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smc85

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Hello everyone new here from western pa was wondering if anyone can give me some helpful advice and tips on owning firearms i never fired a firearm before now its hard for me to get training because my job im out for the week and return home on the weekends is books and youtube and dvds be fine thank you all
 
Welcome to the forum! I'd suggest watching as many videos and reading as many books on the shooting sports as you can. For starters I would get something like a bolt action .22. Maybe like a Ruger American Rimfire in .22lr, since ammunition is by far the cheapest, and the light recoil. Then you're going to need to find a range, I'm sure there are a lot up your way. Make sure you review the rules of firearms safety thoroughly, there is a copy of these rules above in the blue box next to "Forum Rules". Safety is the number one thing. After you have learned them you can put them to practice when you go to the range, like not pointing the muzzle at anything you don't want to destroy, and keeping your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire. I could go on typing forever about things but it would get a bit repetitive and would take forever. Make sure you also read and watch about proper sight alignment, trigger press, and breathing. I would also recommend shoting from a stable bench rest with iron sights until you develop your skills, then you could practice offhand shooting, etc.

Good Luck!
 
Are you thinking more rifle, shotgun, or handgun? For general handgun advice, I think most of us could highly recommend this site.

www.corneredcat.com

While developed for and geared mainly toward women, there is a ton of great advice for anyone new to firearms and shooting. The site's owner/author is a member here.
 
There must be a gun club somewhere within range of you. You can get good hands on help at a good club. Rarely you will get bad advice, but someone will always correct the advice within a short time.
 
Does your job require being on the road all week long?
If you have stop overs or land in one place for awhile, check if there any local ranges with instruction and rental guns where ever you happen to be.
Most likely there are.
 
I was thinking more for home defense and for target practice so a rifle and hand guns is what I am looking to get experience on
 
Just a reminder,
The skills for target shooting and for surviving a possible deadly encounter, as in home defense, are very different.
As is the training.
Obviously, knowing how to shoot is a necessary foundation for both, but please don't fall into the trap of thinking they are one and the same.
 
Find a local range near you and make the time on a weekend to go and do some shooting. If there is more than one range in your area, visit all of them over a span of time and see which you like the best. While there, talk to folks, maybe make a shooting buddy.
 
You have been given good advice. Welcome to the forum and to the world of shooting. There are some folks on here who have an amazing knowledge base of good information regarding just about every aspect of the shooting sports.

My read is they know what they are talking about and it pays to listen to them. If you can find a range close to you, almost without exception, there will be an employee of the range who is willing to help you and share information. Those folks are gold. They will help you. Hope to see many posts from you as you begin to explore the world many of us know and love!
 
First allow me to welcome you to the forum. Most of us were where you are now, just starting out. I don't know your work schedule so I will just wing it if you'll bear with me for a while. Most folks work a normal shift (7am-3pm, 8am-4pm, 9am-5pm). Check around at gunshops on the weekend and you may find a course that may fit your time frame. I would start out with a safety course first then move to a shooting course. In my area most courses are in the late evening or on the weekends. As for not having a gun now don't worry about that. There are ranges that rent guns for those who are interested. You could rent different guns until you find the one you like best. You mentioned home defense as one of your needs. While a handgun can be a good choice don't overlook an 18 - 20 inch barrel pump action or semi-automatic shotgun. There are many out there but Remington and Mossberg seem to be the top two brands. Also if a rifle is for home defense check out a pistol caliber carbine that matches the pistol you choose. The Beretta CX4 Storm carbine matches well with their pistols.
 
One thing I also am looking for is affordability being I am going to start out but I know I can't put a price tag on you're life so but any suggestions thanks
 
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