How do you know when your not a newb?

[ball3006]

I was a nube...

when I pulled my first trigger on my Dad's 16 ga Model 12. It gave me a bloody nose. I felt a nube when I sat on my first deer stand at 10 years old and whined I was cold. That was a long time ago. I am 69....chris3

 

[316SS]

If you have to ask ... your a newb And their you have it.

 

[Agsalaska]

When you have to buy a second safe

 

[bri]

When you stop calling newbs, "newbs.".

 

[hunttheevil]

When you learn how to use the search function!

 

[Theraztastic]

I think gun safety and being a "newb" are two different things. Whether or not you claim to be new to guns or an expert everyone needs to practice safety when dealing with any kind of firearms. I have shot with people who didn't know anything about guns and always checked the chamber/used trigger discipline, etc. I also have a friend who knows a lot about guns that shot his roommate in the chest with his AR in their house. That being said, if you have a lot of interest in guns than eventually you will cross the "newb" threshold due to experience from shooting and knowledge gained from talking with other shooters or researching topics that you are interested in. But there are a lot of different opinions on what products are the best or what strategies work better. Take those with a grain of salt and form your own opinions.

 

[tyeo098]

You're no longer a newb when you built your first firearm.

AR/AK/DP-28

If you understand it enough to BUILD one, you are no longer a newbie.

 

[Teachu2]

i do think i can not accidentally shoot myself now..is that enough?

Nope - when you realize that anytime you have a firearm you can accidentally shoot youself, then you are not a newb....

 

[CapnMac]

When you call it a magazine instead of a clip.

Dunno, I remember watching a person attempting to fill a Garand en bloc backwards. The near-by attempting to offer assistance being some flummoxed by the erstwhile shooter protesting that eight rounds was "Too many bullets!"

Which ranks right up there with the person who kept trying to load their SKS magazine by removing it (no, it had not been fitted with an AK mag adapter). it was sad. I tried to explain, too--"But, tha' ain' the way theys do's it on TV!" I even had been clip-loading the M1A I was shooting that day. Clues were for sale, cheap; but Sparky was not buying any.

Which only caused me to remember, back in my noob days, just how long it took in my stubbornness, to learn that the Enfield Nr 4 is a rifles with many virtues, but a tactically-removable magazine is not one of them.

Now, to my thinking, you start to stop being a THR noob about the time you stop having to go look up acronyms and initialisms. Or, about the time you recognize "who" a person is by their THR handle before reading any of the content.

 

[Blackstone]

When you don't try to chamber a 9mm in a 7.65×21mm gun.

When you don't accidentally shoot a 9mm out of a .40

When you don't try and stick .40 into a 9mm (how do you even fit the .40 into a 9mm mag)

These are all the things my friends have done . In their defence, they had a few Sphinx 2000/3000s in the group that were chambered in various calibres so they easily got confused.

 

[tomrkba]

It is probably when you start teaching. This can be as simple as pointing out a bad grip to showing someone their gun is accurate (just not in their hands) and you show them the trick of it. Correct their technique. If their group sizes drop during the remainder of the session, you did well.

Take five or more two to four day gun courses. Spend at least one hour a night studying shooting and perusing manufacturer websites. Read lots of gun forums, books and articles. Reload large amounts of ammunition. Attend a few competitions and pay attention to the "tech" talk. Be able to shoot tiny groups with your favorite gun (or consistently break 20+ out of 25 targets). Teach others about your favorite gun related topic. Get one NRA instructor certification. Buy a handgun that looks interesting, setup the reloader and see how fast you can put 5,000 rounds through it while documenting every step. Ten years down the road, you will look back and wonder why it took you so long to shoot 100,000+ rounds.

 

[MichigammeDave]

I'm with 316SS. If you're wondering if you're still a newb, you probably are. At some point, you begin to realize you fit in and are one of the group, and then you're not a newb anymore.
Welcome aboard.

 

[JFtheGR8]

As far as the majority of this crowd goes I'll always be a newb. The wealth of firearm knowledge here is staggering.


Posted from Thehighroad.org App for Android

 

[rdhood]

1) You handle a weapon without committing a major safety violation (muzzle pointed in the wrong direction, finger on trigger, etc)
2) You know the difference between: a bullet and a cartridge, a magazine and a clip. When you know all the major parts of your firearm.
3) You can field strip and clean your firearms without a manual
4) You can troubleshoot your firearms.
5) You can feel the trigger. You display trigger control both in the pull and release. You can feel the reset.
6) For rifles, you can shoot expert on AQT. I believe nearly anybody can do so if they practice and try. I am sure that their are corollary skills for pistols and shotguns.


I no longer consider myself a newb for rifle. I have built 3 AKs from kits (including bending my own receivers), 2 ARs. I shoot expert on AQT (I have done three weekend courses) . I reload rifle rounds. I plan to do a carbine course soon.

For pistol and shotgun.... I am still fairly green. Sure, I know the ins and outs of my guns, but shooting skill is just not there... YET.


I have been shooting for about 6 years.

 

[Certaindeaf]

The cool thing about knowledgeable shooters is that they are helpful.. in real life and not, not boastful, and know they'll never know it all. Keep on keepin' on without shooting yourself or others accidentally and have fun (and hit the target)!

 

[Comrade Mike]

When you go to your first IDPA match ever and win the unclassified bracket by a 15 point margin, and then qualify expert. With a borrowed gun

Missed master by a couple points... That pissed me off.

Or when you don't shoot your mosin firing pin through your drop ceiling in the basement later that day.... Did I mention I collect mosins? Even the best of us have oopsies.....

 

[MagnunJoe]

When u no longer care about powder burns in your revolvers cylinder.

 

[jmace57]

When you can identify the differences between a barrel shroud and the shoulder thing that goes up, you are no longer a newb.

Usaf_Vet You Are My hero

 

[22-rimfire]

When you stop believing everything you read in the forums as fact and accept it for what it is, opinion. You can be well versed in one area, but pitifully ignorant or dumb in another.

 

[dprice3844444]

when the snap of a rubber glove makes you run

 

[ThePenguinKnight]

I tend to hold the view that there are three general types of beginner-level people in any given area.

1. Noobs/newbs. These folks do not take what they're doing seriously, make lots of mistakes while claiming it either didn't happen or was somehow not their fault, refuse to listen to instruction, tend to be very loudmouthed about what they think they know, and often present safety risks to those around them. They are arrogant, and are especially dangerous when they try to teach other people about what they think they know, especially because their arrogance is often mistaken as being confidence by those who know even less. Noob is a derogatory term, because nobody likes to be around that kind of person.

2. Newbie. The difference between this group and the last is all in the attitude. These folks tend to be more willing to learn, more willing to admit their mistakes, much softer spoken about topics they don't yet have business talking about, and are generally pleasant to be around and offer instruction to. Newbies are ALWAYS welcome, unless the mission of the group specifically requires experience the newbie doesn't yet have (competition shooting teams, etc.).

3. Amateurs/novices. These folks are just newbies who have a little experience under their belts, but take the field more seriously. They show serious interest, and are very conscientious of safety and learning. They aren't arrogant, but they are confident in what they've learned, while still being open and eager to learn more/better.

I consider myself pretty much a permanent amateur when it comes to firearms and shooting; at least, that's what I strive for. I like learning.

Don't be a noob

 

[Potatohead]

If you have to ask ... your a newb And their you have it.

thats pretty good

 

[Potatohead]

Originally Posted by colonel kernel View Post
i do think i can not accidentally shoot myself now..is that enough?"

"Nope - when you realize that anytime you have a firearm you can accidentally shoot youself, then you are not a newb..

very true

 

[Potatohead]

Now, to my thinking, you start to stop being a THR noob about the time you stop having to go look up acronyms and initialisms

still doing this in a major way

 

[Potatohead]

As far as the majority of this crowd goes I'll always be a newb. The wealth of firearm knowledge here is staggerin

great point JF