Get training. Real training, from a real instructor. You'll save yourself the hassle (and wasted ammo) of having to break bad habits later on. A good .22 should be the cornerstone of any new shooter's arsenal.
Frankly, "I'm new to guns and would like to get one for self-defense" is a scary statement. You need training, practice, and confidence with a weapon before you can be assured of using it effectively under stress. An hour twice a year at the range isn't going to do that.
We're talking about a tool that allows you to take a human life with the push of a button. That's a grave responsibility, and it should entail a serious commitment.
To that end, shooting should be a hobby. Build fundamentals, and practice them until they're second nature. When you don't catch yourself having to think of the front sight, or about your grip, you're on your way.
Shoot on days you don't feel like it. Shoot whenever you have the free time. Skip going to the movies or eating out one night a week if that means you can squirrel a bit more away for ammo.
Find the gun you can shoot the best. Disregard what the magazines say is "tactical." "Tactical" is going home whole at the end of the day. To that end, a revolver may serve you better than the newest high-capacity Delta Force pistol.
Likewise, take lightly the advice of people who present their opinions as hard fact. I honestly don't know if a Federal Hydrashok will kill an attacker faster than a Gold Dot. Nobody does. Buy ammunition that cycles reliably, and with which you can shoot accurately. Shot placement is everything.
Lastly, learn not to shoot. Cultivate a "live and let live" philosophy. A man with a gun doesn't have the luxury of petty anger. The surest way of surviving violence is to avoid it. Don't do anything with a gun that you wouldn't do without a gun.
Frankly, "I'm new to guns and would like to get one for self-defense" is a scary statement. You need training, practice, and confidence with a weapon before you can be assured of using it effectively under stress. An hour twice a year at the range isn't going to do that.
We're talking about a tool that allows you to take a human life with the push of a button. That's a grave responsibility, and it should entail a serious commitment.
To that end, shooting should be a hobby. Build fundamentals, and practice them until they're second nature. When you don't catch yourself having to think of the front sight, or about your grip, you're on your way.
Shoot on days you don't feel like it. Shoot whenever you have the free time. Skip going to the movies or eating out one night a week if that means you can squirrel a bit more away for ammo.
Find the gun you can shoot the best. Disregard what the magazines say is "tactical." "Tactical" is going home whole at the end of the day. To that end, a revolver may serve you better than the newest high-capacity Delta Force pistol.
Likewise, take lightly the advice of people who present their opinions as hard fact. I honestly don't know if a Federal Hydrashok will kill an attacker faster than a Gold Dot. Nobody does. Buy ammunition that cycles reliably, and with which you can shoot accurately. Shot placement is everything.
Lastly, learn not to shoot. Cultivate a "live and let live" philosophy. A man with a gun doesn't have the luxury of petty anger. The surest way of surviving violence is to avoid it. Don't do anything with a gun that you wouldn't do without a gun.
