Ask The Instructor: Wrist Hurts

Question:  I switched to a new gun about 6 months ago. I love my gun but I’m getting a pain in my right wrist after I shoot. What’s the cause of this and how do I fix it? 

Answer: I’m assuming that you are a right-handed shooter and the pain is at the top of your right wrist as you are gripping the shotgun. If so, what you are experiencing is indeed the effects of recoil. The root of the problem lies in the fit of the grip portion of your gun stock to your back hand. Of all the dimensions of a gunstock, I find that grip and reach garner the least amount of attention. “Reach” refers to the distance between the bottom section of the grip (i.e. the grip cap) and the trigger. When the “reach” of the grip is appropriate for the shooter the gun is gripped properly, the shooter’s trigger hand, wrist, and forearm is void of tension. When the “reach” of a shotgun is too large for the hand, the shooter must “choke up” on the gun, moving the hand closer to the action, creating an unnecessary degree of upward flexion at the top of the wrist. When choked up on the shotgun, more recoil is absorbed at the wrist joint rather than radiating back through the wrist and back through the muscles of the forearm. If your shotgun is equipped with an adjustable trigger, move the trigger back until you can comfortably place the index finger on the trigger when grasping the pistol grip naturally. This will reduce unwanted tension on the top of the wrist and allow the recoil to be distributed past the wrist and through to muscles of the forearm. If you don’t have an adjustable trigger, then you might want to consider re-stocking your gun with a fitted stock that is better suited to the size of your hand. If you are not excited about the price of a new stock, you might want to try wearing a thick shooting glove. Padding on the inside of the glove will move your trigger hand forward, straighten your wrist, and reduce the amount of reach required to make proper contact with the trigger.