Is it nerves ?

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BornLoser

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Hello everyone.

Been lurking for a little while. Havn't been able to do much shooting. But, one thing that bothers me, is when I go to use a pistol, my hands start shaking, and it really throws off my aim a lot. The first few shots, no problem. Smooth as silk, dead on target. But after that, my hands start shaking, and my shots start going all over the place. I didn't used to have this problem, it's only been the past few years.

I have no problem shooting rifles, I shoot as good or better than my dad and uncle, who both have iotec sights. I'm hell bent on not using scopes or other forms of aiming.

This hand shaking thing really bothers me though, as it seems I have absolutly no control over it. I focus, and steel myself, but my hands just start shaking.
 
I suppose it could be a health issue; maybe age? not sure what to tell you, how often do you shoot pistols? what caliber seems to give you trouble?
 
Sounds like a mental issue imo...

Dry fire.

Focus on the calm focused mental state you have while aiming and pressing the trigger on an empty chamber. You should be relaxed and focused. Try to capture that mental state.

Go to the range and dry fire at your target before you load up. Double up on earpro. Once you have that calm mental state and focus, load ONE round into your weapon, and fire maintaining the same calm mental state that you have when you dry fire. After you fire the lone round, dry fire again.

With repetition you should be able to develop and recognize a focused and relaxed state of mind while dry firing. Focus on developing this mindset at the range through a combination of dry and live fire. Do at least 5 good dry fires per every shot fired, it will come with time and practice.

I have used this technique with countless shooters and it always helps to make improvements.
 
It's not age, I'm only 26.

I'll definitely try this dry firing thing, and I did learn to breathe when i shoot. My dad taught me that when i was still little.

It's not caliber specific either, it's every handgun i pick up.
 
If you are over, say 45, it could be a health issue in the sense that fatigue sets in quickly. Or, as you suggest, it could be like the yips in Golf.
 
Maybe it is your "funny bone". Look up funny bone or ulnar nerve.
 
Death grip will cause shake.
So will holding the handgun straight out too long - tires the stabilizer muscles.
 
is it ONLY when firing a handgun, or when doing other tasks that require fine motor skills?
could be a benign tremor. i have dealt with one since my early years. medication can help it.
 
I found that I get the shakes if I eat junk food (or don't eat at all) before going out to shoot.

I usually go out before lunch, so I typically eat a breakfast of bacon, eggs and sometimes toast. You'd be surprised at the difference a hardy meal make out at the range.

Sometimes I'll take protein bars with me as a snack if I start getting light headed. My metabolism would probably eat through a solid block of concrete in a matter of minutes. :eek:
 
I'm not a doctor but the eating issue might point to a blood sugar imbalance. I have diabetes so I know how that feels, high and low. Or it could be a neurological disorder. Or you may be shaking from fatigue. Exercise your grip with one of those spring loaded thingies to build up your strength and endurance.
 
Yours could be simply a pinched nerve or a weak muscle but you truly won't know until it is checked. Personally I believe you should play it safe and contact a physician. There are so many neuro-muscular problems out there you shouldn't guess at. What may seem inconsequential now could be a major problem later on in life. Better to be safe than sorry. I hope it is nothing but get it checked to make sure. My wife had some mild difficulty in breathing and was diagnosed with first stage Hodgkins. That was in 1991. Since it was caught early it had an 80% chance of being cured. It is claimed that if it stays in remission for 5 years it was cured. It has been in remission for over 18 years. My wife also used to work with a woman who had mutiple sclerosis. Some days no problem, others she could barely walk without pain. I know you are young, but my wife was 25 when we found her cancer.
 
Do you drink coffee?

A lot people in your age group drink coffee and energy drinks with extremely high sugar and caffeine levels. If you do, you might want to lay off for a couple of days before shooting.

Do you lift weights?

Sometime heavy weightlifting can cause muscles tremors and loss of fine motor skills. As an artist, avid shooter and hunter. I tend to go light on the weightlifting to preserve my fine motor skills that I needed for drawing and trigger control.
 
I'd suggest some reasonable strength training, and maybe shooting from a more relaxed position (like chest level with bent elbows). Try some stuff and see if anything works.
 
ok no humor or fun makeing at all in this question but are you scared?
i know that some people feel "out of control" with a handgun because its smaller and could easliy do things you dont like in compairison to a long arm
i guess the heart of the question is do you feel comfortable and relaxed shooting handguns?
if not then this can be overcome just shoot more untill your comfortable

otherwise id look into the other solutions others have suggested and possably ask a doctor
 
Another exercise you can try will help determine if you are responding differently to perceived or anticipated recoil or slide action. If using a revolver, load two spent shells (not adjacent to each other) along with your four live rounds, and watch for flinching, both physical and mental, when the hammer drops on them. If using an autoloading pistol, have someone make a dummy load or two for you (or make them yourself if you reload), and have that person also load your mags for you, inserting the dummy round in there somewhere.
A possible condition is known as "benign essential tremor". This manifests in the hands first most of the time. Initially, it presents only when the muscles of grip and dexterity are in use. It can occur at any age, and is somewhat more common in people with blood pressure issues, which can be brought about by, among other things, high caffeine use, and smoking. My partner on the ambulance has had it for all of the eight years we've been working together, and he's forty years old. Strangely, he's still a whiz with starting IV lines..
 
BornLoser said:
I focus, and steel myself
Click to expand...
I'm presuming that this is your primary trouble. You're tensing your muscles to try and stay still. Ever watched someone who is lifting really heavy weights and really working their muscles? The more they tense their muscles the more they slightly wobble. If you stress any muscle in your body by tensing it too harshly for a bit, it will shake more.

This thread may be of good help to you.

Look up some folks' recommendations with practicing with snap-caps, dimes, and watching for barrel-dive. Sounds to me like an anticipation trouble, but it could be anything.
 
What I had to come to realize that when I'm looking intently across the sight to the target downrange every little movement was magnified by my concentration. Can't say that's your problem, but once I realized it was mine I could work on my stance etc to minimize it, and became a better shot.
 
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