Taking a n00b to the range for the 1st time.

H

HK_Flo

New member
So my sister wants to get a handgun. I invited her to come shoot with me the next time I go to the range to try some different guns and she what she likes.

Any advice on where to start? Should I try a revolver 1st then move on to auto loaders? Have her handle some guns at the counter 1st or get straight to shooting? Throw her to the wolves (salesmen)?

Of course I will cover basic safety rules before we go.
 
Noob, as in, Never fired a handgun?

If so, I would start her off with a small caliber-medium sized revolver. Something that's not going to produce too much felt recoil. See how she reacts. Place the target(s) well within CQB distances. She'll gain quick confidence if she's able to hit the target.

Let it be her decision to graduate to a larger caliber.

Make sure she wears good hearing and eye protection and pick a lane thats not next to someone firing a canon.

Good Luck.
 
AFAIK she has never fired a gun. The only handgun I have right now is my .40 USP... probably not the greatest to learn on.
 
Start with proper ear and eye protection. Make sure she is wearing clothing that a hot shell won't sneak into.

Start with a .22lr. A revolver if possible.

Get large targets and set them relatively close.

If the range allows it reactive targets would be a good idea as well.

Make the first range visit about fun, after safety of course.

work your way up to 9mm and or .38 special.

If all you have is a .40, then buy or make some light loads. Otherwise rent.

http://www.corneredcat.com/TOC.aspx
Introduce that web site to your sister.
 
A .22 is always the place to start. Single action revolvers like the Ruger Single Six are nice, but so are the automatics like the Mark III's or the Browning Buckmarks. As long as it has a nice single action trigger for them to practice the basic fundamentals of stance, grip, sight picture, etc. it should be fine.

Another good piece of advice already mentioned is to set the target relatively close. Nothing will discourage them quicker than continuously missing a target that is set to far away for a beginner to repeatedly hit. Their faces will usually light up if they can see themselves hitting the target, it acts as a great motivator.
 
They require eye and ear protection. Not sure if they allow reactive targets, that's a good idea.

And yeah a good excuse to buy a ruger mkIII. I wish I had never sold my mkII.
 
I like the idea of the .22, but a light .38 may be more of the real world. I taught my kids (8 & 5) with light .38's. They appreciated and respected the power. Just something to think about. BTW they are both excellent marksmen now.
 
Does the range offer rentals? If so, get a .22, because I assure you, if you start her with a .40 S & W, she'll never want to shoot again. And I'd agree, a revolver would be easier for her to deal with.

My dear wife had never shot until age 70, she had been around guns, her late husband was a shooter. He passed away many years ago, and I was out of shooting for quite a while after we got married (well, if a "while" is 20 years). I got started shooting again, she got worried about crime in our area, and she decided to learn shooting. Her first firearm to shoot was a .38 Special revolver, an old Ruger Service Six. She's had both shoulders operated on, and has limited hand strength to operate a semi-auto. She did fine with a .38 without any kind of complaint about recoil. Your mileage may vary.

Just start your sister on a firearm you don't think will turn her off because of recoil, and stand back and watch. If she feels she's overcoming her fears of firearms, and is actually enjoying shooting, expect to have a partner for a good long time at the range.

Consider getting her an hour or two of instructor time, I have every confidence you know what you're doing, but a patient instructor who is not related to her may give her more confidence than learning from you. I got a couple of hours of instructor time for my wife, and I'm sure she learned more from him than I could convey to her, and she didn't learn mistakes I'm sure I am capable of doing from time to time.

Just a thought.
 
I am kind of in the same boat. A "girl I know", I guess is the best way to put it, was talking to me about me taking her shooting. I told her I would take her out to the grounds where I go but she wants to go to a range for the safe factor. Which I guess I can understand, but I enjoy shooting by myself most times. I imagine at a range would be pretty fun with the new people you can meet and talk to, but I digress.

Anyway, the only thing I have for her to shoot, at the range at least, is a GP100 with .38 specials. (Unless 3 inch 12 gauge slugs are good for a starter...) Which I dont think will really be too big since the gun will absorb most of the recoil. Out of something like that I almost think she could shoot the .357s, but small steps.

So I am pretty excited to see how it goes.

Anyway, to actual topic, if she is looking for self protection, I'd say put some sort of .38 in her hand as most likely it will be around that caliber that she will carry. If she is just looking for the hobby aspect out of it, then I would definitely start at .22 and let her plink till she feels comfortable with that, then move up. But thats just me...
 
I would dispute that thought, a .38 is not a radical recoil, I'm not real happy running .357 for any extended period myself, and as I learned long ago, recoil is my friend (D.I.'s do lie). I will admit, a .308 fired at a target set @ 300 plus yards, and actually getting decent groups is a friend of mine, but I've shot that way many times, and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment such a shooting session gives one. But, new shooters aren't like that yet. They take time to become comfortable with recoil, with how a violent explosion near their hands can be controlled with experience.

With a little time and patience, a brand new shooter can be brought around to enjoy our shared sport. With a single bad experience, they can be driven away from ever wanting to fire a firearm ever again. It's easy to convert a neebee to shooting, it's also easy to drive them away screaming they'll never do THAT again.
 
She is interested in self protection. A woman in her neighborhood was kidnapped by some guy "helping her push her car out of the snow" and raped.
 
I'd still advise getting her a couple of hours with an instructor, ask that they bring some of their guns along as she wants to try a variety of guns. Most all instructors I know have several handguns, and are like most of us, like to show off our "babies."

Take it slow with her, that fear of crime actually coming close was the input needed to persuade my wife she needed to consider learning to shoot. It's amazing what fear will do to make one think self defense is a priority, that needs dealt with,isn't it?
 
You have to take an 8 hour course for your CCW here (Missouri) pretty sure they offer it at the range.

I've been meaning to go do it myself even though I don't really feel the need to carry but would like to have the license if I ever want to.
 
If you can,
start her with a .22 LR with targets at 5 to 7 yards if you can. The main goals are to enjoy the activity and build confidence. Let her decide when she wants to move the target farther and/or to move up to a bigger caliber.
Be soft and kind with corrections/suggestions. Do not correct every mistake (if there will be any) on the first range trip unless they are unsafe. Remember, ENJOY.
After a few range trips, when she has a better idea of recoil and shooting basics (proper grip, good trigger reach, etc) or how she may want to CC a handgun then maybe shop around for a handgun.

Avoid shooting while the newbie is handling the handgun until you are confident the the newbie knows and practices the safety rules.
Reactive targets are nice like the black Shoot&See that turn green when hit.
Bring binoculars if you can have targets only at 25 yards.
 
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New Shooter -- Male or Female

Endorese borrowing/renting a .22 or alternately the heaviest pistol you've got with the lightest loads.

If there is a table/bench -- have them shoot from a supported position -- if not, don't let them hold a weapon with a 15 round magazine at arms length while trying to fire all fifteen rounds.
Tell them to lower the weapon (all the way, not just an inch or two) and take a deep breath (for women try " take a deep yoga style cleansing breath) and then aim and fire again.

The Best overall advice I've seen written about new shooters is at
The corneredcat
www.www.corneredcat.com/
  • Table of Contents
  • Teaching Others
  • Taking a new shooter to the range
The section on taking a new shooter to the range has great reminders about safety and also reminds experienced shooters about some of the things that absolute beginners will be surprised by:
'sooner or later a piece of brass from the person shooting at the station next to you will bounce off of you -- what do you do before shaking it off ?
(hint - put your weapon down on the bench)

But the most significant point I've read is:
"Watch her hands while she fires, not the target. Keep your eye on her trigger finger especially. Remember, the holes in the target will still be there when she is done shooting, but you must see what her hands are doing right now."

If a person has never been on a shooting range in their life, being told 'keep the weapon pointed down range' seems like gibberish -- what do I do, point the gun at the ground at my feet?
"Why do people keep saying the range is Hot/Cold -- the termperature isn't changing that much ?."
.
 
Thanks guys some great advice.

It's an indoor range that is always hot, they have motorized target retrieval so setting the targets close is no problem.

They have rental guns there but I have never paid much attention to what they have available. I will call ahead and make sure they have some smaller calibers.
 
For the first shots you must stand close enough to be able to control the newbie's hand/arm. I suggest single round in the magazine for a few cycles too.

One newbie I took shooting surprised both of us by reflexively attempting to tip the gun up so she could look down the front of the barrel to see why the gun hadn't gone off (slide was locked back). I blocked her arm before she got too far with it. Afterwards neither of us knew what she was thinking....... but she "got it" after talking it over some more.

.22 is the way to start. Then if you move up to bigger caliber, move back down to .22 before quitting so as to reduce the developed flinch.
 
Ive noticed new shooters tend to do better with autos, due to better trigger. YMMV. Let people fire my revolver for the first time and they cant hit anything in DA, in SA they can. then I see them shooting a xd or beretta or something and targets hit every pull.
 
Emphasize safety, safety, SAFETY until it comes automatically to her. I prefer a revolver to a semiauto for a tyro, I think they're easier to manipulate.
Plus you can try the old ploy of alternating live and empty chabers to check to flinching.
 
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