I'm assembling a Newbie Training Kit,,,

[aarondhgraham]

A couple of weeks back I started a thread,,,
I was asking what guns you would choose for a kit,,,
The kit would be specifically for taking newbies to the range.

Click here if you would like to see the conversations.

I'll be the first one to admit,,,
My OCD was in full bloom back then,,,
But with the help of another member here,,,
I think I got it under control and am now on a better path.

Having a pair of identical rifles and revolvers,,,
Along with good ear & eye protection,,,
All cased with ammo and tools,,,
That would be just too cool!

But I'm sane and back to reality now,,,
So I went home and dug into my gun cabinet,,,
I think I have a great "Newbie Kit" with stuff I already own.

All I had to buy was a new case,,,
That is only $19.95 new from Cabela's,,,
Thinking ahead, I stepped up and ordered two.

So here is what I have assembled:

• Henry Acu-Bolt stainless steel .22 single-shot rifle.
• Rossi 511 stainless steel .22 revolver.
• 28 DB ear muffs & range glasses.
• Cleaning rod and multi-tool.
• 200 rounds of ammo.
• Tiny bottle of oil.

So now when I take a newbie to the range,,,
I just reach into the closet and grab this cased set,,,
No more stuffing random items into a bag at the last minute.

Why?,,,
Well, the truth be known,,,
Sometimes it's fun to let my OCD have sway.

I ordered two of those cases,,,
Because I'll probably assemble a second kit,,,
The second will have the same accessories as the first,,,
But the rifle will be the new Savage Mark-II F that I just purchased,,,
And the handgun will be the Charter Arms Target Pathfinder I bought last year.

I work in a student computer lab at a state university,,,
It's not uncommon for me to take two undergrads out at once,,,
So it's only sensible for me to have two Newbie Training Kits, isn't it?

I know what you're thinking,,,
What about my kit?

No worries there my friends,,,
My kit will have all of the same accessories,,,
Along with my CZ-452 Trainer and S&W model 18 revolver.

That should be enough kits for me.

But wait, I have a Mossberg 702 Plinkster,,,
It's all tricked out with a sling and Tech-Sights,,,
I did this so a friend could attend a recent Appleseed event,,,
This kit would need a semi-auto pistol and I think my Beretta NEOS would fit nicely.

Oh my gosh!
I'm spiraling out of control again.

Help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Aarond

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[cuervo]

I don't think I'd take a single-shot rifle. A magazine-fed bolt gun plus maybe a semi-auto.

I took my son on his first shooting trip a few weeks ago, and he grew bored with the single-shot pistol pretty quickly.

With a magazine-fed bolt rifle, you can still do slow fire and pause between shots for instructions. After any shot you want to go downrange, pull the magazine and you're safe.

Once he gets the basics down, moving to a semi-auto rifle, especially with a scope, is a good step up.

My $.02, anyway.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello cuervo,,,

I don't think I'd take a single-shot rifle.
A magazine-fed bolt gun plus maybe a semi-auto.

I see your point,,,
Lot of people prefer a repeater over a single-shot,,,
But I'm old-school in that I think single-shots for newbies promote accuracy.

If one of my friends really didn't like shooting one round at a time,,,
I would probably let them use the Savage Mark-II instead,,,
But I'm firmly against using a semi at their first shoots.

Besides, with the ammunition situation these days,,,
A semi burns through it way too fast.

I'm curious though,,,
What single-shot pistol were you using?
I wouldn't mind having a s-s pistol to go with my Crickett.

Oh my gosh,,,
Another cased set to create!

Aarond

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[Steve CT]

I'm pretty much only a hand gun shooter, over past several years I have taken a fair number of "newbies" shooting. Along with the correct protective apparel and some written Range Safety Rules, here's what we shoot:

.22 lr in a 4" DA/SA revolver

.38 Special in 4" DA/SA revolver

.22 lr in DA/SA auto

9mm in DA/SA auto

Depending on how the range day is going, we may go to

.357 mag

.45 acp 1911

Since all of my revolvers are Dan Wesson, the transition to larger, more powerful calibers is pretty manageable, exactly the same handling, function, and grip. We also start on the most inherently safely handled pistol (IMO) the revolver.

The SR 22 functions exactly like the S&W M 59 9mm that they will shoot

It pretty rare that I have anyone that I will move into the 1911 on Day 1, but we almost always get to some .357 mag, just because they always want to try out a "thumper"

 

[BCRider]

I've aided with running a Junior .22 program at my club and helped out a fair number of new shooters. The outcome is that I've seen how fast newbies can miss with even a repeater, let alone a semi.

So Aarond's choice of the single shot Accu-bolt isn't a bad one at all.

Aarond, for the single shot rifles I'd also include a little tray or even a 10 shot loading block to put the ammo in. Most benches are loaded with grit and other "stuff" that we really don't want to put our ammo onto. I like the idea of a small shallow tray or block over a simple rag since the rag just picks up the grit and unless you start with a clean one every time it simply gives the grit someplace to live. And a small tray is just easier to wipe clean quickly and easily.

In fact such a tray isn't a bad idea for the repeater kits as well. It gives you a clean place to dump a box of ammo to load up the magazines from.

A rectangular food saver like a sandwich container will easily hold 4 or more boxes of ammo and double as the loose cartridge tray on the bench.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello Steve CT,,,

Since all of my revolvers are Dan Wesson,

Okay, now you're just bragging.

But hey, I would brag too,,,|
If all my revolvers were Dan Wesson.

When I first started taking newbies,,,
I just took handguns as well.

And like you I took a pair of revolvers,,,
Along with a pair of semi-auto's.

I matched them as well,,,
Model 18 and Model 15 for a .22 LR and .38 Special,,,
Bersa Thunder 22 and Thunder 380 or Beretta 87 for .22 LR and 85 for .380.
If I was in a good mood that day I took my CZ 75B Kadet for .22 LR and my 75B for 9mm.

Who's bragging now.

I found I was often overwhelming them,,,
So I decided to pare down the number and types of guns.

I figure that if they go once with a .22 rifle and revolver and have fun,,,
We can do that for a few visits and then branch out a bit.

Take my newest range buddy, Lauren,,,
We have gone three times now,,,
The first two times with .22's.

The third time out I brought "The Harem" for her to shoot,,,
Four Stainless Steel S&W revolvers,,,
Models 63, 67, 686, & 629.

She really enjoyed the variety,,,
And did surprisingly well with the big guns,,,
I am convinced it was because of the practice with the .22 revolver.

But she also said, "Hey, where's my cute little rifle?"

Go figure.

I'll be the first person to admit,,,
Creating these "kits" is a little on the silly side,,,
But it's fun for me and prevents me leaving something home.

I mean everything is already in a case or a range bag,,,
But it makes me happy so I let it happen.

Aarond

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[aarondhgraham]

Hello BCRider,,,

Aarond, for the single shot rifles I'd also include a little tray or even a 10 shot loading block to put the ammo in.

That's not a bad idea at all,,,
I have saved all of the plastic boxes from CCI Mini Mags,,,
When I open a bulk pack I just re-pack them into those neat little boxes.

When I get the new rifle cases,,,
I'll make a spot for 2-3 of them per kit.

My Rifle & Pistol Club made some nice trays,,,
They took 1 gallon water jugs and some 2" PVC pipe,,,
Filled the jugs with concrete and stuck the pipe inside them,,,
Then they mounted a 1' square of plywood at just above waist height.

When the rimfire silhouette people are doing their thing,,,
Each person grabs one of those for his ammo.
They are very handy to have around.

MTM Case-Gard also makes this nifty little pouch,,,
If it were black I would order a few,,,
Red offends my sensibilities.

But hey, since I'll probably make a simple holster and rifle strap for each kit,,,
It wouldn't be too much more trouble to make a few cartridge pouches,,,
This is one I made as part of a graduation gift for a friend,,,
I didn't want to sew 50 or more cartridge loops,,,
So I made this instead.



If I put a clip on the back instead of belt loops,,,
It should work well enough for this,,,
It holds 100+ rounds of .22 LR.

Oh no,,,
I feel the OCD winding up again.

Aarond

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[BCRider]

Just remember not to let the OCD push you down for longer than you can hold your breath....

I've done some neat little kits for various things over the years. My good Mitutoyo micrometers along with a really nice machinist's square and angle gauge that I got are all neatly boxed up in a plastic storage container along with a really nice layout scriber that has trays with fitted recesses for each item so they don't jostle. So yeah, I'm not immune to a little OCD myself.

I didn't mention that before since I didn't want you calling the kettle black....

 

[bannockburn]

My "Newbie Kit" would probably consist of a Ruger 10/22, a S&W Model Model 34 Kit Gun, a Ruger Mk.II, lots of ammo, and the usual hearing and eye protection.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello BCRider & bannockburn,,,

...I didn't mention that before since I didn't want you calling the kettle black....

So now the truth comes out,,,

It drove my Mom nuts when I was a kid,,,
But unlike my two younger brothers,,,
I always knew where my stuff was.

Hello Bannockburn:

Ah, the ubiquitous Ruger 10/22,,,
A fine rimfire rifle if there ever was one,,,
But for some reason I never warmed up to that rifle.

The weird thing is that I have no valid reason to not like them,,,
It's an irrational thing that I never have understood,,,
While fine shooters, they don't twang my chime.

The Ruger Mk-II though,,,
An excellent choice for a newbie.

If I were going to choose a semi-auto rifle specifically for this,,,
I think my choice would be a Marlin model 60,,,
That rifle has a certain elegance to it.

I do own a nice 4" model 34,,,
You are correct in that it would be a great revolver for this kit.

But mine is nickel plated and doesn't match any of my rifles,,,
While functionality is the most important factor,,,
One can't ignore the aesthetics.

Oh, BTW,,,
I just checked at Cabela's,,,
The two rifle cases I ordered are "Out for delivery".

I should be able to start putting the kit together over the weekend.

Pictures will follow shortly.

Aarond

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[cuervo]

What single-shot pistol were you using?
I wouldn't mind having a s-s pistol to go with my Crickett.

I have a no-name old Czech .22 that's single shot, plus a

Wamo
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=424165527
This one's a little pricey. There's also T/C Contender, or just a revolver loaded one at a time.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Big bummer here,,,

I'm having a problem with ear muffs,,,
They are all way too thick to go in the cases.

Not just the inexpensive Plano cases I just purchased,,,
But also the two high-dollar cases I already owned.

I can alleviate this by putting decent ear plugs in the case,,,
But that's "icky" as I wouldn't wear ones someone else had used.

Perhaps the disposable foam plugs,,,
But they don't attenuate gun-blasts as much as I would like.

So I'm now on a web-search for thin earmuffs,,,
Anyone know of any that might fit,,,
I would appreciate a link.

The case has an interior dimension of 3",,,
So they probably need to be no thicker than 2.5".

Oh well,,,
I'm still making the kits.

Aarond

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[Manny]

I've gotten an education when I've gone shooting with newbies that runs counter to much of the commonly preached dogma: single shot, .22lr, iron sights only, etc..

When I followed this prescription and took my iron sighted .22lr TC Contender, the new shooters lost interest quickly, finding the experience about as fun as watching paint dry. When other shooters offered the use of their 9mm semi's and scoped semi-auto .22 rifles, they dove right in and had fun.

Now I have a Crimson Trace equipped GP100 with .38's and a 10/22 with an EOTech for them to use and they take to using them like ducks to water. Yeah it's not the traditional way of teaching, but it sure gets a newbie interested and having fun right away.They can always learn the "basics" of the old school way once they're interested, this just GETS them interested IME.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello Manny,,,

When I followed this prescription and took my iron sighted .22lr TC Contender, the new shooters lost interest quickly, finding the experience about as fun as watching paint dry. When other shooters offered the use of their 9mm semi's and scoped semi-auto .22 rifles, they dove right in and had fun.

It all depends on what you as the experienced shooter expect from a guest,,,
I'm aware that doing mag dumps is a very fun thing,,,
Often at the range I turn money into noise,,,
Simply because it's fun.

But, and here's the gist of my point,,,
Me and my guns aren't there so they can have fun,,,
Or we can define my definition of fun with a firearm is hitting your target.

I actually had the father of a young boy get mad at me,,
He asked if I would take the boy to the range and introduce him to shooting,,,
I took my Henry single-shot and a revolver for myself with a Cricket single-shot for his son.

The kid was bored because he didn't want to learn to shoot properly,,,
He just wanted to shoot a lot of ammunition as fast as possible,,,
His dad was angry with me for not "entertaining" his boy.

I told him all about H&H gun range and their rentals,,,
He can take his kid there and waste all the money he desires.

Like I said, I'm not above a few mag dumps for fun,,,
I load up five magazines and hand my CZ-75B to friends quite often,,,
That's 80 rounds at about 18-20 bucks minimum and usually lasts about three minutes.

I guess that I want to take people shooting,,,
Only if they are actually interested in learning to hit a target,,,
I look at a single-shot rifle and a single-action revolver as a screening test.

They can always learn the "basics" of the old school way once they're interested, this just GETS them interested IME.

I understand what you are saying my friend,,,
And who am I to tell you that your method isn't valid.

My experience, on the other hand, has always been this,,,
I've never seen a shooter go from Spray & Pray,,,
To accurate shooting.

Okay, spray & pray might be too severe a term,,,
But with any semi-auto the temptation to shoot fast is very strong,,,
I think people need to learn to hit the target before they try to hit it with rapid fire.

Two different philosophies and neither is wrong,,,
They just work differently for different types of people,,,
I gravitate towards the folk who appreciate slow accurate shooting.

Aarond

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[Manny]

It all depends on what you as the experienced shooter expect from a guest,,,
I'm aware that doing mag dumps is a very fun thing,,,
Often at the range I turn money into noise,,,
Simply because it's fun.

But, and here's the gist of my point,,,
Me and my guns aren't there so they can have fun,,,
Or we can define my definition of fun with a firearm is hitting your target.

I actually had the father of a young boy get mad at me,,
He asked if I would take the boy to the range and introduce him to shooting,,,
I took my Henry single-shot and a revolver for myself with a Cricket single-shot for his son.

The kid was bored because he didn't want to learn to shoot properly,,,
He just wanted to shoot a lot of ammunition as fast as possible,,,
His dad was angry with me for not "entertaining" his boy.

I told him all about H&H gun range and their rentals,,,
He can take his kid there and waste all the money he desires.

Like I said, I'm not above a few mag dumps for fun,,,
I load up five magazines and hand my CZ-75B to friends quite often,,,
That's 80 rounds at about 18-20 bucks minimum and usually lasts about three minutes.

I guess that I want to take people shooting,,,
Only if they are actually interested in learning to hit a target,,,
I look at a single-shot rifle and a single-action revolver as a screening test.



I understand what you are saying my friend,,,
And who am I to tell you that your method isn't valid.

My experience, on the other hand, has always been this,,,
I've never seen a shooter go from Spray & Pray,,,
To accurate shooting.

Okay, spray & pray might be too severe a term,,,
But with any semi-auto the temptation to shoot fast is very strong,,,
I think people need to learn to hit the target before they try to hit it with rapid fire.

Two different philosophies and neither is wrong,,,
They just work differently for different types of people,,,
I gravitate towards the folk who appreciate slow accurate shooting.

Aarond

.

In my post I don't believe I implied either mag dumps or spray and pray, if I did it was unintentional. There is a middle ground, shooting at a measured pace, striving for accuracy, and I find the aiming assistance of the single sighting plane of the EO on the rifle helps newbies find the target and start hitting right from the beginning. A scope would do the same but I find the EO a great sight for the ranges I shoot a .22 rifle at. It might ultimately be better to use a bolt action for newbies, but I didn't have a .22 bolt until recently when I got a Ruger American rimfire. I DO single load the 10/22 until they have fired several times and got hits at their aim point. After that they get a fully loaded mag, but again, it's a measured pace and accuracy that's the order of the day.

I find the CT grip on the GP again helps them find the target faster, and as it's sighted to sit right on top of my front sight, when they're on target, they automatically can see how to properly line up their sights. It is also a great tattle tail on trigger miss-management and a wonderful dry fire aid.

My goal in helping new shooters is to share the sport I enjoy so much, and to do so I want to make it easy and fun. I don't however do mag dumps as it's just not in my nature or interest to do so. And neither do the folks I help learn to shoot. If they want to do that, they're welcome to find someone else to help them or otherwise continue without me.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello again Manny,,,

No, you never mentioned spray & pray,,,
But also notice I said

Okay, spray & pray might be too severe a term,,,

My goal in helping new shooters is to share the sport I enjoy so much, and to do so I want to make it easy and fun

.

We have the same goal my friend,,,
Our strategies, methodology, and equipment may differ,,,
But in the long run we are all about achieving the same end result.

Helping new shooters get started.

Aarond

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