Pain after shooting

[fatelk]

The last few times I've gone shooting I've had some lingering soreness in my shooting hand for a couple days. I don't recall having experienced this before. I don't shoot a lot, and very little big magnums.

The last time out was maybe 30 rounds of .45 Colt, half a box of .45 acp, a partial box of 9mm and 9mm Mak. I'm starting to wonder if I'm falling apart in my old age, and I'm still on the younger side of middle-aged. Anyone else have this trouble?

[country gent]

Have you done alot of reptitive hand work in your carreer? Alot of assembly, hand work ( fitting filing scraping), typing or computer work? Are you having any numbness in your hand? It may be the start of corpral tunnel in the wrists.

[Beagle333]

Not yet. I'm 51 and can shoot pretty much all I want, pain free. I hope I don't start getting sensitive just yet, I'm still on the waiting list for a Ruger .480 SBH!

[tazman]

I only get that pain after an afternoon of 44 mag loads. I have had this problem for a couple of decades. 357 mag or under and I'm fine. 44mag or heavy 45 colt and I'm sore.
I would claim arthritis except it was happening before I got it.
I guess I just can't take the high recoil.

[Leadmelter]

Ditto one carpal tunnel. The other problem could be related to your cervical spine when you extended your arm(s) to shoot.
Find a good neurologist to check you out. Or try using a shooting glove, or change grips.
Leadmelter

[GSM]

Soreness happens. As mentioned in the other posts, if you push a mouse or work with your hands, it might be something else contributing.

If you end up with a physical twitch or tremor in the fingers after a session, it might be time to move on to 38's and 22's.


38's and 22's (before the the hoarding) are fun and I can write somewhat legibly after a session.

[warf73]

IF it’s not the dreaded carpal tunnel, you can strengthen your hand and forearm with hand squeezers they come in different resistances. This is the kind I'm talking about http://www.amazon.com/Strengthener-A...2647765&sr=1-4 it's ajustable from 22lbs to 88lbs, BUT if it's carpal tunnel all this exercise will do is make it worse.

[smokeywolf]

That's called arthritis, and if you're not sore the day after shooting, you're either on the near side of 50 or didn't shoot much.

Shattered a batch of carpel bones in my youth. When I was 50 years old the orthopedic surgeon told me that with the amount of arthritis, my wrist looked like it belonged to a 70 year old.

I'm 60 now; that means my wrist is over 80.

[Teddy (punchie)]

IF it’s not the dreaded carpal tunnel, you can strengthen your hand and forearm with hand squeezers they come in different resistances. This is the kind I'm talking about http://www.amazon.com/Strengthener-A...2647765&sr=1-4 it's ajustable from 22lbs to 88lbs, BUT if it's carpal tunnel all this exercise will do is make it worse.

Not sure but I'm thinking the same way. Ever here of anyone that milked cows have carpel? I'm not talking about a dairy farmer, I found that they don't hand milk cows very well. They let the machine do it. Every farm girl, guy that I know that milked cows by hand by gallons, not a gallon here or there, like two, three or more cows a day have not found any that have had carpel.

[randyrat]

See a doctor if you can afford it.. There is a lot to be said about Carpel and the doctors make so dang much off it, I doubt there will ever be a cure for it except surgery. It could be the start of Carpel TS. OR it could be the start of Arthritis. Either one don't stop what you are doing, won't help either problem.
Warm up a bit before shooting, stretch, wear a shooting glove, you'll be a better shot and more comfortable.

[13Echo]

You might follow my little brother's, the orthopoedic surgeon, advice, "Does it hurt when you do that? Then don't do that."

Jerry Liles

[opos]

I'm 78 and have learned I can't shoot near as much as I could before (in one session)...Not only the hands and wrists but my back and legs get tired....I've taken to "mixing" things up...I'll shoot a bit of handgun "offhand" and then sit and shoot off a rest for a while..then maybe shoot a little round of some fairly tame rifle....Main thing with me is when I get tired..time to take a break or stop and go do something else..but in no hurry these days so it doesn't matter.

I was loading yesterday...45acp..I load slow and simple with a single stage and I weigh charges...took most of the morning to do 100 rounds...and I was tired at the end...If I shoot that 100 rounds in 2 sessions at the range it will be fine with me...no hurry.

[EMC45]

I have CTS in my wrists, but just try to keep them stretched and flexible. The VA wanted to cut on me, but I said no. I get tennis elbow in both elbows and that is painful. My right elbow got it real bad a few years back after an extended session with my 7.5 .44 mag SBH and 429-421s over 18gr of 2400. I was gearing up for a possible handgun deer hunt and it took its toll. The left elbow normally gets it from raking or weedeating.

[Silver Jack Hammer]

My hand hurts when I take my new alloy Commander .45 shooting. I had to go to a lighter 1911 for duty carry after 30 years on the job as a peace office my beloved steel Series 70 was too much weight on my back. I had a nice 5" alloy .45, then after a little "dust up" in town my alloy 1911 5" bbl. had to go into evidence. I got an alloy Commander. This one hurts my hand after a short shooting session. I just ordered a Smith & Wesson Model 14 .38 6" for paper punching.

[ole 5 hole group]

I'm older than the OP but younger than opos by a couple years - having said that, just get use to the discomfort, as it comes to everyone at some point in their life. I think you are just one of the unlucky ones. My shooting discomfort started about 10 months ago and there will be no let-up unless I quite shooting the heavies - that day will come I'm sure.

I've had friends who experienced discomfort with hot 44 mag loads and even 45 ACP commercial hardball loads, after shooting off and on for only 5 to 10 years - they were in their early 40's and most just quite shooting except for the occasional outing with 38 Special wadcutters or the 22lr. I felt sorry for them, as they lost an enjoyable activity with a lot of friends. I would suggest you shoot a handgun that doesn't cause you much, if any, discomfort and keep your shooting activities active & enjoyable.

[Blackwater]

One other possibility that hasn't been mentioned is a bone spur in your wrists or some joint in the hand. I have a friend who used to think a .243 kicked. Found out years later he had a bone spur in his shoulder. Got it fixed, and it's much better, but he still doesn't like recoil. It seems he got rather too well conditioned before the surgery, but it's awfully good that the pain's gone now. Not as likely as some of the above possibilities, but not out of the question, either. FWIW?

[Wally]

I used to have that problem. I started using dumbbells and would/am doing 225 a day,each arm...I now use 23 lbs curling with my elbows on a rest. Probably best to start up with less weigh then work your way up. It worked wonders. No more sore wrists; apparently it tones ones writs & arms. Before using the weights I thought for sure that I had carpal tunnel syndrome... Figure it'll take a few weeks to be effective. I was in my mid 50's when this started to be a problem--I am now 65.

[fatelk]

I do have a doctor appointment this week, annual physical but I'm going to ask about this too. It's really more of a lingering soreness or bruising of the palm below the thumb down maybe to the wrist. I have some minor arthritis in my thumb from a very old injury. I'm hoping it's something that can be improved with some exercises or something. I'm too young to feel this old. Sometimes I think I'm a bit too hypochondriac.

Speaking of that, I didn't even know what "hypochondriac" meant until a few years ago, when a friend suggested I might be one. Not knowing what it was, I was immediately concerned, borderline panicked. "Is that a disease?" I asked, "Could I really have it? Is it fatal?!?"

[Walla2]

Try a padded bicycle glove. Very similar to a shooting glove but only about $13.00. Solved my similar problem. Protects the nerves in the hand.

[tazman]

Try a padded bicycle glove. Very similar to a shooting glove but only about $13.00. Solved my similar problem. Protects the nerves in the hand.

Excellent idea. I ride bikes and didn't even think of that.