New shooter, tips?

K

Kirisuto

Inactive
Hi there, while I'm not new to shooting weapons I am new to it as a sport. I grew up in Tennessee so my experiences have been my .22 speedmaster, 12 & 20 gauge shot guns, 30-30, 303 British, 308 and 30-06 rifles. The only pistols I've ever shot was my step-dad's .22 beretta and the M9 Beretta in the Marines.

I've already decided that being new to the sport I won't be buying a high dollar priced gun. After researching and looking I've decided on a Hi Point. (I've already read far too many post about how ugly they are ...and agree, so there's no need to state that fact) While I could save for a while and buy a more expensive pistol the fact is that I don't have a lot of experience with pistols and not having any I don't want to spend so much in something I have no knowledge of. I've just started at a new job where a lot of people shoot, I've been interrested for a while and that was the last push I needed. They've said that if I get to the range with them I'll be able to shoot theirs so once I've had experiences with a more high priced pistol I'll make that step.

I'm still not sure on caliber though, most of the people I talk to say to just avoid a 9mm. I've been told that they're just not strong enough, and most of the ones here prefer a .40 or .45. But since I'm scheduled for the concealed carrying license I'm thinking of maybe something smaller. So I'm leaning towards the Hi Point C9 right now.

Ammo, should I just start with whatever cheap stuff I can get at Wal-Mart or my local gun store? Are there brands I should try to stay away from, or if I see some for cheap any brands I should look out for?

I'll be thankful for any advice, I'm not sensitive so don't worry about beating around the bush or driving me from shooting. Thanks ahead of time.
 
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Nothing wrong with the 9mm, it's been in use all over the world for many, many years - with great success.

It's a very effective self defense round.

Get the gun that:

The "best" gun is the one YOU like, not anyone else. It will be a compromise of:

1. Fit - It should fit in your hand like you were born with it there.
2. Reliability - It should go BANG about 99.8% of the time you pull the trigger.
3. Accuracy - In YOUR hand. It's how well YOU shoot it.
4. Concealability - It should be comfortable enough to wear and easy enough to conceal so you won't leave it laying on the dresser at home.
5. Cost - You don't want to scrimp on your "life protector" weapon, but you probably don't need a $1,000 Kimber, either.

Many companies make good, reliable ammo. Winchester, Magtech, Fiocchi, CCI, and so many others. Some companies like Atlanta Arms and Georgia Arms sell good factory reloads which can cut the cost of practice considerably.

Many ranges won't allow Wolf ammo due to the steel case. Some pistols don't like the lightweight CCI Blazer aluminum case ammo.

Good self defense ammo is made by Corbon, Speer, Winchester, Fiocchi, Hornady, and many others. Find the ammo that shoots best in your gun and that you're the most accurate with.

Others can come up with names I can't think of right now.

The self defense ammo I use in my 9mm is Corbon DPX.
 
Thanks for the advice so far, I forgot to add in my post two things: I've also considered a .22 for the inexpensive ammo and that if you want you're free to suggest pistols to me. Nothing too expensive guys, I can see me spending 5-600 one day but not 1k ...yet atleast. For now I'm mostly interrested in something I can also carry on me but I'm willing to look at a larger pistol for just shooting.

I'm not sure if you need them but here's my specs:
I'm 6'0", due to the Marines I've a slight muscular build, large hands but not super huge and a size 10 finger. I'm just trying to make sure I don't get one too big for me to carry or too small for me to hold.
 
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...most of the people I talk to say to just avoid a 9mm. I've been told that they're just not strong enough,
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Tell one of these morons to stand 15 yards in front of you while you empty a 15+ round magazine of 9mm into their chest and then have them tell you how "weak" they are!

.22's are great fun and cheap to shoot, but they are only slightly better than a sharp stick in the eye in terms of being a defensive weapon.

As far as ammo, there is no reason not to start off with the cheaper stuff for practice. I have never (knock wood) had a problem with any of the WWB (Winchester "White Box") ammo from Wal-Mart, but as I am sure you have probably already figured out, actually finding any handgun ammo anywhere is the real challenge!

Scott
 
I have found that much like in poker it is better to be lucky then good when it comes to finding ammo
both my semi's are 9mm and two of my shooting buddies have 40's I find ammo more often then both of them combined
 
Yeah I'm starting to realize that as I scroll through ammo websites and see out of stock on everything but usually one type. (which I then have to look up info on) Has this been going on for a while? Seems like before I joined the military when I'd hunt I always saw ammo available, atleast the gun store in my town was stocked up on 9mm, .40 and .45 when I went there two days ago.

You've got me interrested in those P Rugers. I'm considering just waiting longer and getting one of them instead of the Hi-Point. How's the warranty on them?
 
Ruger has a rep in the industry for being hands down one of the best companies out there for there customer service, In my experience they will typically send you a prepaid shipping label and then send it back to you on there dime. They do stand behind there product 110% of the time regardless of if the gun is still in warranty or not.

I own a Ruger p85 that's about 18 or 19 years old and still shoots like a dream.
I bought it used about 10 years ago and have put a countless # of rounds down range and never had a single malfunction and I also own a Ruger p95 and had a few malfunctions when I first got it in the first 150 to 200 rounds but that's it. I now have about 800 rounds through it.

Almost everyone in the forum will attest to the reliability of Ruger's and the Excellent C/S they offer even if that person does not like Rugers for one reason or another

Also before you buy one go rent any p series (there are a bunch of them spanning the last 20 or so years) and they are all about the same and take the same magazine and make sure it fits your hand.
If it does not fit your hand and you can't shoot it naturally then find something that does feel natural
 
Just get what you can afford and what fits you best. We all can throw out a ton of suggestions but they don't matter unless it is the best fit for you. And I don't see anything wrong with 9mm, I have yet to find any volunteers to stand in front of a 9mm round and test its effectiveness. I love my S&W M&P 9c
 
Hi-Point is a good choice if you're wanting to keep your up-front costs low. It's a good value and shoots much better than it has any right to, but keep in mind that, as in most things, you get what you pay for.

I own both a Hi-Point and a Taurus 99, both in 9mm. There is a noticeable difference between the two in ergonomics, fit and finish, and reliability (I'll usually get a failure-to-feed in my Hi-Point once every third magazine, almost never in my Taurus). Additionally, the Hi-Point is heavy enough to serve as its own backup weapon (i.e., a club).

The Hi-Point will give you some experience and a feel for the sport, but be aware that it can only get better if you decide to move up to something more expensive.

If you can afford it, I recommend getting both a 9mm and a .22 plinker of some sort - Ruger and S&W make decent, entry-level .22 pistols. When learning pistol shooting, your goal should be to shoot as often as possible. When comparing ammo costs between .22 and 9mm, there's no contest - you can shoot an absurd amount of .22 when it only costs 2-3 cents a shot!

If you are really trying to keep the costs down, 9mm is more economical by far than any other centerfire round. It's a decent load that may not have the man-stopping image of beefier rounds with a "4" in their name, but it certainly has enough power to stop most folks in their tracks, especially if you place your shots accurately (which is the point of all that practice shooting!)

Good luck with your decision!
 
Another .22 you may want to consider is the walther p22. I've heard reports of people having issues with them, but I've never had one. The general thought is that the ones made in 08 and 09 are fine. Now I've owned both the ruger 22/45 and the walther p22, and both are great plinkers, however the ruger's grip resembles a 1911 grip *. I didn't like that on a .22 Also the cleaning of the ruger frustrated me to no end. Hope this helps.

*In my opinion
 
the cleaning of the ruger frustrated me to no end
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Amen, brother. I've been doing Ruger .22 takedowns for a couple of decades, and to this day, I curse at least once every single time!
 
New shooter, tips?
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Yeah I have a NEW SHOOTER TIP. PM me with your E-mail address and I'll send you the USAMU Pistol Marksmanship Guide in .pdf format.

Regardless of what pistol you choose, you'll need to learn the fundamentals. This Manual is the best there is for that.

Granted its geared toward Bullseye shooting but fundamentals are fundamentals. Learn the basics and the rest (SD and combat style shooting) will be easier.

This manual is put out by the best shooters in the world and ITS FREE.
 
kraigwy:

Not to hijack the original poster's thread but I PM'ed you (pardon the abuse of the English language) in the hope of receiving a copy of that handbook.

Thanks very much.

Chris
 
I decided I'm just going to save a little and get a P95 for SD. I'll shoot it enough to get used to it, but I'm going to get a .22 to get my fundamentals better and for less expensive ammo. I'll look at a Ruger and a few others to see what's good. Plus I can get my Fiance to shoot it with me and carry it (if I can get her to go get a license).

Why is it people talk about 15+ rounds from a 9mm? All the ones I see have a 8 or 10 round magazine.
 
15+ is what most 9mm pistols carry. If you are in Cali. then you wont see anything over 10rds.
Great choice in the ruger, you can often find then used for even less. It's really hard for someone to wear out a Ruger so if you find a used one jump on it if it's at the right price.
9mm is a great choice, faster follow up shots, more in the mag and easier and cheaper to shoot.
Best of luck and be safe
 
I'm looking to try and find it but can't seem to, what's the difference in the Walther P22 and SP22 M1? Is it just the name, major differences in how they operate maybe? Managed to find a little on it, don't care for the look of that handle on the M4 at all... but the M3 does look nice.
 
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Why is it people talk about 15+ rounds from a 9mm? All the ones I see have a 8 or 10 round magazine.
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You ain't lookin' hard enough. My Springfield XD9SC carries 16 in the extended mag. My Steyr M9-A1 carries 15. There are others...
 
If you haven't already done so I'd suggest you go to your local range and fire every gun on the board before deciding what to buy. Revolvers, semiautos, shoot all of them at least once. Take your time. You'll be surprised at how different these guns are, and how their differences affect how you shoot them. "Expensive" doesn't necessarily mean "best" at least not in the sense of what works best for you.

I'd also suggest that you get a .22, whether it's a revolver or a semiauto, to start, followed by something very similar in configuration and style, as a larger caliber gun. .22 ammo is cheap and you can perfect your shooting skills using a .22 handgun. In revolvers, take a look at the Ruger Single Six. If you want to spend more money (unfortunately, considerably more) think about a Smith & Wesson 617. The 617 is, by the way, the finest .22 revolver out there, and it will pay for itself in the pleasure you derive from shooting it. One advantage that the Smith has over the Ruger is that you can fire it both single and double action, enabling you to perfect your shooting technique with two very different trigger pulls.

For a larger caliber handgun, I'd suggest you think about a Smith & Wesson Model 10, if revolvers suit you. It's the "basic" Smith & Wesson and you can find many used examples that shoot beautifully at around $300 or so. For a semi-auto, think about the Ruger SR9. It holds 17 rounds of 9mm ammo in its magazine, is accurate, has a pretty nice trigger, is tough as nails, and best of all, is relatively cheap. I've seen them advertised for as low as $400.

Good luck. If you're like the rest of us, nothing you buy will be the end of your purchases. Most of us on this forum are slightly crazy and, consequently, we tend to accumulate handguns (some of us even collect them).
 
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