Encouraging newbies to have a go

[BillBloggins]

I was at my local range today and a group of French tourists was having a go a couple of lanes over. They were having a great time shooting the range rentals, 9mm semis.
So I was trying out some new loads in my .357 magnum, warmish 158 SWC's on top of H-110, and they were zapping right in where they needed to be on target. I thought it would be good to employ some good old fashioned Anglo-Franco relations (as ol' Donny seems to be a little remiss here) and I offered my French amis a go on the Ruger. I mean, someone has to show our international friends we are not all xenophobic reactionaries.

The simple joy of new experience- they loved popping off good old magnum rounds, it was great to provide the means for a memorable moment. And I gotta say, they were pretty darn accurate, and the laughter was priceless.

 

[wriggly]

Always nice to spread some good will whenever possible. Good on you for doing it.

 

[Hondo 60]

Because I reload, I can afford to let others shoot my guns.
So I almost always have a newbie with me at the range.

Over the last 2 years ... well I'd have to take my shoes off to count that high
But it's gotta be 15 or more.

 

[340PD]

At retirement time I took a part time job as a RSO /instructor at a local municipal range. Twice a week I have the pleasure of introducing new shooters to handguns. Seven years and still going strong. I have never had so much fum.

 

[entropy]

On Monday, I and a friend let a Canadian guy fire our Ak and AR, respectively. He'd fired the various milsurps we had along, but we could tell he wanted to fire the AR and AK by the way he was looking at them. He said you don't get much chance to fire them up there. Last fall, My son and I let a British visitor shoot my AK and my son's AR. I'm sure he had that grin for a week......

 

[Hardtarget]

Just last week I was on the range. A mid-30s fellow shooter three tables over. Nice guy and we chatted some. When I opened that last case his interest perked up some. He had two nice AR rifles but had never shot a .30 carbine or the M1 Garand. We fixed that pretty quick. That is the most fun on having rifles and pistols...sharing a bit of trigger time! So far I've not had a chance to share with tourists.

Mark

 

[RecoilRob]

There was an indoor range in Melbourne,FL that rented sub-guns and several times while I was there a bus pulled in and unloaded a whole bunch of foreign tourists. Was really great to watch their reactions as they came in through the door....guns in glass under the counter and along the walls the entire 30 yd length of the main store. Their eyes were wide with looks of amazement.

Some Japanese guys were saying 'Dirty Harry'...'Dirty Harry'...so they had to get out a 29 for them to look at and take pics with. Then there were the Danish women who wandered back to the LE section where cuffs of various flavors were on display...and they bought them out! What a hoot.

Some of them would go to the range and shoot Thompsons or MP5's and I've got to say that was a little scary being on the range with them...but the guys watching over them were very good and kept them in control. Really neat to see something that we all pretty much take for granted make such an impression on those unfortunates who don't have the same freedoms, and makes me all the more hardened against giving up a single one of them.

 

[Jack B.]

When I'm at the range sometimes I run across some young people either already in the military service or getting ready to go in and they always show an interest in any magnum guns that I have with me. Of course I let them load them up and fire away as much as they want. Always fun to see how they react. Very nice young people.

 

[MisterNoisy]

I get a lot of interest in my Rhino 60DS (I freely admit that its weird appearance was a not-insignificant part of why I bought one) and am always willing to let someone run a cylinder or two of whatever I'm shooting that day if I haven't already burned all of it. Nobody likes the DA trigger, but they all love it in SA. Even though it isn't 'weird', I've loaned the CZ75 to curious range neighbors too.

Same goes for my bullpup 10/22 and my space-gun AR15, both of which tend to draw attention by virtue of also being a bit weird. Last time I was out, my neighbors were a father and his two sons shooting his AR at 25 yards with a RDS - I asked them if they wanted to shoot mine at 100 yards with the space-gun, and the kids' faces after they took some longer shots through a scope was pretty great. I also may have sold them on an aftermarket trigger.

Basically, if I still have ammo, I'm more than willing to let someone play with my toys, too.

 

[SteadyD]

I got my NRA instructor certification for just this reason. I love taking newbies out and getting them started. I rarely get the chance to do it, but it's always a joy.

 

[Rodentman]

If I see someone or a small group whom I think would enjoy shooting what I have with me, I offer. I size up some folks as focused on their own stuff, and I mind my business. I DID turn a few people on to the DE50 and I DID get a kick out of offering my Volquartsen pistol to a young boy who had never fired a gun! He was quite thrilled. His Dad was with him and I actually offered it to the Dad of course.

Not too many people take me up on my offer to shoot the 460 or 500, but I offer only if I feel the person could handle it. BTW all of my loads are "reduced recoil."

 

[BullRunBear]

My revolvers often attract attention from the usual semi-auto shooters. The older guys, like me, mutter "Dang! I gotta bring the (name the revolver) the next time. Wonder if I still got ammo for it." The youngsters are really curious since they may only have fired small semi-autos or tiny 22 rifles. I love it when they come around, dragging Dad or Grandpop, to see something 'new'. I usually have a 4" Single-Six along for them to try.

Even more fun is when I'm using the Cap and Ball revolvers. Doesn't matter if it's the Remington, Colt or the big stainless ROA. The kids love the sound, the smoke, and the 'manly' aroma of real black powder. With Dad's permission, I show them how to load and aim. Using a reduced load, the recoil is no more than a 22lr. There are times I don't get much shooting done but seeing those smiles on young faces makes it so worthwhile.

Jeff

 

[Pat Riot]

Good for you BillBloggins.

 

[jertex]

I recently went to work for a company started by a guy originally from the UK & I took him and his 9 year old Russian step son to the range and had a blast. I had just about everything for the dad: 1911, .357 magnum, 9mm CZ's, Sig P238, etc.; had my Marlin Golden 39M mountie .22 and a Ruger Single Six .22 for the 9 year old. I spent most of the time with the 9 year old and both father and son had a fantastic time. The 9 year old said it was the best day of his life. The dad's brother is in town from the UK this week and I'm taking them to my club for some skeet and some AR15 300 blackout suppressed target shooting.

 

[gotboostvr]

I took my then girlfriend for her first (and subsequent) outing. Had never handled firearms before, but had wanted to. She's not an anti by any means and encourages my habit.

But her first time out... I took my 4" M19-3 and was single loading real mild 38 handloads for her. She was tagging a couple bullseyes by the end of the trip. I had brought my 6" 686 and let her try that with the mild 38's and she was doing well with that too.

I had brought some hot 140gr 357Mags for myself and let her try one out of the 686. She REALLY liked that.

She's devloped a real fondness for my 4" 625 45acp though. With a nice 200gr LSWC load she likes the big holes, low report and soft push of the recoil. I do too if I'm being honest.

 

[jertex]

I got out to the range w/ my boss's brother, who is visiting from the UK. we shot skeet & then my suppressed .300 blackout AR. In the perfect Brit accent, he called it a "Rambo gun" and was giddy. Here is a video of him shooting it. He told his brother that it was a very memorable moment for him.

 

[bannockburn]

Over the years I have taken a number of newbies to the local range to let them try shooting for the first time. Everyone does just fine with a .22 rifle and handgun and most are quite capable of moving up to a 9mm. semi-auto or a .38 Special revolver over the course of the range session. A few will even try shooting a 1911 in .45 but for a lot of beginners they think that it's too much handgun for them.

 

[jnichols2]

My neice visited us from Germany over Christmas. She brought her daughter and friend with her. When I asked the girls what they wanted to do, "go shooting".

The only stipulation the range made was for me to act as thier range officer, as nobody else understood German.

To say they had fun would be a gross understatement.