Help out new shooters

[Pittsburgh Pete]

I was at a club meeting recently, with an influx of new members. I talked to many of them and they were all nice people, from a wide variety of backgrounds and experience. I was a bit surprised that many of them had never owned a firearm before, but they were all willing and eager to meet the club standards in terms of range safety and to learn more about shooting.

The questions about PA gun laws were a bit scary. Membership pointed them out to helpful brochures. Impress on all new gun owners to read and understand PA law.

The President of our country's gun selling skills have translated into club memberships, many of which are filled up. So on any range, public or private, lend a hand because that's how people learn, address safety violations and infractions with friendly advice, that usually works (or yelling, that always works.) That translates into (hopefully) pro-gun voters.

[jim-analog]

Greetings,

Somewhere I recently came across this suggestion regarding new shooters and thought I'd pass it on. After they have the safety and basics down and are ready for live fire..............don't use a paper target; just some type of metal plate that will ring when hit. Work with them on technique till they hit close to 100% at a given distance, then move them out a bit or proceed to the next step (paper groups).

This does a few things, it takes away the negatives of bad groups and gives instant positive feedback when they hit what they were aiming at. This will reduce the frustration level and kick up the confidence and enjoyment factors. After they have had this experience for a while, then work them up to groupings, etc..

I'm going to try this with when my next virgin shooter comes over for a visit. Give it a go if you can, it could be a help to keep them interested. We need all the additional gun owner/enthusiast/voters we can get.

Regards, Jim

PS..........I'm NOT a pro instructor, just like to help new shooters out.

[Qtrborecrazy]

I hope you have some distance between shooter and steel plates, nothing worse than newbies getting hit with splatter. Stay positive, good work.

[gghbi]

Greetings,

Somewhere I recently came across this suggestion regarding new shooters and thought I'd pass it on. After they have the safety and basics down and are ready for live fire..............don't use a paper target; just some type of metal plate that will ring when hit. Work with them on technique till they hit close to 100% at a given distance, then move them out a bit or proceed to the next step (paper groups).

This does a few things, it takes away the negatives of bad groups and gives instant positive feedback when they hit what they were aiming at. This will reduce the frustration level and kick up the confidence and enjoyment factors. After they have had this experience for a while, then work them up to groupings, etc..

I'm going to try this with when my next virgin shooter comes over for a visit. Give it a go if you can, it could be a help to keep them interested. We need all the additional gun owner/enthusiast/voters we can get.

Regards, Jim

PS..........I'm NOT a pro instructor, just like to help new shooters out.

In my world this normally involved a 22lr and a bunch of tin cans, or plinking as it is technically known. I know this i s not possible in a lot of organized ranges, but it was way positive enforcement when the can moved after each shot!

[Pittsburgh Pete]

All good suggestions.

About a week ago, I went to a different range that I belong to with a buddy of mine that just retired from the Marine Corps. It was really cold and we had the pistol range to ourselves. A car pulls up and a young man and older lady get out, turns out they were mom and son. He just got a Kimber for Christmas and was going to try it out. Starts out by loading the pistol behind the firing line (and behind us) and has zero awareness as to where the barrel is pointing.

We both start shouting, waving our hands and tell him to ground the weapon...

Choice at this point is to freak out or step in with some positive reinforcement. My buddy who is far more proficient with M1911s than me gives the kid about 30 minutes of instruction and helps mom out too, he's being safer and more proficient by the time we leave. Last we saw them, they were taking selfies. We shake our heads and move to the relative safety of the rifle range.

Point is that on any given day you are at the range, no matter what range, you have no idea what the ability of your fellow shooters are unless you have shot with them. Nobody is wearing bright green, yellow or red patches on their jackets as to proficiency, especially with the huge influx of new shooters buying their first guns. Be careful out there !

[27hand]

I hope you have some distance between shooter and steel plates, nothing worse than newbies getting hit with splatter. Stay positive, good work.

They have to learn to like it. . Make them aware that shooting steel WILL have some splatter back at them before running the steel.

One thing I certainly would suggest is a one day handgun familiarization class first. Call Tony @ FireInstitute
Before plinking,
Load and unload instruction.
Stance, grip, sight alignment, sight picture, trigger manipulation to include pressing through, reset and follow through), all at pretty close range before moving back a bit. Throw a little ball and dummy in there too.

I'd really like to get all my friends there too. You know. The guys that feel they automatically know how to use a firearm because they are a guy. It's like my buddy when you hand him a locked back semi. Finger automatically goes onto the trigger. Like that

[Manxdriver]

Greetings,

Somewhere I recently came across this suggestion regarding new shooters and thought I'd pass it on. After they have the safety and basics down and are ready for live fire..............don't use a paper target; just some type of metal plate that will ring when hit. Work with them on technique till they hit close to 100% at a given distance, then move them out a bit or proceed to the next step (paper groups).

This does a few things, it takes away the negatives of bad groups and gives instant positive feedback when they hit what they were aiming at. This will reduce the frustration level and kick up the confidence and enjoyment factors. After they have had this experience for a while, then work them up to groupings, etc..

I'm going to try this with when my next virgin shooter comes over for a visit. Give it a go if you can, it could be a help to keep them interested. We need all the additional gun owner/enthusiast/voters we can get.

Regards, Jim

PS..........I'm NOT a pro instructor, just like to help new shooters out.

Reactive targets almost always bring a smile. Paper, not so much! Tannerite brings a giggle at a minimum!

[BobGun]

One of the problems with teaching new shooters is a lot of ranges first bream is at 25 yards. That is way too far for a beginner to try to hit a target at. The new shooter keeps missing and then get discouraged.

[jim-analog]

Greetings,

Yes, absolutely! I have one of those "AP500" (?) grade hard plates that allegedly can stop 50BMG. What tends to happen is the projectile completely flattens when it hits and all the jacket splay tends toward the sides of the target stand. All these 0.01" thick lead "snow flakes" pile up at the bottom and the jackets tear into the wood sides. I'll take some pix to show you, it's pretty interesting.

I've rebuilt the stand a few times and need to do it yet again. The minimum distance I shoot at it with handgun is about 10 yards, 40 yards with carbines (my max distance for now, going to try to get more).

Regards, Jim

I hope you have some distance between shooter and steel plates, nothing worse than newbies getting hit with splatter. Stay positive, good work.

[jim-analog]

Greetings,

Yes, very true............and some ranges only allow paper targets too, no plates or plinking cans or such.

Regards, Jim

One of the problems with teaching new shooters is a lot of ranges first bream is at 25 yards. That is way too far for a beginner to try to hit a target at. The new shooter keeps missing and then get discouraged.