New Owner Common Mistakes

[Rkangel]

How about when started carrying? How do you deal with having it in the car. I have an SUV, and trying to figure out how to carry in the car and also in case I need to, store it.

If I'm not in the car, neither is the gun.

If I was ever to consider storing a weapon in the car, I would first purchase and install a quality gun safe, bolted down with tamper-resistant hardware. I don't consider any of the "quick access" in-car storage options to be acceptable for long term storage, or to be left unattended. But that's just me.

 

[kka]

Trying to contribute to this thread is difficult. So much great advice precedes me. My best advice on first impression is that ANY new shooter who has been fortunate enough to get to this forum read this ENTIRE thread. Every entry. Even though it SEEMS like many are saying the same thing, that stuff needs to be ingrained and muscle memory if you want to act "safely". And with that said.. practice these things over and over (muscle memory). As soon as excitement or fear enter the body you will find yourself performing 'unsafe' acts unless you've practiced them over and over and over.

With that said.. I'll toss in a few for anyone doing their own loading.

There are several measurements that are critical to pressure safety. ALL are critical to safety in one regard or another, but; several will change the 'pressure curve' that travels down your barrel in a few milliseconds and if that pressure gets too high, you ARE in danger. So.. first study and learn the high pressure signs.
Use the internet. The trouble is sorting the good from the poor or even worse since there is soo much information available. Some that I have personally found to be very reliable are;
Erik Cortina
F Class John
Reloading Unlimited
SPECIAL mention to the Bryan Litz or Hornady Podcast information sources.
Many long time manufacturers sites provide reloading instruction for beginners. You can't go wrong starting here. RCBS (and others) sell dvds you can watch that are pretty good classes on the tube. Slightly better is an instructor led class, if you find one available.

Pressure:
Headspacing - learn it well. Some calibers are almost impossible to measure headspace on (belted magnums, for instance) reliably. Valid and safe alternatives are available and described on the internet in many places but; be very aware of the differences and meaning of this measurement to the 'shoulder'.
Lands measurements - learn them well. Every bullet and brass combination produces a different lands measurement when you make it. It also varies (a little) if you do it several times. If it is varying ALOT when you take the measurements, I would advise practicing the measurement until it only varies a little.
Seating depth and powder charge, of course.
READ the bullet, powder and reloading manuals of the manufacturers you intend to use. All the information that relates to your chosen usage. Use the internet searches on the manufacturers site and digest that knowledge first and then go searching for input from others. This gives you some perspective.
You can purchase a pressure wave measuring tool from Shootingsoftware.com. I haven't quite gotten this far myself so evaluate this for your own use.

If you are making loads for a rifle that you haven't shot before, ALWAYS start very low (10%) on powder loads you find in resources and I personally tend to back off from the lands as well. As I stabilize the load and start getting my results and begin to get a feel for the performance, then I increase from there. WATCH carefully and inspect every fired cartridge for pressure signs. Over pressure is DANGER! Period.

Reloading is an expensive endeavor and no matter how long you do it, there is always more to learn (at least it seems that way to me). Do NOT proceed down this path without first doing a LARGE amount of research of the items I mention above. Still, if you want the best accuracy and precision from your rifle, tuned loads are still the best method that I know of.

Anyone who can add or correct anything here is VERY WELCOME to do so and please do.

My dos coppas..

Kirk

 

[FnM]

It occured to me some of you old veterans could help us newbies along by passing some wisdom related to common firearm mistakes people might make. There is the ones that are drilled into you (only point at something you plan to kill, always treat a weapon like it's loaded) but there must be less common ones as well.

I made an absolute bonehead move of not reading the manual on my new gun and dry fired my single aciton revolver. Ugh. Doesn't look like it sustained any damage but thats what I get for going by word of mouth, a friend had said it should just fire when ytou pull the trigger with a heavy pull. He must have been thinking double action, because while it works it made a nasty sound and I know it can't have been good for the gun. Hopefully a single dry fire won't do too much damage.

So, what are some common mistakes and pitfalls new owners might run into ? Share a story if it's not too embarrasing.

There's old pilots and bold pilots… humility and read/research/practice

 

[FnM]

Trying to contribute to this thread is difficult. So much great advice precedes me. My best advice on first impression is that ANY new shooter who has been fortunate enough to get to this forum read this ENTIRE thread. Every entry. Even though it SEEMS like many are saying the same thing, that stuff needs to be ingrained and muscle memory if you want to act "safely". And with that said.. practice these things over and over (muscle memory). As soon as excitement or fear enter the body you will find yourself performing 'unsafe' acts unless you've practiced them over and over and over.

With that said.. I'll toss in a few for anyone doing their own loading.

There are several measurements that are critical to pressure safety. ALL are critical to safety in one regard or another, but; several will change the 'pressure curve' that travels down your barrel in a few milliseconds and if that pressure gets too high, you ARE in danger. So.. first study and learn the high pressure signs.
Use the internet. The trouble is sorting the good from the poor or even worse since there is soo much information available. Some that I have personally found to be very reliable are;
Erik Cortina
F Class John
Reloading Unlimited
SPECIAL mention to the Bryan Litz or Hornady Podcast information sources.
Many long time manufacturers sites provide reloading instruction for beginners. You can't go wrong starting here. RCBS (and others) sell dvds you can watch that are pretty good classes on the tube. Slightly better is an instructor led class, if you find one available.

Pressure:
Headspacing - learn it well. Some calibers are almost impossible to measure headspace on (belted magnums, for instance) reliably. Valid and safe alternatives are available and described on the internet in many places but; be very aware of the differences and meaning of this measurement to the 'shoulder'.
Lands measurements - learn them well. Every bullet and brass combination produces a different lands measurement when you make it. It also varies (a little) if you do it several times. If it is varying ALOT when you take the measurements, I would advise practicing the measurement until it only varies a little.
Seating depth and powder charge, of course.
READ the bullet, powder and reloading manuals of the manufacturers you intend to use. All the information that relates to your chosen usage. Use the internet searches on the manufacturers site and digest that knowledge first and then go searching for input from others. This gives you some perspective.
You can purchase a pressure wave measuring tool from Shootingsoftware.com. I haven't quite gotten this far myself so evaluate this for your own use.

If you are making loads for a rifle that you haven't shot before, ALWAYS start very low (10%) on powder loads you find in resources and I personally tend to back off from the lands as well. As I stabilize the load and start getting my results and begin to get a feel for the performance, then I increase from there. WATCH carefully and inspect every fired cartridge for pressure signs. Over pressure is DANGER! Period.

Reloading is an expensive endeavor and no matter how long you do it, there is always more to learn (at least it seems that way to me). Do NOT proceed down this path without first doing a LARGE amount of research of the items I mention above. Still, if you want the best accuracy and precision from your rifle, tuned loads are still the best method that I know of.

Anyone who can add or correct anything here is VERY WELCOME to do so and please do.

My dos coppas..

Kirk

Never hurts to reinforce what you think you know, and especially if you're humble enough to realize the "old ways" were at one time 'new'.

 

[kka]

One of my mottos is; you don't know what you don't know!! So true.

 

[Lazyfaire]

Finger & trigger control. Understanding the function of resetting a trigger. i.e. pulling the trigger and not holding it tight or releasing it completely and having the recoil cause the trigger finger to pull again without truly aiming at something specific. Accidents happen.

 

[Wombat of Doom]

Not be afraid to try smaller calibers. I don't know how many n00bs shoot a .44 magnum first because of a perception it is intrinsically more manly.

I have a friend I converted to a gun owner who had a horrible first experience because his first centerfire experience was 12 gauge and .44 mag. Still dislikes revolvers categorically but I got him to try some 38 special in a big 357 to let him see revolvers =\= pain.

 

[Capn Jack]

It turns my guts every time I see a video made by some idiot that gives a 98 pound girl a large bore to shoot.

Then they laugh about her getting slammed around. They probably beat their kids too.

That sure is a way to add more shooters to the sport.

 

[OldBroad44]

It turns my guts every time I see a video made by some idiot that gives a 98 pound girl a large bore to shoot.

Then they laugh about her getting slammed around. They probably beat their kids too.

That sure is a way to add more shooters to the sport.

Its worse than discouraging more people from shooting, or even about the girl being injured. The guy who does that wants to show up the girl/woman, show her she is inferior to him. And he's devised a completely unfair demonstration to prove her inferiority and incompetence.

 

[21tango]

It turns my guts every time I see a video made by some idiot that gives a 98 pound girl a large bore to shoot.

Then they laugh about her getting slammed around. They probably beat their kids too.

That sure is a way to add more shooters to the sport.

Its worse than discouraging more people from shooting, or even about the girl being injured. The guy who does that wants to show up the girl/woman, show her she is inferior to him. And he's devised a completely unfair demonstration to prove her inferiority and incompetence.

It's worse than discouraging more people from shooting, or even about the girl being injured. The guy who does that wants to show up the girl/woman, show her she is inferior to him. And he's devised a completely unfair demonstration to prove her inferiority and incompetence.

Women can fire big bores as well as any man. I have seen females fire 500 s&w with no issues. Yes they need to learn how to manage recoil like anyone else but to insinuate they lack the Strength is ridiculous

 

[Wombat of Doom]

It turns my guts every time I see a video made by some idiot that gives a 98 pound girl a large bore to shoot.

Then they laugh about her getting slammed around. They probably beat their kids too.

That sure is a way to add more shooters to the sport.

I don't care who it is to. My friend who had that crap pulled on him is a 6 foot tall man. Probably stronger than me.

But there is an art in managing recoil. I shoot a 454. And I even let said friend try it on a later day at the range, but it was with a host of warnings and having worked up to it. He did not like it.But at that point we had shot a bunch of my calibers. He wanted to try it. But it wasn't scarring because he knew how to hold it, and something of what to expect.

 

[Wombat of Doom]

Women can fire big bores as well as any man. I have seen females fire 500 s&w with no issues. Yes they need to learn how to manage recoil like anyone else but to insinuate they lack the Strength is ridiculous

There are some people who do not have the strength though. My mom is an exceptionally small lady. I do not think she could handle a 500 s&w Magnum, period. I do not know her weight currently but I would be surprised if it was as high as 80 lbs. Your mass matters when considering recoil energy. My daughters are not physically large enough to control a 12 gauge's recoil. There are limits. And it isn't gender based. I know some real light weight guys as well.

 

[OldBroad44]

Women can fire big bores as well as any man. I have seen females fire 500 s&w with no issues. Yes they need to learn how to manage recoil like anyone else but to insinuate they lack the Strength is ridiculous

Shooting a fiercely recoiling big bore handgun as her first experience with guns is an unfair test of the competence of a small women because its an unfair test of the competence of anyone inexperienced with guns, whatever their size or gender.

Of course many women can and do shoot big bore handguns. I've been known to do so myself once or twice.

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

If you have a new expensive firearm asking someone if they want to touch it work the action and dry fire it would be a mistake this is so you are not the first one to scratch it lol !

 

[Explorer1]

Women can fire big bores as well as any man. I have seen females fire 500 s&w with no issues. Yes they need to learn how to manage recoil like anyone else but to insinuate they lack the Strength is ridiculous

Key is they LEARN. Starting with the big stuff is a mistake for everyone IMHO.

 

[Alexx1401]

Key is they LEARN. Starting with the big stuff is a mistake for everyone IMHO.

There is no end to the video's of people (always guys") handing some woman a large caliber hand gun to film the results. Great laughs. Problem of course is if the woman filmed may never want to shoot again. If she does she will now have to learn to get rid of the flinch she was just taught. Yes I have seen women who were a buck and a quarter shoot large bore hand guns and shoot them very well. Handing one a gun like that to "learn on" is beyond stupid. Many guys also make this mistake but often do it to themselves. Buy some large bore gun because its "manly". Develop a flinch that makes them unable to stay on paper and are often then VERY hard to help. Those I have been able to help were the ones who started with one of my full size .22's and worked back up.

 

[21tango]

Key is they LEARN. Starting with the big stuff is a mistake for everyone IMHO.

There is no end to the video's of people (always guys") handing some woman a large caliber hand gun to film the results. Great laughs. Problem of course is if the woman filmed may never want to shoot again. If she does she will now have to learn to get rid of the flinch she was just taught. Yes I have seen women who were a buck and a quarter shoot large bore hand guns and shoot them very well. Handing one a gun like that to "learn on" is beyond stupid. Many guys also make this mistake but often do it to themselves. Buy some large bore gun because its "manly". Develop a flinch that makes them unable to stay on paper and are often then VERY hard to help. Those I have been able to help were the ones who started with one of my full size .22's and worked back up.

You will naturally "flinch" with any caliber the first time you shoot. It's a natural reaction. A simple fix is to practice trigger control. If you're trigger weight is say 6lbs then put 5lbs of pressure on the trigger now you have only 1 lbs to worry about. Practice is key for success. Most defense calibers are fairly easy to master for both men and women as long as you practice and select a firearm that fits your person

 

[Alexx1401]

You will naturally "flinch" with any caliber the first time you shoot. It's a natural reaction. A simple fix is to practice trigger control. If you're trigger weight is say 6lbs then put 5lbs of pressure on the trigger now you have only 1 lbs to worry about. Practice is key for success. Most defense calibers are fairly easy to master for both men and women as long as you practice and select a firearm that fits your person

No you don't flinch the first time you fire a gun. What does it to someone new is the shock and often pain. For 99% of the people who developed a flinch there is no such thing as a simple fix. If you were able to do this you were VERY lucky. Morons who hand some woman a large gun thinking its funny often ruin them for life. Guys who do it to themselves can be helped. Its never simple and the big problem tends to be getting the guy to listen to help. Many of these guys ego will not allow them to learn how to undo what they did to themselves. I shoot weekly. Have been for a LONG time. Few people I see at the range can even hit paper if its more than 15 ft away. A few over the years have been brave enough to ask for help. Those that did were shocked at how fast they could at least stay on the paper.
Even well experienced shooter can develop a flinch if they are shooting something that is just plain painful for long. If they have experience they can of course fix it after and I have never seen one that it was easy for once started. This often reminds me of the untold guys I have heard tell me how great a shot they were until you got to the range with them. Suddenly they could not hit the paper. Most of them could not be helped as they would not admit they needed help.

 

[21tango]

No you don't flinch the first time you fire a gun. What does it to someone new is the shock and often pain. For 99% of the people who developed a flinch there is no such thing as a simple fix. If you were able to do this you were VERY lucky. Morons who hand some woman a large gun thinking its funny often ruin them for life. Guys who do it to themselves can be helped. Its never simple and the big problem tends to be getting the guy to listen to help. Many of these guys ego will not allow them to learn how to undo what they did to themselves. I shoot weekly. Have been for a LONG time. Few people I see at the range can even hit paper if its more than 15 ft away. A few over the years have been brave enough to ask for help. Those that did were shocked at how fast they could at least stay on the paper.
Even well experienced shooter can develop a flinch if they are shooting something that is just plain painful for long. If they have experience they can of course fix it after and I have never seen one that it was easy for once started. This often reminds me of the untold guys I have heard tell me how great a shot they were until you got to the range with them. Suddenly they could not hit the paper. Most of them could not be helped as they would not admit they needed help.

Yes you naturally flinch. Thats not up for debate. You learn techniques that remedy/counter. I remember training with the presidents 100 at ft Dix. The instructor put it this way " accept the fact you will flinch just make sure it happens after the bullet has left the barrel "

 

[Aero Denezol]

Its worse than discouraging more people from shooting, or even about the girl being injured. The guy who does that wants to show up the girl/woman, show her she is inferior to him. And he's devised a completely unfair demonstration to prove her inferiority and incompetence.

^^Agreed. Braggadocio, the favorite pastime of every showoff and blowhard. Unfortunately this type of person can be found in every occupation.

Yes you naturally flinch. Thats not up for debate. You learn techniques that remedy/counter. I remember training with the presidents 100 at ft Dix. The instructor put it this way " accept the fact you will flinch just make sure it happens after the bullet has left the barrel "

Follow-through. It comes more easily to people who grew up playing a sport. Although some people are natural shooters.