# Shaky Hands & Aging



## Babbalou1956 (Sep 2, 2014)

Question for older shooters; Did your sight alignment get more difficult past a certain age or can you shoot as accurately as you did when you were 20-30? My iron sights looked steady until I put a red dot sight on & I see how much I wobble now. My gun is capable of much better accuracy than I am. Maybe I need practice, it's a fairly new .22 & it's been years since I had one. It's a Ruger 22/45, Volquartsen accurizing kit & Burris Fast Fire 3 with a 3 MOA dot. Mounted snugly, no movement. 5 1/2" barrel. I use 3" targets at 25 yards & the red dot moves all over the target. Offhand I'm shooting about 3" 10 shot groups & I'm still experimenting with different loads. With a rest I'm sure this .22 would put 10 shots in an inch, maybe less. Very happy with it. Fun to shoot but I wonder how much my shaking is due to age. I always used iron sights in my youth so it's hard to compare. I'll be 58 Thursday.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Your "red dot" device is making things look much wobblier than they really are.
The projected dot, at the far end of a long radial segment of a circle, amplifies the natural wobble that all of us have.

If you turn the dot off, and go back to using only your eyes and the gun's sights, you'll see that very little has changed.
Killing that dot will do wonders for your self-confidence. Obviously, you already shoot very well indeed.

I am 76 years old, and I admit that I can no longer make quick, accurate, 20-yard head shots.
This is as much a function of aging eyes as it is a function of aging muscles...not to mention arthritis.
Truth: I'm down to quick, accurate, 12-yard head shots.


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## shepsan (Jan 22, 2013)

Babbalou1956, without question, the body declines in strength and stamina as a person ages. One manifestation of this is that the older shooter’s arms and hands can no longer remain as steady as they once did when younger. I faced these phenomena in my seventies. To counteract the problem I had holding a handgun steady enough to place hits on a target where I wanted them to print, I devised a simple exercise that I do each day for about twenty minutes using light weight dumb bells. This exercise strengthened my upper torso, arms and hands.

I began with 1 lb dumb bells in each hand and over time increased the weight to 10 lbs dumb bells in each hand. I lift the dumb bells from the floor to chest height and then extend my arms straight out as far as I can and hold that position for 20 seconds. After 20 seconds I lower my arms down my side to below my waist level and take a 5 second rest. I repeat this exercise ten times and then rest for about three minutes.

I then repeat this routine again and then rest for again about three minutes.

Then, I repeat the routine again for the final time. This may seem woozy lifting such light weights and doing such a simple routine. But believe me, for someone my age, it is quite taxing. 

Within a matter of days of starting this exercise, I found that my shaky hands were becoming less shaky and then to my satisfaction, they became steady as I held my hand gun in either an Isosceles or Weaver shooting position.

I usually send 200 or so rounds a day downrange in a practice session. Even at the end of the session, my gun has remained steady in my hands.

No doubt, the basics of my exercise can be changed in many ways. However, the point is that strengthening the body through exercise does help to achieve a better degree of strength and stamina needed to shoot a revolver or pistol more accurately and for a longer period.

Another decline resulting from the aging process is eye sight. As I aged, my eye sight decreased requiring that I wear contact lenses, then spectacles, having cataracts removed and always requiring annual increases in the power of my spectacles.

Another significant factor was I found that unless the length of the handgun slide had a long enough sight radius, I simply could not properly see and aim on target. Secondly, regular iron sights and even night sights were not enough for me to print decent hits on target. The solution to this was installing fiber optic sights to all of my pistols.

Fiber optic sights enable me to clearly focus and aim accurately. Also, they allow me to find my aiming point more rapidly after recoil.

In conclusion, I cannot shoot better today at my advanced age then I did as a young man. However, by doing light weight lifting, I have fortified myself with greater body strength and stamina and arrested to some degree failing eyesight though the use of fiber optic sights. The result is that my gun handling and accuracy is better than average and I can spend time at the range enjoying target practice and self-protection training even though I am in my mid-eighties.


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## Babbalou1956 (Sep 2, 2014)

Thanks for the quick responses & advice.


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## EvilTwin (Sep 4, 2014)

IM 70 and the natural degradation of muscle hold is evident.. on the other hand, I'm a very active shooter, but I don't shoot off hand as much as I once did and choose events that are not effected by my muscle memory, or strength. So I do a lot of Bench shooting.. which is still fun.

AS far as my EDC.. I shoot ( off hand )a light weight high end gun, at 25 oz , and its an alloy gun not a plastic gun.. I shoot my EDC... Kimber Ultra 3 " in 45 ACP, every week, at least 50 rounds, some weeks Ill shoot 100 round. Just to keep my edge and my muscle memory.. prior to being 65, I only needed a once a month training. I started the weekly thing when I was 65... I practice at 10 feet and 21 feet. I also have Meprolight night sights, and crimson laser grips.. the laser can get you on target, but if you look at the actual feed back, it will make you feel that you are worse then you actually are. the laser can be a deterrent, but it gets you to point at the threat...and not look at the sights.. as a defensive stance you do not want to be looking at sights... you want to be looking at the threat... the red dot get you in the threat zone... which could be moving.. its not like looking down iron sights at a fixed target down range.. A threat is something that could be moving so looking at sights, takes your focus off the actual threat... a laser is a good thing but don't over think its worth by all the movement.. its natural...the laser is a good thing...


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## hillman (Jul 27, 2014)

In my case (I'm 77) the shake is not age-related present for the first couple mags. After that things deteriorate, but I can't tell if it's fatigue or jangled nerves that cause the increased scatter. I'm inclined to blame nerves, and that they are noise related.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Besides *shepsan*'s suggestions, I have found that doing repeated from-rest-position "pistol presentations" using a five-pound dumbbell, complete with count-to-five follow through, is helpful.
Do about five minutes of this, rest, and then do another five minutes. Don't do more than 10 minutes of it, each day.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

A couple shots of good whisky might help. 
Did I just say that ? :smt033


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## Spike12 (Dec 10, 2008)

I'm 64 with a pretty big medical history. Coffee adds to my shakes and some of my meds contribute too, primarily my anti-rejection drug (kidney). 

I've just reduced my goals. Absolute bull's eyes are out, but I'm happy if I'm good enough for serious social work, which I am. My everyday carry is an alloy 1911 commander.


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## EvilTwin (Sep 4, 2014)

Spike12 said:


> I'm 64 with a pretty big medical history. Coffee adds to my shakes and some of my meds contribute too, primarily my anti-rejection drug (kidney).
> 
> I've just reduced my goals. Absolute bull's eyes are out, but I'm happy if I'm good enough for serious social work, which I am. My everyday carry is an alloy 1911 commander.


IM 70 and have big medical issues as well... I don't drink coffee my cancer meds take their toll but I do shoot every week to maintain my muscle memory and defensive edge.. MY EDC is a 1911 alloy Kimber in 45 ACP.. I shoot 50 rounds a week.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Spike12 said:


> I'm 64...


A mere child. :mrgreen:


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## draak (May 28, 2011)

I was out to the pistol range on Tuesday, shooting a Ruger Blackhawk .357 with a 7 1/2 inch barrel. I shot 114 rounds, using my own .38 reloads. Keeping all the holes inside an 8 inch target at 25 yards was my goal. I managed to do that and that is as good as I ever was. I enjoyed myself immensely. But supporting a revolver that heavy for an hour and twenty minutes was a little bit tiring for a man who will turn 79 on the 4th of next month.


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

If you've got shaky hands, just make sure the bad guy's shaking too. (or shoot during an earthquake), you'll get a good grouping..


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## Lee Hunter (May 25, 2011)

Don't consume any caffeinated products before visiting the range. Make sure to eat something nutritious beforehand. And then consume no more than a jigger of whiskey for the calming affect small quantities of liquor provides without disturbing our normal ability to function safely, and efficiently.


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

I look at red dots/lasers the same way, and that is if I can hit any part of the human torso with them, then I am using them for what they were intended for. Quick, body shots, without having to take the time to line up iron sights.


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## Babbalou1956 (Sep 2, 2014)

I started doing the weights & I think it's going to help. I don't shoot as well when I'm tired & even though I go to a gym I don't use my muscles the same way. Just holding a light dumbbell out in front of me gets tiring quick & I start shaking so I'll be using that dumbbell everyday now. When I think about it I'm probably holding my .22 out in front of me a full minute for the 10 shot clip & shooting around 250 rounds per session.


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## EvilTwin (Sep 4, 2014)

I use a similar technique when holding a camera... I use two hands to hold the camera, or weapon.. I pull my elbows into my sides and lock my arms because I'm left handed I push my right elbow into my right hip.. as oppose to the straight arm approach you see on TV.
I point my right shoulder to the target the swings my hips and gives me a nich pocket to push my right elbow into. much like a woman holding a baby on her hip..
Its much more stable then the straight arm approach. it also give the threat a smaller view of you with your shoulder and hip pointed to him..\Remember IM left handed so if your right handed and want to try this point your left shoulder, and put your left elbow into your left hip.


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

EvilTwin said:


> I use a similar technique when holding a camera... I use two hands to hold the camera, or weapon.. I pull my elbows into my sides and lock my arms because I'm left handed I push my right elbow into my right hip.. as oppose to the straight arm approach you see on TV.
> I point my right shoulder to the target the swings my hips and gives me a nich pocket to push my right elbow into. much like a woman holding a baby on her hip..
> Its much more stable then the straight arm approach. it also give the threat a smaller view of you with your shoulder and hip pointed to him..\Remember IM left handed so if your right handed and want to try this point your left shoulder, and put your left elbow into your left hip.


Um, you didn't mention if you carry your camera open or concealed. :smt083


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## Sgt45 (Jun 8, 2012)

I've found the Grip Master by pro hands has been a big help. They make various weights of compression from light to really heavy.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Sgt45 said:


> I've found the Grip Master by pro hands has been a big help. They make various weights of compression from light to really heavy.


Jean and I also use this device.
It works very well.


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