I am more accurate with shorter handguns?

[country gent]

Several things change with barrel length on a hand gun. 1) balance a longer barrel puts more felt weight on the wrist arm. This is due not only to the actual weight but the "leverage the extra weight has due to length. 2 Sight radious and seeing sights a shorter barrel may put the front sight into focal distance for a shooter. This is a plus. the shorter sight radious means sight alighnment is more important. 3) Barrel time is less with the short barrel so tremors flinches and poor follow thru dosnt affect them as much. A 8" barrel a small flinch can really cause a flier, with a 2" or 2 1/2" barrel not nearly as much

[smokeywolf]

Have to agree with much of what 'country gent' mentions.

With Parkinsons, handshake is typically seen when hands are at rest. With Essential Tremor, hands shake when under load. More load often I think results in more shake with Essential Tremors. It differs a bit from person to person. A light load might cause acute shake with one person while it may not with another. Weight, load, angle or direction of load on the hand/wrist/arm and hand position make a big difference. Low blood sugar and/or caffeine levels make a big difference.

There is also a prescription medication sometimes used to treat hypertension that crosses over and has been shown to reduce tremors in those who suffer from Essential Tremors.

[FergusonTO35]

What medication is that? I'm borderline HBP and probably going to go on meds at some point.

[smokeywolf]

What medication is that? I'm borderline HBP and probably going to go on meds at some point.

Coming from a state where people sue McDonalds for serving them the hot coffee they ordered, 'm hesitant to talk specifically of prescription meds. However, your doctor will be able to tell you which blood pressure med is also used to treat the symptoms of "essential tremors". You can also find this info yourself by web search.

[Lloyd Smale]

I too shoot a short barreled gun off hand better then a long barreled gun.

[charlie b]

.....With Essential Tremor, hands shake when under load. More load often I think results in more shake with Essential Tremors. It differs a bit from person to person. A light load might cause acute shake with one person while it may not with another. Weight, load, angle or direction of load on the hand/wrist/arm and hand position make a big difference...

This for me.

It is all about how the load is on the hand. Certain positions of moving a computer mouse generates the termors for me. Holding a bag just right will do it.

Yes, longer barrel handguns will do it as well for me. I do the same as the other gent mentioned, I don't hold the gun in position long enough for them to react. Double action revolvers work better than single actions of any type.

I have gone to mostly shooting long guns. If I put just the right amount of pressure in the grip I don't have an issue.

[FergusonTO35]

Coming from a state where people sue McDonalds for serving them the hot coffee they ordered, 'm hesitant to talk specifically of prescription meds. However, your doctor will be able to tell you which blood pressure med is also used to treat the symptoms of "essential tremors". You can also find this info yourself by web search.

No prob, I understand.

[FergusonTO35]

This year I have taken a new approach to shooting that has really helped me, at least as far as determine whether a gun is shooting as it is supposed to. I no longer worry about bullseyes and group sizes, unless I am shooting off a very sturdy bench rest (rare). Instead, what I try to discern is where does the shot land in relation to where the front sight or crosshairs are when the gun fires. The bullseye or whatever is just sort of a reference point for where I am supposed to place the boolit. It would be nice to place it there most of the time but my tremor won't allow it. At typical hunting distance I can usually get it within 2-3". It might be high, low, left, right but it will nearly always be within that radius. So, I focus on mentally recording where the sight or crosshair was when the gun fired and compare that to where the bullet strikes. Sighted in my NEF muzzleloader yesterday at 60 yards. The target paper looked like poo, as if someone was just blazing away. However, I knew that the final shots landed where the front sight was pointed and that is what counts.

[44MAG#1]

"However, I knew that the final shots landed where the front sight was pointed and that is what counts."

Another that has his head in the right place.

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks bro!

[texassako]

Test was a bit inconclusive. The Speer HBWC shot about the same, but a SWC load did quite a bit better than in the Ruger it was worked up in originally. Overall I shot the 2" Windicator as well or better than the 6" Ruger Security Six, when shooting SA cocking with the offhand.

[Rick Hodges]

I shoot 4" revolvers better than 6" or longer. I have a tendency to "snatch" at the trigger when the sights are lined up....as I can see more sight error with the longer sight radius. My trigger control (really mind control) is better with the shorter sight radius....it looks better so I don't try to jerk the trigger.

[Bigslug]

It's worth considering that, given the same set of sights, the front sight will appear narrower in the notch of the rear when you put it farther away at the end of a longer barrel.

Just sayin' that, before you automatically conclude that barrel length is the issue, it might actually be one of proportionality of the sights. Fiddling with notch and blade size might hold the answer you're looking for.

It's probably also worth taking a largish-print document and testing what distance you can most easily read it from. A gun that puts your front sight in the middle of that "clear zone" might be your best friend.