Poll: In past year did you take new shooter to the range? comment if you did.

[thelaststand]

Over the last 12 months have you taken at least one new shooter to the range? A new shooter or someone who has not gone to the range in the past 5 years?

This is the only way we are going to win this political war. We have to start offering to take the people around us to the shooting range.

Please comment about who you took to the range.

 

[jamesjames]

took friends and son for first range time

I've got several colleagues I've taken shooting and got them interested in shooting sports. I'm an art professor, new again to the sport 7 years ago after not shooting for over 30 years. my colleagues are college professors too. I'm trying to convince my community college president to start a gunsmith program at our school.

This summer I also started my 9 year old out on plinking with a Henry leveraction in .22lr. His lenght of pull isnt great enough for off hand shooting, so we're doing all bench rest, with the occasional trip to the line with a Colt Frontier Scout in .22lr. What does Hicock45 say?... "Life is good!".

 

[Ignition Override]

How does one meet a new shooter, unless somebody at a gun show etc decides to confess?

 

[rondog]

Actually, yeah....now that I think about it. My stepson and his wife came from CT to CO to visit last October and I took them shooting. The DIL is a CT native, and had never fired a gun before. But she was eager, actually ASKED me to take them! She got a good workout on a wide variety of handguns, and she was tickled pink by my demonstration of bump-firing my AR-15.

 

[MEMStL]

I have taken several coworkers for a range session over the past 3 years. Many of them now own their own firearms. My father-in-law had been out with me several times, and ended up getting his concealed carry with me (after taking a safety course and several lessons). He even paid for the course as a thank you! I really enjoy introducing the uninitiated to the reality of firearms.

 

[au01st]

Yup, taken many friends in the last year, and most have bought their own within a few months of the experience.

 

[Bentonville]

My son's college roommates both came to my home for instructions. They learned to disassemble and clean their firearms they had just purchased. They learned gun safety. Then we went to the range and learned to shoot their pistols. One had a Glock 19 and the other had a Shield. They started out dead on and after about 20 rounds, they started shooting low and left and from then on, a lot of dirt flew up in front-left of the target. The good thing is the targets lasted a long time. After about 120 rounds each and work with dummy rounds inserted to demonstrate the flinching and trigger jerk, we decided to call it a day and went back to clean pistols. I was proud of the attitudes demonstrated by these young men. They were very respectful and very serious about gun safety. I hope they will come back soon for some more guided practice.

 

[Outlaw Man]

It's hard to find people in Arkansas who have never shot a gun, but there are a few.

I took a coworker to the range for the first time. His grandfather or someone took him hunting when he was little, but it was his first time in at least 20 years to fire a gun.

Also got to take a young college student who just recently moved here from Europe. He had fired a gun once in his native country, but it was just a couple shots into the ground, nothing like a 1911, a box of ammo, and a nice clean target taunting you...and on someone else's dime.

I think they both enjoyed it. Not "new" shooters, but definitely reintroduced. One of them is absolutely hooked. The other said he probably won't ever own one himself, but he understands and thinks it's everyone's right to own one (and understands why).

 

[klcmschlesinger]

My Wife

My wife has always been very supportive of my shooting and gun hobby, but she never wanted to go shooting. I forced her several years ago just to ensure she could use my house gun for defense. She complied but did not enjoy it.
I bought a SR22 earlier this year and went shooting, again forcing her to go this time to try the 22LR, she loved it. Now she asks me often when we are going again. So we have went several times and she is starting to understand how much fun it can be. Also now she takes an interest in the politics and is much more supportive of the 2A fight we are in.
The rest of my family and friends are already shooters so i am rarely around someone that isn't on board.

 

[Ryanxia]

Took my neighbor out to the range for the first time a few weekends ago. He had a blast. Considering buying his first gun now.

This is definitely the way to win this war, by introducing as many new shooters as possible. Even if they don't decide to 'join the club' the fear and strangeness of firearms/shooting may wear off or be harder to sink in.

 

[Queen_of_Thunder]

Not only have I gotten new people involved several have gone on to get their conceal carry licenses.

 

[Shear_stress]

Took several graduate students/postdocs out. Started with the obligatory safety lesson and a brief overview of several different types of actions. We worked our way through .22 pistols and rifles before concluding with the Czech Vz.58 rifle in 7.62x39mm. The Vz was a huge hit!

 

[zdc1775]

I took two back in May. My MIL, a British Immigrant, and her childhood best friend on her first trip to the US. MIL had been exposed to guns but never fired one, her friend had seen a couple shotguns back when she was a kid. They each shot .22 rifles, .38 Spl, .357 Mag, 9mm, .45 ACP, an AR-15, and a Mosin Nagant.

 

[leadaddict]

My 4 year old had his first real shooting sessions at the range this year. I now have three of the little people eating up my 22lr faster than I can buy it.

 

[Ranger Roberts]

Just a few weeks ago I took two friends who I grew up with. They had a great time and now both are considering buying handguns and taking a conceal carry course!

 

[Louca]

I admit I have not done that in the past year. I am just now joining a club and hope to take some non-shooters, maybe even some anti-gun people, out to the range for some genuine fun.

Although I like that a poll was set up here, I doubt that many who did not take someone to the range will actually come in and vote 'no'.

Lou

 

[anothernewb]

I have taken a couple new shooters to the range. One I'm happy to say was so enthusiastic that she now has her carry permit and has purchased 2 handguns!

 

[Nugilum]

Yep. Took my son out. After the standard lecture on safety, he learned how to shoot a semi-automatic pistol (Ruger Mark II). He had a blast.

 

[SuedePflow]

I started taking my little sister to the range about a year ago. She's tagged along a few times since then. I taught her how to properly handle and shoot a handgun, and she's not much of a marksman yet, but she's at least comfortable with shooting now. She does the best with a .22lr naturally, followed by a snub-nose 38. She shoots my Glocks too, but isn't as comfortable with them.

My father's neighbor is a Chicago resident and comes to MI to enjoy his lake house on the weekends. Naturally, he's not much of a gun guy and hasn't fired one in decades. We're going to try to get him to come shooting with us on Sunday. His wife is very anti-gun, so we'll see how it goes.

 

[tommy.duncan]

I got my wife shooting, She had me take her younger sister and her best friend. I hope to get my lil girl out this fall.

 

[horsemen61]

Yep I took the little lady shooting for the first time ever and she loved it needless today I'm a happy man

 

[medalguy]

Yeah I took three. One is my next door neighbor from a large city in Michigan who is pretty much not into guns at all. Also took him to his first gun show and his comment was "There sure are a lot of guns around. Interesting." The other two were friends who I will call "NPR types" and their introduction to guns was shooting my 1928 Thompson, my FAL, and my 1919A4 semi. It was a light introduction.

Next thing I know, these two went out and bought a 10/22 rifle and a pellet gun with a "silencer" on it, and a scope. I was required to mount and adjust the scope. His first target after a Campbell's soup can was a 52 inch rattlesnake coiled up under his car. One shot.

 

[Louca]

The other two were friends who I will call "NPR types" and their introduction to guns was shooting my 1928 Thompson, my FAL, and my 1919A4 semi. It was a light introduction.

You have GOT to be kidding me! Really?! They must have had some proclivity to shooting, or at least been open to it a little.

Next thing I know, these two went out and bought a 10/22 rifle and a pellet gun with a "silencer" on it

Job well done my friend. You will know they are completely normal and GTG if they have stopped listening to NPR.

Lou

 

[Teachu2]

Took a 50 yo teacher to the range two weeks ago. She's now buying a G22.

 

[CoRoMo]

The most recent one (within the last two months) was a family that had never owned a gun or ever considered doing so. Their boy was getting real interested in guns so they did the right thing; attempt to teach him as opposed to an attempt to dissuade him.

I helped the mom, dad, and two kids learn safety and how to handle and shoot a few guns and how to disassemble the .22 pistol they had.

Started them out with a .22 pistol with silencer! Who here can say that the first gun they ever fired in their life had a silencer mounted on it? That momma can!