Help teaching new shooters

[jon'76]

I have never taught a new shooter before...ever. I am relatively new to shooting as well, but am well versed in the basics thanks to my grandfather teaching me when I was younger.

However, I made a promise, mostly to myself but also publicly here, to try to take at least one new person shooting a month at my expense after my incident with Amtrak Police and my school. I fully intend to carry this out, but I would like to hear experiences and tips from those who have done this before.

My goal is:

To teach one new shooter (absolutely never having touched a firearm before) a month the basics of responsible firearms use and ownership; as well as their basic rights as a citizen both Constitutionally and in police encounters.


This is my intended sequence:

1.) They need to Memorize Colonel Jeff Coopers four rules before they ever even touch one of my guns.

2.) I will demonstrate proper handling, technique, and operation of a given firearm.

3.) I will let them fondle my piece () unloaded, but of course after they have removed the magazine and checked the chamber.

4.) Then I will allow them to have at it with responsive targets.

5.) Then I will try to get them to shoot more controlled (aka rifle marksmanship)

6.) Then we will discuss over coffee their opinion of guns, if it has changed, and their rights.

Firearms:

They will most likely all be started out on my bolt savage mark-II. Then if they demonstrate proper form I will let them shoot the 10/22. After that I may or may not let them play with my other toys since I am a college student and I really can't afford to pay for centerfire rifle cartridges for them, but if they demonstrate further interest I will let them shoot whatever they'd like on their dime.

---
Basically I'd like to pay for the entire first trip so that they don't feel cheated if they don't like it, and to do that I have to limit them to .22lr. Also, since I refuse to join the NRA I view it sort of as paying my dues, and who knows how many people I introduce to shooting may in the future train others, buy their own guns, and join gun rights organizations.




Please criticize, correct, and add to my plans!

I also need some information on a good range near philadelphia. I prefer a 100 yard, free range; but if there is a good club in the area with a 100 yard range (longer is better ) I would join in a heartbeat so long as they allow guests. (I don't mind paying for guests so long as the fee is reasonable)

[Koli01]

I applaud your effort and would suggest that if you are serious that you attend the NRA instructor classes.

They start with

Basic Instructor

and then you take

Pistol
Rifle
Shotgun

this will aid you in your endeavor.

[jon'76]

I will be attending an Appleseed asap, and I already know enough of the basics to teach a complete newbie what I intend to cover. This will not be a comprehensive course, but merely a thorough introduction. It will be heavy on safety and operation, and then shooting will be covered. This is supposed to be a 2 hour event max.

My main purpose is to whet their appetite and get them involved; after that if they're interested they'll come back to me or go to others for more. I hope to involve mostly those with a complete ignorance of firearms, and I intend to stress very highly the defensive aspect. What we need to realize is that most think guns are offensive weapons of war only, and that none can be used defensively. I hope to change this misconception in some of my peers. Ideally I bring one person who tells more and then the idea spreads, and then next thing I know I'm refering the more advanced ones to classes and advising them on their first rifle. If there is enough interest I hope to be able to find some more people in the philly area to help with my project.

I would ideally like to bring a smaller female, an exchange student from a restrictive(gun) country, a diehard liberal, and others of the ilk. Essentially those who would probably never even consider guns otherwise.

[Koli01]

Ok
good luck
it is a good thing you are doing

[jon'76]

Thank you for the suggestion though, its just unnecessary at this time, but in the future who knows?

[paul]

I just did just about the same thing last week, but with a 22 pistol and then one mag on my 9mm to cap it off. One thing I can tell you helped, since my new shooter was a 14 year old and i could pull it off, I followed the same steps you are taking but added that if he made a minor safety violation we took a ten minute break to go over the rules again. Ten I told him if he made a major error the day was over, I wouldn't get angry but there'd be no questions asked. It made him concentrate even more, and he never even got a time out.

Tell you a secret, I don't exactly know the difference between a minor and a major violation, I kind of just made it up to add another level of seriousness for someone who probably doesn't have a very sharp conception what of the real consequences of poor gun handling would be. As a kid sometimes things aren't real until you experience them, even if someone spells them out for you, and I've prefer that he not experience pain and fear and blood on my watch, especially since I don't own the kid.

I also gave him a piece of 22 brass and a 9mm brass along with one of the better targets to remember the outing by, and my wife shot a few rounds, which kind of opened his eyes as she is very pregnant and still shoots better than a lot of people I know. Never saw the kid so proud before, although I did threaten to never take him shooting again if he took the brass into school. Getting him expelled (even indirectly) wouldn't have pleased his parents either.

[jon'76]

I'll only be teaching those 18 and over to protect myself legally, and because there are very few people in college that are only 17 .

I'm going to make it clear that if the muzzle covers anything other than the target and the ground that the day will be over. I figure if I start them on a .22 bolt very little can go wrong after they pull the trigger, and the 10/22 is only for when I trust them will multiple live rounds.

So can anyone possibly tell me then name of a good range in the Philadelphia area?

[Emptymag]

jon,
I hope this is something that works for you.

Here, read thru this thread for some ideas:
http://www.pafoa.org/forum/general-2...-shooting.html

Please add your experiences there so we can see how it went.
Education is key. I wouldn't focus on TOO much info.(political/reasons to own/rights)

Depending on the person, it may be enough to simply have a better understanding of how firearms work. Once the fear of the unknown is dismissed with hands-on "instruction", it's a lot harder for them to apply the nonsensical reasons to avoid firearms.

[jon'76]

OK well I'm taking my first new shooter this saturday, and she asked me! I think she likes me , but I figured if I can kill 2 birds with one stone why not? Plus any girl that wants to shoot can't be all bad.

Just for the record my program doesn't technically start until college starts up again, and I will not mix teaching with pleasure at that point. This one just kind of fell into my lap so I figured it can be a practice run.

Now we set next Saturday morning as the day to go.

Now I just need to find an outdoor range in eastern PA, the closer to philly the better.

[andrewjs18]

best of luck with this! always good to get people more aware whether or not they're 100% for guns or not...I almost bet someone who has never fired a gun before and who shoots something that isn't too much for them (caliber wise) will be hooked...sorta like getting tattoos...you'll almost never see a person with just 1! take me for example-8 now! LOL