Tips and hints for teaching first-time shooters

O

Oleg Volk

Staff Alumnus
Please tell me how you prefer to teach new people. What do you recommend for tools, locations, techniques, ways to motivate, etc.

Also fess up as to the things you or others have done that were counterproductive. I'd like to learn from experience no my own (not that I haven't made any errors myself :( )

I will go first:

1)small calibers, reliable guns
2)close-up easy targets with large bullseyes or even informal tragets where every hit counts
3)limit number or arms to one revolver, one autoloader and one rifle and maybe even fewer than that

Errors:
1)offer larger calibers and have people agree out of politeness
2)not notice when students get tired
3)unreliable guns, 22 autoloaders especially


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Oleg "cornered rat" Volk (JPFO,NRA)

http://dd-b.net/RKBA
 
For a raw beginner or a child I have always suggested starting with a BB or pellet gun to let them get a feel for the idea that what they do here affects where the bullet hits there - all with no noise or recoil. Then let them watch someone shoot a low-powered .22 rifle, including putting a hand on the shooter's shoulder to feel shot go off. In short, I think they should try to work up to shooting a .22 rifle without waking up Old Man Flinch (Such a bad habit - close eyes, yank trigger) As far as targets go, I like large cans on the ground or in front of a bank, so you can see where the shots hit in the dirt. Large paper targets and cardboard boxes work too. If they have time and are behaving, I'll put the Marlin Golden 39-A Mountie away and let them try my 30-year-old Single Six - maybe the magnum cylinder too. At this point, if they hit a couple of things, they think they know how to shoot for life :) Interesting topic. John
 
A new shooter needs to learn safety first. So there should be a couple of informal unloaded handling sessions while the 4 Cardinal Rules are thoroughly inculcated.
The student needs to understand sighting: What a proper sight picture looks like, Why front sight focus is important.First learn iron sights, then introduce 'scopes.
A rimfire is indicated for the first live rounds. By the time you load the gun, the student has a handling familiarity with it.
Ear and eye protection! Nothing to recoil, it's the loud noise that promotes flinch. And it eventually makes you deaf.
The very best teaching target is a blank target back, and close-in. Sight alignment is paramount, and the blank target gives no other point on which to focus, but when reversed reveals a decent bullseye grouping. This is the Paul Weston/USNAcademy technique of instructing novices, and it WORKS.
Teach the surprise break.
Teach two hands handgun and rested rifle.

Errors: Using guns too powerful or two inaccurate for beginners (good technique should be rewarded by precision); making center hits TOO important at first; ignoring the requirement for rigorous range discipline in the interest of being a 'good guy'.

I'm sure I'll think of ten more as soon as I submit this, but I WON'T edit, I won't, I won't.

slabsides



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If they take our guns, I intend to let my hair grow long and acquire the jawbone of an ass.
 
I usually go over safety and, rather than beat them over the head with it, keep a CLOSE rein with plenty of insistent--but friendly--reminders. I also lavish bold compliments on every good shot and ignore "fliers" until some pattern emerges that needs correction, stressing groups and not bullseyes.

I prefer to start with the Ruger MK512 and would use a .22 cal revolver if possible. I also prefer to start at 7 yds to get the basics down. When they get bored with chewing up the black they move on to 15 yards.

Meanwhile, I tell them that shooting is a Zen sort of thing where they need to concentrate on the moment: grip and sight picture; "the front sight is your best friend--forget the target"; study how the front sight moves during trigger pull on a DA and focus on how different ways of applying the finger change the motion, remember this image for each shot; relax and remember to breathe, etc.

Spray and pray advocates are looking at the target and paying no attention to the gun or themselves. I have only had a few students as I've only been shooting 2 years and am on a major learning curve, but those I brought from zero ended up doing well enough by the end of the day, showing up others on the range.
 
I want to second the idea of using airguns to start, then graduating to small calibers.

I remember Dad getting us a matching Daisy Co2-200 and 300 pistol/rifle set (Dad-pistol me-rifle) when I was in 4th grade. We were living in a converted WWII-era barracks at Fort Leavenworth, the year Dad was in staff school. We had a little metal BB trap we'd put at the end of the hall, with a wool Army blanket draped over a chair for any misses. It was great! Spent a lot of hours sending BB's downrange. Have a pair of pellet guns now with my son

Key point - it was easy to set up an indoor, at-home range for practice and familiarization with safety routines, proper sight picture, etc.

A couple years later I graduated to a bolt-action single shot .22 and shot the NRA Junior Marksman program. We shot at silver dollar sized targets with a .22 sized 10 ring at 50'. Is this program still around? It would be a great way to get people (young and old) introduced to shooting. Again, a really good focus on range and handling safety, with little medals and bars and patches as you shot through the various positions and achieved the requisite scores.
 
Dos:
Definitely start off with an airgun; it's perceived as "less-deadly". I think a handgun should be taught before a rifle because people I've taught seem to have no problem holding a handgun properly, but are pretty awkward with a rifle.

.22's are next in line. Practice handling and operation of gun with it not loaded before handling operation with it loaded. Use one round at a time for shooting in the beginning whether it be an autoloader or a revolver.

Keep the targets close, 21 ft max; use a big target so they can be more assured of at least hitting it. Must emphasize the safety aspects and reinforce to the shooter that if these rules are followed, the chances of bad things happening are practically nil.

Take like shooters along. Other beginners can help in that one person won't feel alone. You might need a friend to help you out but that's okay. Women feel more comfortable with other women shooting. If you know some experienced women shooters, bring them along to help.

Errors:
Doing to much too soon. Don't shoot 50 rounds of .22 and say, "here's a .44 magnum". Let students be comfortable with what they're doing; don't move them onto higher calibers, farther targets, until they want to themselves.

Don't overload; don't teach them too much too soon. For instance, you can load a semi-auto handgun several ways. Lock slide open, insert mag and drop the slide: start from closed slide, insert loaded mag; load round in the chamber, remove mag and then top off and re-insert mag. Too much. Stick with one way at first.

Beginners and especially women have no idea of what you are talking about and have probably never been exposed to this stuff so try and keep things as simple as possible.

Not watching safety precautions. Must, must emphasize the safety aspects. Tell them to keep the gun on the bench when they aren't going to use it, not turn around to ask a question while the gun is still in their hands; to my horror, I've seen this all too often. Keep that finger off the trigger until absolutely positively ready to shoot; I tell them that if they put their finger on the trigger, I'd better see a shot within the next few seconds.

Don't worry about accuracy from the start. While it's best not to develop bad habits in the first place, I feel it's more important to have the shooter enjoy themselves and feel comfortable. You can always fix those habits later on, it's a lot harder to get someone with a bad experience to come back.
HTH
 
A timely topic. I went out with a friend this morning and watched as he fired his 9mm Kel Tec for the first time. He was holding the pistol in a strange way, and I was about to offer a suggestion - too late, he let one go and had the slide slice his thumb open. Fortunately, I had a first aid kit in the truck. I then went over the basics of gun handling and he eventually started hitting the target.
This is the second time I have watched a problem in the works and had it happen before I could say anything, the previous time gave a guy 6 stitches from "scope bite" when he failed to shoulder the rifle correctly.
The failure in these instances has been in my assumption that people will use what I have come to understand as common sense. Neither incident was serious, but I have taken an oath that no beginner shoots with me until they go through my Coopers 4 rules safety speech, and 10 minute gunhandling course - even then they will be watched.
I agree that air guns are where children (and maybe some adults) should start their gun education.
 
I am a new shooter, so I can put in .02 from the other side of the fence.

My first teacher was the head of security at my facility. He definitely was a safety-first kinda guy. We spent a full afternoon at the kitchen table going over safety, respect and proper handling of the gun before I even saw the inside of the range. When we did go to the range, he brought along his wife (which was cool because otherwise I would have been the only female at the range and would probably have been self-conscious). I started with a 9mm, targets up close, worked on proper grip, sighting, stance, all that good stuff. He loaded for me so all I had to worry about was shooting. Oh, and he briefed me on legalities and what my rights would be if I ever did actually defend myself in this fashion -- how to protect myself legally as well as physically.

My second teacher got me working with a .357, and loading and dumping for myself, and working more on accuracy than just hitting the target. I respect the fact that no one has ever tried to steer me towards a .22. I can see that for a child, or a very apprehensive beginner, but it's not necessary to start everyone on one, I don't think.

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*quack*

[This message has been edited by duck hunt (edited February 26, 2000).]
 
Oleg,

Great points made so far.

Once we get to the range, I try to keep the first visit very short, with a limited number of calibers available, say two or maybe three.
The anticipation of their 'second' or return visit is crucial, as well as his/her knowledge/safety retention. IMHO it seems that the new shooter makes the greatest mental progess between the first and the second trip to the range.
I can always help someone 'physically'; but their 'head' is often a different matter.
Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.
Still, that's part of the challenge...and the fun... :)


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...defend the 2nd., it protects us all.
No fate but what we make...
 
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