Interesting topic.

Without answering the questions, I might add that risk involving shooting of hard kickers seems to vary a lot between people. I wonder if a combination of age and recoil could increase risk of RD to unacceptable levels? How to predict such a thing? Who knows...Doc's?

Then again I wonder if more common degenerative age issues force many older fellows to quit shooting bigbores before retinal detachment becomes a common problem? Shoulder issues, back and neck degenerative conditions come to mind.

Many folks have problems shooting any guns that generate any backthrust at all. After I suffered a nerve disorder in my neck and shoulder I struggled for a long time with pistol and rifle shooting of any sort, then that improved and as a reminder of my mortality I injured a disk in my neck last summer doing ranch work. Glad I have a battery of light kickers!

Veering off a bit more, it has been said about a man's body involving physical fitness and contact sports "use it or lose it" but it is probably just as true to say "use it and lose it" for many people, particularly when a fellow has a job or hobby that puts him in harms way.

Nobody lives forever. Certainly physical behavior can and should be modified as age and circumstances take their toll and shooting doesn't mean the necessity to shoot cannons. A guy can lay around on his pasty butt and watch others play sports on the Peep-Hole Into Paradise or he can get involved till something goes amiss and then modify his behavior to remain a model of tenacity for the young. That's the way I see it. But I've had a heck of a model.

My Dad suffered a retinal detachment when my brother hit him in the eye with a racket ball. But the old guy was 63 at the time! He pretty much quit playing r-ball after that. Then the Old Man tripped and mashed his knee into a street curb while he was running 4 miles...when he was 65!! That ended his running career.

Dauntless, the old guy is 82 and still walking 5 miles per day and lifting weights 3x's per week. He's a great model of sticktuitiveness and never giving up.