Sister wants to shoot, few questions

[loki.fish]

So, my little sister (she's 15) told me she'd like to shoot my guns. As she's really small for her age, I don't think it to be wise for her to shoot the guns I own now as I don't think she could handle them. So this gives me a reason to get a .22 pistol.

So here's the question. Which would be better a better platform for a new shooter to use. Revolver or Semi-Auto?


On another note, I'm not very comfortable teaching a new shooter. I've never had to and I have no idea how to do it right. I don't want it to be a bad experience and turn them away from firearms. Teaching them the 4 rules is a given. Can those of you who do this often or have done it before give me some pointers on what to do to make it enjoyable and safe?

[jac714]

having taught a young (20's) female to shoot this summer i offer the following recommendations:

1) Use a .22 I have a Ruger MkIII and love it as a target and teaching pistol.

2) AWAY from the range go over the 4 rules, sight picture, how to hold the pistol. The basics in a quiet environment are easier to learn than with rounds going off.

3) Have her read Pax's website www.corneredcat.com, it presents a great view of shooting from the female perspective. (I recommend it to any and everyone, great information.)

4) Start her a t short (7 yard) range, this will let her see that she can hit what she is shooting at and allow her some "bragging rights" on her first shoot.

5) Use alot of positive reinforcement.

Good luck, you have a chance to make a new convert.

[pax]

How to safely take a new shooter to the range: http://www.corneredcat.com/Newbie/Newbie.htm

pax

[loki.fish]

Interestingly enough, I remember looking at pax's site a couple months ago. Sad thing is, I couldn't remember which member on this site ran it or what the name of the site was. I've been hoping to find this site for a couple weeks now. Killed 2 birds with one stone. Thanks much.

[FIREARMZ]

Get a Ruger 22, sign both of you up for a NRA First STEPS Pistol Class. It wil be fun and informative.

[Ditchtiger]

a revolver is a safer gun for a new shooter, it takes more thought to make it fire and it's easier to load a cylinder than a magazine. I've taught many of my kid's friends to shoot, always asked thier parents first.

[dbarale]

A couple more things, avoid indoor ranges at first. Even if she is shooting a .22 the report from the other guns is really disturbing to a new shooter.
Bring baloons or clay and set them up at 5 to 7yds. Instant gratification if they do their part! I love seeing the smile on a kid's face the first time the baloon goes pop. It also helps concentrating on follow up as they are trying to see if they hit or not...
.22 is the way to go, maybe only load 1 round to each clip for the first few just to be safe.
Have fun...

[10-Ring]

Kinda depends...I prefer teaching w/ a 22lr wheelgun. Simple, no safeties to worry about or mags to load. But, if it's a one time shooting experience, the semi auto can be a lot of fun just shooting, dropping mags and not really worrying about the DA pull of the wheelgun

[MatthewVanitas]

As a (relatively) younger member of the board, and as one who teaches teen/twentysomes regularly, I think that semi-autos are more appealing to the average beginner than revolvers, and not so bad a training tool as folks make them out to be.

I'd go with semi-auto loaded with one round in each mag, then go up to three rounds after she has the hang of it. Teach her to slingshot the bolt rather than use bolt release; better technique in general and one less part to learn.

I don't really buy the whole "revolver is simpler to learn on", overall. The newbs we train at UT seem to grasp semi just fine. Main issue we have is folks moving from Buckmark to MkII to S&W semi and dealing with the different locations of mag release.

With DA revos, I've had to patiently explain what DA/SA is in the first place, because newbs don't understand having two trigger pulls. With both DA and SA revos, nobody has ever yet figured out how to eject the brass without asking an RSO. Don't get me started on trying to teach newbs how to half-cock a SAA-type... bad juju.

That aside, there is an extremely strong cultural bias towards semis and against revos in the under-30 age group. It's great to get them to expand their horizons later on in their shooting experiences, but for the first time out almost every single one would prefer to try a semi-auto pistol rather than any other kind of firearm.

Nothing in this post is meant to denigrate newbies, just pointing out that they have a very different perspective on things.

-MV

[Dienekes]

I have some experience along that line, most recently with my daughter in law who is about the size of a 15 year old.

First, we got the 4 rules down cold. Then I got her started with an older S&W .22 LR Kit Gun, shooting ball and dummy SA. She did not have the hand strength to shoot DA which is preferable. Since she was visiting we could get out every day for almost two weeks, keeping the sessions brief. Targets were close, about 7 yards, and initially blank to teach sight alignment. Then reversed them to show the silhouettes. She had fun, learned to handle the gun safely, hit fairly well, and all in all it was rewarding.

Later gave her a standard model Ruger .22 auto after we found she could rack the bolt easily. Dropped in an aftermarket trigger kit and she had a nice, light little target-quality pistol.

Eventually gave her a Ruger SP-101 3" .357 after dehorning it and tuning the DA for her.

She is not quite a pistolera yet but definitely a player and having fun.

BTW one thing I have learned from teaching a number of women, both LEOs and others--within reason, let THEM pick the gun they like. I have given up guessing what that will turn out to be. As long as it can be made to work out and is safe, go with what they like. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble and they'll appreciate it.

[gandog56]

I would make darned sure I didn't do anything to make her mad at me for at least two weeks before I would take her (Grin). Seriously I think any 22 would be a nice start. I learned on a Browning Buck Mark .22, and see no difference between using a Semi, or a revolver except a semi usually holds more rounds so less time is spent reloading. Just make sure before she goes she knows all the usual rules, especially the one that says the gun is ALWAYS loaded.

[ARTiger]

Have you thought about a .22 rifle first, then a pistol? It's easy to get good hits and the skills translate to pistols. I started my nephew this way. Gave him a 10/22 on his 14th. birthday and took him to shoot it fairly often. After about 5 times out he was shhoting it as well as I do. Then on his 15th. birthday I gave him a Mark II which he picked up and started shooting like it was second nature. Now he's 18 and a much better shot than I am with most everything I own.

[goings_51]

+1 on the Ruger semi auto. I learned on one.

Think about airsoft prior to the 1st range. You can buy the set complete with gel targets for about $20. If you set the target up on carpet in front of a ricochet free background like a bed or long curtains, you can practice in the comfort of your own home. A warning though, I do have a hole in my vertical blinds that a freind made with an airsoft pistol.

[Cousin Mike]

BTW one thing I have learned from teaching a number of women, both LEOs and others--within reason, let THEM pick the gun they like. I have given up guessing what that will turn out to be. As long as it can be made to work out and is safe, go with what they like. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble and they'll appreciate it.

Best advice so far in this thread... Well, that, and letting her check out pax's website.

I think we'd all agree that a .22 is the best thing to learn on. However, don't restrict her to the .22 only, and don't think that because she's small, she won't be able to handle your bigger guns. Trust me, I've taken quite a few of my girlfriends friends to the range, and it's impossible to predict what a woman will like based on her size, or anything else for that matter. Once she's done a little shooting with that .22, and displayed safe behavior on the range (which she more than likely will... women seem to be much better students than us guys are), let her shoot whatever she wants.

[Sunray]

"...she'd like to shoot my guns..." Good for her. And congratulations. Just be prepared for her to shoot better than you can. And don't get angry if and when she does. Women, even FNG's, tend to shoot better than guys do.
"...not very comfortable teaching a new shooter..." Relax. You're not that far yet. She just wants to spend some time with you doing what you like to do. A short range safety course, yes, but you're not teaching her how to shoot. You're just taking her shooting, at her request. Take her, let her try as many of your firearms as she wants to. Accuracy isn't important and forget teaching her anything but range safety and etiquette.
However, you'll find that your sis can handle far more than you think. Even if she's little. As long as your firearms, handguns?, fit her hand, she'll be fine. So will you. Just relax and treat her the same way you would one of your male buddies asking you the same thing.
Had a female cadet of small stature. She could shoot circles around most of the guys. With a 10 pound, 7.62mm, FN C1A1.
"...gives me a reason to get a .22 pistol..." You're right, it's a reason, not an excuse.

[Sheldon]

I prefer indoor ranges for newbies as they generally allow you to shoot at closer ranges than the outdoor ranges, at least around here. The closer range makes it easier for them to see what they are doing and to see the consequences of flinching and such right away. It also makes it easier to shoot a nicer sized group, which is always a positive reinforcement. Do double up on the hearing protection as it is louder in the indoor range. Also make sure she doesn't wear anything low cut unless she likes to get burned by hot flying cartridges.

Make sure she holds the firearms right and keep an eye on her at all times. I see guys showing newbies how to shoot but leave the shooter alone. The shooter then starts to experiment with the hold on the gun in a way that begs to chew the hands.

[1911 guy]

Get a .22 pistol. That seems to be the way you're leaning and I agree. Take along some of your guns, too. She may "graduate" very fast. My wife is 5' 3" and 110 pounds. The only thing she doesn't like about my 1911's is the size. Recoil isn't a problem. Don't underestimate your sister.

Try to find some private propety where you can be one-on-one so neither you nor she is distracted. Many formal ranges won't let you shoot close, also. The range near me starts at 25 yards. Pretty long for a newby.

Let her decide action type. She'll shoot it better if she likes it.

So, in a perfect world, she'll be shooting a handgun she likes at 7 to 10 yards at reactive targets. Since this is your sister, sibling rivalry will be there. Suggest, rather than instruct. Get her interested, then she'll want instruction. Right now she wants an introduction.

I did this with my wife while we were still dating. Now I have to make room for my guns. Hers are in the way. :)

[mainmech48]

I've had really good results starting youngsters, male and female, out with the Ruger Bearcat SA revolver. It is small enough to be handled easily by children as young as seven, has an extremely simple and straight-forward MOA, requires manual repetition of the same action sequence before every shot (maximizes teaching/coaching opportunities), and is capable of using low power/low report SV shorts, CB caps or Colibris for initial familiarization if necessary or desirable.

From there we can progress to DA .22 revolvers (my nephews like my Taurus 94) and then to semiautos. I've used Rugers, the Buckmark, a Beretta Neos, an old Huntsman, and a 1911 with Ciener conversion unit, depending upon what the particular student feels most comfortable with.