Path to take to being an EXPERT Sharpshooter/Marksman

Safety First, Safety Last, Safety Always

Achilles, welcome to the world of firearms, and to the very best forum i have been able to find on the subject. But be careful - shooting is highly addictive and nobody can ever own enough guns. Being a well-armed and skilled shooter can also mean being habitually broke.

With that out of the way, you need to learn the rules for firearm safety, memorize them, and live them every day. Even non-gun owners should know these rules. Yes, shooting can be a safe, fun, lifelong pursuit, but it is also a deadly serious pursuit. A single accident can forever change your life or those of others. A typical handgun bullet travels at around 1200 miles per hour (rifles 2-3 times that fast), cannot be dodged, curved, or recalled once fired. So learning how to safely handle, operate, clean, store and share firearms isn't optional; gun owners assume those responsibilities upon exiting the gun store with a new purchase and the responsibility continues for life.

I like to say to those i've taught, that if you ever lose your awe and respect for the incredible power of life and death you hold in your hands, sell them and never look back. Can you have fun with guns? Yes, lots. But you never "play" with them. Ever. Look up some old threads about accidental discharges on this forum, and read about what happens from a single moment of lax attention - and mostly from lifelong shooters! And these are ones who survived their mistakes.

Know your legal standing. Some states outlaw hollow point ammunition, for example. You need to know, unquestionably, what your rights and obligations are for the state in which you live, and for any other state (or country) you will travel to with a firearm. Ignorance is never an excuse. Read the statutes, consult a lawyer, do what you have to do.

The NRA offers the most comprehensive system for training firearms instructors that i am aware of, but appleseed seems highly respected by several prior posters. Anyway, learn the 4 basic rules by heart - all gun safety essentially flows from these basics. Then you'll need some handling experience. How old are you? Can you legally buy a pistol? Then i recommend going to a local gun shop and handling some pistols. See how they feel in your hand. To your eye as you sight in on the other side of the store (pointed high enough to avoid any other people in the shop - always). Work the action, insert/eject the magazine. Thumb off the slide release and feel the slide jumping back into battery. No pressure, no ammo, just breaking your cherry, as it were.

Most states require some formal education/training before you can buy a pistol. Typically the NRA basic handgun course is sufficient, and you should be able to google up the names of local NRA-qualified instructors or check in at your local gun shop. But you have to know your laws. Then once you have a carry permit, your education is just beginning. The laws on self-defense and on lethal force are subtly different from state to state. This forum is a great place to discuss tactics and training, play out what-if scenarios, analyze real events, and share an occasional joke, but no-one can help you un-break a law after the fact. Sounds daunting? Good. That is the right frame of mind in which to start out.

If you don't take anything else from this, it is to treat firearms with respect and diligent care all your life, and they will reward you with new friends, wild game for your table, the satisfaction of well placed target rounds, and could even save your life.

Best of luck to you, and constant vigilance.
 
Daugherty16,

Most of what you've posted, I agree with. The parts below are incorrect, or not precise enough where someone new to shooting might not pick up on subtle nuances of what is legal where.


A typical handgun bullet travels at around 1200 miles per hour.

A typical 9mm/.40S&W or .38SPL round travels just around the speed of sound = 768 mph @ typical ambient temperatures.


Know your legal standing. Some states outlaw hollow point ammunition, for example.

There is no state in the nation that outlaws hollow point ammunition. New Jersey allows only LE officers (Fed, State, Local) to carry hollow points. Everyone who can lawfully possess ammo can possess handgun ammo, but they must not have HP ammo loaded in guns outside of their homes, or ranges. New York City, MA, DC, etc all require permits to purchase handgun ammunition, but there are no outright bans on HP ammo.



Most states require some formal education/training before you can buy a pistol.

Most states do not require any training as a pre-requisite for possession of a pistol.



NYC Drew.
 
Buy the best .22 you can afford and a ton of ammo. When that is all gone and you can shoot one hole groups, pop squirrels out of a tree, roll cans at will then move onto a larger caliber.

Too many people move to big stuff too soon. If you don't have the basics getting a larger caliber only makes the mistakes worse.

My 2 cents, it's the way I came up (expert on every weapon I was ever issued) and is the way I will raise my boys.
 
achilles:

Guns are a fascinating topic and one can chat on this kind of forum all day about them, but you won't really know so much until you get among some shooters who will gladly teach you. Find a gun club and join it, attend meetings, social events and shoots at the club. Observe at first and then engage in conversation. Listen well, because there are hundreds of years of experience at a gun club. Most of what you hear will be good. Some will not be so good. But you'll learn.

Best way to start is to take as many safety courses as you can. Start with hunter education classes whether you intend to hunt or not. Now go find a club!:)
 
NYC Drew:

You don't need permit to purchase pistol ammunition in NY state. Perhaps in NYC you do, I don't know about the city, I steer clear of it.
 
Hello Jim,

I agree. This is what I said in my post:


New York City, MA, DC, etc all require permits to purchase handgun ammunition, but there are no outright bans on HP ammo.



Best regards,
NYC Drew
 
Expert

My daughter qualified Expert from day one in the Marines, so if you try real hard you can shoot as good as a girl.

tammyexpert.jpg
 
Since you're a person who's never even TOUCHED a gun before, forget about "tactical training" and whatnot for now.

First, take a gun safety course. The NRA Home Firearm Safety course is fine.

I recommend a gun that's inexpensive, reliable, and that you can practice a lot with. For handguns, I'd get a Ruger Mark III. That's a .22 semiautomatic that's reliable as a rock, fun to shoot, and that you can hand down to your grandkids. Being a .22, you can buy a box of 500 rounds for about $15 and practice all day. Learn to shoot it, clean it, sight it in, etc. I've been shooting for over 50 years, and I STILL love to go out and plink beer cans with my .22. It's just a freaking gas.

After you're somewhat accustomed to going bang-bang with a gun. Buy a used semiautomatic 12 gauge shotgun and take trap and skeet lessons. This is LOADS of fun, fairly cheap, and gets you used to handling a bigger banger and getting used to real recoil. It's also a good way to meet other nice shooters, especially besides those annoying Rambo wannabes.

By then, you've have a much better idea of what you want to do. Don't hesitate to ask questions here or PM people.
 
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