to retina problems. If near sighted or diabetic, you are at risk. And then there's the aging process. As we approach the end of "middle age" the vitreous fluid in the eyeball begins to thicken and shrink. The thicker fluid can stick to the retina and tear a hole in it. Then the fluid gets behind the retina and causes a detachment. For those like me who have thin retinas this can be a hidden time bomb. My second detachment occurred after a morning goose hunt with 3" mag 12 gauge 870 only a few months after the first detachment. I was pushing the envelope and paid the price. First detachment was entirely spontaneous. I didn't recognize the symptoms and by the time I could be flown out for surgery nearly lost the vision for good. Third detachment was only two months after the second. By then the odds of saving that eye were very slim. But it worked. For ten years afterwards I was having periodic laser patch jobs to retina tears in both eyes (extremely painful, unlike cataract laser surgery which is painless). Eventually my eyes "settled" and I was allowed to resume all activities (except bull riding ). I was only 51 years old when I had my first detachment. No, actually I was only fifty and turned 51 by second detachment. I am not diabetic or near sighted.

So, you can understand how the shock of severe recoil could easily exacerbate a retina detachment, especially in a shooter who's at risk. Shooting a heavy recoil rifle from the bench is NOT "proper form". Your body is not allowed to flex enough and too much of the shock is absorbed internally. Shooting prone is the worst form! Best for accuracy but almost all the recoil must be absorbed by the body. Do that with a DGR and risk hurting yourself severely. Imagine trying to get up off the ground with a broken shoulder to fire a followup shot at a wounded charging buffalo. Good luck with that!

My best advice to everyone who shoots thumper guns is know the symptoms of retina problems. If recognized early a tear can be patched before it becomes a detachment. A detachment starting is an emergency situation. Your hunting trip is over and you need to get on a plane to a tertiary hospital immediately. If the detachment makes it to the macula (where optic nerve attaches), the eye is pretty much gone. Go on line and familiarize yourself with symptoms. They can be relatively minor (annoying) until too late.

Good info, glad you can still see.

Ray B · Jun 6, 2026

There's some genetic predisposition involved. My brother-in-law has only fired a rifle once in his life- a Model 1894 30 WCF that was handed down by his uncle. He also had a non-active job as an engineer for Boeing and then Lockheed. But he had a retina that was detaching and had to get spot-welded back into place. Additional eye problems have resulted in him not being able to fly or drive over mountain passes with altitude changes of over 3,000 ft- so he is pretty much limited to Atlanta.

404 Jeffery, my new sweetheart

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