You take a newbie to the range, what handguns do you take for them to shoot?

A

aarondhgraham

New member
When I take a newbie shooter to the range,,,
I have a small set of handguns I take for them to shoot.

SA Revolver - Colt Frontier Scout in .22 LR
SA/DA Revolver - S&W Model 18 in .22 LR
SA/DA Revolver - S&W Model 15 in .38 Special
SA Semi-auto - Ruger 22/45 in .22 LR
SA/DA Semi-auto - CZ-75B Kadet in .22 LR
SA/DA Semi-auto - CZ-75B in 9mm

I always throw the S&W 629 in the range bag as well,,,
If I think they are up to it I give them the opportunity to make the Big Boom. :D

I recently purchased a Bersa Thunder 22 and a Bersa thunder 380,,,
I think I will start taking them instead of the CZ-75B's,,,
I believe the smaller frame will be more useful,,,
The CZ's are often too big for smaller hands.

My theory is that their first range trip should be informative and fun,,,
I give them a 4 x 6 card with the four safety rules printed on it,,,
Then I progress them from SA revolver through SA/DA semi,,,
I use big reactive targets at 15 yards so they hit something.

I also take lots of pictures of them shooting,,,
It makes a fun gift to give them later on.

On the advice of the gentleman who I take classes from,,,
I start them off using the basic isosceles stance,,,
And what he calls "meat on metal" grip.

We shoot several loadings from each handgun,,,
I explain the differences in operation of each type as we go.

After we have gone through the "tour",,,
I ask them which one they enjoyed shooting the most,,,
That's the one we then spend the most ammunition and time with.

They almost always choose one of the .22 handguns,,,
Everyone likes shooting the S&W Model 18,,,
Not so much with the "cowboy" revolver.

So my questions to you good folk are,,,
What gun(s) do you use for a complete newbie?
Is there a reason for your selection beyond "that's what I have".

Aarond
 
Hi Aaron,

I always take a Ruger mk2 and a cz 75. I have been known to take a 1911 and a 357 with me as well. If i have a new pistol that needs to loosen up a bit or a competition gun that was just built and still tight i let the newbies have a go.

I always round off shooting with a 22 rifle, everyone loves those

I find it easier to teach girls than guys. The girls in my classes have always beaten the guys. It seems most men get lessons from tv shows and the girls actually listen to what im saying.
 
As stated 22 lr for the introduction to shooting. Let that person ask to try a larger caliber after the 22 lr.. They will know when to ask.
 
A Daisy 717 pellet pistol, a Ruger 22/45 and something like my CZ75 SA 9mm.

Before we start (and I'll be doing this tomorrow morning) I go over trigger control - how to pull the trigger correctly, follow-through and calling the shot - sight picture and grip.

Start with a close target. You want the first shots inside the outer rings of the bullseye. Five yards is good.

I've found that it's much easier to teach women to shoot than men. Guys usually feel like they already ought to know how to use a gun and want to do it their way.

Get them feeling at ease with the pellet pistol, then go to the .22. Don't push too hard and constantly repeat instructions as needed.
 
I always bring a new shooter to the range with a variety of .22 handguns and rifles. They are the perfect caliber to introduce a person to the shooting sports.

I usually bring a half a dozen or more from these handguns:

Browning Buckmark camper
Browning Buckmark standard with a red dot
Browning Buckmark 5.5 target
High standard 106 trophy
High standard 106 victor
Colt woodsman first series target
Colt woodsman second series target
Colt diamondback
Ruger mark 1 target
ruger mark 2 stainless
smith pre war k-22
smith post war k-22
smith k-18
smith 617
smith k-22 kit gun
smith 1959 model 41
smith 1970 model 41 with a red dot
ruger single six blued - 1970
ruger single six stainless - 2010
Colt 1911 gold cup with a Marvel conversion
Glock 17 with a ceiner conversion
and probably a few more that I am forgetting...
 
I don't want to confuse them with lots of guns. So, after they have had several sessions with the trusty Crosman 1377, they get to shoot two guns: first, a six inch K-22, and then a 1911. Kills the "wow" recoil myth right away if properly introduced.
 
To the OP; nice collection:DI have only taken a friend who was new to shooting to th range twice. Both times I brought a 20 gauge coach gun, .22lr bolt action savage, .22lr lever action henry and a .38 S&W snub nose(everyone likes to shoot the saturday night special, at least the everyone my age)
 
Interesting comments so far,,,

I find it easier to teach girls than guys. The girls in my classes have always beaten the guys. It seems most men get lessons from tv shows and the girls actually listen to what im saying.
Click to expand...

I've found that it's much easier to teach women to shoot than men. Guys usually feel like they already ought to know how to use a gun and want to do it their way.
Click to expand...

That has been my experience as well,,,
In fact, when I invite young men from my university,,,
They rarely want to go because they "already know how to shoot.",,,
Maybe they do but from my conversations with them they really have no clue at all.

The young ladies on the other hand,,,
Besides being delightful company for me,,, :D
They do seem to listen more and try to shoot correctly.

Several of you mentioned pellet pistols,,,
That's not something I had ever considered,,,
Possibly because I don't have a quality pellet pistol.

The cheap Chinese piece of $12.50 junk I own has a 87 lb trigger pull,,,
Okay, okay,,, 87 lbs is a wee bit of an exaggeration,,,
But it is way to heavy to use as a teaching tool,,,
Unless pistol whipping was a curriculum item

Dang mikejonestkd,,,
I thought I had a lot of .22's,,,
You have more 22's than I have handguns.

I don't want to confuse them with lots of guns.
Click to expand...

Tom Smith (my instructor) says I may be taking too many guns,,,
He would drop the .38 and the 9mm from the list,,,
My idea is I want them to experience the recoil,,,
But he makes a valid point which I might adopt.

I'm not so much trying to teach them marksmanship on these initial outings,,,
As I am trying to give them a basic familiarity with handguns,,,
Progressing from cowboy revolves to modern semi's.

I was very surprised when one young lady wanted to learn to load and shoot cap and ball revolvers,,,
Seems she inherited a cased pair of Italian reproductions from a relative,,,
I don't know what they are yet but I will gladly show her how,,,
All she knows is that her relative was a Civil War buff.

Aarond
 
For complete newbie that you would like to see come back, nothing but .22 so they can get comfortable with the handling, noise, etc.....
 
I go thru this a lot ....and next week with my grandson and a couple more of his fraternity brothers..../most of which have never fired a handgun. I always hold a 30 min session at my house on safety / how to operate, load, etc ...so I don't have to yell at the range...as much... If I have 4 shooters with me - the idea is I want 2 of them shooting / 2 of them observing ...

.22
-------------------
A pair of .22 revolvers ( S&W model 18 4" / S&W model 617 6" )
A pair of .22 semi-autos ( a Browning Buckmark / A sig 226 with a conv kit )

The reason for the variety of guns - is I want to expose them to more than one platform. Double and Single action revolvers --- and they shoot them in both single and double action. The Buckmark and the Sig 226 are both very different ...in terms of triggers, weight, etc ..but again its variety..keeps the interest high.

In 9mm
------------------------------- ----
A sig 239 ....
A Kimber Tactical Pro II model, 4"
Sig 226 in 9mm - that had the conversion kit on it

variety of platforms / 1911's fit a lot of hands - the 4" is lighter and not intimidating. The bigger Sig 226 ( I have there from the .22 phase ) and it exposes them to the concept of conversion kits ...and double stack guns. The Sig 239 is a slim single stack gun ...( same controls as the 226 / DA/SA trigger and decocker ) so its consistency and still variety...

In .357 mag
------------------------------
(shoot .38 spl ) ...in a pair of S&W model 66's 4"
Both DA/SA revolvers ...carryover from the .22 shooting.

I will put in some boxes of .357 mag ....and I will always have my primary guns - Wilson Combat 1911's in 9mm and .45 acp with me as well ...so a couple of boxes of .45 acp as well.
--------------------------------
99% of the time we go thru the .22's / and the 9mm's ...and just a taste of the .38's ....and they go back to the 9mm's ....( and maybe a taste of the .45 acp ). I usually keep it to about 3 hours ...max... Let them come back for another day ...rather than do too much on one day. 4 boxes of ammo per shooter is plenty in 9mm ..../ a couple hundred rds of .22 per shooter is enough...
-------------------------
After we've gone thru all of the guns ....each of the 4 shooters - 2 at a time per lane ...can pick whatever they want to shoot. If 2 of them really like the 4" 1911 / then I have my Wilson 5" in 9mm as well ...so I still have 2 guns for them to shoot. But at that point / I'll start doing some timed courses of fire with them ....on silhouette targets ( 2 in chest in 5 sec / 2 in chest and 1 in head in 8 sec ....nice and slow )..../ but get some addrenelin flowing ....
 
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Hey oneounceload and BigJimP,,,

For complete newbie that you would like to see come back, nothing but .22 so they can get comfortable with the handling, noise, etc.....
Click to expand...

I'm seriously considering dropping the .38 and the 9mm from the list.

I go thru this a lot ....and next week with my grandson and a couple more of his fraternity brothers..../most of which have never fired a handgun. I always hold a 30 min session at my house on safety / how to operate, load, etc ...so I don't have to yell at the range...as much... If I have 4 shooters with me - the idea is I want 2 of them shooting / 2 of them observing ...
Click to expand...

Wow!

Live handguns and a bunch of Hormone/Call of Duty driven frat boys,,, :eek:
You're a braver man than I am BigJimP. ;)

I have never taken even a pair of kids out to the range,,,
I always keep my outings to one on one sessions.

I do like the 2 observing/2 shooting thing you do,,,
I imagine it would aid in your controlling the range actions.

Aarond
 
Well one of them is always my grandson ....and he's been shooting with me for a long time ....so its really 3 newbies and him ....and he helps me. But its not your typical "animal house" bunch of guys either ... if they don't maintain at least a 3.0 GPA ....they get kicked out of the fraternity house ..../plus at $ 30K a year to go to school over there ...they're focused pretty well ...( mostly engineers / or pre-med )...

Even though I'm a little long in the tooth ....at 6'5" and 290 I impress on them, that we're here to learn ....not play "grab-a_ _ " / and they're all pretty good guys ..../ but I manage to keep their attention - and I'm not immune from growling at em a little ...

But my grandson knows that if he brings me a moron ...it reflects on him too.../ but I've spent some time with him a couple of girlfriends at the range too ...and that makes me a little more nervous ...( in case someone were to start showing off for one of the girls..) but we keep it manageable with only 2 lanes Hot. They appreciate the knowledge ...and I pay all the fees ...(they're all college kids / they don't have a lot of extra money / and a little distraction doesn't hurt them).

I usually take a few of them to the Skeet or 5 Stand ranges at my shotgun club too ...once in a while .../ its about being around older men, some business contacts as well - and partly about developing relationships that may pay off down the road ...or when they find themselves invited to a hunting lodge or maybe a sporting clays or skeet shoot - as a business associate as well. Its about having fun / but about exposing them to stuff that "guys" do ...as well..../ and some of them grew up in big cities like Los Angeles or Boston ...where there were no gun ranges / no-one in their family had any weapons.

Plus --- it makes me the "Cool Grandpa" ...and that's not all bad either ...and my wife always puts out a nice meal ... or snack or something - when we get back .... I look at it as a priveledge.../grandson is 3,000 miles from his parents ...and he likes to hang around us a little bit ...
 
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interestingly enough,,,

I just received an E-mail from a young lady friend of mine,,,
She is the one whose father gave her that DAO Model 36 for graduation.

She wants to go shooting again,,,
But she also wants to buy a .22 revolver,,,
She asked me if a Taurus Model 94 was a good gun.

I'm going to tell her about the Charter Arms Pathfinder,,,
Another lady friend of mine has one and it's a very nice peestola,,,
She has put several thousand rounds through it and it's trigger keeps getting better.

But I digress,,,

Plus --- it makes me the "Cool Grandpa" ...and that's not all bad either ...and my wife always puts out a nice meal ... or snack or something - when we get back .... I look at it as a priveledge.../grandson is 3,000 miles from his parents ...and he likes to hang around us a little bit ...
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That in itself is a great thing BigJim,,,
Getting to spend quality time with your grandson.

Skeet is like golf as a venue for business deals,,,
But a whole lot more "manly" than hitting a little ball with a stick. :D

I don't have any kids or grandkids to teach stuff to,,,
These undergrads I work with provide me with a fun outlet for shooting.

Aarond
 
Aarond, That is just the list of .22s that I'll take out with a newbie, I have 6 other target pistols and a few safe queens that rarely venture outside, none of them are ones that I share...

IMO a .22 LR is the best choice to use when introducing a new shooter to the sport.
 
1. 1 Ruger MKII 22LR
2. 1 centerfire pistol (Sig P6 or 1911 9mm).

Start with .22LR, then, depending on how the newbie feels, may move up to 9mm. Also, 1 magazine per gun helps keep things simple.
 
How much do you work on marksmanship the first time out?

I don't worry too much about marksmanship that first time out to the range,,,
That's why I take big reactive targets and shoot at 10-15 yards.

Now I do try and show them a good isosceles stance and a solid grip,,,
But pinpoint accuracy is not something I worry about that day.

I'm mainly concerned with familiarizing them with handgun knowledge,,,
And a good foundation in safety and range procedures/etiquette.

What's your focus for that first time out on the range?

Aarond
 
Last week, I took my 13 year old daughter to the range for the first time and she shot the M&P 9c the entire time. She was comfortable with it.
 
I would probably take a S&W model 17 22LR and a model 27 357. They could begin with the 22, go to the 38spl and top it off with a 357 if they were up for it. OTOH, I might start them out with a 380 and a 9mm and then go to the 40 or even the 10mm.
 
Just got back from the range, working with a woman who's been shooting for less than 4 months. She's an example of why I prefer to teach women.

We spent some time talking about trigger control, follow-through and calling the shot before firing the first round. I stressed pulling the trigger straight back smoothly, with no hesitation. Shooting at a plate rack at 10 yds with my 22/45, she was grouping great, but right at the top of the plates. Turned out, she was centering the FO dot in the front sight on the plates. Once we got past that, she was centering the plates every time.

We worked on getting her to not blink when the gun went off, so she could call the shot. I'm just so impressed by her progress. When I was teaching soldiers, very few of them would follow instructions. They weren't interested in learning the fundamentals and seemd to feel like they could do it "their way". Getting them to where they could pass the very easy minimum marksmanship standards was a challenge. This lady could do it today.

We moved on to her new M&P 9mm. The gun has a suprisingly good trigger. I explained the process of taking up the slack and prepping the trigger. She understood perfectly and was popping the plates in the middle every shot.

I introduced her to my 625JM in .45ACP. She loved the trigger pull and went 12 for 12 on the plates. This was her first time with a wheelgun. First time. 12 for 12. Fantastic!

Some people seem to have a genetic propensity for doing well with handguns. I think I’ve found one of those people.
 
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