When is "too old and shaky", too old to shoot

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Mrshosted

Mrshosted

Member
Jan 28, 2016
846
359
Utah, United States
This weekend I interduced my father in law (Gary) to the world of PCP air guns. He and I were punching holes in paper, in the back yard. At first he didn't want to try shooting " I'm 68 years old and too shaky", he was telling me. Nonsense! you'll have to figure it out, I told him. So I took the first round of 11of 1 clip. Hoping it would warm him up to the idea to try this. After 5-6 shoot, he was ready. In fact, I started to wonder if he was going to grap the gun from me. At first he was shaky. After 2-3 shoots he stopped. "Ya, I'm to shaky" he'd say. I looked at him and said "I've read of guys on AN that say there shaky, that they have to time the shake with the trigger pull. Focus on the target and time the swing, trigger pull and shake together". The next rounds got better and better. He looked at me latter that night and said "I think I could practice this and get good at it"

I'm 44 years old, My father in law is 68 years old. What is your age of the members here on AN? And if you fight shaky, how do you over come it?
 
Too old to shoot happens when you quit having fun. Even if you can't hit a smarty candy, but you can still hit a pie plate, if it puts a smile on your face, have at it. I've heard people say, growing older for a man is difficult, because you are no longer seen as a threat, i.e. you lose manhood. if you can't hit a pie plate set up a big gong. Shoot till you can't pull the trigger, then rig something to pull it with your teeth. 54, no shakes. If that happens I may not try brain shots on squirrels at 40 yards, but I'll still shoot. 
 
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I'm 67 and no longer shoot off hand. If the truth be known, I was never a great off hand shot. What I try to do is to use good rested technique. No or very little muscle control using the best rest available, relaxing with good breath control just prior to the shot, gentle trigger squeeze and follow through. Below is a YouTube link. I try to use the same techniques in the the video for my airgun shooting. 
- Video Tube for YouTube - iPhone/iPadI hope the link works. If not, the video title is SNIPER 101 Part 88 - Marksmanship Tips for Long Range Precision Shooting.
 
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I have to chime in here because I'm 68 and purchased my first pcp rifle a year ago. I can't shoot off hand because of what seems like a wave motion not shake. Can't hold the rifle still to save my life, when I try to I use that timing method of squeezing the trigger on the moment it lines up works pretty well when close but the farther the target the farther off I am so I use a camera tripod with a rectangular piece of hobby plywood mounted on a quick release. I put a small bean bag on it and it steadies me up pretty good. Plinker is right, shoot that pellet rifle till you can't see any more and have fun. One more thing, my best and most accurate shooting is from the shooting table in a sitting position and I know your saying or thinking no poop Sherlock everyone shoots better at the table.
 
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There is an older gentleman named Rudy that regularly attends a (very) informal 10m shoot locally on Fridays. It is more camaraderie than serious shooting, folks shoot standing but off a rest, and spend most their time trading stories and encouraging/aggravating each other. Rudy told me that he has involuntary muscle tremors (as we was struggling to pour a cup of coffee). He had only been shooting his Daisy Avanti less than a year, but gave the calmness and breath control credit for helping deal with his tremors. The great part is that he often - quite often - he outshoots guys with half the age and twice the gun!

I want to be like Rudy when I grow up. He is a tremendously nice guy.
 
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It's got to be down to the individual. I have met 75-year-olds who run half marathons and 65-year-olds who can hardly stand up at all. 

As long as you can shoot safely then there is no reason to stop. There is probably something about buying the right air rifle for your strength and type of shooting, plus the right shooting rest. 

It probably depends on how much shaking we are talking about too. If it is so much that you can't hold a heavy air rifle still on a good shooting rest then that may spoil the fun. Maybe buy him an Air Ordnace SMG 22. He should be able to hit stuff in full auto...
 
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Too old, too shaky, too this, too that. They are all just lies and excuses dreamed up
in the bowels of hell. Many of us will someday come to the point where we have no chance
of winning our battles. At that point the true men among us will still fight like hell, because
they know when you let your limitations, disability's etc stop you from doing the things you
love, living is a fate far worse than death.
Have a friend who suffers horribly from tremors. Cant load or even hold a gun. But when
I load for him, from the bench when he lines up to shoot the tremors all but disappear.
Take him fishing his tremors are so bad have to use seat belt to keep him in his chair.
But hand him a pole with a fish on, until that fish is in the floor of the boat tremors are
nonexistent. Life is a battle fight it bravely with out fear and never ever give in to the
cowardly voices saying your too old or too shaky too this or that.
 
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I'm 74, five seven and shrinking. I was the smallest guy in my boot camp company so holding a Springfield rifle was somewhat of a challenge, but I succeeded in the task at hand. With the design of the Bullpup my long gun shooting has greatly improved. With center mass of the rifle closer to my body I find I can hold on target steadier and longer placing my elbows against my chest for off hand shooting. With several mfg. of rifles with this design I would hope someone with "Old and Shaky" issues could find a gun that would fit the bill.

An inexpensive front rest for bench shooting from Caldwell is my answer for support of my Wildcat.......Don't give up......
 
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