Ask the Experts: Shaky Hands

[Wondering Beard]

Hey nick I have the same problem with essential tremors..
I have shot a glock 17 a couple times with little success I am wondering from the experts if a heavier gun may help me be a bit steadier. And if so what kind, I would like to stay with a 9mm

Thanks

Wouldn't the extra weight add to the tremors?

[NextGhost]

Nick, my Dad has a pretty severe form of this, to the point where he can't do household chores that involve using a screwdriver. Up until his eyes got so bad he had a tough time with the sights, he had issues shooting with my Glock 19, but could shoot his Colt Anaconda like nobody's business. This may not hold true for you, but for him, the heavier the pistol, the easier it was for him to shoot.

[chaotik]

You may have already tried this, but sometimes individuals with benign essential tremors respond well to low dose beta blockade, such as a small dose of short acting propranolol 10 mg. If you've never tried this approach then you could discuss this option with your physician. Just a thought....

[Force Majeure]

I have a friend with this condition who wants to learn to shoot. I told him he is really going to have to learn to be comfortable with his wobble zone.

[Len McM]

Having recently been diagnosed w/ essential tremor myself I now don't feel as bad about the 'bouncing ball' I get w/a Crimson Trace grip. When my wife asked how my dr's. appointment went I told her that,"The doctor told me to stop pointing at stuff." Kind of funny, until you realize that pointing a handgun is basically still 'pointing'. Aside from tremors, I can't believe how grip strength is affected as well. Not that mine is anything abnormal, but not what it once was, especially noticeable when holding a pistol out for an extended period of time.

I'm going to see how big a difference a single action trigger might make vs a DA/SA, or DAO trigger. I'm also going to see if there is a great difference for me now in caliber selection.

I haven't shot all winter, so going back to the range will be great fun.

[tommyboy1967]

Will changing my shooting stance help with the shaking?

[nycnoob]

Just a word of encouragement. Last year I had the pleasure of shooting with a gentleman who has Parkinson's. Although it looked like it took great effort for him to get off his shoots, he really was an excellent shooter.

[robhic]

Don't know if medication(s) are on your possibility list, but I have a female friend who has shaky hands. I let her play with my .22 pistols for fun and she takes Klonopin (Clonazepam) in the Valium family for tremors. Not a lot, like 1 mg or even 1/2 mg but it works for her. You might check with your doctor if this might have some benefit for you. It's cheap and seems effective for my friend.