Starting new shooters

[Andy54Hawken]

Just some things to consider when starting a new shooter.

Gun fit...the gun needs to fit the shooter.
If it has too long of a stock...then it will be awkward to use...recoil , no matter the caliber or gauge may be unpleasant...
And it could be unsafe since the shooter may not be able to operate the firearm easily.

Caliber / gauge fit ....
A .22 rifle or handgun is makes for an excellent introduction to shooting.
.22 rifles are my favorite modern rifles to shoot...but I digress...
The light recoil and noise level ( generally speaking ) of .22 firearms makes then beginner friendly.
Yes , I know that there are exceptions to this...short barreled .22LR handguns can be loud...etc...
Something to think about with those older single shot .22 rifles with the cocking knob....
The new shooter may be able to hold and fire the rifle...but not have the hand strength to pull the cocking knob back.

Please keep shotgun loads to trap and or skeet levels...
No heavy field / turkey / duck loads...also note that some "youth:" or smaller gauge shotguns are light in weight...
Which can make recoil seem heavy no matter the loading.
As noted above....firearm fit is important...even more so with a shotgun.

Try to keep firearm terms and the discussion to a basic level.
Not saying to 'dumb it down"...but this is new to them..
Firearms as well as shooting can have lots of technical terms or ideas that can be daunting or overwhelming at first.
I would say that in a discussion or teaching moment , the emphasis should be on safety in any event.

I say again , that no matter what...
The emphasis should be on safety first.
Politics...slang terms / derogatory terms and the like should be avoided at all costs
As a side note...one other thing I do emphasize is that firearms and shooting is fun.

Try to not overly influence the new shooter with your likes and dislikes in firearms.
Let them find what they like and what fits / works best for them.
What you like , enjoy and fits for you...may not be the same for others.

Also try not to put an over abundance of significance of a particular use of a firearm over another usage.
I am speaking here of self defense and the like.
Self defense is important...and one of the reasons for owning a firearm for sure.
However...that topic can be uncomfortable at best for many folks.
The same goes for hunting...again a reason and very enjoyable for me...but maybe not so for someone else.
Yes I know that there are as many reasons for owning firearms as there are firearm owners or maybe even more ...
Again...for new shooters...it is best to keep things basic , simple and with an emphasis on safety.


Patience...
Let the new shooter learn at their pace and learning style.
Some folks learn by reading , watching and listening...others learn better by doing...etc....
Understand that they will ask questions...often the same questions over and over...
Also worthy of note...in my experience many ( not all ) younger people seem to expect to be an expert at something right away...
And get discouraged when they ain't a "Top Shot" the first time out.
Or they ( again not all ) can be dismayed when told the best way to get better at something to practice at it.

As always there are exceptions to all of the above
( Well except for the safety part )
I had a friend who never shot before...and thought that guns were bad....
Long story short....
The first gun she shot was my Colt series '70 in .45 ACP.
This was done after lots of discussion of many things revolving around firearms and shooting.
She still enjoys shooting , has firearms of her own...and no longer thinks / votes anti gun.
Again..an exception.

Sorry for the long read...summer break for me and all....
Andy

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[oremike]

The only thing I would add is a basic how do to tell it's un/loaded across different platforms.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

The only thing I would add is a basic how do to tell it's un/loaded across different platforms.

Yes...that would fall under my stating of :

I would say that in a discussion or teaching moment , the emphasis should be on safety in any event.

I say again , that no matter what...
The emphasis should be on safety first.

Andy

 

[Joe13]

I love teaching new shooters about as much as I enjoy shooting myself. A big grin on their face at the end of the day is infectious.

I have found that kids and women tend to retain the information better. Lots of men have a hard time leaving the ego at home so I tend to have to reinforce safety rules more.

I teach the way I was taught. Irons and large closer targets first (always with .22's). After they have a good handle on that I may pull out a scoped .22lr rifle.


I usually (not always but 99% of the time) leave other calibers at home. A couple .22lr handguns and rifles for a first time shooter will fill a day ime.

I have one red dot and it is on a Ruger MK3 Hunter with and oversized grip so it isn't comfortable for anyone with less then large hands so it's not generally brought on the first trip.



I also like to have a portable table or bench they can shoot from because new shooters and even light rifles get arm fatigue quickly as they don't use those muscles much.

I find reactive targets (the jumpy ones) and potatoes after they can hit paper can expend the fun and up the difficulty level. As well as some of the steel plates meant for .22's do well.

everyone has their own style but for a brand new shooter I find getting decent with the fundamentals of form and safety are the way to go. If it's an adult that is somewhat anti gun then I will bring an AR as well as that is the propagation platform and once they shoot it they tend to enjoy it and understand better what it is.



Happy teaching everyone, summers here



Edited to add: I also when demonstrating or just shooting a few rounds that I will intentionally miss a few just to show it happens to everyone. No one likes a show off when they are learning.

 

[Joe13]

another point I would like to add. And this completely depends on your relationship with your wife, but I have been asked to teach a lot of friends wives how to shoot because it creates less stress between them but again this depends on how you and your wife interact or you and your husband depending on who the shooter is and who the new person is.

 

[MotoGun]

Just some things to consider when starting a new shooter.

Gun fit...the gun needs to fit the shooter.
If it has too long of a stock...then it will be awkward to use...recoil , no matter the caliber or gauge may be unpleasant...
And it could be unsafe since the shooter may not be able to operate the firearm easily.

Caliber / gauge fit ....
A .22 rifle or handgun is makes for an excellent introduction to shooting.
.22 rifles are my favorite modern rifles to shoot...but I digress...
The light recoil and noise level ( generally speaking ) of .22 firearms makes then beginner friendly.
Yes , I know that there are exceptions to this...short barreled .22LR handguns can be loud...etc...
Something to think about with those older single shot .22 rifles with the cocking knob....
The new shooter may be able to hold and fire the rifle...but not have the hand strength to pull the cocking knob back.

Please keep shotgun loads to trap and or skeet levels...
No heavy field / turkey / duck loads...also note that some "youth:" or smaller gauge shotguns are light in weight...
Which can make recoil seem heavy no matter the loading.
As noted above....firearm fit is important...even more so with a shotgun.

Try to keep firearm terms and the discussion to a basic level.
Not saying to 'dumb it down"...but this is new to them..
Firearms as well as shooting can have lots of technical terms or ideas that can be daunting or overwhelming at first.
I would say that in a discussion or teaching moment , the emphasis should be on safety in any event.

I say again , that no matter what...
The emphasis should be on safety first.
Politics...slang terms / derogatory terms and the like should be avoided at all costs
As a side note...one other thing I do emphasize is that firearms and shooting is fun.

Try to not overly influence the new shooter with your likes and dislikes in firearms.
Let them find what they like and what fits / works best for them.
What you like , enjoy and fits for you...may not be the same for others.

Also try not to put an over abundance of significance of a particular use of a firearm over another usage.
I am speaking here of self defense and the like.
Self defense is important...and one of the reasons for owning a firearm for sure.
However...that topic can be uncomfortable at best for many folks.
The same goes for hunting...again a reason and very enjoyable for me...but maybe not so for someone else.
Yes I know that there are as many reasons for owning firearms as there are firearm owners or maybe even more ...
Again...for new shooters...it is best to keep things basic , simple and with an emphasis on safety.


Patience...
Let the new shooter learn at their pace and learning style.
Some folks learn by reading , watching and listening...others learn better by doing...etc....
Understand that they will ask questions...often the same questions over and over...
Also worthy of note...in my experience many ( not all ) younger people seem to expect to be an expert at something right away...
And get discouraged when they ain't a "Top Shot" the first time out.
Or they ( again not all ) can be dismayed when told the best way to get better at something to practice at it.

As always there are exceptions to all of the above
( Well except for the safety part )
I had a friend who never shot before...and thought that guns were bad....
Long story short....
The first gun she shot was my Colt series '70 in .45 ACP.
This was done after lots of discussion of many things revolving around firearms and shooting.
She still enjoys shooting , has firearms of her own...and no longer thinks / votes anti gun.
Again..an exception.

Sorry for the long read...summer break for me and all....
Andy

Great Post! - You took some time to summarize all these valid points/areas; thank you!
As an Instructor - I agree that 22LR is a great place to start.
I could add that I've found starting with a fresh beginner, using a 22LR with subsonic ammo & a suppressor creates better communication because no hearing protection is needed. After the 1st couple of mags and landing many hits on the steel plates, the beginner is smiling & laughing and building confidence. Don't give someone a 44 mag. That's just plain Stupid.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

@MotoGun
Thank you...
Andy

 

[bradsteen]

Great post and info, on all of the above. On @Joe13 's comment, I've definitely found it's sometimes helpful for an unbiased third party to provide instruction, particularly in a husband/wife or similar situation. That's not to say a husband is incapable of teaching their wife (or vice versa) how to shoot, but information given by a significant other may be received differently than when given by a family member, friend, or professional instructor. To husbands (or wives) looking to introduce their partner to firearms, I would encourage setting ego aside and focusing on what's best for them as a learner. One good way to approach it is for both to take a course from a professional instructor together - that way it's a level playing field, and it becomes something you share together instead of remaining one person's hobby that the other has to constantly play catch-up to. It's also a great opportunity for an experienced shooter to refocus on fundamentals.

To @Andy54Hawken 's point, if you're providing instruction it's important to tailor it to the student - you can be the most knowledgeable person in the world, but that doesn't matter if the information isn't presented in a way the student can easily comprehend or relate to. The more experienced we are, the easier it is for us to forget that a lot of this stuff isn't common knowledge or even necessarily intuitive. And most new shooters will have a lot of misconceptions about guns that will need to be corrected thanks to Hollywood and how the media portrays firearms.

So know your audience (child, teen, adult, elder, etc ) and adjust your methods accordingly. If someone learns best by seeing, feeling, and doing, great - hands on with guns rendered safe and no ammo around is probably the right approach. If they're more research / theory oriented, it might be best to lead with information and diagrams without a physical weapon present so they can focus on absorbing core concepts before applying them in person.

Some folks tend to skip over handling of the firearm when NOT shooting, which is important to teach because it accounts for the majority of the time a person is handling them (uncasing the weapon, taking it out of the safe, practicing basic manipulation skills, etc). I always teach Sul as a default rest posture, as I think it's the safest way for a newbie to ensure muzzle discipline. That said, some students might be more comfortable with a low ready or similar style, especially those with arthritis or other mobility challenges.

Another thing that's sometimes covered but not always sufficiently explained is the mechanics of the gun - how it actually works, the science behind it, how recoil works and how it affects operation of the gun, etc. Putting things in terms of F = M x A might resonate with technically minded folks (engineers, software developers, etc.), whereas others might more easily relate to analogies using everyday objects. For example, you can use the amount of effort required to throw a bowling ball vs a soccer ball to help explain how two guns of different sizes in the same caliber will have different recoil impulses. When someone is better able to imagine what a gun is doing at each stage of the firing cycle, they will feel more confident when mechanical things happen, like the slide locking open on empty, learning how the trigger resets, etc.

Finally, huge +1 on emphasizing the fun aspect. Yes, there are serious applications, but when it comes down to it shooting is highly entertaining - it instills confidence in a person's own abilities, helps foster positive competitive drives, and the guns themselves are mechanically fascinating. Lean into that and help bring the joy of recreational shooting into people's lives. The more serious aspects like personal protection will often follow in due time.

 

[caelanr]

Just get out there